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7
“So, you and Arianna, huh?”
Papa caught up with me during our usual morning run. Despite the pain he went through, he had been a good father to us. The best father in the world. He was always there when we needed him the most.
“It’s too soon, Papa.”
“Liar, liar, pants on fire!” Enrique ran past us, and my stare drilled holes in his back.
Papa––a man of few words––shook his head with a chuckle. “She is good for you.” That was all I would get. But that was all I needed. “I know what’s going on in that mind of yours.” We continued the jog until he slowed and glanced at me. I stopped, turning to face him. “Take a chance with that one, son. Women like Arianna are hard to find. Don’t make the same mistake I did.”
“Thanks.” I masked my smile. “I’m going to bring Boxer to the estate. He’s never gone this long
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Resisting Her 8
“It’s clear.” Her relief was evident when I informed her.A lightness settled in my heart as our hands brushed on the walk back to our tent. We said nothing when we went to lie down on our respective sides of the makeshift bed.The gentle breeze and silence gave me a satisfaction none of the luxuries ever did. The smile on my lips stretched. I waited for her to fall asleep before turning toward her and spooning her body against mine.“Good night, Arianna,” I whispered into her hair and rested my chin over her head. Arianna moved, making my heart skip a beat. She turned and snuggled to my chest. Just as I relaxed, thinking it was just a reflex action, she spoke.“What a loser.”“Huh?” Crap. Was she awake? I froze like a kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar.“I said she’s a loser,” she repeated.Oh, God! My heart raced. Now, she knew.Already kno
Resisting Her 9
Arianna’s strangled cry reached my ears before my gaze found her shaking form tripping over her dress. She clawed at her dress as her chest heaved. When I rushed inside her room, she crawled on the floor.I dropped to my knees as I worked on her dress. The complicated knots were tied too tightly. It didn’t help that she writhed on the floor like a fish out of water.A string of curses left my mouth when I couldn’t figure out how to remove the dress. I rushed to the bathroom, finding a pair of scissors in the cabinet. Arianna wheezed, her eyes rolling back to her skull, mouth wide open. The redness of her face was alarming.I hurried to her and knelt before cutting through the fabric. Her strangled cries muffled the sound of the cloth being ripped apart. A loud gasp parted her lips as the dress loosened its grip around her chest. Her eyes were wide as she breathed in, taking several gulps of air.“Easy there. Keep breathing, Arianna
Resisting Her 10
“What now?” My patience was long lost when I answered the third call from Marcus that day. I had showered, but it did not ease my tension. Outside, the morning scene was pleasant with a clear blue sky and estate staff buzzing around with various activities.“Sir, I have a suggestion.”“I’m listening.” The wind ruffled my hair as I paced the balcony.“We can use this opportunity to break in to her home and find evidence.” Marcus sounded excited.This piqued my interest. “But…” I drawled, thinking about the possible outcome.“We’ve tried everything else. This is our best bet.”My heart raced. I ran a hand through my hair and pinched the bridge of my nose. It was a risky business, and illegal. But we had to do it if that was what it took to prove Papa’s innocence. First, we needed to get our hands on that document.“We have trained men
Resisting Her 11
The hardest obstacle I had ever had to face was to release her from my embrace. Every fiber of my body and mind urged me to claim her as mine, but it was too soon. I wasn’t ready.With a deep breath that filled my lungs with her fragrance, I stepped back. “I have something to take care of.” It hadn’t been a second I release her, and the longing to feel the warmth of her skin was nagging me. I gripped her hands, circling my thumb on her palm.“Okay.” She pushed the loose strands of her hair behind her ear.“I’m sorry about the way she spoke to you.”She shrugged. The corners of her lips lifted. “I don’t care.”She moved to hug me, and my hands encircled her. My chin rested on her head as she pressed her cheek against my heart.We stayed that way for a while before she pulled away. “You had something to do.”“Oh, yes.” I cleared my t
Resisting Her 12
The trip back to the island took about two hours. I canceled the rest of my engagements for the day. After meeting Waylon and Kenzie, all I wanted was to see Arianna. Something had changed. For the first time in years, this meeting did not affect me as it would have in the past.Philip, our retired butler, looked up from his newspaper and smiled when I rounded the corner. He chose to stay at the estate since he had no family. He sat at his usual spot that overlooked the beach where he liked to spend time with a cup of tea.“Hey, Philip, how’s your day?”“It’s a great afternoon, Orlando. The weather is good for a walk.” A fond smile graced his lips. Philip was nearing eighty. He kept Grandpapa company.“Where’s Boxer?”“Oh, he’s with Arianna.” His eyes crinkled with laughter, and his features softened when he spoke her name. “They’re inseparable these days.”
Resisting Her 13
The wind ruffled my hair. The sounds of the beach were so lively and relaxing. After being a workaholic for years, it would be a lie if I said this forced vacation didn’t relax me.It felt like a long time since I’d enjoyed some family time. However, I also missed being at work. The constant itch to check on my emails was still there. I refrained from doing so because I promised Enrique. Another round of laughter caught my attention.Arianna––the mere name gave me a reason and pinned me in place. While everyone drank and chattered away, I sat there on the beach chair, sipping my beer.I let my gaze sweep around the beach. Arianna was in the water with the girls, playing and laughing. The sight of her smiling face brought a smile on my own. A sigh passed my lips. I could watch her smile all day.My hands went to my pockets out of habit, only to realize I was in swim trunks. Reaching for the phone on the table, I made a quick call to
Resisting Her 14
“Coward,” I spat for the third time that night as I gazed into the mirror. “Why can’t you just do this one thing you want the most? Fucking coward.”I despised seeing myself in the mirror. I’m a fool. I clenched my fists, suppressing the urge to hit the mirror. But I had to walk away to protect my heart and my sanity. Even a hot shower didn’t help to calm my rattling nerves.Boxer had snuck into Grandpapa’s room earlier, leaving me alone. Opening the cabinet, I took the pills, inspecting the bottle. Not that I needed it, but after what I went through, I wasn’t sure. The sex stamina pill was promising, but then our relationship would be built on a lie. Besides the bottle, the condoms I bought last week seemed to laugh at me. What was I thinking?Self-doubt is the worst poison. With a sigh, I placed it where it belonged. Let her hate me or think I wasn’t worth it. But how could I talk ab
Resisting Her 15
“Here’s your coffee, sir.”I thanked Sheila and sipped the hot heaven, sighing in bliss. There was so much to do before I left for the business trip. The two weeks off had been wonderful. While I would give anything to re-live those two weeks, work consumed me. There were so many proposals and reports that required my attention.Two days had passed, and all I ever did was eat and work. I hardly had time to sleep with everything I had to do. Arianna was constantly at the back of my mind. Her face popped up in my mind in between, and she had called twice, which I missed.My headache returned as I skimmed through the papers. The investors in Europe needed numbers, and fortunately, we covered it already.“Have the reports ready this evening. I––”My cell phone blared for the sixteenth time, ruining my mood as Isabela’s name flashed on the screen. I’d deal with her in court. I turned the phone on sil
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