جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 80

LucaThe ringing of my phone roused me from sleep.At first I was disoriented, almost perplexed as to where I was which was unnerving. I shot up, immediately on guard. I realized then that I was in my own den. I ran my fingers through my hair sheepishly.Damn, that was a bad way to start the day.I realized why things had felt so off balance. For the first time in a very long while, I’d woken up to the warmth of a woman burning against my skin and it had sent a jolt of shock through me. I vaulted to my feet and padded over to my phone and placed it against my ear.“Pronto,” I said in Italian, and lifted my gaze to watch her.She was still asleep on the rug, her body lightly covered with one of the thick blankets I had pulled from one of the armchairs and draped over us last night. Inside that intimate warm cocoon I had sunk into the deepest and most invigorating sleep I’d had in years. Her. It was strange and if I was honest, rather wonderful to see her gold head on my rug. I felt a y

MayaWhat the hell was I doing?There was no freaking bag of soil in there! I had already taken most of it out the previous day and spread them across the available pots and trays that I had in preparation for the seeds. However, from the moment he had walked into that greenhouse, I had lost the ability to think with my brain. My sex was pulsing, wet with arousal, as though it recognized the person that had lavished it with attention the previous night.And then there was the attire that he had on. Thus far, I had only seen him in the corporate looking suits and jackets, but today he was dressed luxuriously but casually in a leather jacket and a black cashmere sweater. But it was the hip hugging black jeans that made me want to peel everything off him and lick every inch of his body I was nervous about the lie I’d blurted out and thought of what to do to cancel it. With my heart in my throat I finally blurted it out. “Luca, actually, there’s no need.I just remembered that I’ve already

MayaI returned immediately to my room and got dressed.I needed the day out, away from Luca and this cocoon of crazed lust and the mental gymnastics I needed to undertake to pretend to myself that everything was still all right. That my heart wasn’t about to break into athousand jagged pieces. I called Katie and we agreed to meetup at the mall where we usually met, and do lunch together afterwards.Once I was ready I called my father. He was taking a nap, but he roused himself and insisted on talking to me. He was in good spirits and it cheered me to know that in a couple of days he would be going in to start his treatments. I told him I would come by in the next couple of days as I didn’t want him to see me as I was today. Confused and disorientated about my future. We said goodbye and I put the phone into my purse and looked at my reflection before I left the room carrying my present for Katie.Obviously, I didn’t want to contact Luca again with the request to let me leave for th

LucaThe door to my study burst open suddenly, but I was already with my gun drawn and cocked. I had heard the unfamiliar footsteps. Unrecognizable as any of my house guards. One much heavier than the other. What had alerted me was the way they were creeping forward. I felt calm. No emotion. My gun was cocked and pointed to the door. I was ready to shoot the motherfuckers dead thesecond they opened my fucking door.It happened so fast. If my reflexes had not been so quick I would have shot Angelo. For it was my brother who stood at the threshold of my study“Are you fucking insane?” I growled, fury coursing through my veins. “I could have blown your head off.”“That’s what I told him,” a soft female voice said frombehind him, and I realized then that there was someone behind him. She stepped forward with a bright smile on her face and both my brother and his fiancée stood before me.My gaze moved between the both of them, as I swallowed my anger at my brother. I could have killed him

LucaThe sound laughter surrounded me.It was unrestrained and endless. A beautiful sound.We were in the pool, with floats strapped around his chubby toddler arms and his cheeks flushed from the heat of the sun. I held onto his waist while he kicked his legs underneath.“Don’t let me go,” he cried out in his chirpy voice.I felt my chest swell. Never. Rocca. Never.I counted to three in my mind and once again loosened my hold from his. He let out a small scream as he began to sink into the water. “Keep kicking,” I told him. “Remain calm.”He tried, but still continued to smack his face into the water because of how nervous he was.“Papa, save me. Save me. I’m dying!” he screamed with fear.The sound pierced my heart. I caught him, pulling him towards my chest but as if he was smoke he disappeared.All that was left was his scream of terror. Papa, papa, save me, save me. I’m dying.My eyes flew open.I was lying on my bed, and my body was slick with sweat. It had been many years since