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The Sicilian's Unexpected Duty(62)

By:Michelle Smart


                Her stomach curdled at the thought and she squeezed her eyes shut to banish it.

                Was that what her mother had done? How many times had she squeezed her eyes shut to banish the pictures of her husband with his other women?

                Before the images could swamp her, Pepe’s eyes opened and fixed on her, bringing her back to the here and now.

                ‘You stopped,’ he murmured, his voice thick with sleep. She hadn’t realised her hand had stopped its exploration until he enfolded it with his own.

                All memories dissolved as he pulled her down for a kiss, breathing in heavily.

                Returning it, she closed her eyes and allowed him to guide her hand down to the thick mass of hair on his groin and the erection that had sprung from it.

                Tentatively she encircled it, heat surging through her as she felt its silky weight and length, felt it throb beneath her touch. When she rubbed her thumb over the tip she discovered the bead of moisture already there and felt a thrill like no other that this was for her. Even if it was only for now.





                                      CHAPTER ELEVEN

                WINTER SUN SHONE brilliantly through a gap in the heavy drapes right in Cara’s eyes, waking her. She turned her head. Pepe had gone.

                On legs that felt weighted, she climbed out of bed and padded over to the window, pulling the drapes open.

                The room smelt of a familiar scent that she recognised from four months earlier. Sex. Their sex.

                Air. That was what she needed. And plenty of it.

                Firstly wrapping herself in the kimono, she unlocked the French door and stepped out onto the small balcony overlooking a large park.

                The cold air hit her and she accepted it into her lungs, willing the frigid particles to douse her shame.

                It did nothing of the sort.

                She knew she didn’t deserve to have her shame extinguished.

                After everything she had been through and all the promises she had made her unborn child, she was no better than her mother.

                Every time one of her father’s affairs had come to light, which was a regular occurrence, her mother would vow to leave. Every time she changed her mind, too hooked on the highs and lows of her marriage to care about anything as basic as self-respect. Certainly too hooked to care about the effect it was having on her only child.

                Her mother had been an addict. Her husband had been her fix. Not even his litter of illegitimates had made any difference.

                And now here Cara was, well over a decade after her parents’ marriage had finally done them all a favour and disintegrated, and she knew that unless she did something right now she would turn into an addict just as her mother had been.

                Movement behind her caused her to turn.

                Pepe stepped onto the balcony carrying two steaming mugs and wearing only a pair of faded jeans. There was something about seeing his feet bare that tugged at her in a manner that was entirely different from the effect his bare torso had on her.

                ‘Good morning, cucciola mia,’ he said with a lazy grin, handing her one of the mugs. Placing his own mug on the small table, he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling into her neck.