absolutely gorgeous in all his naked splendour.
“ Cara , what’s wrong?” She nearly laughed out loud at the ridiculous question before struggling in earnest to escape from beneath his heavy arm. For a few seconds his hold tightened but he finally raised his arm and allowed her to scurry off the bed.
“The sheets are soaking wet,” she said breathlessly, refusing to meet his eyes. “I need to change them.”
“Leave it for the maid in the morning,” he grinned lazily.
“The cleaning service doesn’t come in on a Saturday and besides, I can’t sleep on a wet bed.”
“Don’t be silly, Red,” he admonished gently, sitting up gracefully. “You’re sleeping with me in our bed!”
“I’m not,” she shook her head adamantly and his grin widened indulgently.
“Stubborn cat,” he swung his legs off the edge of the bed and stood up with the lethal grace of a predator, stalking her languidly. “Of course you are.” Theresa backed away but he pounced before she could get very far, his hands on her shoulders, applying just enough pressure to keep her from fleeing.
“Look at me,” he demanded softly when she kept her eyes glued to his chest. When she refused he muttered something beneath his breath before lifting one hand from her shoulder to tilt up her jaw until her eyes met his. Whatever he saw in her defiant gaze made his eyebrows lower and his eyes darken.
“I’m trying to fix this, cara ,” he finally whispered, the words almost torn from him.
“You can’t,” she shook her head sadly. “This… whatever it is… it’s irreparable.”
“Why?” He shook his head slightly in confused frustration.
“Because everything you do now feels insincere and forced!” She hissed in sudden fury. “Every touch, every apology, every endearment… it’s like you brushed up on the ‘Theresa Noble User Manual’ and learned what makes me tick!”
“Firstly, it’s Theresa de Lucci and secondly, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about!” He practically shouted, shaking her slightly.
“The kisses for one,” she itemised.
“What?”
“A year and a half of marriage, Alessandro and tonight was the first time you’ve ever kissed me,” she pointed out. “You must have realised how much it hurt me to know that you despised me so much that you couldn’t even bring yourself to kiss me.”
“That’s not…”
“So of course tonight,” she interrupted him; not at all interested in whatever it was he had to say. “After making me feel so special by finally doing me the honour of introducing me to your friends, this is when you decide to sweeten the pot with a few of your kisses! It probably struck you as a pretty effective way to keep the bitch muzzled and content, right?”
“You’re misreading the entire situation, cara .”
“Don’t call me that! I am not your darling… I’ve never been your darling and I’m not going to be naïve enough to fall for your so-called charms again!”
“What do you want from me?” He suddenly demanded in frustration, releasing her shoulders so abruptly that she stumbled and fell. He froze in horror, staring down at her with a look of such abject misery, contrition and despair on his face that she almost felt sorry for him. She sat up and stared into his distressed face.
“I want a divorce,” she whispered and he sank down to his knees beside her, lifting a hand to caress the curve of her cheek.
“I’m sorry,” he groaned. “I’m so sorry for more things than you could possibly imagine… but that’s the one thing I can’t give you.”
“Then we have nothing more to talk about,” she pushed herself to her feet, ignoring the hand he offered to help her. She suddenly realised that they were both naked and sighed heavily.
“Please, just go back to your room, Alessandro,” she pleaded and he hesitated, his eyes lingering on her face for a few long moments, before he turned abruptly and left.
She woke up in the guest bedroom the following
“ Cara , what’s wrong?” She nearly laughed out loud at the ridiculous question before struggling in earnest to escape from beneath his heavy arm. For a few seconds his hold tightened but he finally raised his arm and allowed her to scurry off the bed.
“The sheets are soaking wet,” she said breathlessly, refusing to meet his eyes. “I need to change them.”
“Leave it for the maid in the morning,” he grinned lazily.
“The cleaning service doesn’t come in on a Saturday and besides, I can’t sleep on a wet bed.”
“Don’t be silly, Red,” he admonished gently, sitting up gracefully. “You’re sleeping with me in our bed!”
“I’m not,” she shook her head adamantly and his grin widened indulgently.
“Stubborn cat,” he swung his legs off the edge of the bed and stood up with the lethal grace of a predator, stalking her languidly. “Of course you are.” Theresa backed away but he pounced before she could get very far, his hands on her shoulders, applying just enough pressure to keep her from fleeing.
“Look at me,” he demanded softly when she kept her eyes glued to his chest. When she refused he muttered something beneath his breath before lifting one hand from her shoulder to tilt up her jaw until her eyes met his. Whatever he saw in her defiant gaze made his eyebrows lower and his eyes darken.
“I’m trying to fix this, cara ,” he finally whispered, the words almost torn from him.
“You can’t,” she shook her head sadly. “This… whatever it is… it’s irreparable.”
“Why?” He shook his head slightly in confused frustration.
“Because everything you do now feels insincere and forced!” She hissed in sudden fury. “Every touch, every apology, every endearment… it’s like you brushed up on the ‘Theresa Noble User Manual’ and learned what makes me tick!”
“Firstly, it’s Theresa de Lucci and secondly, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about!” He practically shouted, shaking her slightly.
“The kisses for one,” she itemised.
“What?”
“A year and a half of marriage, Alessandro and tonight was the first time you’ve ever kissed me,” she pointed out. “You must have realised how much it hurt me to know that you despised me so much that you couldn’t even bring yourself to kiss me.”
“That’s not…”
“So of course tonight,” she interrupted him; not at all interested in whatever it was he had to say. “After making me feel so special by finally doing me the honour of introducing me to your friends, this is when you decide to sweeten the pot with a few of your kisses! It probably struck you as a pretty effective way to keep the bitch muzzled and content, right?”
“You’re misreading the entire situation, cara .”
“Don’t call me that! I am not your darling… I’ve never been your darling and I’m not going to be naïve enough to fall for your so-called charms again!”
“What do you want from me?” He suddenly demanded in frustration, releasing her shoulders so abruptly that she stumbled and fell. He froze in horror, staring down at her with a look of such abject misery, contrition and despair on his face that she almost felt sorry for him. She sat up and stared into his distressed face.
“I want a divorce,” she whispered and he sank down to his knees beside her, lifting a hand to caress the curve of her cheek.
“I’m sorry,” he groaned. “I’m so sorry for more things than you could possibly imagine… but that’s the one thing I can’t give you.”
“Then we have nothing more to talk about,” she pushed herself to her feet, ignoring the hand he offered to help her. She suddenly realised that they were both naked and sighed heavily.
“Please, just go back to your room, Alessandro,” she pleaded and he hesitated, his eyes lingering on her face for a few long moments, before he turned abruptly and left.
She woke up in the guest bedroom the following
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