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CHAPTER 6
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Ten minutes later, the helicopter landed on the roof of the penthouse and Armel lifted Raphaël into his arms and preceded Liza Dean down the steps.“Alain, were you able to carry out my instructions?” he greeted his butler, choosing to talk to him in English not French.“Everything is exactly as you asked, Monsieur de Roquefort,” the butler replied in his usual unflappable manner. “The nursery suppliers delivered a cot and other necessary furnishings and equipment, and the dressing room adjoining the fourth bedroom has been prepared for the child’s nanny.” If Alain was surprised by the request to prepare a room for a baby, his tone gave nothing away and his facial expression remained as bland as ever.“Bon… C’est parfait, merci! (Good… That’s perfect, thank you!)” Armel murmured as he transferred the sleeping baby back into the nanny’s arms. “Would you be so kind to escort Mrs. Dean to the nursery and ensure she has everything she requires?”“Oui, Monsieur de Roque
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Harley caressed Raphaël’s curly blonde hair and took in all that calmness.“Oh, my sweet, perfect, little angel…” she whispered touching his rosy cheek, “please, don’t grow up too fast. Stay as innocent as you are right now for the longest time possible. Stay with me as much as you can. You’re the most precious person in my life and I can imagine my life without you. I would love to hold you so much right now, but I must wait until I’ll get better.” The little boy made a soft moan but kept sleeping and dreaming.“I can believe you’re mine… Oh, Raphi… I’m not a perfect person and I’m going to make so many mistakes in my life, but I’ll never stop giving everything I’ve got to be the best mother I can be for you. Sleep tight, baby,” Harley added and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She went back to her room and decided to stay there until the moment Raphaël would wake up in the morning. Harley knew Armel’s house but she didn’t want to go around the house. She didn’t wa
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Armel hid his flare of surprise. During the months that Harley had lived with him, he had never really got to know her. His workload had been particularly heavy and after a long day at the office, he had simply wanted to take her to bed. He had asked about her day out of politeness rather than any real interest and had thanked his lucky stars that she wasn’t one of those women who insisted on regaling him with every detail of her life. He had found her quiet, gentle nature soothing, and, if he was honest, he had missed the calming effect she seemed to have on him after he had thrown her out. But now, Armel realized that he knew very little about her. Perhaps it was Harley’s faint air of mystery that intrigued him, he debated as he drained his glass and stretched his arms along the back of the sofa, his eyes skimming over her and lingering on the fall of her silky hair.“It’s obvious from the state of your flat that you’re struggling financially. Why don’t
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Harley was running down the hall of the penthouse with Raphaël in her arms, searching for Armel. She could hear his voice ahead of her but the passageway seemed to go on forever and he remained a distant figure who taunted her desperate attempts to catch up with him.‘Armel… please, wait…’ Tears filled her eyes as she struggled on.‘We’re here… Don’t go…’ Raphaël was heavy and her wrist was hurting like hell, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her heart as she faced the knowledge that she would never reach Armel and she would always be without him…‘Don’t leave me…’ ****“Harley, wake up…” A familiar, terse voice sounded loud in her ear and when she opened her eyes, Harley discovered that she was not in the hall, but in her bedroom, and Armel was standing close to her bed watching her with undisguised impatience.“I’m here because you were screaming in your sleep… You were ha
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She had warmed to Liza’s kindness instantly and for the first time since Raphaël’s birth, Harley felt she could relax and trust that her baby would be well cared for. Over the next two days, she began to appreciate Liza’s advice. The accident had taken its toll and she was shocked at how tired and emotionally all over the place she felt. The sound of laughter from the nursery indicated that Raphaël was perfectly happy with the nanny, and it made a welcome change to have a temporary reprieve from her responsibilities. To her relief, Harley saw little of Armel. He had left for his office before she woke in the mornings and didn’t return until late in the evening. Some things hadn’t changed, she mused wryly as she recalled the long, lonely days she had spent when she had lived with him, waiting for him to return from his office or one of his frequent business trips. A few times, Armel had taken her abroad with him. ‘Dynamico’s owned stores in se
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His slow smile triggered alarm bells and she bit back her retort as her mind fantasized about how Armel would bend her to his will. With ease, that was for sure, she acknowledged on a wave of self-disgust. Just the thought of his hands and mouth caressing her was enough to send liquid heat pooling between her thighs. If he touched her, kissed her again, she seriously doubted her ability to resist him… and he knew it. Harley swallowed and tore her eyes from his mocking smile, tears of shame prickling behind her eyelids. If she wanted to retain any trace of her self-respect, she would have to agree to go to dinner with him because she could not risk him persuading her.“It was kind of your PA to go to so much trouble…” Harley replied tightly, careful not to look at him. “And because I know how unwell she must be feeling at the moment, I’ll agree to take her place tonight.” Clutching the box Armel had given her, Harley headed for the door, her back
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It was almost midnight when they bid Marcus and Diane Reese goodnight and drove back to the penthouse. Harley wished she were tired but to her dismay, she felt wide awake and filled with a wild, reckless energy. Those few moments of madness on the dancefloor with Armel had inflamed her senses and left her body aching for his full possession. But her body was going to be disappointed since she intended to go straight to her room the moment they entered the apartment. But Armel’s butler, Alain, greeted them with a tray of coffee and petits fours that he had prepared especially for their return.“If you don’t mind, I’m quite tired… I’d really like to go to bed now,” Harley muttered to Armel as he ushered her into the lounge in the wake of the butler.“And upset Alain?” His eyebrows raised a notch.‘You’re a brave woman… O might add, you’re much braver than me when it comes to upset Alain.” Stifling a groan, Harley dredged up a smile and a
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Harley held her breath, torn between the need for him to continue his wickedly intimate caresses and the dictates of her pride, which were telling her that she must stop this madness now before it was too late. But Armel was a master of seduction and his skillful fingers continued to move inside her, while his thumb pad stroked with delicate precision over her ultra-sensitive clit, building her excitement so that she twisted restlessly and tried to control the delicious spasms that were threatening to overwhelm her.“Oh, Armel…” she said his name in a whisper, her head falling back as she moaned low, as wave after wave of incredible sensation tore through her. His eyes were focused on her face and there was something shockingly erotic about the way he was watching her while he pleasured her. She was going to die of shame, but his fingers were moving faster in a sensual dance. She jerked as Armel continued his movements, dipping his fingers ins
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He lost his breath at her response, at the complete abandonment she gave him. The way she filled him.“I need you in me, Armel,” she said breathing hard while he tore at his pants, releasing the agonizingly hard flesh that strained against the zipper. Gripping the shaft, he straightened, and pressed closer, until the head was pressing against the clenched opening. Leaning back, Armel watched as he began to penetrate her. The heavy, wide flesh pressed inside, parting her as the folds of her sex began to grip and hug the heavy erection.“So perfect…” Armel said. “Take me in, mon ange…” And she took him in, caressing him with her femininity in the most intimate way. Her hands gripped his arms as her neck arched, her hair falling around her shoulders as slumberous green eyes stared back, locked with his gaze. Making love to her was pure pleasure. It was pure rapture. It was sweet, hot ecstasy.“There, mon amour,” Armel crooned, his voice rough. “Let
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She looked up at him and caught the flare of pain in his eyes before he quickly masked his thoughts. He’d said that he loved her and he adored their little blonde angel…“Armel… I understand everything you’ve told me, but… I still can’t understand why you want to postpone the wedding…” she murmured. “If you love me…”“More than life, mon coeur,” he vowed fiercely. “I love you more than you can ever know.” He slid his hands up her arms to cup her face and she could have died at the expression in his brilliant blue gaze, the faint sheen of moisture that revealed his vulnerability and his deep, abiding love for her.“So, if you love me, then why?” Harley asked in a desperate tone.“When I received the results of the paternity test, I was desperate to know if I carry the gene and the likelihood that I had passed it on to Raphi. I contacted medical experts who specialize in genetics and discovered that in the last two years, a reliable test has been developed, which mea
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For a few seconds, the floor beneath Harley’s feet seemed to sway and she inhaled sharply.“Postpone the wedding… I see,” she managed at last, past the constriction in her throat.“I doubt it,” Armel murmured, and his light, almost casual tone opened the floodgates of sheer agonizing pain.“You’re right, Armel… I don’t see, and I certainly don’t understand this whole situation… I don’t understand you…” She flew across the remaining few feet that separated them and halted in front of him, bewilderment, hurt, and sheer fury blazing in her emerald eyes.“Marrying you was never my intention… This whole thing was your idea and I went on with it. After we talked about it last time, I thought we’d agreed that we could make our marriage work, for Raphi’s sake, at least.”“Well, I thought so too, but I realize that I can’t go through with it… Not right now, anyway,” Armel said grimly, a nerve jumping in his cheek as he stared down at her. The patio lights cast long
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The truth… The truth was that loving him was tearing her apart, and that was a truth impossible to reveal.“Nothing’s wrong, Armel,” she lied. “I’d just rather sleep on my own tonight.” Her pride refused to allow her to confront him about Chantal’s allegations. If he suspected she was jealous of the glamour model, Armel might realize that she was in love with him and she would rather die than have him feel sorry for her. Armel briefly considered hauling her into his arms and kissing her until he broke through the barriers she had erected, but Harley looked achingly vulnerable and he accepted that, for once, making love to her was not the answer. Instead, he gave an angry shrug of his shoulders.“Très bien… (Very well),” he snapped, “If this is what you want, go ahead… Sleep on your own. But a week from now you will be my wife and you’ll share my bed every night. There will be no separate rooms, c’est clair? (Do you understand?)”“Oh, yes,” Harle
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For those few unguarded seconds, Armel had been unable to disguise his look of dismay at the idea of them having another child, and her little flame of hope that their marriage could work flickered and died right there, on the spot. The band struck up a popular tune and people began to drift onto the dance floor. Armel seemed to have regained his composure and glanced down at her.“Would you like to dance, chérie?” His eyes gleamed wickedly.“I have vivid memories of the last time we danced together.” Harley blushed at the shaming recollection of how he had brought her to the peak of sexual pleasure simply by holding her close and hastily shook her head.“Oh, I… Ehm… I just need to go to the ladies’ room… But perhaps Mireille would care to join you on the dancefloor… With Stéphane’s approval, of course…” Armel’s eyes narrowed on her flushed face and she turned and hurried away before he could stop her, desperate to be alone for a few mi
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Three weeks later, Harley was still questioning her sanity at her decision to marry Armel. Undoubtedly it would be best for Raphaël, but could she ever be happy, married to a man who was only proposed to her just to give their son a home? The only thing she was absolutely certain of was their physical compatibility, Harley acknowledged ruefully. The long hours of loving in his bed each night proved irrefutably that her body had been exclusively created for Armel, for his hands, for his lips... The way he was making her body sing every single time he touched her, or kissed her was out of this world. When Armel reached for her, Harley went immediately into his arms, her heart pounding with anticipation of the delight to come when he caressed every inch of her. His hands and mouth were instruments of sensual torture that he used without mercy, exploring each sensitive dip and crevasse of her body before gently parting her and stroking her until she hovered
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For a long while, neither of them spoke and only the steady tick-tock of the clock broke the intimate silence. Armel had rolled onto his back, taking Harley with him, keeping her wrapped in the circle of his strong arms.“It was mind-blowing,” he whispered. “Your body, how it responded to me was like… never before. I don’t know how to put it in words… It left me speechless.” She lifted her head and met his slumberous gaze. Maybe it had been different because she didn’t have sex with him, but she made love to him. And maybe this was the right time to tell him that she was in love with him. That her heart was still his. That staying there, right in his arms, exhausted and sated, was all she wanted to do for the rest of her life.“Armel…”“Oui, chérie (Yes, darling),” he said looking at her with a bright smile on his lips.“I… I need to thank you for everything you’ve done this last week,” Harley murmured huskily. “The way you cared for Raphi… The way you cared for m
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It was still dark when Harley awoke. Not the inky blackness of midnight, but a soft, shadowy darkness as dawn crept closer. ‘This is Armel’s room,’ she realized as her eyes slowly adjusted to the lack of light. She was in Armel’s bed and it had been his arms holding her close throughout the night. He was still holding her, Harley amended when she turned her head and met a wall of warm, satin skin. The rhythmic rise and fall of his chest told her he was sound asleep. She shouldn’t be here and now was the ideal opportunity to slip back to her own room. But the temptation to remain close to him, cocooned in this twilight world with the man she loved, was too strong to resist. With a small sigh, Harley closed her eyes and inhaled his clean, masculine scent. Slowly, inexorably, her senses stirred until she was conscious of each separate nerve ending tingling in illicit anticipation. Common sense warned her to flee before Armel ope
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One week later, Harley stood in the nursery, struggling to hold back her tears as she stared into the crib. Raphaël was now sleeping peacefully, his long eyelashes feathering his cheeks that were now flushed with healthy color once more. The hours after they had arrived at the hospital, had been fraught with tension as the little boy underwent a series of tests, and the eventual diagnosis that he did not have meningitis had only been a partial relief. Raphaël had been suffering from a virus that had taken a hold on his young body. For the next three days, he had lain in his hospital bed attached to wires and monitors and despite the efforts of the excellent medical team, had shown no signs of recovery. But on the fourth day, his high temperature had gradually dropped back to normal and when he’d woken from a long nap, he had sat up, demanded some apple juice, wolfed down a banana, and only been persuaded to remain in bed because his teddy bear w
