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Chapter 319
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MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 320
Because it was torture not to reach out and take Chloe in his arms, to kiss her, to touch her, as he so longed to do. He knew that he couldn’t do that if he intended to be with her again. He knew instinctively that she would use any physical coercion on his part now as a reason not to see him again."Of course," he replied. "Perhaps you would have lunch with me on your next day off?"He was rewarded by Chloe’s startled look. "Lunch?" she repeated.He gave a wry smile. "It is a meal, usually partaken of at some time between midday and three o’clock—""I know what lunch is, Gregorio," she said. "I just—I assumed you would be returning to Los Angeles some time during the next few days.""Did you?" he mused, his intention having been to go to Paris this week rather than Los Angeles. That was before he met Chloe.Before, he had decided that capturing her and taking her to his bed was the more urgent of the two.But, no matter what happened or didn’t happen between the two of them in the ne
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 321
Where are we going?Gregorio gave Chloe a brief glance from behind his dark sunglasses as she sat beside him in the black sports car that he had borrowed for the day from his cousin Tiziano. The soft top was down, and Chloe wore her long red tresses unconfined today, so that they tumbled in the wind and gleamed like fire as the sun shone down on the two of them.Chloe had been waiting for Gregorio at her apartment when he’d arrived just before one o’clock, relieving him of the trouble of having to go looking for her. Something he had considered as a distinct possibility after her obstinacy before leaving on Sunday evening.But he should have known that Chloe was made of much stronger stuff than that. That she wasn't the type of woman who would flee and hide from what she had to know was the inevitability of their relationship.At least, he hoped she realized it was inevitable.The last 36 hours had been incredibly long ones as far as Gregorio was concerned. Most of them had been spent
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 322
‘Better.’ Gregorio grimaced as he saw the laughter gleaming in those moss-green eyes. "Have a little faith, hmm, Chloe?" He sighed before getting out of the car and going around to open the boot, giving Chloe a few minutes to sit and think about her mistake about his intentions.Not completely, of course.He did not intend going back to London today without kissing Chloe. Maybe a little more than kissing her. But he really would prefer the comfort of a bed when he held her completely naked in his arms and worshiped that beautiful body from the top of her fiery head to the tips of her slender toes.Of course, it wasn’t helping his self-control that she looked so stunningly beautiful in a fitted black T-shirt and an above-the-knee-length white skirt that clung to the rounded contours of her bottom. Those long legs were bare, and her elegant feet were thrust into cork sandals.No, there was no way he was going to be able to resist at least kissing and caressing Chloe today!When she fina
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 323
Chloe looked at him from beneath lowered lashes and was struck anew by the way he looked: his hair was a gleaming gold, his eyes a warm, indulgent brown, and those aristocratic features were almost too perfect to be true. steely strength melded with raw sensuality. His body was lean and powerful, exuding that same sensuality even when relaxed, as it was now as he sat beside her on the blanket.The plain, totally honest truth was that this man didn’t need to do anything to make her completely aware of him!"You think I should have gone out this morning and bought the things for the picnic myself?" he guessed, sounding slightly miffed at her continued silence.Chloe understood what he meant; picturing Gregorio Di Costa wandering around a supermarket delicatessen selecting meats and cheeses for their picnic wasn't easy!It was also slightly disconcerting that, in some areas at least, Gregorio seemed to be able to read her mind.She only hoped he wasn’t as knowledgeable concerning her inc
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 324
His caresses became more demanding, more intimate, as he pushed her skirt up, his hand moving unerringly to the inferno that burned between Chloe’s thighs.She came to her senses as she felt the brush of cool air against her bare skin—as she realized that it was happening again!Maybe she had been wrong after all, and Gregorio was irresistible to all women.No!She couldn’t do this. wouldn’t do this. would not become just another woman that Gregorio Di Costa—the totally irresistible Gregorio Di Costa—had seduced.She wrenched her mouth from his to glare up at him. "Don’t, Gregorio!" she told him forcefully."Don’t you...?" he repeated in surprise, his eyes dark and stormy, a flush to those high cheekbones."No," she confirmed determinedly as she straightened her clothing. Unless it was a lie when you claimed you didn’t intend to make love to me on a bed of pinecones?Gregorio locked his gaze on her for several long, tense moments before rolling onto his side and then onto his back, hi
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 325
"Don’t touch me!" she snapped, and she wrenched her arm out of his grasp. She was probably bruising herself in the process, but she didn't care because she couldn't bear having Gregorio touch her when she was so emotionally vulnerable.Gregorio drew in a harsh breath as he teetered on the edge of losing his usual self-control.All of the Di Costa men had a temper—a red-hot temper that burned so deeply that it became icy and steely—but that cold control often gave the impression that they were without emotion at all.Chloe’s show of contempt for him was in serious danger of evoking that extreme reaction.And Gregorio would guarantee that she wouldn’t like it if it did!He released her to draw in several more controlling breaths. "You did not seem to find my touch so abhorrent a few minutes ago—in fact, the opposite!" He reminded her frostily, aware that his English had become stilted—a definite sign that he was in danger of losing his temper!It was something that he had no choice but
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 326
"To lie, you mean?" she challenged.He gave a terse inclination of his head. "To lie," he confirmed grimly."How dare you?" She turned on him, those green eyes sparkling angrily. ‘I—’"And no amount of feigned anger on your part is going to distract me from getting a truthful answer from you," Gregorio assured her softly."Feigned?" she repeated furiously, her hands clenched at her sides, those magnificently full breasts surging up and then down as she breathed agitatedly. "Let me assure you, Gregorio, that I don’t have to pretend to be angry with you." Most of the time, that’s exactly how I feel!He smiled tightly. "And the rest of the time, you're a puddle of desire in my arms..."‘You bast—’"No, I don’t think so, Chloe," he advised, and he caught her arm as her hand arced up with the obvious intention of slapping his face. "We are attracting attention," he warned her. He knew they were the focus of avid glances from the couple as he walked past them down the street.Color warmed C
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 327
He abhorred the men in his profession who did use such enticements on young and beautiful actresses, who were often tricked into believing that going to bed with those men would help their careers—especially as it invariably didn’t. It was usually the ones with little talent for acting who resorted to the casting couch, because any actress of any repute would make it on her own merits without having to reduce herself to that level.Chloe's belief that he had acted in this manner with a close friend of hers explained her strange behavior over the last few days.It also explained why Chloe was so confused about her own response to him.Gregorio realized grimly that she hadn't expected to be attracted to him.She had thought merely to attract him and then shun him as recompense for hurting her friend.All of this—Chloe’s barbed conversation that had so attracted him when they’d met at the film premiere, the way she had deliberately stood him up at Garstang two evenings later, the pointedl
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MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 440
He moved suddenly, turned to her, and gripped her arms; she glimpsed the desperation in his eyes as he dragged her against his chest. "I will do whatever it takes to win you back, Kalila." "You are my wife, the love of my life, and I won’t let you go." His warm breath fanning the curls that framed her face, he pressed his lips to her temple, his eyes briefly closing as if in pain."I have told my father to name his brother Sulim as the interim ruler of Qubbah in the event of his dying before Hazem comes of age." Kate stared at him, shocked beyond words. "But... but why?" she finally stumbled.I thought that you were to rule until Hazem was older. "You are the King’s only son, and it is your duty." Ahsan shook his head. "My first duty is to my wife, and my father agrees." Even if he did not, I would still be here for you."Don't you understand, Kalila?" he asked urgently. "You are more important to me than Qubbah, my father, everything." You, me, and Hazem are a family, and the only thin
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 439
The still silence in the garden that followed his astounding statement was broken by the piercingly sweet song of a blackbird. Kate licked her suddenly dry lips, her heart beating so fast she was sure it would explode. "I don’t understand.""It’s quite simple." He sounded impatient and stared at her haughtily. But to her amazement, streaks of dull color highlighted his cheekbones, and his eyes veered from hers as if he were afraid to meet her gaze. "I love you, Kate."Her rebuttal was fierce and immediate. "No, you don’t.""I should have known you would want to argue about it, Kalila." A little of his tension left him, and his smile stole her breath."You don’t love me," she said again. It was probably some cruel trick, and she had more sense than to be fooled. "You married me for Hazem." You love Farrah. Malika said so.Malika said a lot of things, most of them untrue. Ahsan’s voice was suddenly harsh."But not the things she said about me," Kate said thickly. "My mother was a prosti
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 438
The blue sky was dotted with cotton wool clouds, and the warm breeze carried a scent of lavender and old-fashioned roses. There was no place on earth more beautiful than Ingledean on a spring day, Kate mused—except an oasis in the middle of the desert, where palm trees provided shade from the scorching sun and an azure pool glinted beneath a cloudless sky.She had been home for a month—although Ingledean no longer felt like home without Hazem. The image of his huge brown eyes and impish smile caused the familiar agonizing pain in her chest, and she bit down hard on her lip, tasted blood, and cursed the tears that slid unchecked down her face. She couldn’t cry forever. Somehow she was going to have to find the strength to move on, pick up the threads of her life, or maybe make a new one, far away from Ingledean and all its memories. But since she had left Qubbah, a terrible lassitude had settled on her, and she could not plan anything when the only two people she loved were far away on
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 437
In less than an hour, she was expected to attend the lavish dinner organized in honor of King Kabir’s recovery and his return as supreme ruler of Qubbah. And somehow she was going to have to do so without revealing that she was breaking up inside, which Kate acknowledged despairingly as she stared in the mirror at her paper-white face and red-rimmed eyes.When she first returned to the palace after her explosive confrontation with Malika, she locked herself in her dressing room and recalled, in stunned disbelief, everything the young Arab woman had told her. Could it be true? Had Ahsan always intended to divorce her once he’d gained custody of Hazem and marry his beautiful advisor?She did not know how long she’d sat there, but eventually her maid had knocked on the door and reminded her that it was time to prepare for the banquet. She should have made the excuse that she was ill—no one who saw her pallor would fail to believe her. But the steely backbone of pride that had seen her th
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Despite the warmth of the early-evening sunshine, Kate shivered. "You’re talking nonsense," she said firmly, striving to sound confident despite the sudden lurch of her heart. She was perfectly aware of why Ahsan had married her, but he had given no hint that he wanted a divorce. Ahsan told me he was never engaged to you. She lifted her chin and glared at Malika, trying to ignore the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach."He wasn’t," Malika agreed, looking surprised. "I was engaged to Farhan; Ahsan was engaged to Farrah."The world seemed to tilt alarmingly for a few seconds, and Kate actually gripped the edge of the wall for support. Ahsan and Farrah! It couldn’t possibly be true, could it? "Jamila told me that Ahsan was in love with his fiancée," she said faintly. "She doesn’t know why the marriage didn’t take place."Malika gave a careless shrug. ‘Jamila knows. Everyone at the palace knows that Ahsan adored Farrah and that she eloped with his brother on the eve of their wedding.
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 435
He was suddenly aware that the children had finished their dance and everyone was waiting for his response. Kate had turned her head to him, frowning at his inattention, and he quickly clapped his hands in applause. Once the dancers had filed out of the marquee, his personal assistant Zaid appeared at his side and informed him that a group of local potters had brought their best work for his gracious inspection. Stifling a sigh, he led the royal party out into the blazing sunshine.The garden party continued all afternoon, and Ahsan was not in the best of moods when he strode back to the palace. He suddenly realized that he was too far ahead and slowed his pace, waiting for Kate to catch up with him. He frowned when he noted how pale she looked beneath her wide-brimmed hat. She made no attempt to speed up, and the dejected droop of her shoulders fueled his impatience."I appreciate that an afternoon spent admiring traditional crafts and customs is not likely to top your list of exciti
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 434
Her feet briefly touched the floor, and he spun her around, tugged her zip down her spine, and removed her dress before she had time to catch her breath. Her bra went the same way before he lifted her again and threw her onto the bed as if she were a rag doll, his eyes glittering with a mixture of anger and sexual hunger that made Kate’s stomach dip."At night, I’m happy to give you all the attention you could possibly want," he growled, his shoes, trousers, and shirt hitting the floor with barely controlled savagery until he stood in his silk boxers. "This is the only bed you’ll ever sleep in." The boxers joined the rest of his clothes, revealing his powerful, unashamedly aroused body in all its glory. "But I wouldn’t bank on sleeping for many hours yet."Kate stared up at him, her breath coming in shallow gasps as she struggled to control the wild excitement that was pounding through her veins. She was conscious that she was wearing nothing but a pair of tiny lace pants and the pric
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 433
Clearly embarrassed, Aaliyah determinedly changed the subject to Hazem and how fast he was growing. But although Kate smiled and made token conversation, her mind was whirling. If Malika’s family had expected her to marry Ahsan, was she the woman he had been engaged to years ago—the woman Jamila had said he had loved? But, if so, why had they not married? It didn’t make sense, and she brooded miserably as she stared at Ahsan. He was smiling at Malika and clearly enjoying her company. Perhaps they had argued and broken off their engagement. Was he now regretting his lost chance to marry a beautiful, clever Arab girl who would have made him the perfect wife?From that moment on, the party became a blur of faces and stilted conversation with people she had never met before. She was sure they viewed her as an oddity, with her pale skin and vivid hair—and her glaring lack of sophistication. But until his father had recovered, Ahsan was king, and one of her wifely duties outside of the bedr
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 432
As Ahsan had predicted, his team of advisors was waiting for him when they arrived back at the palace. Even on the journey across the desert, he’d had his mobile phone clamped to his ear, and Kate had sat silently beside him, lost in her thoughts. The honeymoon was over, and he had made it abundantly clear that he now saw her role as his wife as a walk-on part—or perhaps a lie-down part, she thought bitterly. But what had she expected? She had married him for Hazem, and he had married her for sex, and they had each gotten what they wanted.At least she had Hazem, she told herself later that evening, when she tucked the toddler into bed. She had missed him desperately, and his evident delight that she was back was a comforting balm to her raw emotions. She was Ahsan’s wife, a member of the Royal Family of Qubbah, and no one could ever take him away from her now.But as she prepared for the state banquet, her insecurities returned, and she felt sick with nerves. She had been horrified w
