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Stay Away From Him
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2024-10-29 19:42:56"Out on the town till all hours of the night with that no-good son of mine, were you?" Rocco inquired, glaring at her across the breakfast table when she joined him the next morning. "What if I'd needed you?"
"If you had, Ruben knew how to reach me."
"That's beside the point."
"And exactly what point are you making, Rocco? That I'm under house arrest and not allowed to leave the premises without your permission?"
Ignoring her sarcasm, he said baldly, "You're asking for trouble, getting involved with Chris. Women are nothing but toys to him, created solely for his entertainment and pleasure. He'll play with you for as long as you amuse him, then drop you for the next one who catches his fancy. He'll break your heart without a second thought and leave you to pick up the pieces, just like all the others who came before you."
Not about to admit she's pretty much reached the same conclusion herself
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A flush of indignation stained his finely chiseled cheekbones. "I neither lost my nerve, nor anything else." "Then why the hasty brush-off?""There's a time and a place for everything, Lara, especially seduction. I'm not the sex-in-the-backseat-of-the-car type of guy-which isn't to say I didn't want to take you to bed. But you'd given no indication you'd have welcomed such an overture. Just the opposite, in fact. You never stopped talking.""If you'd bothered to ask," she said, "I could have told you we weren't as far apart in our thinking as you seem to suppose. I just did a better job of hiding it."He blinked. "Are you sure you know what you're saying?""Very sure. I realized the moment I set eyes on you that the chemistry between us could easily become explosive.""This isn't the first time you've left me at a loss for words," he said, almost stumbling over his reply, "and I
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He raised his head and looked behind her, then said, "I think we should try that again," and drew her closer to him, kissing her again, this time for longer.The moment was interrupted by an exclamation—most likely an expletive, judging by the indignant tone—and Lara spun around to find Rocco leaning on his walker, silhouetted in the open doorway."Wouldn't you be aware of it?" Chris stated pleasantly as he let her go. "My disapproving father caught me in the act. Before he comes after me with a shotgun, I'd better make myself scarce. I'll refer to you as Lara. Soon."He was gone in a flash, speeding down the long driveway in a candy-apple-red blur, bringing with him all the happiness the afternoon had given. Because she was certain that the reason he kissed her for the second time had nothing to do with her. He'd done it for the sole purpose of enraging his father.Rocco's prior warning came back to h
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Lara shifted her gaze from one to the other. His iron-gray hair was still thick and his eyes were piercingly alive, but his once-powerful body was rotting, his bones so frail it was a marvel they hadn't shattered when he fell. A modern-day Adonis stands by the son's side, towering, muscular, and unstoppable. And they were both so arrogant that they would rather walk barefoot through fire than acknowledge they cared about each other."I'm not sure why he bothered," she added sarcastically. "From my perspective, he's already there, and you are as well."She left them with that note. She'd be damned if she stayed around to pick up the pieces if they were determined to rip each other apart.She marched along the terrace and around the side of the villa to the lodge behind the garages, exiting through the French doors. There lived Thomas, a widowed gardener, and his son, Manny, whom she'd met the day she came. Brownie, their
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She inspected her sanctuary with a mixture of relief and pleasure as she closed the door behind her. Aida had pulled aside the bedcovers and lit a fire to keep warm in the middle of December. The hearth's flames swirled, casting burnished-gold reflections on the polished antique furnishings. The aroma of burning olive wood permeated the room.Lara tossed her sweater on the foot of the bed and kicked off her shoes, thinking that she'd made the correct decision. She couldn't deny the magnetic attraction she felt for Chris, but she also couldn't reject her feminine sense. It had warned her from the outset that yielding but in peril to her desire to him.She'd find herself hopelessly, helplessly engaged with a man so far out of her league that she'd be guaranteed nothing but sorrow if she didn't step back now. After all, he'd made it abundantly plain that his attraction to her was solely sexual, and what else could she really expect? He didn't have place for
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The nagging voice of warning advised her not to be fooled by his reasoning. After all, what was he offering her besides the joy of the moment?What had she achieved in the past by resting all her hopes on a brighter tomorrow, on the other hand? A nursing degree, a terrible mortgage on her apartment, a used automobile, and a brief and unsatisfying relationship with a medical student. Her circle of friends has shrunk as more and more of them chose marriage and children over being single. They haven't fully abandoned her, but their interests aren't as aligned as they previously were. Their schedules revolved around spouses and midnight feedings, whereas hers centered around shift work and case histories."Lara?" Chris's voice washed over her as she slid into the bathrobe, ostensibly sheltering her from his powerful beckoning to caress every concealed inch of skin, every minute pore.Why was she hoping for a future that woul
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She stuffed racy new lingerie, sheer nightgown, sandals, and silk caftan, as well as shampoo, toothbrush, cosmetics, and all the other goods he'd specified, into a canvas tote made to contain far less, after supper that night. He'd assured they'd be absolutely alone, but he didn't seem to get that it wasn't about looking good for strangers, it was about looking good for him.Rocco had authorized an agency nurse to cover for her while she was away, but he had made it clear that he was doing so under pressure. He sulked all morning Friday and ignored Lara all afternoon to emphasize his point.He hadn't asked where she was going or with whom she was going, despite the fact that based on his frantic mutterings, he'd guessed it was Chris. So, rather than starting the weekend on a low note with a confrontation, Lara gathered her belongings and sneaked out of the villa a few minutes before six to meet Chris at the bottom of the road.
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His demeanor shifted from relaxed indolence to alert alertness. "Are you claiming to be a virgin?"Her wine was choking her. "No.""No, that's not what you're trying to say to me, or no, you're not a virgin?" "No, that's not what you're trying to say to me, or no, you're not a virgin?""That is not what I am trying to say. The setting—the yacht, the glitz, the unusual specific location what I was alluding to. Is it really that important whether or not I'm a virgin?"He said calmly, "Yes, it does.Not because I'm going to judge you one way or the other, but because if I'm going to be your first lover, I'd like to know ahead of time." He put his hand on hers and leaned in close. "So?"Another flush rose up her neck, staining her face, which she prayed wouldn't be visible in the dim light. "I'm not," she says. He burst out laughing anyhow, having picked up on her discomfo
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"We did, but you were the first to mention him.""Well, now that I've forgotten about him, let's talk about your parents instead, and satisfy my curiosity about something that's been bothering me since you first mentioned it: you said they died in a car accident, so how come you were left with virtually no financial security? Normally, in such cases, there's a substantial settlement, especially when a minor is left orphaned."If she had pushed him to confront his own problems, his question prompted her to confront hers as well. She stated, "There was no payout from the accident." "Not in my favor, at least.""Why the devil not?"She squinted, as if closing her eyes might make the facts more bearable. It didn't work out. It had never happened before "My father was to blame. He was speeding and inebriated. Unfortunately, he and my mother were not the only ones who suffered. As a result of his actions, four more indi
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Quit Playing Games (English) Epilogue
He wrapped his arms around Lara as she stood at the kitchen sink and pressed his lips against her bare shoulder.“Good morning.” She smiled as she turned around in his arms.“Good morning. I don’t like waking up and you’re not in bed.” He brushed his lips against hers.“I wanted to get the muffins in the oven before you woke up.”“Banana nut?”“Of course.” She grinned.“Then you’re forgiven. Listen, do you hear that?”“Hear what? I don’t hear anything.”“Exactly. Blissful silence. We need to enjoy it before the kids come up. What time will they be here?”“Soon, I think.”“Is Helen bringing Lance?”“I think so. I’m not sure though.”“I feel like I need to have a talk with that boy.”“Leave him alone, Chris. He’s
Quit Playing Games (English) Moved Back to Imperial’s Villa
Raising highly intelligent children was rewarding as well as exhausting. Harry demanded a lot of their attention and needed to be mentally stimulated at all times. At a year old, he was already saying more words than the average child. Chris was sitting behind his desk when his office door opened, and Lara walked in holding Harry. “What a nice surprise.” He grinned as he got up. “Hi, princess.” He hugged and kissed her before he kissed Lara and took his son from her arms. “Hi, handsome.” He tickled him. “Daddy,” He smiled. “What are you doing here, sweetheart?” “I need you to watch him. The babysitter called and has the flu. Harold is with Aida. I have my doctor’s appointment. I will bring Helen with me.” “I have a meeting in fifteen minutes.” “And? Do you want me to cancel my doctor’s appointment?” “You know what, I’ll just bring him to my meeting.” “Good idea.” She smiled. “I love you. Just bring him h
Quit Playing Games (English) This His Life, His Family
As she lay there, she thought about how there was no way she could be pregnant again. No possible way. There was only one way to find out. She ran to the store and picked up a test. It was so silly that she was even doing this. She had a virus. Or maybe something else was going on. Pregnant? No. Impossible.She went into the bathroom, peed on the stick and waited. She laughed at herself for even thinking it. Once the test showed she wasn’t pregnant, she’d call her general doctor and get in for a checkup and some tests. The timer on her phone went off so she picked up the stick and stared at the two pink lines staring back at her. Her heart started racing, and she felt like she was going to pass out. Splashing some cold water on her face, she leaned over the counter and stared at herself in the mirror. How the hell she was going to tell her husband who had a vasectomy that she was pregnant again?“We need to talk,” she said as she grabbed his han
Quit Playing Games (English) She Was Pregnant Again
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” she asked Chris as she put her shoes on. “We’re going to be just fine. Go enjoy your day and don’t worry about us. Aida is here, I can ask help from her. Today is all about you relaxing.” He kissed her forehead. “I don’t know what time I’ll be home.” “You take as long as you want. We’re going to have so much fun today, aren’t we, baby?” Chris spoke to Harry as he held him in his arms. After giving him a kiss on the lips, she gave Helen and Harry a kiss and stepped into the elevator. The moment she stepped outside the building, she threw her hands up in the air. Freedom was hers for a day, and she was going to enjoy every minute of it. But as she was on her way to the spa, she felt this tremendous feeling of guilt wash over her. She shouldn’t be doing this. She need to be home with her kids. She was gone ten minutes and she already missed them terribly. This wasn’t a good idea and she needed to go back home.
Quit Playing Games (English) Life With a Newborn
Life with a newborn had been tough for the past couple of weeks. They sleep deprived and Harry was feeding every hour and refusing to sleep. Lara started pumping into bottles so Chris could relieve her every now and again. Especially in the middle of the night so she could get some rest.Chris worked from home the past couple of weeks so he could be there for Lara and the baby. But now it was time for him to get back into the office. He tried to hire a baby nurse to help Lara out while he was gone, but Lara wouldn’t hear of it. He kept the number close by just in case she changed her mind.“I have to go now, sweetheart. I’m sorry.” He kissed her lips as she stood in the kitchen holding Harry.“Don’t be sorry. We’ll be fine.”“I’m going to miss you and our children so much.”“Darling, I know you’re secretly excited about getting out. You can’t fool me.”
Quit Playing Games (English) The Birth of Their Second Child
They had not made love, even when her first trimester had officially ended two weeks ago. His patience despite his obvious arousal every night when they went to sleep had forever cemented Lara’s trust and appreciation for this amazing man—her husband.She opened the door and stepped into the bedroom.Chris stood beside the bed wearing a pair of white silk pajama bottoms.“White?” she asked with a smile, even though her own lace peignoir was the color of fresh snow.He put his arms out. “Come here, my wife.”She went to him, straight into his arms. He held her there for the longest time, saying nothing. Doing nothing.Except looking into her eyes, his that dark brown that meant his emotions were close to the surface. Finally, he said, “Thank you.”“For what?”“For being mine. For putting up with me. For falling in love with me and not walking away with my baby. Fo
Quit Playing Games (English) You Will Never Lose Our Baby
Chris dressed while Lara was in the shower, and then he made a couple of business calls while she was getting ready. Anything to keep himself from going into her and ravishing her body.For some reason, Lara feared miscarriage. He refused to add to those fears, no matter how difficult it might be to abstain from intimacy with her luscious body. He had to admit, he had no idea what miscarriage was so prevalent in the first trimester.He did a quick web search on his laptop while he waited for Lara to come out of the bedroom and discovered some interesting facts.When she came out, she was wearing a flowing sundress with peacock blue in a halter style that tied around her neck. The deep vee of the neckline accentuated her burgeoning curves, but the dress looked comfortable, as well. Its empire waistline had no binding around her tummy, he noticed.It would look even more amazing once her stomach started to protrude with the baby. He was not there when she&r
Quit Playing Games (English) Caring For You
Lara had fallen asleep. Just like that.Thirty seconds later and her breathing had already leveled out into true somnolence. It always amazed him how she could do that, though the only other times he’d seen it was after they had made love. They hadn’t done so tonight.Yet, here she was—sleeping. Dark bruises marred the lovely skin below her eyes. Her pregnancy was taking it out of her. It bothered him to see her looking so frail. Was she taking her vitamins? Had she gone to a doctor? There were so many questions he needed answered, but she wasn’t going to be satisfying his need to know right now.It wouldn’t be until morning, if he had his way and she slept the night through. He was careful not to jostle her unduly as he removed her clothes to increase her comfort. He could not help but stop and look at the changes her pregnancy had already wrought on her beautiful body.With near reverence, he cataloged each one. Her breasts
Quit Playing Games (English) She is Pregnant for His Second Child
Lara’s morning sickness had gotten worse the past few days and she decided to talk with Chris about her pregnancy.Surprise showed clearly on Chris’s face after hearing the good news. He will be a father again.While they were talking, her stomach tightened in a now familiar warning and she shot to her feet, kicking the lap blanket away. When she reached the toilet, she retched. Though, since she had not been hungry earlier, she did nothing but dry heave. It hurt and it scared her. Though she knew that the cramps were in her stomach and not her womb, a tiny part of her brain kept saying it was one and the same.Chris had come into the room with her and she could hear water running, but she couldn’t look up long enough to see what he was doing. Then a cold, damp cloth draped the nape of her neck while another one was pressed gently to her forehead. Chris rubbed her back in a soothing circular motion, crooning to her.The heaving stopped a
