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Where It Will Hurt The Most
Huling Na-update:
2024-10-29 19:42:56She put down the bread she was holding and stared at him. "I beg your pardon?"
“By what standards do you judge a prospective husband?”
She reached for her glass and drank as she pondered what to answer to his question. "He must be a decent and respectable man," she finally declared.
"Tall, dark and handsome, too?"
"Not necessarily." She shrugged again, causing her clothes to lift slightly and expose the beautiful curve of her breasts.
He wished he hadn’t seen that fascinating. "Rich and successful, is that so?"
“At least, he must earn enough to support us. When we have children, I want to be at home to take care of them.”
"If you had to choose just one quality of your ideal man, what would it be?"
"The one who knows how to love," she said dreamily, her brown eyes widened, and a sharp smile flashed on her lips. While outside, a strong wind was blowing on the pine trees. "I want love more than anythi
Kaugnay na kabanata
Quit Playing Games (English) Knowing Each Other Over Dinner
She probably weighed no more than fifty-four kilograms in his eighty-five, but what was lacking in size, was more than recoverable in spirit. He had no doubt that she was given knowledge of the anatomy of the man, beyond the ability to cause serious bodily injury. Which should hinder him. Instead the thought of repelling her left him so suddenly and painfully aroused that, for the first time, he questioned the wisdom of his plan of attack. She should have been at his mercy, not in any other way, but for now, she remained utterly indifferent to his charms. On the other hand, he is not with her.Aida just came back to serve chicken breast and ziti stuffed with spinach, a welcome diversion, allowing him to fight his bad submission hormones and redirect his energy to more productive channels. "Why did you allow my father to force you into allowing him to travel, when he clearly didn't fit on it?" he asked casually, once they were alone again.&l
Quit Playing Games (English) Planning a Subtler Attack
Except for setting aside an hour a day to polish your halo! Struggling to hide his skepticism, Chris said, "All the work and no play seems unfair. We'll see what we can do to change that."A sudden influx of wind moved through the French doors, making her jump. "The thing being here is enough change. If the weather had cleared up, I'm sure Rocco wouldn't have upset me with the extraordinary day off to see the sights."“Count on both,” he said, acknowledging the opportunity when it showed up. "And I’m dedicating myself to act as tour guide.""That’s nice of you, Chris."No, no, he might have told her. Because whatever her motives, his were anything but pure. And because he meant it when he said he wasn’t a good person.They passed the leftover food in idle conversation, only interrupted by repeated bursts of rain on the windows, but before serving the coffee, she was about to run out of thing
Quit Playing Games (English) Unexpected Kiss
Lara had been kissed before, many times, but always. with some part of her brain able to rate the experience objectively: too slobbery, too bland, too aggressive, too many teeth, too much heavy breathing, not enough tenderness. More often than not, kissing, she'd concluded, was a vastly overrated prelude to romance. Until Christian Imperial came on the scene, that was, and filled her with a single blow.Except "blow" was no more the right word to define his effect on her than "kiss" adequately described his action. What he did with his mouth transcended the ordinary and surpassed the divine. Cool and firm, it yet seared her with its heat. Though undemanding, it somehow stripped her of everything-her independence, her focus, her moral compass, even her sense of survival.Apart from one rash, distinctly forgettable experience, she'd chosen to remain celibate because sex for its own sake held no appeal, and she'd never come close to being in lo
Quit Playing Games (English) I Am Happy To Be Here
She looked out at the flowers in brilliant bloom, at the peacocks strutting across the lawns, the blue arc of the sky and the stunning turquoise sea. Soon the rainy season would come to Vancouver, it's chilly southeasterly gales stripping the trees of leaves. People would be scurrying about under a forest of umbrellas where, just few weeks before, they'd been lying on the beaches taking in the last of summer's sunshine. "No," she said. "I'm happy to be here.""Good. Then you have no excuse for wanting to leave early."She thought not, either, until the beginning of her second week there, when Chris reappeared as suddenly as he'd left."So, this is where you're hiding," he said, coming upon her as she sat reading in a wicker love seat on the patio. "I've been looking everywhere for you."Though startled, she managed to hang on to her composure enough to meet his glance coolly and reply with commendabl
Quit Playing Games (English) Confrontation About the Kiss
Aware her emotions swam dangerously close to the surface, she gave herself a mental shake, sat a little straighter in her seat and firmly changed the subject. "Thank you, but it all happened a long time ago, and we're here to talk about you, not me. So, tell me, Chris, exactly what frightened you off after that impulsive kiss last week? And please don't say you were too busy checking the main fuse box to find the cause of the power failure, because Ruben already told me you left after receiving a phone call. Had you forgotten you had a previous date, or was I so inept compared to the other women you know that you couldn't wait to escape me?""Neither," he said. "I had to go to work.""You work?""Well, yes, Lara," he said, laughing. "Don't most men my age?""Yes, but you don't seem the corporate type.""I'm not.""And it was the middle of the night."&
Quit Playing Games (English) While Dancing
It felt good to hold a woman whose curves hadn't been ravaged by malnutrition. Whose bones, though delicate and fine, were not so brittle that he was afraid they'd break at his touch. Whose breasts hadn't withered from bearing too many children she hadn't been able to nourish properly. Who didn't shrink in fear when a man touched her. Who smelled of flowers, not poverty. "Stop it," he said, inhaling the sweet fragrance of her hair. "Stop what?" "Thinking. I can hear your brain working overtime." "Well, I can't help wondering—" He pulled her closer, enough for her warmth to melt the block of ice he carried inside and make him whole again. Whenever he returned from a particularly harrowing assignment, a woman's soothing voice and generous, vital body always helped erase the hopeless misery he never got used to witnessing; the wasted lives, the terror, the shocking evidenc
Quit Playing Games (English) Stay Away From Him
"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
Quit Playing Games (English) Chemistry Between Us
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
Pinakabagong kabanata
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
