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Chapter Eighty Five
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2024-10-29 19:42:56He held it out to her and she lifted her gaze to stare at him as if he’d lost his mind.
“I couldn’t decide whether or not to give you back your old one or buy you a new one. I kept the old ring. I kept it with me the entire time you were gone. But bought a new one for a new beginning.” Matt said.
Her hand trembled in his and she stared speechlessly at him.
He ruefully shook his head. “I know it’s not the most romantic proposal. It’s not even under the best circumstances. I’d intended to wait. Until it was the right time. Until we’d sorted out things between us. But I couldn’t wait any longer. And when my friends and family see you again, I want them to know that we’re together, that you’re the woman I’m going to marry and that you have my support.”
Tears filled her eyes and her chest ached with emotion. He made no move to take the ring out of the box and put it on her finger for her. He simply held it in
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She was a coward, but it was the cold, hard truth that fear was what held her back. Not pride. Not anything else. She knew that if he didn’t believe her this time they could never be together.Not wanting the weight of anxiety to bear down on her today, she shook the bleak thoughts from her mind and crawled out of bed. She padded into the living room to see that Matt had turned the fire on for her.To her further surprise, she found a breakfast tray waiting for her on the table with bagels, cheese and an assortment of fruit.She sank into the seat, her eyes stinging with tears. “I shouldn’t love you this much,” she whispered. God, but she couldn’t help herself. She craved him. He was her other half. She didn’t feel whole without him.Tonight was the dinner with his friends and his mother, but even that couldn’t dim her excitement or her happiness. And maybe t
SILENT DESIRES Chapter Eighty Seven
The room went absolutely silent at his declaration.The expressions ranged from his mother’s ill-disguised horror to outright disbelief on his friends’ faces.Even Emily looked skeptical as she rose to extend her hand to Savannah. It was then that Savannah noticed that Emily was pregnant.“It’s nice to meet you,” Emily said with what looked to be a forced smile. Hell, how much could Emily possibly know about Savannah anyway? It wasn’t as if she’d been around for that long. But she, like the others, didn’t appear to roll out the welcome mat.But Tess. She seemed different, and genuinely happy to meet her. And Savannah wasn't sure if smile was from her heart, but she was glad that at least some one was nice enough to pretend to be happy to see her.Savannah offered a nervous smile and allowed Matt to seat her. This was going to be a long night..“How are you, Savannah?” Dash ask
SILENT DESIRES Chapter Eighty Eight
Matt's first thought was to go after Savannah, but he was furious, and this had to be ended now. Like hell he’d ever allow anyone to make Savannah feel the way she’d obviously felt tonight. He bolted to his feet, palms smacking the table as he lunged toward his brother.“What the hell was that?” he shouted.He included his mother in his furious gaze, not backing down when she recoiled from his anger.Enzo looked taken aback, his face pale. He looked sick, but at this point Matt didn’t care. He’d had enough. This was a huge mistake and he wasn’t going to let it go this time. He never should have let it go. Never should have played down the obvious discord between Savannah and his family.Their mother leaned forward, her expression tight. “Don’t be angry with him, Matt. I invited him. If you insist on a relationship with this woman we’re going to have to sit down together at some point. Or do you plan never to s
SILENT DESIRES Chapter Eighty Nine
The sick knot in his stomach grew and his chest tightened so much he couldn’t breathe.“You wouldn’t listen,” she said tearfully. “You wouldn’t listen to anything I had to say. You’d already made your mind up.”He swallowed and closed the distance between them, worried that she’d fall if he didn’t make her sit.But she shook him off and turned her back, her shoulders heaving as her quiet sobs fell over the room.“I’m listening now, Savvie” he forced out. “Tell me what happened. I’ll believe you. I swear.”But he knew. He already knew. So much of that day was replaying over and over in his head and suddenly he was able to see so clearly what he’d refused to see before. And it was killing him. His brother had lied to him after all. Not just lied but he’d carefully orche
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She turned back to him, sadness so deep in her gaze that it hurt him to look at her.“Don’t you see, Matt? It can never work for us. You don’t trust me. Your family and friends hate me. What kind of life will that be for me? I deserve more than that. It’s taken me long enough to figure that out. I settled again, when I swore I’d never do it. I agreed to marry you. Again. Because I was so in love with you and I believed that we could move forward. But I was a fool. Some obstacles are insurmountable.”She closed her eyes as another spasm of pain crossed her face. And she swayed, her hand flying out to brace herself against the dresser.“Savvie, what’s wrong?” he demanded.She rubbed her hand across her brow and opened her eyes, but her stare was unfocused. “My head.” She said. A sound like a whimper escaped her and he knew that something was wrong. Something beyond the emotional distress she was experiencing.
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It was true. He hadn’t wanted to, but maybe that had changed. “It’s all right.” She said.“Hell no, it’s not, but now maybe that will change. I’m damn happy things are working out for you and Dash. He’s a good man. Proud and stubborn, but smart and understands the value of family." he sounded so happy for her.“Yes, he does.” Tess agreed.“I trussed him up like a Thanksgiving turkey for you and I’m glad I did.”More blatant satisfaction.The comparison was unfortunate. She couldn’t imagine Dash in such a scenario at all, nor was she sure that a bit of matchmaking could be likened to trussing someone up, but she didn’t argue with her father. His matchmaking efforts had brought her and Dash together. For that, she could swallow a lot of male self-aggrandizement.“I guess you did, dad. Thank you,” she said warmly.“I’m just glad you’re happy, girl.”
SILENT DESIRES Chapter Ninety Two
Dash stood under the hot water and cursed until his throat was raw with it. She had been in on it all along.This woman he had trusted and believed would make the perfect mother for his children was in reality a scheming witch who did not care how she got what she wanted so long as she got it. Where he had seen innocence, there had been deviousness.He now saw the initial reticence she had shown to his advances as the ruthlessly manipulative tactic that it was. The classic game of playing hard to get refined to the point of deviousness. She had known he had no choice but to pursue her. Yet, she had made the pursuit difficult, knowing his male instincts to hunt would be aroused.She had done her own part to make sure he was caught in her father’s trap. He had been right to suspect such duplicity and a fool to dismiss the possibility so easily. The knowledge he had been so used filled him with a desire to do violence.
SILENT DESIRES Chapter Ninety Three
Carefully, Matt stood, not wanting to risk waking Savannah up. He motioned for Dash to follow him outside the hospital room. When they walked out, Matt saw Stefan shove off the wall, his eyebrow arched in question.“What are you two doing here?” Matt asked with a frown.“That other night was really tense,” Dash said. “We tried to call you but couldn’t get you. You haven't been picking up so we went by your apartment today. Your maid told us that you said Savannah had been taken to the hospital by ambulance so we came over to see if she’s okay.”Matt closed his eyes as his throat knotted all over again.“Whoa, man, you need to sit down,” Stefan said.“Have you eaten?” Dash asked.Matt shook his head.“Want to tell us about it?” Dash prompted.
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SILENT DESIRES Chapter One Hundred and Nine
His hold was almost bruising now. “I know you have stopped loving me. I deserve it, but I love you, baby. You are the air that I breathe. The only music my heart wants to hear. The other half of my soul. I will make you love me again. I can do it. You still want me,” he said as one hand cupped her breast with its already tight peak.She turned her head and cupped his face between her palms so she could see into his eyes. “You love me?” she asked.“For a long time. Since before that party I think, but to admit it would have been to admit the end of my independence. Fool that I was, I thought that mattered. Without you all the freedom in the world would be a tiny cell in a prison of loneliness.”Her jaw dropped open. She couldn’t help it. Not only had he said he loved her, but he’d gotten positively poetic about it. “Those are pretty mushy sentiments.” She said.He shrugged, his nature showing stronger in that m
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Neal Patchett didn’t even sound sorry.“Because he doesn’t love me,” she fairly shouted into the phone.“No reason to yell, missy. I may be getting old, but I hear just fine. The man wants you and for him, that’s probably as close to love as any woman will ever get.”She curled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them. Could her father be right?“You should not have done it.” She said.“Tess, you wouldn’t take anything else from me.”“I didn’t want anything, just your love.” That was all she’d ever wanted from the two most important men in her life and the one thing she was destined not to get. “I’ve got to go.”“No, wait, child.”“What?” she asked with a lackluster voice.“I do love you.” he said.Four words she’d longed to hear since she was a child. They touched her now, healed some thin
SILENT DESIRES Chapter One Hundred and Seven
The rejection she felt was shattering.“I thought you cared about me. I knew it wasn’t love, but this thing between you and my father—it’s so demeaning. The knowledge that our marriage was the result of an arrangement between you and my father so you could get your company back…” Words failed her for several seconds as she struggled to keep the tears at bay.Finally, she swallowed. “I never would have suspected anything like that, but it explains so much.”He stepped toward her, his hand extended, “Tess, please, we can make this marriage of ours work.”She reared back, almost falling off the sofa. “Don’t come near me. I don’t want you touching me.” When she remembered how he had blackmailed her into marriage, using his body as the bait, she shuddered.His expression was that of a jaguar thwarted of its prey.“I want some time to think. Alone.” She said.He shook his head in sharp n
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She glared at him, anger and resentment boiling in a cauldron inside her that was ready to explode all over him. She jumped up and faced him, fury making her body rigid. “I don’t have to convince you of anything.” He was the one who’d been caught taking a shower while his former girlfriend lounged around answering his phone. “If you won’t tell me, I’ll call my father and ask him.”She turned to do just that, but his words stopped her.“Do not go. I will tell you.” Dash's complexion had gone gray. “You thought your father tried to get us together, but you did not realize the methods he used?”The methods had been pretty obvious, or at least she had thought so at the time. “He sent you to check on me in Athens.”“He sent me, yes, but not to check on you. I was under duress to convince you of marriage.” Dash said.That explained so much. Dash looked sick and she could imagine why. A proud m
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She leaned forward and kissed him, still holding his face in her hands. She stroked her hands through his hair and then over his cheeks again, smiling a tender smile all the while.“We make quite a pair, don’t we? We’ve made mistakes. But I like to think that we haven’t given up. And that maybe we’re stronger for it all. It makes me hurt that you’ve given up so much for me. Your family. The place you grew up in. And you gave it up, bought a beautiful house you knew I’d love all because you loved me. If I don’t forgive you then I’m denying myself that love and I don’t want to live without you, Matt. Or your love. Not anymore. The last months have been the worst of my life. I don’t ever want to relive that kind of agony again.”He pulled her into his arms, leaning forward so they didn’t tumble into the sand. He held her so tightly she couldn’t breathe, but she didn’t care. They were together. Finally. Without all the hurt and pain of the past. Without
SILENT DESIRES Chapter One Hundred and Four
The flight and subsequent transportation to the villa on the beach was seamless. Matt had changed his mind about going back to the paradise villa as he didn't want his mom or Enzo showing up again and upsetting Savannah so they had gone to moon island instead,the place where David and Emily had gotten married.Matt had ensured that Savannah was given every consideration. She was endlessly pampered and waited on and when they arrived on the island, they were greeted not only by the physician who would be monitoring her care, but a personal nurse who would reside at the villa with her and Matt.When Savannah got her first look at the sprawling villa, it took her breath away. They drove through a gate and down a winding driveway that was lined with lush, gorgeous flowers. Just for a moment the driveway paralleled the beach before it ended in front of the main house.The house couldn’t be more than a few steps fr
SILENT DESIRES Chapter One Hundred and Three
The tacit agreement to her fears made Tess's knees give way and she sank onto the side of the bed. “Are you saying you spent the night with my husband?” she asked. Her voice trembled, but she couldn’t help it. She wanted to die.“Are you sure you want me to answer that question?” Olivia asked.“No,” Tess whispered, her vocal cords too constricted for normal conversation, “but I need you to.”Olivia hesitated. When she spoke, her voice had changed, become more tentative. “Perhaps you had better discuss this with Dash.”Tess didn’t answer. She just held the phone to her ear and stared at the far wall of the room she shared with Dash. Was this what death felt like? Your whole body going numb and your emotions imploding until there was nothing left?Another voice intruded on her blanked out mental state. “Tess? Is that you, honey?”And she realized she wasn’t numb. “Don’t call me
SILENT DESIRES Chapter One Hundred and Two
Dash called again at dinner that evening from Rome. She picked the call, feeling subdued and just plain not up to arguing with his mother or sister about taking the call. Then she stood up and left the table.“Hello, Dash. Was there something you wanted?” she asked in a voice that sounded dead to her own ears.“Yes, Tess, I want many things, but I called to apologize for my behavior when you told me about the baby.” He sounded tired. “I want our baby, honey. I am sorry I was less than enthusiastic when you told me.”She dismissed the apology as too little, too late. Perhaps if he hadn’t been treating her so hurtfully for days beforehand, it would have been enough. “Don’t call me honey. You don’t love me and I don't see any reason why you should. I don’t ever want you to use that word with me again.”“Tess, I…” He hesitated.Strange to hear her super-confident husband hesitant.
SILENT DESIRES Chapter One Hundred and One
Stepping out into the sunshine from the air-conditioned building, Tess asked herself where she could go. Looking up and down the busy street, she knew she wanted only to get away from the crush of people. An image of the grounds surrounding the Black villa rose in her mind like Valhalla to her ravaged state. She would take a taxi to the grounds and then when she was ready, she could walk home.Having a plan of action helped calm her churning emotions enough to wipe her tears away and wave down a cab.She had the driver drop her on the outskirts of the Black estate. Luckily, she remembered the code for the small gate in the far wall. She and Elena had used it once before on an afternoon walk.Once inside the estate’s walls, she walked only far enough to hide herself in the trees, then sank to the ground. Her back resting against the trunk of one of them, she let the tears fall freely. It hurt so much.
