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Chapter Fourty Two
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2024-10-29 19:42:56“Then why didn’t I belong to you three weeks ago? Why did you leave and not come back? I’ll tell you why,” Tess went on before he had a chance to answer, “because those kisses meant no more to you than eating a chocolate bar. You found them pleasant, but not enough to buy the candy store.”
“You expected marriage after one kiss?” His derision hit her on the raw.
“You’re deliberately misunderstanding me. I didn’t say anything of the kind. You’re the one who has been rabbiting on about me belonging to you because of an inconsequential kiss.” She said.
“Hardly inconsequential. I could have had you and you would not have murmured so much as a protest.”
Oh. She wanted to scream. “No doubt your skills in the area of seduction are stellar, but what does that signify? With my limited experience in the area, a
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She put her hand out. “Thank you for an interesting evening. The food was wonderful and you could charge admission on the view from your terrace.” She said.She said nothing about the company and he felt the urge to smile at her spirit in spite of his anger.He took her hand, but instead of shaking it, used it to pull her into his body, so he could walk her inside. “I will take you to your room.”Her small body was stiff in his hold. “I won’t argue because it won’t do me any good to tell you I would rather walk alone.” She said.His lips twisted wryly. “You have said it.”“And it didn’t do me any good.”“I would be a poor escort if I did not see you to your door.” he said.“Cro-Magnon man has nothing on you for primitive.&rdqu
SILENT DESIRES Chapter Fourty Four
She pulled her suitcase off the bed and left it outside the room for the porter to pick up and add to the tour’s luggage on the bus.Contemplating marriage with Dash was an exercise in futility. He was probably already regretting the kisses they’d shared and the implications he had made. He couldn't mean all that shit he said.She walked into the hotel dining room and seeing David at a table by the window, she went toward him. They’d been sharing breakfast since the second day of the tour, sometimes alone and other times joined by their fellow tour members. This morning, he was sitting alone at a table for four.She slid into the seat opposite him. “Good morning.” She said.He looked up from the paper he’d been reading. He had it special delivered because he said he couldn’t stand too many days without news from back home.His usually mobile face remained impassive. “Is it?” he asked.&nb
SILENT DESIRES Chapter Fourty Five
Victoria sighed and looked at Savannah like she was crazy, which she probably was."I have to tell you, I don't think you should do this" Victoria said. "I mean it's Matt, remember. In case you have forgotten, it's Matt. The man who broke your heart so badly that you had to leave and I had no idea if I was going to see you again. I know you need this job, but he's your ex and I honestly don't see any good coming out of this. You are my best friend, and I hate seeing you hurt."Savannah understood. Vicky had a point, but she had no choice. She was tired of being a waitress and no reasonable office was willing to offer her a job without her degree. Matt seemed like the only one who was willing to offer her one. It was a bad idea, but she was going to do it anyways. How bad could it be? Really bad, but she didn't want to think about that.The reason why she hadn't called to tell him that she was coming was because she was terrified of
SILENT DESIRES Chapter Fourty Six
Savannah sighed.Okay, she thought. So he wasn't going to make this easy for her. She knew she deserved it... Kinda. She had practically yelled at him when he had offered her the job and then she had asked him to leave with his job and his check.She hated that she had to come back to ask for the job but she had no choice and he was the only one willing to offer her one."I know that I should have called" she said. "I was just scared that if I did this on the phone, you would turn me away or worse, you might even refuse to talk to me"He leaned closer, resting his elbows on his desk. "You were scared that I would turn you away if you did what exactly?" he asked.Savannah took in a deep breath. "The job" she said. "The one you offered a week ago. I know I said that I didn't want it but I do now. And I'm sorry that I turned it down before. I know that's it's really crazy to just walk in here and
SILENT DESIRES Chapter Fourty Seven
Savannah stared at him wide eyed. "Why?" she asked. "Why would you want to do that. I remember what you said to me that day when we broke up. I remember everything vividly. You made it clear that you didn't want anything to do with me. You said you never wanted to see me again, which was one of the reasons why I was surprised when you came to the diner and then offered this me a job.""I know what I said" Matt said, interrupting her. "But I was the one who came to look for you, regardless of what I said"Savannah was silent. She paced the room for a while. That didn't make much sense to her either. She never understood why he came to find her. "So what exactly are you doing?" she asked finally. "Is this some kind of sick game you are playing to hurt me?""I don't wish to explain anything to you right now," Matt said,"And I'm not trying to hurt you. I won't get anything out of that. The point right now is that you need me
SILENT DESIRES Chapter Fourty Eight
He’d managed to find her in Greece when she wasn't expecting him to, but now that she wanted him to…nothing. The man was a billionaire. He had a helicopter, not to mention a jet. He hadn't even bothered to call her on the phone.If it were important for him to see her, as he’d implied, wouldn’t he have used one of them? This was the reason why she didn't want to take his words seriously at first, but despite her good intentions, she couldn't stop herself. She was angry with herself as well as him.David had gotten over his snit by the time they arrived in Rome and apologized sweetly for his accusations. They’d agreed to resume their friendship and had toured the Vatican together.Their relationship wasn’t as free and easy as it had been. She was careful to avoid his casual touches, afraid Dash had been right. In allowing it, perhaps she had encouraged David to think she wa
SILENT DESIRES Chapter Fourty Nine
Her eyes widened, but she did not fly at him in anger as she had done before when he told her he wanted her to leave the tour.“I have two weeks left of my European visit.” Tess said.“Spend them with my family. My mom wishes to meet you and Elena is home from the university. I'm sure she will enjoy your company.”“You told your mother about me?” Tess asked.“Yes.” he repliedHis mother6would have been very hurt if he had sprung a bride on her out of the blue. And she was very excited about the prospect of grandchildren... Something Dash wasn't even sure that he was ready for. But one thing at a time.“What did you tell her?” Tess asked, looking at him as if he’d grown donkey ears.“Why the shock?” He had told Tess his intentions. &
SILENT DESIRES Chapter Fifty
"I had my moments. And for your information, I wasn’t trying to be “mean” or anything like that. To be honest, I just wanted you to come with me.... Because I wanted us to spend some time together.Her shoulders grew a little stiffer and she turned to look at him. Her steady gaze suggested that she wasn’t convinced.Savannah decided not to dwell on that statement he had just made."So this island—" she began. The thought of this brief adventure cheered her up slightly, so she would just focus on enjoying it. "Where is it? And why did you decide to come there of all places?""It’s a tropical island off the coast of South America. And the reason I decided that we should go there is because it's peaceful, and we’ll be the only two people on the island.""Just us?" Her voice was a horrified squeak. "You expect me
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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
SILENT DESIRES Chapter One Hundred and Eight
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
SILENT DESIRES Chapter One Hundred and Five
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.
