Her Rules
Page 24
"Tell me what's happened," Maria said in a tone she knew worked on her daughters.
Anastacia managed a soggy laugh. "You are so bossy."
Since it was nothing but the truth, Maria shrugged as she pushed a tissue into Anastacia's hand and leaned her hip on the desk.
"Let it all out, Ana. You'll feel so much better for it."
"It's just... just..." Anastacia took a breath. "It's been a crazy couple of months, you know? What with meeting Olivier and all the crap we've had to deal with, and then my father, and you and the girls. It's been difficult to take everything in."
Maria nodded. "I understand. Yes, now that I've met you, I understand."
"But that's not why I'm having a moment..." Her eyes filled again and she gave her step-mother a blow-by-blow account of what had gone down in her office with Ms. Natalia Loewe.
Maria understood exactly what had happened. She'd met plenty of predatory women, especially during the early days of her marriage. Hell, her man was in good shape for his age, and she still met the odd one with her eye on the main chance even now. When her emotions overwhelmed her on Anastacia's behalf, she did what any mother would do. She drew her husband's daughter to her breast and ran a hand over inky glossy curls.
"Cry it all out, Ana. You're with family now."
***
The first thing Anastacia did when she entered Olivier's apartment was to run into his arms.
"Hey, piccolino. What is the matter?"
She turned her face into his shoulder.
"Give me a minute to just smell you. I love how you smell. Male. Clean. Shampoo. Soap. And a-very-expensive-very-light-cologne-that's-just-you." She took a deep inhale, exhale, and slumped into him. "I love you."
His hand brushed her damp cheek. "I know you do. Who hurt you?"
She nuzzled into him, amazed that after such a short time together, he knew her so well.
Right there and then, she decided not to tell him about what Natalia Loewe had done, not yet. She refused to let the woman spoil a very precious moment.
"Nothing. Not really. I'm being stupid. Tell me about your day."
He did.
And listening to the words, the musical lilt of his voice, she realized being together like this was more than sharing their lives, their feelings.
"Tell me what is wrong?"
His words interrupted her thoughts.
"Maria visited me today. I cried. She held me, like a mother would hold a child. I never had that. It sort of hit me. Sorry."
He shifted, took her chin, rubbed his thumb over her jaw. "She hit you?"
She had to laugh. "No! No. She hugged me. Stroked my hair. I like her."
He smiled.
"I like her, too. You have taken the first step."
"Into what?"
"Into your family. Brave girl.
"It's hard."
"Si, but worth it."
"Clever Dick."
He looked so confused, she had to laugh again. "It's an old saying meaning smart-ass."
Dark eyes danced into hers. "I am Italian."
She poked him in his flat belly.
"That's Nico's line."
"He is right. Both of us, we are Italian."
This is not the end.....
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US and UK Links Listed where appropriate
Ludlow Nights Series
His Rules - Book 1 US
His Rules - Book 1 UK
Ludlow Hall Series - Contemporary Romance
Reckless Nights in Rome - Book 1
Reckless Nights in Rome US
Reckless Nights in Rome UK
A Stormy Spring - Book 2
A Stormy Spring US
A Stormy Spring UK
Run Rosie Run - Book 3
Run Rosie Run US
Run Rosie Run UK
The Trouble with Coco Monroe - Book 4
The Trouble With Coco Monroe US
The Trouble With Coco Monroe UK
The Fall of Jacob Del Garda – Book 5
The Fall of Jacob Del Garda US
The Fall of Jacob Del Garda UK
A Film Star, A Baby. and a Proposal – Book 6
A Christmas Story 1
A Film Star, A Baby. and a Proposal US
A Film Star, A Baby. and a Proposal UK
Delicious and Deadly: Invitation to Eden - Book 8
Delicious and Deadly: Invitation to Eden US
Delicious and Deadly: Invitation to Eden UK
An Affair to Remember - Book 9
An Affair to Remember US
An Affair to Remember UK
‘A Daddy for Daisy’ - Book 7 in The Ludlow Hall Series is due out in 2015
Desert Princes Series - Thriller, Adventure Romance
Desert Orchid – Book 1
Desert Orchid US
Desert Orchid UK
Vampyre Legal Chronicles Series – Paranormal Romance
Vampyre Legal Chronicles – Marcus Book1: US
Vampyre Legal Chronicles – Marcus Book 1: UK
The Vampyre Legal Chronicles - James Book 2: US
The Vampyre Legal Chronicles - James Book 2: UK
The Vampyre Legal Chronicles - Daniel Book 3 US
The Vampyre Legal Chronicles - Daniel Book 3 UK
Excerpt - Break The Rules: Book 3 in Ludlow Nights Series
Since snooping into another person's habitat was something he considered a big part of his job, and it was always helpful to see how another person lived their life, Sean Kennedy felt absolutely no guilt as he wandered down the narrow hallway in T.C.'s plush apartment and pushed open a door. He realized he'd found a girly love-nest decorated in pale gold and ivory soft furnishings, edged with lots of beads. A huge standing wall mirror reflected an immense bed, a glittering chandelier, and a couple of large chest of drawers in a highly polished dark wood. The furniture looked expensive, maybe antique. A long bureau, the top crammed with bottles of lotions and potions and perfumes, caught his eye. His nostrils widened as he inhaled the unique scent of someone who liked to indulge herself. A chaise longue the color of pale honey, crammed with ivory cushions sat at the bottom of the bed. The room smelled of woman. Gorgeous. Erotic. Sensual.
"I suppose in your line of work spying is a fecking given?"
The cranky tone in her husky voice had him turn to her, unsmiling, and he watched the blush rise over T.C.'s neck, her cheeks.
He intimidated her, and couldn't be sorry for it.
The time had
come for him and her to have a little heart to heart.
"We need to talk about your mouth," he said.
Her body language, the hip thrust, the folded arms and the superior lift of her brow, all screamed, 'Are you kidding me?'
"Fuck off."
In spite of ribs that hadn't quite healed from his argument with a bus in Paris, he moved fast.
The scuffle was a short one.
Her cheek pressed to the wall and her wrists were caught in his hand and shoved above her head. His legs, hips, pinned hers to the wall.
T.C. knew she'd pushed him, enjoyed it even.
"Let me go," she said through gritted teeth.
"No. You've had plenty of warning of what would happen if you swore at me one more time.
When she tried to buck under him, he simply pressed her into the wall. He had at least one hundred pounds of muscle on her and he now used every single ounce of it to effortlessly hold her still.
Her heart might be thud, thud, thudding against the wall, but his hard body, the scent of him, the feel of him, was doing x-rated things to her libido. In fact, she was so turned on she couldn't believe it.
What the hell was wrong with her?
When had she ever got off by dominant behaviour?
There was no way she was a submissive.
No way.
The thought of it had her growl in her throat.
"I understand discipline, Theresa," he said into her ear. His pleasant voice was so low and deep, the sound vibrated against her back. "I understand there are many different levels of discipline for many different types of misdemeanour."
"You hurt me and I will have your balls in your throat."
His response to her promise was to set his mouth to her neck to nuzzle a pulse going crazy. His tongue licked and then he set his teeth on her. The shudder rippled from her head to her toes and she closed her eyes tight from the sheer force of it.
This time all she could do was whimper.
"I can promise never to hurt you. But neither do I tolerate disrespect from you or anyone."
She opened her mouth to spew vitriol, when his teeth on her lobe stopped her dead.
"Swear at me one more time and I'll have your bare ass over my knee and burning from my hand. One warning, Theresa. One. Take a breath and think about it."
His voice might be mild, but she picked up the gravity, the absolute assurance to follow through.
Oh, how she wanted to rant, to rave.
But something, it might have been the tone of his voice, hard. Or it might have been the words, sincere, that made her hold her tongue.
The last thing she wanted was the indignity of being... spanked by a gorilla. A bully. By a man who used his sheer physicality against her.
But the thing that not only dismayed and disgusted her was the fact she was aroused to the point where her womb felt as if it was melting with need.
"Let me go," she whispered the words, becoming a little bit desperate now, because there was no way in hell she'd ever let this man anywhere near her panties.
"Are you on birth control?"
For a moment she went rigid with the thought that she'd misheard the question.
Excuse the fuck me?
"None of your business."
"Yes, it is very much my business. When did you last have a sexual health check?"
Her cheeks burned, literally burned, with what felt like mortification. The man was taking way too many liberties. She was sexually active and proud of it. That didn't mean she took risks with her health, but her sex life had nothing to do with him, or anyone else.
"Again, none of yours. Release me."
He did, and took a single step back.
She spun to face him, hands fisted and ready to strike.
Those eyes of dark gold, lion eyes, slid to her hands and then clicked to her face.
"You don't need to fear me."
Her eyes burned into his.
Oh, she really wanted to flay the very skin from his bones. But she wasn't stupid. She knew when she was out-gunned. Her well-honed instinct for self-preservation told her he'd happily follow through on his threat.
Now he studied her as if she was a small child having a temper tantrum, and her hand actually itched to smack his face, hard. Instead, she rubbed the flat of her hand down the hip of her jeans.
Those eyes followed the move before again flicking up to meet hers.
"You fear me," he repeated the statement.
She wasn't going to get into a pissing competition with him.
"Stay away from me."
Head held high, she marched out.
Sean waited for the bedroom door to slam, but the girl managed to restrain herself.
Just as well because he would have made her regret it.
He might, he considered, have come on a little too strong. But his actions had had the desired affect. No more swearing. And the change suited her. He might have won this round, but he was under no illusions. T.C. was very wary of him. She didn't respect him. Not yet. But she would learn to, very soon.
“She is beautiful, and therefore to be wooed. She is woman, and therefore to be won.”
William Shakespeare