by Lilly LaRue
She smiled tremulously. “It’s supposed to hurt the first time, and I was just as eager as you were. I hadn’t had sex in seventeen years.” Molly grinned.
After a second, his lips twitched. “You shouldn’t try to make this easy on me. I want there to be absolute truth between us. If you’re ever going to love me back, you have to be able to trust me.”
Molly trembled. “Did you say love?”
He nodded. “I’d like to think I’m older and wiser now, which makes me smart enough to recognize how I feel and not try to hide it.” He tucked hair behind her ear. “I’m not exactly sure when it happened, but I fell hard for you in the past two weeks. The first time I felt it was at the hospital, when I saw how much you loved Cara—and didn’t love me. It gutted me to know I could have had that same level of emotion from you, if I hadn’t run away.”
She looked down. “I don’t feel the same way, Aronne.” Molly peeked up at him through her lashes, preparing herself for his reaction.
“I know,” he said softly. “It’s okay. I’m not asking you to pretend to be in love with me. I just want to have a second chance with you. I want to try to make you fall in love with me, the way I should have two years ago.” He stroked her cheek. “Will you give me a chance?”
After a hesitation, Molly nodded. “Do you mind if I sleep with you tonight?”
He shook his head. “I want you to sleep with me every night for the rest of my life, and not just sex. I want to fall asleep with you in my arms and wake up with you still there, right where you belong.”
Molly took the hand he extended after he got to his feet, following him into the bedroom. She still had her reservations, but her heart had softened toward him. A future with Aronne seemed entirely possible.
In the bedroom, he took his time stripping off her sundress, and she spent a leisurely chunk exploring him as she removed his clothes. When they were naked together, it felt like their emotions were equally laid bare. As Molly kissed him, she swore she could feel his love in every touch of his mouth to hers, every stroke of his hands across her flesh.
She cried out with need when he massaged her breasts before cupping her buttocks to lift her in his arms. Molly wrapped her legs around him and held tightly to her husband as he carried her to the bed. Somehow, they stayed entwined as he lowered her to the soft quilt.
Their gazes remained fixed on each other as he angled her hips to enter her. Molly could feel every inch of his flesh filling her, but it didn’t compare with how full her heart suddenly felt. As they moved together as one, she couldn’t help noticing how in synch they were. Imagining every aspect of their life being like that made her shiver with yearning.
Still staring at each other, Molly could see the exact moment when he started to come. His release triggered her own, and they found satisfaction together. Meeting and joining so intimately seemed prophetic as they held each other, lost in the blissful aftermath of such powerful lovemaking.
Epilogue
Molly collapsed into Aronne’s arms as their second child entered the world. The little boy’s scream matched four-year-old Cara’s shrill sounds of excitement as she ran through the house, shouting, “He’s here,” for the family members waiting in the salon downstairs.
“He’s beautiful.” Aronne kissed her forehead as the midwife passed over their son into her waiting arms. “Thank you, il mio amore.”
She smiled, still too tired to manage a conversation. Instead, she focused on her beautiful new son, pleased she had decided to brave pregnancy again. This time around, it had been a breeze, and her homebirth had gone as smoothly as silk. Molly wasn’t ready just yet for number-three, but she could see considering the idea in the near future.
“He looks like you.”
She nodded, finding the infant looked a lot more like her than he did Aronne as she put him to her breast to help him latch on. It was only fair, since Cara had turned into a mini-me of her father. “He still needs a name.”
“How did you pick Cara’s?”
Molly turned her head to meet his gaze. “I was under the influence of endorphins and oxytocin. I swear it made me sentimental, so I called her the only endearment you’d ever used with me.”
His face softened, and his eyes looked moist. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Probably not,” she agreed lightly, “But you’re stuck with me.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way, cara.” He kissed her gently on the lips, dislodging the baby from her nipple. He squawked in protest. “I see I’ll have to wait my turn, il mio amore.” His expression turned serious. “I love you more than anything.”
“Not as much as I love you,” she teased gently, before angling for a deeper kiss, one that kept the baby at her breast. “But he still needs a name. I was thinking Enzio?”
His eyes widened. “For my grandfather?”
She nodded.
Aronne caressed the top of Enzio’s head. “I would be honored.” He brought her hand to his mouth to kiss it. “What can I do for you, darling, to show you how grateful I am for your love and the children you’ve given me?”
Blinking away tears at his passionate words, she said, “Just keep loving me as much as I love you.”
“Always, Molly.”
She knew he meant it. Her trust in Aronne was rock-solid. He’d earned every bit of it, a thousand times over. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he’d be her partner, lover, and husband for the rest of their lives together. She said a silent thanks to their parents, having long ago forgiven the way they’d forced them to marry, once she’d realized they had done them a favor. She needed Aronne, as much as he needed her.
♥♥♥♥♥♥
Cover Image Courtesy of:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/uggboy/4498024383/
Lilly LaRue lives near Victoria, British Columbia. She enjoys fishing, cruising, and whale watching. If she isn’t in the beach house her partner built with his own hands, you’ll find her on the water. She has a seafaring Newfoundland, named Newton, who loves the water almost as much as Lilly.
Keep reading for a sample of LOVERS AND LIARS:
Happily Ever After Romances reserves all rights granted by the author. No part of this book may be copied or shared without written permission from the publisher. All characters are creations of the author, and resemblances to any real person are coincidental.
Copyright 2011, Lilly LaRue
Cooper catches Bari’s eye from the time she comes to work at his company. She doesn’t care that he’s the boss, or the owner, or in a wheelchair. Acting on their mutual attraction leads to an affair, but it comes to a screeching halt when she is accused of trying to steal the technology Cooper has spent years developing. Someone is framing her, but if Cooper won’t believe her, it will be the end of their romance.
Lovers and Liars
“Ms. McKenna, Mr. Fielding is ready for you,” Kady, the receptionist with the perfectly styled hair, said with a professional smile. Bari clutched her portfolio and entered the offices of Cooper Fielding, computer whiz and billionaire.
It was a large suite, with plush gray carpeting, and comfortable wing chairs in a cheerful shade of lime green. The desk was obviously an antique. It was solidly built from dark oak, and large enough for two people. He kept a minimum of clutter on the desktop—only a large desk calendar, his name plate, and two wire baskets, one labeled “In”, the other “Out”.
He was seated behind the massive oak desk, and Bari was surprised by his attractiveness. From her research, she knew Mr. Fielding was twenty-nine years old, owner of Hyperion Computers, and generally considered a genius. She hadn’t known he had sandy blonde hair, carelessly styled, and rich hazel eyes that focused on her intently. She hadn’t expected his face to be so finely honed, or his lips to be so perfectly sculpted. He was a very private man, allowing no photos to be published. Bari had tried to picture him in her head, but he always looked staid and almost geeky. Definitely nothing like the real thing.
/> “Ms. McKenna?” he inquired with a warm smile. “Please have a seat.”
Bari took the seat across from him, struggling to act relaxed. She’d taken a course in interview presentation, and had been through enough mock interviews that she should have felt comfortable. She knew she presented a cool, efficient picture, with her rich brown hair pinned up in a French roll. Her tilted, almond-shaped eyes, as green as emeralds, projected intelligence. Her generous mouth was composed into a small smile, showing just a hint of friendliness without being overly familiar. Her features—arched brows, sharp cheekbones, and slightly too-large nose—were distinctive, bold, an interesting contrast. More suited to a man maybe, but softened by her hair and delicate heart shaped face. On the whole, one might describe her as compelling rather than classically beautiful.
She should have been confident in her presentation. After all, she’d interviewed with several intermediaries in the past two months and presented herself well. However, she really wanted to move away from her present company and become part of Hyperion, and only the CEO could make that happen. That knowledge made her extremely nervous and high-strung.
Struggling to maintain a steady, well-modulated voice, Bari answered the questions put to her by Mr. Fielding. Many were similar or identical to the questions posed by other interviewers at Hyperion during the last two months. She’d made each cut until she was finally seated before the president of the company.
Finally, Cooper closed the folder and gave her an encouraging smile. “As I’m sure Dick told you during the last interview, this was just a formality. I wanted to get an impression of you and hear you answer some questions. I’d like to formally offer you the position of director.”
Glowing with pleasure, Bari strove for a calm voice. “Thank you, Mr. Fielding. I would be honored to accept the position.”
“Welcome aboard,” he said, his voice flowing smoothly, as he held out his hand. Bari shook it, and found herself wondering what that hand would feel like running up and down her lithe body. Mentally shaking her head, she returned her attention to her new boss. He gave her the details that hadn’t been relayed from other interviewers, and Bari agreed to start in two weeks time.
♥♥♥
Bari caught the flight back to Houston that afternoon, finding the afternoon hot and humid, despite the lateness of the season. She took the time to hand deliver her resignation, before returning home to her apartment. Once inside, she did a dance of joy around the living room, ecstatic that she’d been given the highly coveted position of director of R & D with Hyperion. At her age, twenty-six, it was quite a coup to beat out so many other qualified candidates.
She didn’t even mind the move to Richmond, Nevada. In fact, it was a plus to Bari. She’d hated Houston for all of the nine years she’d lived there and was eager to escape. The fact that she would be getting away from Greg lightened her spirits too.
The only thing she would truly miss about Houston was her apartment. She had the corner apartment of a six-floor building. She’d carefully decorated the rooms with her personal tastes in mind. Big, comfy furniture, bright throw pillows, and afghans on the couch. The walls and carpet were bland, but she’d enlivened things as best she could. Each room had a decorative border, and each border was different. The living room was bordered with autumn leaves, the kind that fell from Vermont trees in late fall, not dried out Texas foliage. She also had butterflies, cows, puppies, and flowers. The borders would be hopelessly ruined when she removed them.
If she walked out onto her balcony, Bari could see the park. One of the true spots of green in the suburban maze where she lived. The sidewalk literally stopped at the lawn of the small park. Azaleas bloomed in glorious color, the perfect backdrop for the numerous mothers and young children to be found at the park throughout the day. Bari had often imagined taking her own children there to play some day. Instead, they would be born and raised in Nevada.
With more hope than reason, Bari had already begun the preparations for her move to Nevada over a month ago, so there was little left for her to do. Movers would be arriving in the next two days, and Bari was only packing the delicate items. Before flying back from Reno, she’d paid a deposit on the apartment being held for her, so everything was set.
Groaning, Bari decided to break the news to her mother and step-father right away, to get it over with. She knew Efrem would disapprove and try to talk her out of the job, but Bari was resolute. Taking only the time to change into more comfortable clothes, Bari drove across the city, arriving at Efrem’s huge house after a forty-minute drive through traffic.
It was a monument to capitalism. The sprawling ranch-style house had little in common with the type of architecture. This was not a home where families gathered around the table after a hard day of manual labor. No, this was the kind of place where expensive parties were thrown with very little reason. Where false politeness and tepid friendships were worn like masks. The cold interior of the home—bright white and silver chrome—did nothing to make a person feel welcome. It was a cold place, nearly as cold as Bari’s mother.
The maid let her in, and Bari found Efrem and Ada sitting out by the pool, both clad casually, sipping drinks and disdaining the water. Bari sat on a chaise lounge and endured hearty greetings from her step-father, and a cool hello from her mother. “I got the job,” she announced.
“That’s wonderful.” Ada couldn’t conceal her relish. “I expect you’ll be leaving right away?” Her dislike of Bari was barely masked, and her control had slipped over the years as Bari grew more attractive.
Efrem clicked his tongue. “Why would you want to go to Nevada? It’s a dismal place; hot and full of a bad element. Nothing but gamblers and thieves in a place like that,” he predicted gloomily.
Bari rolled her eyes at Efrem, choosing to address her mother first. “Yes, I’ll be leaving within three days.”
“Oh.” Ada sipped her drink, clearly without interest. “It’s too bad I’m so busy, Bari. I’d love to do something with you before you leave, but I’m pressed for time.”
“I understand.” Bari knew her mother wouldn’t want to spend the time with her if her calendar was completely free.
“Please reconsider taking my offer.” Efrem had offered to front Bari the cash to open her own business if she stayed in Houston. She shuddered to think of the strings that might be attached to such an offer.
“No, but thank you.” Rising to her feet, Bari said, “I have to be going.”
“Try to come back for Christmas,” Ada said without emotion. It was only early June, and Bari got the message loud and clear. Don’t come back until you absolutely must.
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