AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I never got the exact amount, but from what I could gather and what Mom knew, it was around three million dollars.”
“What?”
Watching his face twist, then stiffen, was a bit concerning. Her heart raced at the possibility that he was angry. Her coping skills when she felt fear like this were to breath deep, keep her face calm and not move. She didn’t look at him; she stared straight ahead.
“Kiera?”
“Yes.”
He gently brushed his fingers along her jaw. Just his touch calmed her. He was always gentle with her. Her heartbeat increased, and she closed her eyes, absorbing his touch.
“Honey, open your eyes and look at me.”
She looked into his gorgeous blue eyes, so earnest and honest. She smiled and turned her face into his palm and kissed him.
He swallowed and leaned in to touch his lips to hers. “What did he do with all of that money?”
She let out a breath. “He gambled it away, David. All of it. At least that’s what he said.”
“Did you live on the large estate Nicholas had?”
Her lips thinned. “Yes. But, don’t be fooled, it wasn’t all luxurious. To me, it was a pretty prison.”
His handsome face was marred by a frown. His eyes looked tired. The creases at the edges were more pronounced tonight. She smoothed them with her thumb as she watched him lick his lips. “You’re tired,amore mio.”
He nodded. “One last question. Is Carleene dangerous? What’s her game?”
She removed her hand from his skin, sat back in the sofa and sighed. “I’m not sure what her game is. She’s never liked me. Thought I was bad for Nicholas and couldn’t understand why he kept me. I heard her tell him more than once to ship me off to an island somewhere and pretend I didn’t exist. He’d tell her to mind her business, which would enrage her. She’d yell, ‘You are my business, Nicky.’ As to the condo, I think it was just a way for Nicholas to continue to control me after he was gone. She likes control too, so she’ll fight it for all it’s worth.”
Scooting to the edge of the sofa, she turned to face him. “It’s not worth it to me. None of it. If I have to sell my condo and live in an apartment, I’ll do that. I won’t fight her. That would be letting her win. If all she cares about is money and manipulation, she can have the money. She won’t manipulate me anymore.”
He stood and held his hand out to her. “Let’s go home. We’ll work this all out somehow. But a good night’s sleep will certainly help us see things differently.”
“I still have lasagna at home.”
He pulled her into his arms, and she shivered at the feeling of his firm body pressed against hers. His warmth cocooned her, and his arms made her feel secure and safe. But they also made her feel loved. Being in his arms made her feel whole again.
30
Two surprisingly uneventful days had passed. They continued to sleep at one house or another, and he’d begun to sleep better. They’d had more than one discussion about her not leaving anymore. If she had to go, she needed to wake him so he could feel secure in the fact that she’d be here in the morning. She’d easily promised not to do that to him ever again.
The last dirty dish was in the dishwasher, and Kiera wiped down the counter. He watched her perfect ass move as she cleaned. “How full are you,amore mio?”
She looked into his eyes, and he saw the sparkle. When her sweet lips turned up in a smile, he knew his meaning was clear. “Not too. How about you?”
He chuckled. Never too tired for her. His eyes traveled to her fingers as they unbuttoned the peach-colored blouse she wore. As each button came undone, more and more of her skin showed. Her cleavage peaked through and his cock thickened. At the last button, her smile turned sultry, and she slowly pulled her blouse over her shoulders. “You always loved watching me undress for you. I’m glad to see you still do.”
“Oh, I certainly do. Keep going.”
He leaned back into the counter and crossed his arms. Her blouse hit the floor at her feet, and she unbuttoned her slacks, slowly lowered the zipper and shimmied them down her slender hips. As they joined her blouse, she reached her hand out to brace herself on a kitchen chair as she stepped from them and gave them a little shove with her foot.
She wore a shimmery golden bra and panty set, a perfect cream-colored bow between her breasts and one on each hip. She teased him by first reaching for her bra straps, then changed her mind and slipping her thumbs into her panties.
He raised his brows, and she giggled. She dropped her bra straps over her soft shoulders, then reached back and unfastened the silky contraption and let it slide down her arms, and with a flick of her wrist, it landed on top of her other clothes.
Her taut beige nipples hardened as he stared at them. The sight never ceased to amaze him. “Pinch them with your fingers, sweetheart. Let me see you touch yourself.”
As sultry as a vixen, she ran her hands along her body, moving her fingers in the most seductive way. Her forefingers drew circles around her nipples, and, amazingly, they seemed to tighten further. Then she gently pinched them between her thumb and forefingers. Her eyes closed and she pressed her legs together. Ahh, that was sexy.
