Silent Vows

10

I ran the back of my hand slowly down her arm and reveled in the way she shivered at my touch. “That right there is why I’m here. I felt the way you responded to me at your house, and I’ve wanted more since the minute I left. Call it romance if you want. I don’t really care what you call it, so long as those pretty lips end up panting my name.” I leaned back in my chair, relieving the tension between us. If I hadn’t, my d**k would have ended up so hard that everyone in the damn café would have seen the bulge in my pants. For the briefest second, her body followed mine, listing forward before she caught herself. Coming here had been the right decision. I’d had no reason to doubt my instincts. The young Mancini wanted me, no matter how adamant her written refusals. Just because my body responds to you doesn’t mean I want you. “Trust me, sweetheart. I don’t want you either, but we’re about to be bound together. There’s no reason we shouldn’t make the most of it.” The truth, sort of, but as the words crossed my lips, I realized it might have been the wrong thing to say. Noemi c****d her head to the side, and a catlike grin spread across her lips before she scooped a finger full of cream cheese off her bagel and wiped it the full length of my Brunello Cucinelli silk tie. Then she stared right at me as she sucked the remainder off her finger. f**k. Me. I was so f*****g turned on, I couldn’t even be mad. Leaning in, I whispered close to her ear, “Keep sucking that finger. You’re going to need the practice.” A s**t-eating grin split my face as I walked away. “I GIVE YOU A CONCUSSION, your ma’s gonna give me a concussion.” Bishop danced on his toes in the ring, his gloved fists up at his face. “Where the hell is your head at, man?” I feigned a jab, then snuck in an uppercut that hit its mark, sending my www.ajpdf.com best friend stumbling backward. “Where’s your head at, besides my fist?” I grinned behind my mouth guard, entertained by the ridiculousness of my retort. “Ohhhh, tough guy thinks he’s got a sense of humor, huh?” He came at me with a wicked-fast series of swings that nearly had me on the ground. “f**k, man. It’s sparring, not a prize fight.” Bishop chuckled, spitting out his guard. “Winning is winning.” I shook my head and tugged off my gloves. “You’ve been training with Torin too much. That guy’s psycho.” “He’s got drive. I admire that. You would too if you weren’t so distracted.” He squirted a stream of water into his mouth, then leaned against the ropes. “You still thinking about the girl? She’s a sweet little thing. I’d probably think about her, too.” I scowled. “Watch it, fuckwad. That’s my future wife you’re talking about.” He raised his hands in retreat. “My bad, man.” “Besides, that’s not exactly it. Something doesn’t sit right with me.” “Like what?” “It’s just strange.” I shook my head. “She isn’t anything like I was told. And there’s not a single scar on her neck from the crash—nothing to explain a permanent loss of voice. Maybe it sounds crazy, but I feel like I’m missing something.” “See what you can dig up. Better now than later, once you’re stuck with her.” I grunted. I’d already decided it was time to do some research, but not because I was considering backing out. I’d made Jimmy a promise, and I always kept my word. And I wouldn’t be choosing another woman because somewhere in the past few days, I’d decided that Noemi was meant for me. Maybe it was too many years of listening to the old guys blather on about fate. I didn’t buy into that bullshit, but I also didn’t know how else to explain this strange compulsion growing inside me. An instinctual attraction that had my thoughts and desires locked on one woman. Nothing else distracted from my singular need for Noemi Mancini. She was mine, and I was going to prove it to her. www.ajpdf.com HE WANTED TO HAVE s*x WITH ME. MARRIAGE WAS ONE THING; s*x WAS entirely different. Intimacy came with vulnerability and trust—things that would bring emotion into the mix. The last thing I wanted was to develop feelings for Conner Reid. Being married to the man was bad enough. If I cared for him too, my heart would never survive. Men like him—like my father—didn’t love. Not the way I wanted to be loved. I wanted a man who put his wife and children first. I wanted devotion and commitment. Conner would never give me that, and falling for him would www.ajpdf.com only make the disappointment more painful. During the next four days, I concentrated on erecting sturdy walls around my heart and guarding myself against his alluring good looks. I knew he’d use them to chip away at my resolve, but I couldn’t let him succeed. I spent a ridiculous amount of time debating my outfit for the night and ended up selecting a dress that was sexier than I’d previously worn. I also decided not to examine my reasons for said selection too closely. Sometimes a girl needed to look especially hot. It was a confidence boost. That was my story, and I was sticking to it. I curled my hair into soft waves and dipped into my makeup bag a little deeper than my usual daily routine. To top things off, I dug through my mother’s jewelry box and put on her favorite necklace. The small white gold bell had been her mother’s before her. Wearing it made me feel close to her. It was the cherry on my confidence sundae. When my father saw my choice of jewelry, lightning flashed behind his obsidian eyes, promising retaliation should I step out of line. The rest of my family had a far different reaction. Pippa and her mother instantly teared up and wrapped me in a hug. Aunt Etta and my mom were fraternal twins and had been incredibly close. When the two had baby girls only weeks apart, it had been natural that Pip and I became like sisters ourselves. She had two younger sisters and a brother, but I was never quite as close with any of them. That was why our separation over the past six months had been extra difficult. I’d only been allowed a few supervised visits, which meant I never had the chance to tell her the truth. Not that I would have. It was almost a blessing that Dad had kept us apart because she was the one person who would have unearthed my secrets. She would have made me talk. Literally. In the early days, I’d debated endlessly about fessing up to her, but it was too dangerous. She was horrible with secrets. I couldn’t take that chance. Seeing her now, an avalanche of words careened into my throat, demanding to be released. Not just that, but a swell of emotions overtook me. I’d been so damn lonely at my house. The relief of finally seeing her again after only a couple of visits in months made my chest ache. I fought back the onslaught. I couldn’t fall apart now. “You look incredible, Em,” Pip whispered before pulling back and beaming at me with glassy eyes. “Just like Nora,” Aunt Etta added in an emotion-filled rasp.