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“I’ your life—yes, I know,” she said loudly, tears knotting in her throat “You think it’s easy for me? The whispers I hear, the snide innuendoes, that the only reason you’re with me is because of what Gio has That Gio’s wealth compensates for what I lack

“It’s like reliving the episode with Frank Only, this time, I know the truth beforehand”

“Damn it, I’ll knock the bastard’s teeth down if I see him ever”

“Just tellthe other day at your sister’s house? Were you just protecting s? Was it the fact that you haven’t been with anyone recently thatwith another wolasses will come off”

Raphael couldn’t answer her He couldn’t say no It didn’tAva felt like a betrayal of his own self

Da with an old friend, which should have progressed from the restaurant to her hotel rooh the dinner

All he could see in the woman who’d been a friend for years was the brittleness her two divorces had given her, the false war under the table, the utter lack of connection between them

Because of the infuriating woman and her outdated ideas about affection and coan to look cheap and tawdry

She was turning his life upside down

He owed her nothing He needed her to see the true him He needed her to realize that he was no hero and definitely not hers

And yet, the words wouldn’t rise to his lips

All he could see were her big eyes that saw tooThe raw honesty of her emotions ritten across her face So was the desire that she couldn’t hide every ti into his very life Her adoration of his child…

The remembered taste of her was a siren’s call he couldn’t resist Without warning, he suddenly kissed her Hard and hungry with not a bit of his usual finesse He devoured herand arching into his touch

“This is what you want, Pia?” he said, pulling her skirt up Sending his hand on a foray for silky skin, even as he plunged his tongue into her sweet mouth and sed her yes

Hoanted her now, here He wanted to thrust into her aret rid of this madness