Deceptive Desires (5 page)

“Do you want me to walk you up?”

Molly shook her head. “I might as well get it over with, and I think the talk will go faster if we’re alone.” She leaned forward to press a small kiss to Carter’s mouth. “Thanks for a nice day.”

“You’re welcome. I had a great time at the zoo.”

“So did Cara,” she said as she got out. “Poor baby is exhausted.” Molly retrieved her daughter, leaving the car seat, since it was one Carter kept in his car. She waved as he backed away, glad he had given in gracefully to her request to face Aronne alone. Not that she’d expected anything different from him. He respected her wishes and didn’t treat her like crap—more than her
darling
husband could say.

He made no secret of his annoyance when she stepped onto the porch. “Who the hell was that?”

“My boyfriend,” she said, striving for a cool tone. “Hold this.” She tried to thrust the diaper bag at him, but he snatched Cara from her before she could stop him. “Give me back my daughter.”

“She’s my daughter too,” he said in a soft voice that still smoldered with antagonism.

After a second, she turned to unlock the door and stepped inside the small bungalow. The air conditioner had made it pleasantly cool. She held the door until he’d crossed the threshold before closing it. “Follow me. You can put her in her room, so we can talk.”

Every one of her senses tingled, and she didn’t know why, other than his presence. It definitely couldn’t be physical attraction, because that had died long ago. The last trace of any kind of warm feelings for him had disappeared the night she gave birth to Cara by herself. Well, she’d had Margot and her midwife, but not a loving partner. Accepting, finally, at that moment she would never have one in Aronne, she had forced herself to move on.

She opened the nursery door and let him precede her. Proud of the décor, which she had done mostly by herself, she watched him assess it, knowing he couldn’t find it lacking. Like a hawk, she watched him carry Cara to the crib and lay her in it. She held her breath, waiting to see if the baby would stir, but she didn’t. Instead, she curled into a ball and kept sleeping.

Molly clicked on the monitor and gestured for him to leave the room. Preparing for the likelihood of raised voices, she closed the door and led him into the living room. “Have a seat.” Before taking a chair herself, she turned on the portable monitor she kept on a side table. Not bothering with social niceties, like offering him a drink, she asked, “What’s on your mind?”

“Cara.”

So, someone had told him her name, meaning he probably knew more than that. “Why?”

He looked put out. “She’s my daughter. It’s natural to think about her.”

She waved a hand. “You’ll get over it once the shock wears off. By the time you’re back in Rio, you won’t even remember her.”

“I’m not going back to Brazil.”

Molly blinked. “I see. Why not?”

“I’d already decided to stay when Mamma had her stroke. Now, I have another reason to stay too.”

She shook her head. “No.”

He frowned. “What do you mean, no?”

“There’s no place for you in her life.”

He scowled. “I suppose your boyfriend fills that slot?”

She shrugged. “He adores her, and she loves him.”

Aronne got to his feet, pacing. “Did it ever occur to you that married women shouldn’t have boyfriends?”

“It never crossed my mind, since it’s okay for married men to have girlfriends. I suppose lovers or mistresses would be a better word for your companions though.”

A flush crept up his neck. “What’re you talking about?”

“I didn’t follow the gossip mags closely, or keep track of your conquests, but I know you haven’t been celibate, hubby. There was that same Brazilian model you were dating before Margot and Cristiano got engaged. I don’t remember who followed, but there was a parade.” Molly lifted a shoulder. “So, no, I didn’t think there was any reason not to date.”

He stopped his pacing in front of her. Molly forced herself to remain expressionless when he gripped the arms of her chair and leaned over her. “You are
my
wife. That is reason enough.”

She laughed. “You’re such a hypocrite, Aronne. You left me on our wedding day. There was another woman in your bed within weeks, and you had no intention of ever coming back, except if required for the divorce proceedings. How typically Italian-male of you.” Molly scoffed. “And you once claimed to eschew those double standards.”

His face tightened with her words. “Are you finished?”

“Sure.” It gave her a small surge of pleasure to see his mingled anger and discomfort, and she tried to squash it. The last thing she wanted was any emotional reaction to him. It was easier, and safer, to remain neutral to his presence.

“Perhaps we’ve both made mistakes.”

“How generous of you.”

He glowered. “I am willing to overlook this boyfriend for the sake of Cara.”

Molly frowned. “What does she have to do with Carter?”

His eyes narrowed. “Did you name my daughter for your lover?”

“No. I didn’t even know Carter when I was giving birth to Cara. Alone.” She bit down on her tongue to avoid saying anything else. Nor did she want to divulge the brainless sentimentality that had led her to name their daughter after the only term of affection he’d ever used. To this day, she blamed it on a combination of the endorphins, oxytocin, and plain old stupidity.

“Very well. I believe you.”

She rolled her eyes. “I am just so relieved by that.”

He frowned. “Why are you like this? What happened to the sweet girl you used to be?”

Molly’s eyes widened, and she couldn’t hold back a small laugh. “I guess she grew up. Responsibility tends to do that to a person.” She ran a hand through her hair. “Look, I’m tired, it’s been a long day, and I wish you’d just get to the point.”

“I want Cara.”

Stunned, she stared up at him, her mouth agape. The sincerity in his eyes sent a shiver down her spine. “That’s too bad.”

“I will have her. She is my daughter. A DNA test will confirm that, and then you’ll be forced to share custody.”

Molly swallowed, refusing to be visibly intimidated. “I think it’s too little, too late for you. No court will give you custody.”

“Maybe not at first, but there will be day visitations, and eventually overnight, followed by weekends, vacations, and ultimately joint custody.” He lowered his voice a bit. “After that, my goal will be full custody, and I won’t stop until I have it.”

She shook her head. “Why would you do that? Do you have any idea how difficult it is for a child to shuttle back and forth between parents? I never had to live it, but I had friends who went through that hell all the time. I won’t allow you to do that to Cara.”

“You can’t stop me. It seems you are estranged from your parents. Where will you get the money to afford attorneys to fight me?”

Molly gasped, and then a full laugh escaped her. “Is that your big threat? Marrying you was good for exactly two things. Cara, being the first, was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“And the second?” he asked with a snarl.

“As soon as I was married, control of my trust reverted to me. I can give Cara anything she’ll ever want, and I don’t need to beg a cent from my parents.”

He seemed to deflate. “I see.” His mouth firmed. “We shall be evenly matched. The case will likely drag out for years.”

“I just don’t understand why you’re being so vindictive.”

He cursed. “It is not vindictive to want a place in my child’s life. You owe me that.”

Her laugh had a sharp edge. “I owe you exactly what you gave me: Nothing.” Seeing him flinch, she pressed the advantage. “You walked away. You chose to disregard my attempts to tell you about her. It’s unreasonable to expect to come back and just have me try to fit you into her life.”

Aronne leaned closer yet. “Not just her life,
cara mia
. I have plans for your life too.”

She shivered when he ran his hand down her arm. “Like what?”

“I think it’s time you acted like a real wife. My wife. We will reconcile, for Cara’s sake.”

“You’re out of your mind.” She tried to push him away as he leaned closer. “I want nothing to do with you.”

“Still lying, Molly?” He clicked his tongue as he cupped her breast, caressing the nipple to a hardened state. “I could have you on your back, legs spread, in less than ten minutes.”

She turned her head, unable to meet his gaze and deny his words as forcefully as she wished. The attraction to her husband had bloomed back to life. His proximity made it hard to think, just as it always had. He was using it as a weapon to control her. Even knowing that, she wasn’t able to remain immune. A gasp escaped her when he unfastened the top button of her shirt. “Stop it.”

“Why should I? We both know it can be incredible.”

Molly summoned all her reserves and turned her head to glare at him. “Maybe physically, but it’s empty. I hate you, and you’ve acknowledged I’m no substitute for my sister.”

Aronne flinched. “Anger overtook me that day, and I wanted to hurt you. I lashed out, but I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Why not? It’s true, right?”

After a hesitation, he nodded. “At the time.”

“I’d prefer to be honest. I can’t be Margot for you, and I have no interest in trying. There is nothing between us. I want a divorce so I can marry Carter.” Oops, there went the honesty. She and Carter were getting serious, but not to that level. “One day,” she added, trying to absolve herself of the accidental fib.

His face twisted into a mask of anger. “Never. You will never marry him and make my daughter his.”

“I’ll do what I want, Aronne. You lost the right to have any input when you left.”

“Perhaps, but I’m back now, to claim my child and my wife.” He moved quickly, picking her up in his arms and striding down the hallway.

Molly fought, but his grip was tight. He didn’t release her until they were in her bedroom, where he dropped her on the bed. “Stop right now. I don’t want you.”

Aronne straddled her, holding her hands above her head. “We both know that’s a lie. You went to such trouble to get me before. Now, you can have me.”

“I don’t want you,” she repeated through clenched teeth.

“You’re going to stop lying to me.” He lowered his head to nibble on her ear before he whispered, “Or are you just lying to yourself?”

Molly moaned when he nudged his leg between her thighs, his knee nestling against her core. “This won’t solve anything. I want you out of my house.”

“That is unfortunate, because I want to be inside you,
cara
.” He continued unbuttoning her shirt with one hand, his weight keeping her pinned to the bed.

She glared at him. “You’re resorting to rape now?”

He laughed. “We both know it won’t be rape. You want it as much as I do.” Aronne circled her mound with his knee, pressing until she moaned again. “Do you imagine it’s me when you’re with your boyfriend?”

“Don’t be disgusting. I wouldn’t do that. Unlike you, I haven’t had so many lovers that it’s impossible to keep track of whom I’m with.” She trembled as he pushed her bra up over her breasts, renewing her struggles to free herself. In her heart, she knew she was trying to escape her own reaction more than his touch. “Get off me.”

“I think you mean to say ‘get me off,
caro mio
’,” he said with a chuckle. His tone turned smoky. “That will be my pleasure,
bella moglie
.”

“You aren’t my dear, and I’m not your beautiful whatever.”

“Wife. I disagree. You are most definitely my beautiful wife.” He trailed his forefinger across her breast, pausing to squeeze the nipple lightly. “Your breasts are bigger. Did you breastfeed?”

She nodded, a little lost by the surreal turn in the conversation.

“I would have liked to see that. Are you still breastfeeding?”

“No.” She gasped when he squeezed her again. “Cara self-weaned at eleven months.”

“Pity. I’ll look forward to witnessing it with our next child.”

Molly’s mouth dropped open. “You’ve really lost it. There won’t be a second child. We’re getting divorced.”

“No.” He sounded sublimely confident. “We’re going to make this marriage work.”

“I don’t want to. I don’t want anything from you.”

He shifted his position to straddle her with both legs and press his hard shaft into her soft folds. “There is at least one thing you want, and we will build on that.”

“No.” She honestly tried to fight him, and herself, when he unsnapped her jeans to stroke her intimately, but it was a losing battle. With the same ruthless precision he had displayed on their wedding day, he brought long unused nerve endings back to life, making her moan and whimper.