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Tuesday Morrigan

Rome began a steady thrust-and-retreat rhythm that he knew she enjoyed. He

pushed past the tight walls of her cunt to stroke the deepest pasts of her. They lay

together, him rocking his hips back and forth, as they looked deep into each other"s

eyes. He watched her face as though it held the answers to the world"s most

important questions. The way her eyes widened, the tightness at the edges of her

mouth, and the flush of her skin all told him how close she was to reaching

completion. Each indication brought him closer to the edge.

“Fuck! You"re close, aren"t you, Cupcake?”

“Lord, yes,” she gasped through moist lips.

“Come for me, Sela. Come for me, Cupcake,” he groaned as he felt his own body

tighten with satisfaction.

Sela came and she came hard. Her eyes started to flutter close, but by sheer

will she kept them open, on him. “Oh, God, Rome,” she moaned deeply. Her pussy

tightened and quivered around him, increasing the depth of his own pleasure and

lengthening his orgasm. “Sela,” he called out and jerked one last hard time into her.

He fell atop her and lay there for a few seconds before rolling them over so

Sela lay against him. He held her to his chest, loving the weight of her body on his.

He waited too long to bask in the comfort of her presence without fear that she

might be gone when he woke. He was finally comfortable in their relationship.

Secure enough to tell her the things she always wanted to know but never dared to

ask about.

“I think I always knew there was something different about my family, even

when I was too small to know.” She stilled on top of him. He reassured her,

caressing her back until she softened, pillowing her breasts on his chest. “I learned

at an early age to stay in my room or in the backyard. He never went there. But

Mom couldn"t hide from him, not like I could.”

She reached across his chest and tangled her fingers with his. It was

comforting.

“I"m the reason she took all those beatings.”

She gasped and sat up. He placed his finger against her mouth before she

could utter a denial. He knew Sela. She was going to tell him that he wasn"t to

blame, that it wasn"t his fault, but he didn"t need to hear that. “I need you to listen.”

She nodded slowly. He considered asking her to lie back down. It would be so

much easier to tell her if she wasn"t looking him in the eye. But he decided against

it.

“When I was about ten, Tony got drunk. Again. But this time was different. He

wasn"t just angry. He was bitter and angry and depressed. By then I had learned

that it was best to step in and redirect his anger when he started with the yelling.

“And so that"s what I did. But like I said this time was different. This time he

was yelling about how he had married my mother out of the goodness of his heart,

given her bastard a name, and she had paid him back by ruining his life.

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“I realized then that Mom had married him out of desperation. She"d tied

herself to a bastard because she was pregnant. Because of me.”

She shook her head in disbelief. “But you and Turin…”

“We both resemble our mother. According to my grandmother, the Spinelli

women have very strong genes. Turin got Tony"s eyes. I have my mother"s. Other

than that—”

“You two are spitting images of each other.”

“Yes, and he hates that. Hates that his child resembles the child of another

man.” Once the words were out, there was no taking them back. Rome felt relieved.

He had admitted the truth that caused him and Turin so much pain. His father, the

man he once loved, admired, strived to be like, hated him for something he had no

control over.

“I"m sorry.”

Rome lifted his head to look at Sela. He hadn"t realized he"d lowered it.

“I wish there was something I could do to ease your pain.” He looked down at

her. Her face was tight with consideration. She was thinking very hard about

something. After a few moments she continued speaking. “You and your brother are

both hurting. You feel the same pain. I really wish there was something I could do

about that. He"s too young.” She lifted her head to look at him. “And you… Well

you"re you.”

He smiled softly. He understood what she was trying to say. If Sela was in

pain, he would do anything in his power to end her torment simply because she was

his lover. “You could stay with me.”

She chewed her bottom lip. “As in take on the title of your girlfriend?”

“Yes. I would love to call you my girl.”

“So you"re okay with a long-distance relationship?” she said tentatively.

He shook his head. “I was hoping we could live and date in the same country

and on the same coast.”

She pulled out of his embrace and sat up. “You want me to move here?”

He straightened until his back was against the headboard. “Or I could move to

London.” He considered his words carefully. “I want us to be together and don"t

want either of us to move because we feel forced. I don"t want there to be any

resentment, but I will say this. If you moved back to New York, you could work in

the city, and you would be closer to your family.”

“True,” she murmured.

Rome was brought out of his musings when the mattress beneath him

bounced. He looked at Sela. Her eyes were closed, a scowl was on her face, and her

arms were above her head. She was clearly displeased.

“What"s wrong?” he asked.

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“Now, I"m going to have to search for a job. I hate that, the nerve-racking wait

for a response. Then you have to interview, and then you wait again. I wish I could

just skip to the first day.”

He leaned over her. Their lips were a few inches apart. “I can"t do anything

about waiting and interviewing, but I can help you send out cover letters and your

resumé. How"s that?”

She grinned up at him and lifted her head a little. “Now, this is the reason why

I love you.”

He kissed her swiftly. “Better yet, how about I sign you up for one of those

executive job agencies. I"ll pay them to do the footwork.”

“Oh, I am never letting you go,” she said with a laugh before pressing her lips

to his.

I can handle that, he thought as he deepened the kiss.

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Epilogue

Rome cut the ignition and turned to her. Sela could feel the nervous energy

coming off his hard frame in thick waves. It filled the air and made her tense.

Silently, she watched as his long, talented fingers clenched around the steering

wheel twice. Rome was on edge.

The sight of his discomfort tugged at her.

She understood a little of why Rome was uncomfortable. He was about to

introduce her to the third most important woman in his life. According to him, she

and his mother were a tie for number one.

Sela smiled at that, thinking about the flippant way he made that confession.

He was always surprising her. She reached across the console and rubbed his

shoulder. His muscles relaxed beneath her fingertips. The calm spread until it

encompassed his whole body. Happiness filled her at the sight. Sela loved that her

very touch affected Rome so deeply.

The comfort she got from touching him and being touched by him had been

sorely lacking in the last few months. She dearly missed the ability to caress him

the six months she was back in Britain. Though she hated the time across the pond,

it was required.

It was mostly used to tie up loose ends. She gave her job notice, helped the

company find her replacement, sold her condo and everything in it. She had been in

the United States for less than a week, and she couldn"t be happier. When she first

left she was worried about what the distance would do to them, especially so early

in their relationship. It turns out she worried for nothing. If anything, they became

closer to each other thanks to the distance. They talked every day, more often than

not for hours at a time. Still, nothing compared to being able to converse face-to-

face.

He turned, lifted his hand, and trailed his fingers down her cheek, warming

her skin. Delicately, as though he was afraid she was going to break or disappear,

he brushed his rough thumb across her bottom lip. “Let"s get this damned meeting

over,” he growled before stepping out of the car. He rounded the front of the vehicle

and opened her door. She closed it behind her and leaned against the door.

“I need a kiss,” she said softly. She lifted her hands and grasped the lapels of

his simple designer suit and pulled him close.

He smiled slowly. “You need a kiss, huh?”

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“It"s been too long,” she whispered against his mouth before capturing his lips

in heated kiss. They had been driving for over two hours, and not once had they

done anything but touch. It left like it had, in fact, been forever since they last

kissed. But she wasn"t kissing him for that reason alone. She was kissing him

because she knew it would calm him even more, and whatever relaxed him, relaxed

her.

“We shouldn"t do this. Not here,” he murmured before dipping his head and

deepening the kiss. He licked her lips, paying particular attention to her bottom lip.

She rolled her hips against his, delighting in the feel of his growing erection. Rome

nipped her bottom lip before sucking it into his mouth. His hands moved down her

body until they reached her hips.

His fingers tightened on her flesh reflexively. Pleasure spiked through her.

She leaned farther into his touch, molding their bodies together. The sound of a car

driving by brought her back to the present and their location. She pulled back and

smiled at him sheepishly. Sometimes she wondered how they even made it out of

his house. It seemed that they couldn"t go two steps without needing to touch each

other.

Christ, she loved this man.

“Are you two going to spend all day in the driveway making out, or are you

going to come in?”

They pulled apart in surprise. She glanced at the door and saw an elderly

Indian couple standing at the top of the steps. The woman, a tiny thing who couldn"t

be more than five feet tall, waved gaily. Something told her that despite her

diminutive size and age, the woman was a handful.

She momentarily closed her eyes in embarrassment before waving back.

Holding Rome"s arm, she made her way up the walkway to meet the couple who"d

helped start Rome"s career.

Two hours later, after dinner, dessert, and a lot of lively conversation, Sela

was proven right about her first impressions. Rani Zinta was a force to be reckoned

with. She manned the table with such grace, Sela found herself taking mental

notes, hoping to learn how to carry herself with just a little of her elegance.

Once the servants cleared away the last plate, Rani stood. “Now, time for the

entertainment.” She turned to her husband, Vivek. “You, husband of mine, take

Rome and go do what you boys do. I have something to show Sela.”

Sela glanced at Rome. Anxiousness and excitement clear on his face, he

indicated that she should follow Rani. The emotions she saw made her nervous.

Why was he both eager and nervous?

“Come on now. I"ve only got so many years left.”

Sela stood. Vivid hazel eyes shining, Rani smiled at Sela and beckoned her

closer. At that moment her husband appeared beside Rome. “Come, Rome, let us go

outside and have a smoke. The ladies have much to discuss.”

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Rome glanced from her to Rani and back to her again. He gave a reassuring

smile. “All right, I"ll see you later.”

“Bye, Sela,” he replied and walked over to where Vivek stood. He glanced back

at Sela before stepping through the doorway and into the hall.

Sela smiled slowly, surprised by Rome"s reaction. Although he"d done his best

to keep the emotion off his face, when he looked back that last time, the truth was

in Rome"s eyes. He was terrified by the thought of leaving her with Rani. She

couldn"t help wondering what secrets Rome hid that he feared Rani would reveal.

She turned back to Rani at the sound of the older woman"s chuckle. Eyes

twinkling with mirth caught hers. “Smart boy. He knows I"m going to let the cat out

of the bag.” She chuckled.

Sela was instantly intrigued. “What is this cat?” she purred, her attention

captivated by the joy and amusement she saw on Rani"s face.

She held out her hand. “Won"t you join me and find out?”

Sela"s fingers slipped into Rani"s, palm brushing over her soft, weathered skin.