‘No, I dropped it a few weeks ago and it broke. I haven’t replaced it,’ she said. ‘Anyway, I couldn’t afford the bills.’
Patrizio frowned in the darkness. She was no doubt trying to make him feel guilty about not agreeing to pay her generous amounts of alimony, but he wasn’t going to budge. He wasn’t handing over half of his wealth to his sluttish ex-wife, who would no doubt share it with her lover.
‘I will organise a mobile phone for you tomorrow,’ he said. ‘I will see to the bills until we bring our reconciliation to its inevitable end.’
She didn’t say anything and for a few minutes he wondered if she had fallen asleep but then she said, ‘My parents are going to get an awful shock when they read tomorrow’s paper.’
‘Yes…I guess they will.’
The sheets rustled again.
‘Patrizio?’
‘Mmm?’
‘I really regret how things turned out,’ she said, her voice sounding husky. ‘We had it all going for us and I threw it away…I can’t believe I was so stupid.’
‘We all make mistakes,’ he said on the back of a heavy sigh. ‘It’s over, Keira. We have to move on.’
He felt her turn on the mattress to face him; he could even feel the soft waft of her breath on his face and mouth when she spoke.
‘Do you think you will ever be able to forgive me?’ she asked in a soft pleading whisper.
‘Go to sleep, Keira,’ he said, rolling over to face the wall. ‘This is not the time to talk of forgivenes
s.’
‘Is there ever going to be a time?’ she asked after another strung-out silence.
He lifted his head and punched his pillow into shape before answering, keeping his tone detached and emotionless. ‘Probably not. Now, for God’s sake go to sleep.’
Keira blinked back tears and turned to face the wall on her side. ‘Goodnight, Patrizio,’ she said in a soft whisper.
He didn’t answer but within minutes she heard the even sound of his breathing which indicated he had fallen asleep.
I should be so lucky, she thought and, sighing, turned over and stared blankly at the ceiling.
Keira woke to the warmth of Patrizio’s body lying spoon-like against her back and his hand on her breast, the caressing movement against her nipple stirring her into instant tingling awareness. Heat coursed through her as she felt the probe of his aroused length nudge at the back of her thighs, the satin-covered steel as it instinctively sought her liquid warmth making her stomach instantly somersault.
‘P-Patrizio?’
‘Mmm?’ He began to nuzzle her neck, his tongue snaking out to blaze a hot moist trail to the shell of her ear.
‘We’re…we’re not supposed to be doing this…’ she said, shivering in reaction as his thumb and forefinger pressed her nipple in a gentle but totally tantalising pinch.
‘You are on my side of the bed,’ he said, the pulsing heat of him locking her breath high up in her throat. ‘I can only assume that is because you want me to make love to you.’
She would have denied it but two of his long fingers had already found the silky wet evidence for themselves, the smooth glide of them within her ridged tightness shocking her, arching her spine and curling her toes.
‘You are so hot and ready for me,’ he growled deep in his throat. ‘I would only have to roll you over and sink into you to prove how much of a wanton you really are.’
Keira stiffened at his words, shame rushing through her all over again. Was this how it had happened between her and Garth that night? Had she been so easy, so willing and available that she hadn’t even realised who was caressing her until it was too late?
‘But I am not going to do it,’ Patrizio said, moving away from her. ‘I am not going to taint myself with soiled goods.’
Keira squeezed her eyes shut, the pain of his rejection hurting far more than it should have done under the circumstances. She had known all along he no longer loved her. Why then should she be feeling this crushing pain right in the middle of her chest?
CHAPTER SIX