Welcome to the 170th week of My Sexy Saturday.
This week’s theme: Sexy in Space
Nothing grabs readers more than a sexy hero or heroine from another planet or maybe space explorers from this planet.
Though my story is not from another planet, it's set in another part of this world.
For fourteen years, Dario Vitez, accumulated wealth and made a name for himself as the owner of Mezzaluna restaurant. Love is the only thing missing from his life ever since his childhood sweetheart, Irena Novak, was forced into a marriage of convenience and lives half a world away. Wondering about her for all these years, he puts his work on hold to find her.
Irena is not free from her marriage contract. Danger follows her in form of her husband, Fred Penne. Fred decided she knows too many of his secrets to live and doesn't care who else he hurts to get her.
Discovering the truth about the danger Irena is in, Dario will stop at nothing to protect her.
Suspenseful, romantic and awash in Gypsy magic and Slavic folklore, "Gypsy Stone" captures the enchantment of the Adriatic coast and the power of love, family and friendship.
Irena is not free from her marriage contract. Danger follows her in form of her husband, Fred Penne. Fred decided she knows too many of his secrets to live and doesn't care who else he hurts to get her.
Discovering the truth about the danger Irena is in, Dario will stop at nothing to protect her.
Suspenseful, romantic and awash in Gypsy magic and Slavic folklore, "Gypsy Stone" captures the enchantment of the Adriatic coast and the power of love, family and friendship.
“Now you know why I had to run from your place. I left her alone for too long.” She crossed her arm over her ample chest. “Don’t worry about Ella’s attention. She adores you, that’s all.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you had a child?” He didn’t intend for his tone to come out as scalding, so he tucked loose strands of her hair behind her ear and softened his expression. “Yes, I find her attention rather intimidating. Kids scream their lungs out over some teenage pop star.”
“Ella’s not your typical teenager. When she was little, she wouldn’t go to sleep before I told her at least one story of our youth. Today’s kids don’t have what we had. Freedom from all this technology, that kind of life it’s foreign to them.” She drew in a long breath and blew it out. “So much has happened, I’m afraid I don’t know where to start.”
He took hold of her trembling shoulders. Perhaps he’d overanalysed Ella’s reaction. Poor girl must be craving a fatherly figure in her life and assumed he’d fill in the position. And he gladly would if Irena would let him. “From the beginning, or in our case a new beginning.” She only chewed her lips, and turned her head away from him.
Her silence unnerved him. “Come on, Irena. You know you can always count on me. Babe, you’re shaking. Are you cold? Stupid of me, you’re wearing a tank top and yoga pants and I didn’t think before we stepped out in the cold air.”
She wrapped her bare arms around his chest and he pulled her to him. A part of his body reacted to her closeness. Dammit, now was neither time nor the place, but she always had such effect on him.
“Why didn’t you tell me you had a child?” He didn’t intend for his tone to come out as scalding, so he tucked loose strands of her hair behind her ear and softened his expression. “Yes, I find her attention rather intimidating. Kids scream their lungs out over some teenage pop star.”
“Ella’s not your typical teenager. When she was little, she wouldn’t go to sleep before I told her at least one story of our youth. Today’s kids don’t have what we had. Freedom from all this technology, that kind of life it’s foreign to them.” She drew in a long breath and blew it out. “So much has happened, I’m afraid I don’t know where to start.”
He took hold of her trembling shoulders. Perhaps he’d overanalysed Ella’s reaction. Poor girl must be craving a fatherly figure in her life and assumed he’d fill in the position. And he gladly would if Irena would let him. “From the beginning, or in our case a new beginning.” She only chewed her lips, and turned her head away from him.
Her silence unnerved him. “Come on, Irena. You know you can always count on me. Babe, you’re shaking. Are you cold? Stupid of me, you’re wearing a tank top and yoga pants and I didn’t think before we stepped out in the cold air.”
She wrapped her bare arms around his chest and he pulled her to him. A part of his body reacted to her closeness. Dammit, now was neither time nor the place, but she always had such effect on him.
“It was a mistake to return to my home town. It doesn’t take an idiot to figure out I’d run back to you. I never should’ve sought you out, but I just couldn’t help it. And I didn’t know where else to go. We’ve been on the run for so long.”
“No, love.” He kissed her forehead. “That’s crazy talk. Whatever kind of trouble you’re in, I’ll help you.”
She tilted her head up, worry lines marring her beautiful face. “I was afraid you’d get involved, but it’s dangerous. You risk losing everything you worked hard for and perhaps your life and the lives of your loved ones.”
“That is why you need to tell me everything. I need to know what I’m up against. I figured you’re on the run from Fred and…” He didn’t know whether to tell her, but judging by the receptionist’s reaction, she already knew. “We bumped into him in the lobby. You’re lucky that young guy was working the front desk. What would happen if there was someone who would’ve accepted the two hundred bucks Fred offered in exchange for the info? Fred already paid a visit to your mother. You’re not safe here or any hotel. Please, consider moving in with me.”
“You went to my mom’s? Oh, my God, after all she put you through?” Irena pulled away from him and gripped his jacket tighter. She turned and faced the cast iron railing, her shoulders rigid. “God, this is so hard. I knew I shouldn’t have involved you in my mess.”
“Your mess is my mess now.” He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Please, there’s plenty of room for you and Ella and you can train in the rec room in my building.”
She tilted her head, placing her cheek to his hand. “Fred is very cunning, all he has to do is ask around this town. Someone will tell him where you live.”
Thankfully, no one could enter his condo building without punching the code into security system or if someone buzzed them in. And that was the flaw, for gullible tenants often pressed that buzzer and let door-to-door salesmen inside. Dario cupped her chin in his fingers. “What does he want from you?”
She closed her eyes and pulled her lips, stifling a sob. “It’s a long story. Come. Let me ask Ella if she’d want us to stay with you, although, I already know the answer.” Halting by the balcony door, she turned to him. “Did my mother have a word for me?”
“Of course she did. Fred has agreed to pay for her knee replacement surgery. If you return to him. If you don’t, he will stop the payments to you father’s nursing home.” Dario propped his hands on his hips. Should he tell her the rest? Better not, it would only upset her more. Over the years Irena had plenty of reasons to go insane, but her mind seemed rock solid as always. No, Fred spread lies about her being mentally unstable. Irena was a pure diamond that couldn’t be cracked under pressure.
“So my mom confused me for an obedient, gullible daughter? They don’t need Fred’s money.” Irena pushed the door open and stepped inside the hotel room.
“No, love.” He kissed her forehead. “That’s crazy talk. Whatever kind of trouble you’re in, I’ll help you.”
She tilted her head up, worry lines marring her beautiful face. “I was afraid you’d get involved, but it’s dangerous. You risk losing everything you worked hard for and perhaps your life and the lives of your loved ones.”
“That is why you need to tell me everything. I need to know what I’m up against. I figured you’re on the run from Fred and…” He didn’t know whether to tell her, but judging by the receptionist’s reaction, she already knew. “We bumped into him in the lobby. You’re lucky that young guy was working the front desk. What would happen if there was someone who would’ve accepted the two hundred bucks Fred offered in exchange for the info? Fred already paid a visit to your mother. You’re not safe here or any hotel. Please, consider moving in with me.”
“You went to my mom’s? Oh, my God, after all she put you through?” Irena pulled away from him and gripped his jacket tighter. She turned and faced the cast iron railing, her shoulders rigid. “God, this is so hard. I knew I shouldn’t have involved you in my mess.”
“Your mess is my mess now.” He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Please, there’s plenty of room for you and Ella and you can train in the rec room in my building.”
She tilted her head, placing her cheek to his hand. “Fred is very cunning, all he has to do is ask around this town. Someone will tell him where you live.”
Thankfully, no one could enter his condo building without punching the code into security system or if someone buzzed them in. And that was the flaw, for gullible tenants often pressed that buzzer and let door-to-door salesmen inside. Dario cupped her chin in his fingers. “What does he want from you?”
She closed her eyes and pulled her lips, stifling a sob. “It’s a long story. Come. Let me ask Ella if she’d want us to stay with you, although, I already know the answer.” Halting by the balcony door, she turned to him. “Did my mother have a word for me?”
“Of course she did. Fred has agreed to pay for her knee replacement surgery. If you return to him. If you don’t, he will stop the payments to you father’s nursing home.” Dario propped his hands on his hips. Should he tell her the rest? Better not, it would only upset her more. Over the years Irena had plenty of reasons to go insane, but her mind seemed rock solid as always. No, Fred spread lies about her being mentally unstable. Irena was a pure diamond that couldn’t be cracked under pressure.
“So my mom confused me for an obedient, gullible daughter? They don’t need Fred’s money.” Irena pushed the door open and stepped inside the hotel room.
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Great tease, but one small complaint. Your paragraph breaks seem to be missing. It makes your fabulous passage difficult to read.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Angelica. Yeah, blogger does strange things to the text. In draft version everything looks perfect, but once I publish it,the text goes all over the place. I got tiered of fixing it and just left it. It was getting pretty late. I'll give it one more try. Thanks for pointing it to my attention.
DeleteLovely stuff, Zrinka!
ReplyDelete