Read Online Let's Pretend (Romantic Comedy, Contemporary, Second Chance, Sensual) by Monique DeVere - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Monique DeVere
Tags: Romance
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of a woman awakened to the spine-tingling excitement of an alpha male’s attention.
Belle allowed herself a secret smile. In the privacy of her mind and her bathroom, she could freely admit Luc was one sexy man. She was sure he knew his effect on her; it was impossible for her to hide it, and he’d taken advantage of every opportunity to torture her with his soft kisses and secret caresses.
And what must appear to be intimate whispers, which had in fact been a way for him to ensure she knew he expected them to have that conversation—the one he’d insisted on in exchange for playing along with her pretence.
Belle had to admit she wasn’t looking forward to talking about their broken relationship. What if Luc didn’t understand her fear? What if he thought her a coward for running out on him? What if he couldn’t understand that she’d never managed to get over her father’s death and was so petrified of losing him too that it had started to make her ill?
Belle wasn’t ready to face Luc. Her gaze slid to the three-quarters full wine bottle beside her.
Not stone cold sober, at any rate...
~*~
BELLE OPENED the en suite ’s door and stepped out, unclipping her hair from the haphazard mass on her head to let it fall around her shoulders in a disordered array of sandy blonde curls. She carried a bowl of strawberries and an empty wine glass in one hand as she used the other to shake out her curls.
One look at her, and Luc’s heartbeat altered to an uneven tempo. She was stunning. Excitement kicked in his stomach—she had his full concentration. In fact, every part of his body stood to immediate attention.
He couldn’t stop staring.
The champagne-coloured silk negligee robe hugged her curves with a sensuality that stole his breath, while the embroidered lace that trimmed the shoulders and sleeves brought to mind the words classy, sexy, feminine, and delicate. The same words he’d thought when he’d first seen the negligee set, and had bought it for Belle two Christmases ago because he just couldn’t wait to take it off her.
She’d tied the satin belt tightly around her small waist, probably to ensure the robe didn’t slither apart as she walked, but Luc was sure Belle didn’t realise the overhead light made the satin garment see-through. He hid a smile; it was clear from the way her beaded nipples nudged the material stretched across her full breasts that she wore nothing beneath the robe. For his benefit? Or had she simply not packed the nightdress because she’d expected to sleep alone? It was possible. Belle usually slept in the buff.
Whatever the reason, he was secretly glad.
When she saw him standing in the middle of the room, a startled breath rushed from her, and she paused near the bathroom door. “I thought you’d be sleeping by now.” She glanced at the strawberries, then offered them to him. “Would you like some of these?”
Only if she allowed him to eat them off her. “No.”
Had she been hiding from him in an effort to avoid the discussion he sought? There was a time, not so long ago, when he wouldn’t have thought twice about following her into the bathroom to either sit on the floor and talk to her while she relaxed in the bath, or join her in the tub. Now that bond they used to have seemed to belong to some other couple an eternity away. The woman who stood before him now wanted to sever every connection between them. Anguish rose inside him, and he had to fight a sudden urge to pull her into his arms and remind her how it used to be between them.
“We have to talk,” he said instead.
“Can we do that tomorrow? To borrow one of your terms, I’m wrecked-tired.” She deposited the fruit on the dresser.
As she passed him, Luc slipped his hand around her waist. He caught a whiff of wine and strawberries as he pulled her to him.
“Tired? Or tipsy, Belle?”
He expected her to recoil at his touch; it had almost become a habit in the weeks leading up to the split.
Belle allowed herself a secret smile. In the privacy of her mind and her bathroom, she could freely admit Luc was one sexy man. She was sure he knew his effect on her; it was impossible for her to hide it, and he’d taken advantage of every opportunity to torture her with his soft kisses and secret caresses.
And what must appear to be intimate whispers, which had in fact been a way for him to ensure she knew he expected them to have that conversation—the one he’d insisted on in exchange for playing along with her pretence.
Belle had to admit she wasn’t looking forward to talking about their broken relationship. What if Luc didn’t understand her fear? What if he thought her a coward for running out on him? What if he couldn’t understand that she’d never managed to get over her father’s death and was so petrified of losing him too that it had started to make her ill?
Belle wasn’t ready to face Luc. Her gaze slid to the three-quarters full wine bottle beside her.
Not stone cold sober, at any rate...
~*~
BELLE OPENED the en suite ’s door and stepped out, unclipping her hair from the haphazard mass on her head to let it fall around her shoulders in a disordered array of sandy blonde curls. She carried a bowl of strawberries and an empty wine glass in one hand as she used the other to shake out her curls.
One look at her, and Luc’s heartbeat altered to an uneven tempo. She was stunning. Excitement kicked in his stomach—she had his full concentration. In fact, every part of his body stood to immediate attention.
He couldn’t stop staring.
The champagne-coloured silk negligee robe hugged her curves with a sensuality that stole his breath, while the embroidered lace that trimmed the shoulders and sleeves brought to mind the words classy, sexy, feminine, and delicate. The same words he’d thought when he’d first seen the negligee set, and had bought it for Belle two Christmases ago because he just couldn’t wait to take it off her.
She’d tied the satin belt tightly around her small waist, probably to ensure the robe didn’t slither apart as she walked, but Luc was sure Belle didn’t realise the overhead light made the satin garment see-through. He hid a smile; it was clear from the way her beaded nipples nudged the material stretched across her full breasts that she wore nothing beneath the robe. For his benefit? Or had she simply not packed the nightdress because she’d expected to sleep alone? It was possible. Belle usually slept in the buff.
Whatever the reason, he was secretly glad.
When she saw him standing in the middle of the room, a startled breath rushed from her, and she paused near the bathroom door. “I thought you’d be sleeping by now.” She glanced at the strawberries, then offered them to him. “Would you like some of these?”
Only if she allowed him to eat them off her. “No.”
Had she been hiding from him in an effort to avoid the discussion he sought? There was a time, not so long ago, when he wouldn’t have thought twice about following her into the bathroom to either sit on the floor and talk to her while she relaxed in the bath, or join her in the tub. Now that bond they used to have seemed to belong to some other couple an eternity away. The woman who stood before him now wanted to sever every connection between them. Anguish rose inside him, and he had to fight a sudden urge to pull her into his arms and remind her how it used to be between them.
“We have to talk,” he said instead.
“Can we do that tomorrow? To borrow one of your terms, I’m wrecked-tired.” She deposited the fruit on the dresser.
As she passed him, Luc slipped his hand around her waist. He caught a whiff of wine and strawberries as he pulled her to him.
“Tired? Or tipsy, Belle?”
He expected her to recoil at his touch; it had almost become a habit in the weeks leading up to the split.
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