Read Online One Step Closer (Erotic Romance) Book 1 (The DeLuca Brothers) by Lucinda DuBois - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lucinda DuBois
Tags: Contemporary Romance
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eyes were
already starting to close as she stood.
“Good night,
sweetheart.” Hot tears pricked at the backs of her eyelids but she didn't give
in, not yet.
“Night, Mommy,”
Tommy mumbled even as sleep claimed him.
Sofia swallowed hard
against the lump in her throat as she hurried from the room. The tears started
as she climbed into the shower. She washed methodically, breathing in deep the
scent of her lavender body wash and trying not to look at the marks Frank's
mouth had left on her body.
There had been a
time when she'd enjoyed looking at marks like the ones on her breasts and neck,
when they had been evidence to her of a night of passion, a time spent with the
man she loved. Frank had once joked that they were his way of saying that she
belonged to him. He'd realized how it had sounded the moment he'd said it and
they'd laughed. That night, Sofia had left a sizable hickey on Frank's neck,
declaring that she'd marked him as her property. They'd laughed about it
together.
As she toweled her
hair dry, she avoided the mirror, not wanting to see how red her eyes were or
how puffy her face had become. She left her hair down as she pulled on her
robe, loosely tying it at her waist. She didn't really have to worry about if
she was decent or not. Once Tommy fell asleep, as long as she was quiet, he
wouldn't wake up. She stuck her feet into her fuzzy gray slippers and downstairs
to the living room. She could have gone to bed, she knew. It wasn't like she
was actually going to accomplish much of anything, but some part of her felt
that if she'd retired early, if she let Frank change her routine, he would win.
She poured herself
half a glass of wine and settled on the couch, tucking her legs up under her.
The television was on, but she wasn't really watching. It was more background
noise, something to try to convince herself that she wasn't dwelling on what
had happened.
It wasn't working.
Even as the tears
streamed silently down her face, Sofia wasn't sure exactly which part of her
shitty day she was most upset about. Was she crying over what had happened with
Frank or at the future she'd lost, a future she hadn't allowed herself to think
of in years?
A knock at the door
startled her from her misery. Sofia wiped her hands across her cheeks as she
got up to answer the door. She realized that she'd known who it would be even
as the door was swinging open to reveal Frank standing there. His eyes widened
slightly at the sight of her, but Sofia refused to feel embarrassed. She'd
earned the right to be upset in the privacy of her own home.
“What do you want,
Frank?” Her voice was weary.
“Can I come in?” His
voice was soft, filled with something that Sofia didn't recognize.
She seriously
considered telling him that he'd missed his chance, but she knew she couldn't.
If he'd come back for the truth, she still owed him that much. “Just keep it down. Tommy's sleeping and I don't want
him waking up.”
Frank nodded and she
stepped aside to let him inside. She shut the door and waited for Frank to walk
towards the living room, but he didn't. Instead, he remained in the small
alcove by the door and turned towards her. “Sofia,”
he started, then stopped.
Suddenly, she
realized what she'd heard in his voice that she wasn't able to place.
Uncertainty. She'd never heard Frank DeLuca uncertain about anything and the
fact that it was here, with her, that he was this vulnerable made her stomach
clench.
“Sofia,” he began
again and she could see the effort it took for him to continue. “Is Tommy my
son?”
Sofia took a deep
breath. There it was. No one had ever come right out and asked her before. She
looked up at Frank and, hoping her voice would remain steady, replied, “yes.”
“Why...” his voice
broke on the word and he didn't finish his question; he just looked down at
her, his eyes full of pain.
She didn't need him
to finish. She knew what the question was. She crossed her arms under her
breasts and
already starting to close as she stood.
“Good night,
sweetheart.” Hot tears pricked at the backs of her eyelids but she didn't give
in, not yet.
“Night, Mommy,”
Tommy mumbled even as sleep claimed him.
Sofia swallowed hard
against the lump in her throat as she hurried from the room. The tears started
as she climbed into the shower. She washed methodically, breathing in deep the
scent of her lavender body wash and trying not to look at the marks Frank's
mouth had left on her body.
There had been a
time when she'd enjoyed looking at marks like the ones on her breasts and neck,
when they had been evidence to her of a night of passion, a time spent with the
man she loved. Frank had once joked that they were his way of saying that she
belonged to him. He'd realized how it had sounded the moment he'd said it and
they'd laughed. That night, Sofia had left a sizable hickey on Frank's neck,
declaring that she'd marked him as her property. They'd laughed about it
together.
As she toweled her
hair dry, she avoided the mirror, not wanting to see how red her eyes were or
how puffy her face had become. She left her hair down as she pulled on her
robe, loosely tying it at her waist. She didn't really have to worry about if
she was decent or not. Once Tommy fell asleep, as long as she was quiet, he
wouldn't wake up. She stuck her feet into her fuzzy gray slippers and downstairs
to the living room. She could have gone to bed, she knew. It wasn't like she
was actually going to accomplish much of anything, but some part of her felt
that if she'd retired early, if she let Frank change her routine, he would win.
She poured herself
half a glass of wine and settled on the couch, tucking her legs up under her.
The television was on, but she wasn't really watching. It was more background
noise, something to try to convince herself that she wasn't dwelling on what
had happened.
It wasn't working.
Even as the tears
streamed silently down her face, Sofia wasn't sure exactly which part of her
shitty day she was most upset about. Was she crying over what had happened with
Frank or at the future she'd lost, a future she hadn't allowed herself to think
of in years?
A knock at the door
startled her from her misery. Sofia wiped her hands across her cheeks as she
got up to answer the door. She realized that she'd known who it would be even
as the door was swinging open to reveal Frank standing there. His eyes widened
slightly at the sight of her, but Sofia refused to feel embarrassed. She'd
earned the right to be upset in the privacy of her own home.
“What do you want,
Frank?” Her voice was weary.
“Can I come in?” His
voice was soft, filled with something that Sofia didn't recognize.
She seriously
considered telling him that he'd missed his chance, but she knew she couldn't.
If he'd come back for the truth, she still owed him that much. “Just keep it down. Tommy's sleeping and I don't want
him waking up.”
Frank nodded and she
stepped aside to let him inside. She shut the door and waited for Frank to walk
towards the living room, but he didn't. Instead, he remained in the small
alcove by the door and turned towards her. “Sofia,”
he started, then stopped.
Suddenly, she
realized what she'd heard in his voice that she wasn't able to place.
Uncertainty. She'd never heard Frank DeLuca uncertain about anything and the
fact that it was here, with her, that he was this vulnerable made her stomach
clench.
“Sofia,” he began
again and she could see the effort it took for him to continue. “Is Tommy my
son?”
Sofia took a deep
breath. There it was. No one had ever come right out and asked her before. She
looked up at Frank and, hoping her voice would remain steady, replied, “yes.”
“Why...” his voice
broke on the word and he didn't finish his question; he just looked down at
her, his eyes full of pain.
She didn't need him
to finish. She knew what the question was. She crossed her arms under her
breasts and
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