Read Online One Step Closer (Erotic Romance) Book 1 (The DeLuca Brothers) by Lucinda DuBois - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lucinda DuBois
Tags: Contemporary Romance
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looked away from him, unable to take the hurt on his face. “The last time we were together in LA, I woke up and
you were gone. I was in the middle of reading your note when I suddenly felt
sick to my stomach. I spent the next two hours in the bathroom throwing up. But
then I started to feel better. I knew it wasn't the flu. Six weeks before, when
you'd flown me to Chicago for the weekend, I hadn't realized it at the time,
but I'd left my pills at home. I didn't want to worry you so I didn't say
anything. Then I was late and I was pretty sure I knew why. I was going to tell
you that I suspected, but we were kind of busy that first night and then you
weren't there that morning. When I read your note and realized that you were at
work, I knew that I needed to be positive before I told you. I went to the
corner market and bought a test. I thought for sure you'd come back right while
I was in the middle of taking it, but you didn't. It just told me what I'd
already suspected.”
Sofia glanced up at
Frank now and found him watching her with a serious expression, almost as if he
were seeing things in a whole new way. Which, she supposed, he was. She
continued. “While I waited for you to
come home or to call, I debated all of the different ways to tell you. I knew
you loved me and that you'd want us to get married, I never doubted that, but
as the hours passed and you still didn't show, I realized that there was
something else of importance in your life. My screw up was going to cost you
your dream. It was my fault I was pregnant and I knew that you'd give up
everything anyway.” She brushed the back of her hand across her cheek where a
tear had slipped down. “And then I realized that I loved you too much to let
you do that. So, I wrote that note, packed my bags and came home. On the plane,
I realized that once people back home saw that I was pregnant, everyone would
know that you were the father. Your mother would never let you stay in LA if
your son was here. I needed a plan. During my layover in Chicago, I called Gio
to come pick me up when I got in to New York. I told him everything and then
told him what I wanted from him.”
“He knew?” Frank's
voice was hoarse.
“Yes,” Sofia nodded.
“He would know that there wasn't any way that my baby could be his child, even
if we'd fucked in the airport parking lot. I made him swear on his mother's
grave not to tell you, not to tell anyone, the truth. He agreed to claim Tommy
was his if I married him. He didn't want people thinking that he was the kind
of man who wouldn't do the right thing. I agreed.”
“Did you love him?”
The question
startled her enough to make her raise her head. “Not at first, and never like I loved you. And I think he knew it, but
we tried to make it work, for Tommy's sake.”
“So Tommy doesn't
know.” It was a statement, not a question.
“No,” Sofia shook
her head. “But I always intended to explain it to him when he was old enough to
understand.”
“Sofia,” Frank had a
different kind of hurt in his eyes. “Did you really think that I cared more
about my work than I did about you? Than I would have about our son? All of the
money in the world hasn't been able to make up for losing you and it seems even
more worthless now that I know I've missed almost eight years of my son's
life.”
Sofia felt tears
welling up in her eyes again. “I'm sorry.
I thought that's what you wanted.”
Frank took a step
towards her and reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “You and Tommy are what I never knew I wanted.” He
dropped down on one knee, smoothly pulling something from his pocket.
In the dim alcove
light, Sofia saw the sparkle of Maria DeLuca's engagement ring. She gasped, her
head spinning. Surely he wasn't going to do what it looked like he was going to
do?
“Sofia, I don't want
to miss one more minute with you or with Tommy. This isn't out of obligation or
a sense of duty. I want you to be my wife because I've
you were gone. I was in the middle of reading your note when I suddenly felt
sick to my stomach. I spent the next two hours in the bathroom throwing up. But
then I started to feel better. I knew it wasn't the flu. Six weeks before, when
you'd flown me to Chicago for the weekend, I hadn't realized it at the time,
but I'd left my pills at home. I didn't want to worry you so I didn't say
anything. Then I was late and I was pretty sure I knew why. I was going to tell
you that I suspected, but we were kind of busy that first night and then you
weren't there that morning. When I read your note and realized that you were at
work, I knew that I needed to be positive before I told you. I went to the
corner market and bought a test. I thought for sure you'd come back right while
I was in the middle of taking it, but you didn't. It just told me what I'd
already suspected.”
Sofia glanced up at
Frank now and found him watching her with a serious expression, almost as if he
were seeing things in a whole new way. Which, she supposed, he was. She
continued. “While I waited for you to
come home or to call, I debated all of the different ways to tell you. I knew
you loved me and that you'd want us to get married, I never doubted that, but
as the hours passed and you still didn't show, I realized that there was
something else of importance in your life. My screw up was going to cost you
your dream. It was my fault I was pregnant and I knew that you'd give up
everything anyway.” She brushed the back of her hand across her cheek where a
tear had slipped down. “And then I realized that I loved you too much to let
you do that. So, I wrote that note, packed my bags and came home. On the plane,
I realized that once people back home saw that I was pregnant, everyone would
know that you were the father. Your mother would never let you stay in LA if
your son was here. I needed a plan. During my layover in Chicago, I called Gio
to come pick me up when I got in to New York. I told him everything and then
told him what I wanted from him.”
“He knew?” Frank's
voice was hoarse.
“Yes,” Sofia nodded.
“He would know that there wasn't any way that my baby could be his child, even
if we'd fucked in the airport parking lot. I made him swear on his mother's
grave not to tell you, not to tell anyone, the truth. He agreed to claim Tommy
was his if I married him. He didn't want people thinking that he was the kind
of man who wouldn't do the right thing. I agreed.”
“Did you love him?”
The question
startled her enough to make her raise her head. “Not at first, and never like I loved you. And I think he knew it, but
we tried to make it work, for Tommy's sake.”
“So Tommy doesn't
know.” It was a statement, not a question.
“No,” Sofia shook
her head. “But I always intended to explain it to him when he was old enough to
understand.”
“Sofia,” Frank had a
different kind of hurt in his eyes. “Did you really think that I cared more
about my work than I did about you? Than I would have about our son? All of the
money in the world hasn't been able to make up for losing you and it seems even
more worthless now that I know I've missed almost eight years of my son's
life.”
Sofia felt tears
welling up in her eyes again. “I'm sorry.
I thought that's what you wanted.”
Frank took a step
towards her and reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “You and Tommy are what I never knew I wanted.” He
dropped down on one knee, smoothly pulling something from his pocket.
In the dim alcove
light, Sofia saw the sparkle of Maria DeLuca's engagement ring. She gasped, her
head spinning. Surely he wasn't going to do what it looked like he was going to
do?
“Sofia, I don't want
to miss one more minute with you or with Tommy. This isn't out of obligation or
a sense of duty. I want you to be my wife because I've
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