Скачать книгу

nodded once.

      As he walked away, she hung back, trembling. Had she lost or won?

      * * *

      Raoul’s mother cried when she held Lucy for the first time.

      “I never imagined he’d give me a grandchild. He’s such a workaholic.” Beatrisa was a tall, slender woman who dressed well and bound her silver hair into a figure eight behind her head. Her subtle makeup enhanced her aristocratic features and she wore elegant jewelry that Sirena suspected were gifts from her son.

      Beatrisa had always seemed to lack a real spark of life and now Sirena understood why. She felt a tremendous need to be kind to the older woman, and was glad she’d conceded to the trip, even though everything about staying in this house was awkward.

      “She thinks we’re a couple,” she hissed when they were given a room to share.

      “What a crazy assumption, with the baby and all,” he drawled.

      “You should explain to her.”

      “How?” he countered with exasperation.

      Oh, that attitude of his grated. Especially since she could see how it would go. Beatrisa was being incredibly polite, plainly trying not to pry as she accepted their “modern” relationship with a murmur about admiring independent women. Any attempt to clarify would crack open the marriage question and Raoul didn’t see any point in that.

      Not that she wanted to marry him. No, they might have found a truce and a crooked understanding with their revelations about their past, but it wasn’t as though he’d magically fallen in love with her. For her part, she was too aware of how easily she could tip back into crazy infatuation with him, making her vulnerable to his dominant personality. He’d broken her heart once already. She couldn’t let him do it again.

      “I’ll use the bed in Lucy’s room,” she said.

      His sigh rang with male frustration. “The doctor cleared you for more than travel, didn’t he?”

      “So I’m supposed to fall into bed with you?” She swung around to glare at him across the foot of the enormous, inviting bed with its plump pillows and slippery satin cover. “I realize you think I slept with you to hide my crime, but sex isn’t that mindless for me. I need feelings on both sides.”

      A chill washed over her as her words rang in her ears. Nausea threatened, the kind that came from deep mortification. She was an independent woman, all right, one whose only solace against her obsession with her boss was that he’d never known how deep it went, but she’d just snapped her way into humiliation. Her clothes might as well be on the floor around her ankles, she felt so naked and exposed.

      He stood arrested, but the wheels were spinning fast behind his inscrutable stare.

      Trying to stay ahead of any conclusions he might draw, she gathered her toothbrush and pajamas from her bag, aware she was shaking but unable to control it.

      “Of course, I’m given to self-deception,” she stammered. “And thank God, or we wouldn’t have Lucy, would we? But we both know how we feel about each other now and I make enough fresh mistakes without having to repeat old ones, so...”

      She practically ran from the room before locking herself into Lucy’s, where she threw herself facedown on the bed and quietly screamed into a pillow.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4SmyRXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgACAESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUAAAABAAAAbgEbAAUAAAABAAAA dgEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAeAAAAfgEyAAIAAAAUAAAAnAE7AAIAAAALAAAAsIdpAAQAAAAB AAAAvAAAAOgALcbAAAAnEAAtxsAAACcQQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTNS4xIFdpbmRvd3MAMjAx NzowNzowNiAwNzo0NDo1OQBCeSBSZXF1ZXN0AAAAA6ABAAMAAAABAAEAAKACAAQAAAABAAAGVaAD AAQAAAABAAAKKAAAAAAAAAAGAQMAAwAAAAEABgAAARoABQAAAAEAAAE2ARsABQAAAAEAAAE+ASgA AwAAAAEAAgAAAgEABAAAAAEAAAFGAgIABAAAAAEAAChkAAAAAAAAAEgAAAABAAAASAAAAAH/2P/i DFhJQ0NfUFJPRklMRQABAQAADEhMaW5vAhAAAG1udHJSR0IgWFlaIAfOAAIACQAGADEAAGFjc3BN U0ZUAAAAAElFQyBzUkdCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD21gABAAAAANMtSFAgIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEWNwcnQAAAFQAAAAM2Rlc2MAAAGEAAAA bHd0cHQAAAHwAAAAFGJrcHQAAAIEAAAAFHJYWVoAAAIYAAAAFGdYWVoAAAIsAAAAFGJYWVoAAAJA AAAAFGRtbmQAAAJUAAAAcGRtZGQAAALEAAAAiHZ1ZWQAAANMAAAAhnZpZXcAAAPUAAAAJGx1bWkA AAP4AAAAFG1lYXMAAAQMAAAAJHRlY2gAAAQwAAAADHJUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDGdUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDGJU UkMAAAQ8AAAIDHRleHQAAAAAQ29weXJpZ2h0IChjKSAxOTk4IEhld2xldHQtUGFja2FyZCBDb21w YW55AABkZXNjAAAAAAAAABJzUkdCIElFQzYxOTY2LTIuMQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEnNSR0IgSUVDNjE5 NjYtMi4xAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABY WVogAAAAAAAA81EAAQAAAAEWzFhZWiAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWFlaIAAAAAAAAG+iAAA49QAA A5BYWVogAAAAAAAAYpkAALeFAAAY2lhZWiAAAAAAAAAkoAAAD4QAALbPZGVzYwAAAAAAAAAWSUVD IGh0dHA6Ly93d3cuaWVjLmNoAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWSUVDIGh0dHA6Ly93d3cuaWVjLmNoAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGRlc2MAAAAAAAAALklFQyA2 MTk2Ni0yLjEgRGVmYXVsdCBSR0IgY29sb3VyIHNwYWNlIC0gc1JHQgAAAAAAAAAAAAAALklFQyA2 MTk2Ni0yLjEgRGVmYXVsdCBSR0IgY29sb3VyIHNwYWNlIC0gc1JHQgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAABkZXNjAAAAAAAAACxSZWZlcmVuY2UgVmlld2luZyBDb25kaXRpb24gaW4gSUVDNjE5NjYt Mi4xAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAsUmVmZXJlbmNlIFZpZXdpbmcgQ29uZGl0aW9uIGluIElFQzYxOTY2LTIu MQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAdmlldwAAAAAAE6T+ABRfLgAQzxQAA+3MAAQTCwAD XJ4AAAABWFlaIAAAAAAATAlWAFAAAABXH+dtZWFzAAAAAAAAAAEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC jwAAAAJzaWcgAAAAAENSVCBjdXJ2AAAAAAAABAAAAAAFAAoADwAUABkAHgAjACgALQAyADcAOwBA AEUASgBPAFQAWQBeAGMAaABtAHIAdwB8AIEAhgCLAJAAlQCaAJ8ApACpAK4AsgC3ALwAwQDGAMsA 0ADVANsA4ADlAOsA8AD2APsBAQEHAQ0BEwEZAR8BJQErATIBOAE+AUUBTAFSAVkBYAFnAW4BdQF8 AYMBiwGSAZoBoQGpAbEBuQHBAckB0QHZAeEB6QHyAfoCAwIMAhQCHQImAi8COAJBAksCVAJdAmcC cQJ6AoQCjgKYAqICrAK2AsECywLVAuAC6wL1AwADCwMWAyEDLQM4A0MDTwNaA2YDcgN+A4oDlgOi A64DugPHA9MD4APsA/kEBgQTBCAELQQ7BEgEVQRjBHEEfgSMBJoEqAS2BMQE0wThBPAE/gUNBRwF KwU6BUkFWAVnBXcFhgWWBaYFtQXFBdUF5QX2BgYGFgYnBjcGSAZZBmoGewaMBp0GrwbABtEG4wb1 BwcHGQcrBz0HTwdhB3QHhgeZB6wHvwfSB+UH+AgLCB8IMghGCFoIbgiCCJYIqgi+CNII5wj7CRAJ JQk6CU8JZAl5CY8JpAm6Cc8J5Qn7ChEKJwo9ClQKagqBCpgKrgrFCtwK8wsLCyILOQtRC2kLgAuY C7ALyAvhC/kMEgwqDEMMXAx1DI4MpwzADNkM8w0NDSYNQA1aDXQNjg2pDcMN3g34DhMOLg5JDmQO fw6bDrYO0g7uDwkPJQ9BD14Peg+WD7MPzw/sEAkQJhBDEGEQfhCbELkQ1xD1ERMRMRFPEW0RjBGq EckR6BIHEiYSRRJkEoQSoxLDEuMTAxMjE0MTYxODE6QTxRPlFAYUJxRJFGoUixStFM4U8BUSFTQV VhV4FZsVvRXgFgMWJhZJFmwWjxayFtYW+hcdF0EXZReJF64X0hf3GBsYQBhlGIoYrxjVGPoZIBlF GWsZkRm3Gd0aBBoqGlEadxqeGsUa7BsUGzsbYxuKG7Ib2hwCHCocUhx7HKMczBz1HR4dRx1wHZkd wx3sHhYeQB5qHpQevh7pHxMfPh9pH5Qfvx/qIBUgQSBsIJggxCDwIRwhSCF1IaEhziH7IiciVSKC Iq8i3SMKIzgjZiOUI8Ij8CQfJE0kfCSrJNolCSU4JWgllyXHJfcmJyZXJocmtyboJxgnSSd6J6sn 3CgNKD8ocSiiKNQpBik4KWspnSnQKgIqNSpoKpsqzysCKzYraSudK9EsBSw5LG4soizXLQwtQS12 Last4S4WLkwugi63Lu4vJC9aL5Evxy/+MDUwbDCkMNsxEjFKMYIxujHyMioyYzKbMtQzDTNGM38z uDPxNCs0ZTSeNNg1EzVNNYc1wjX9Njc2cjauNuk3JDdgN5w31zgUOFA4jDjIOQU5Qjl/Obw5+To2 OnQ6sjrvOy07azuqO+g8JzxlPKQ84z0iPWE9oT3gPiA+YD6gPuA/IT9hP6I/4kAjQGRApkDnQSlB akGsQe5CMEJyQrVC90M6Q31DwEQDREdEikTORRJFVUWaRd5GIkZnRqtG8Ec1R3tHwEgFSEtIkUjX SR1JY0mpSfBKN0p9SsRLDEtTS5pL4kwqTHJMuk0CTUpNk03cTiVObk63TwBPSU+TT91QJ1BxULtR BlFQUZtR5lIxUnxSx1MTU19TqlP2VEJUj1TbVShVdVXCVg9WXFapVvdXRFeSV+BYL1h9WMtZGllp WbhaB1pWWqZa9VtFW5Vb5Vw1XIZc1l0nXXhdyV4aXmxevV8PX2Ffs2AFYFdgqmD8YU9homH1Ykli nGLwY0Njl2PrZEBklGTpZT1lkmXnZj1mkmboZz1nk2fpaD9olmjsaUNpmmnxakhqn2r3a09rp2v/ bFdsr20IbWBtuW4SbmtuxG8eb3hv0XArcIZw4HE6cZVx8HJLcqZzAXNdc7h0FHRwdMx1KHWFdeF2 Pnabdvh3VnezeBF4bnjMeSp5iXnnekZ6pXsEe2N7wnwhfIF84X1BfaF+AX5ifsJ/I3+Ef+WAR4Co gQqBa4HNgjCCkoL0g1eDuoQdhICE44VHhauGDoZyhteHO4efiASIaYjOiTOJmYn+imSKyoswi5aL /IxjjMqNMY2Yjf+OZo7OjzaPnpAGkG6Q1pE/kaiSEZJ6kuOTTZO2lCCUipT0lV+VyZY0lp+XCpd1 l+CYTJi4mSSZkJn8mmia1ZtCm6+cHJyJnPedZJ3SnkCerp8dn4uf+qBpoNihR6G2oiailqMGo3aj 5qRWpMelOKWpphqmi6b9p26n4KhSqMSpN6mpqhyqj6sCq3Wr6axcrNCtRK24ri2uoa8Wr4uwALB1 sOqxYLHWskuywrM4s660JbSctRO1irYBtnm28Ldot+C4WbjRuUq5wro7urW7Lr

Скачать книгу