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My life has been turned on its head and every version of who I was or am has me so upside down and back to front, I’ve no idea who I am anymore. All I know is graceful, cold, PA Emma, would never be in the crazy mess I’m in now. I haven’t worn any of her clothes in weeks, let alone those stilettos, which I’ve kept with me almost like a protective talisman. I wear flats now … flats! Girly clothes, cute jumpers, and goddamn summer dresses in romantic fabrics. Hell must have frozen over surely.
“I’ve been a nightmare, Sarah. It’s a wonder he’s still here.” I cast my mind back to the tearful sobbing, angry shouting and smashing plates of crazy Emma who
has been occupying the apartment with him. The woman who woke from a nap on the couch to find Jake hadset up the bathroom with candles, music, rose petals and a gorgeous bubble bath for me, and told him I hated him before breaking down in sobs. I am a meRelated chapters
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For the first time in weeks I get a stupid spontaneous smile spreading across my face and I stare at him in a completely new light. It’s as though I’ve just woken up, and blinking in sunlight, I gaze at him as he comes into focus. He looks happy, idling through the stuff on the bed, his green eyes almost luminescent. I’ve never seen him as gorgeous as he is right at this very moment, beaming over his baby’s things looking every bit irresistible to me. I couldn’t fill my heart with any more love than this moment right here. Everything that has happened, everything we’ve done to one another, yet this little moment here seems to wipe it all out. Just looking at him like this, knowing I’ve been falling apart without his touch, has me aching. I want him, and I need him so badly, this is making me crazy.“Kiss me,” I say it so directly and spontaneously that I even take myself by surprise.
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I watch him resist, but he wants me, it’s singing out from every pore of his body. I know he has very little will when it comes to me. I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck as he leans in to go for another soft kiss, catching him by surprise and he tumbles on top off me gloriously.“Fuck’s sake, Emma!” He snaps in sparking anger rolling off me onto the bed with a furious glare and jumps up onto his feet like a panther. “I could’ve hurt you or the baby.” His lust replaced with sheer annoyance. I instantly bristle and scowl at him; spurned on by his overreaction and the rejection to what I really need.“Is this what I have to endure for eight months? Being treated like fine china and pandered to? Regardless of my behavior?!” I snap, frustration turning me into that crazy monster he once denied an orgasm to in his mother’s gardens, my good old trusty anger bouncing up out of nowhere to devour me again.
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“We need to go out today, Emma.” Jake wakes me from my nap with a gentle kiss on the mouth. I’m on the couch where I fell asleep with a book. Kissing has made a definite come back, although Jake never lets it move into full-on passion. I know it’s because he doesn’t want to escalate things, but he has gone back to kissing me softly, tenderly, and sometimes a little erotically. I’ve managed to gain control of the Demon Bitch appearing in my head, with the kissing at least; she doesn’t pop in there as easily anymore.“Where?” I stretch out and yawn. This last week I haven’t felt like doing anything or going out at all; morning sickness and tiredness are currently ruling my life. I guess I’m finally starting to accept the idea of a baby growing inside of me; appointments for doctors have been arranged for a week’s time. I’m not exactly jumping around with excitement, but at least I’m not trying t
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Two hours later I’m regretting the road trip as we stop for the fiftieth time so I can get some air. The nausea seems to take over anytime we get on the road and I’ve had to stop and throw up a few times already; seems my morning sickness likes to rear its head badly the second a vehicle is involved.“I’m sorry.” I grimace as the waves of nausea roll over me. He holds my hair away gently rubbing my back while I grip my bottle of water. I’ve been sick a few times already and no longer embarrassed at Jake seeing it. I need him with me to hold me and hold back my hair.“No, baby; I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would make you sick like this, we should’ve just asked Mamma fly to New York for a visit.” He helps me up from my perch in the grass and holds me tight against him, my body trembling at the effort of throwing up, not really r
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“She’s here, isn’t she? I got her back. I’m not going to be that dumb again, I swear.” He huffs and squeezes me a little tighter. Sylvana scowls at him, then her face drops, and she heaves a sudden sigh, remembering her dilemma.“This is what the so much worse is.” She flaps her hands with a dramatic sigh. “Marissa is here. In the sitting room.” She grimaces and both Jake and I tense up instantly. My breath catches painfully, but Jake is the first to speak.“What the hell for?” He sounds angry, no, he sounds pissed as hell. Meanwhile I just feel sick, and emotional, and about ready to cry and storm away. This is turning into the day from hell for me.“She’s staying with her family for the weekend and just showed up asking to see me and talk about things … She’s carrying my grandchild r
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“You’re all adults, Jake. Let the past stay in the past. Emma is here with you. You have all got to get it together, for the sake of these babies, they will be siblings after all.”Her comment hits me this time and I swallow hard, tears threatening. She’s right, as much as this is killing me she’s so very right; my baby has a sibling already and as much as I hate the girl in the next room I can’t hate the part growing inside of her that belongs to Jake. His eyes on me as I stare at my stomach and a tear rolls down my cheek involuntarily.“Go see her, Jake. I’ll be upstairs.” I pull out of his arms and head away, but he catches me and hauls me back against him, lifting my face to his with that no-nonsense expression set in.“Hell. No.” He kisses me gently on the nose and wipes my face with his thumb, keeping me close, reassuring me with his hold. “I’m sorry, Mamma, but I’m not cha
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As much as I try to prepare myself by pulling on my most efficient PA Emma face none of it truly prepares me for the blast of sickening pain when I am finally faced with one Marissa Hartley.Walking down the stairs and into the dining room I don’t take in the beautiful room, elegant settings, or wonderful smells of food. I just see the girl with the long, curled, brown, highlighted hair. The seductive, Latino looking face with sensual lips, wearing an overly tight floor length animal print dress, fully emphasizing her bust, curvy figure, and undeniably compact baby bump protruding at her front. I also can’t ignore the way her eyes devour Jake hungrily as he walks in behind me with a guiding hand.She exudes pure sexual energy, every movement calculated for maximum impact, hips swinging and cleavage swaying. Her pouting and hair flicking mannerisms all made for pure seduction.
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“Actually … I was talking about Emma’s baby.” Giovanni leans back with a wolfish grin and satisfied glint in his eye. The clatter of cutlery as Marissa drops her fork and gapes at me with open-mouthed shock. I realize she’s not the only one, Arrick’s girlfriend is practically bug-eyed gawping my way and no one is holding cutlery now except me.“Fuck’s sake…” Jake snaps, raising a hand to pinch his brow, his elbow hitting the table to hold his arm up. He knows the shit is about to hit the fan and he’s waiting on it.“Dad, you’re an asshole.” Arrick cuts in, instantly, and Marissa erupts.“What the actual fuck?! Since fucking when?!” She throws her napkin down on top of her food, glaring at him then me, focusing on one after the other with sheer fury across her pouted mouth. She does
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