Serpent Sting. Toni Grant

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СКАЧАТЬ only a matter of time. I’ll have to move quickly to get to her first.” Nicholas spoke with renewed determination.

      Alessandro nodded, glancing again at his nephew. He looked away from the young man, but it was too late: Nicholas had already recognised the flicker of guilt in his uncle’s expression as the old man turned.

      “You already know where she is,” Nicholas said abruptly, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

      “Yes.” Alessandro stood, coming round from behind the desk.

      “How long have you known?” Nicholas asked, deliberately pronouncing every word. He felt the tightly bound emotional coil uncurl within him.

      “Nicholas, it doesn’t matter how long I have known.” The man faced his nephew.

      “Bullshit, Alessandro.” He wanted to punch something, or someone. Instead, he raked his hair in quick agitation. “You’ve always known! You didn’t think to tell me? You couldn’t talk to me about her? You of all people know my head is full of her and you’ve left me wondering for six godforsaken years.”

      “It would have disrupted your training.” Alessandro tilted his head in arrogance. “Besides, what would you have done? Track her down? Complicate her life? It’s true: I’ve always known Francesca’s whereabouts. It’s been imperative to our operations.”

      “Right. Because of her father’s connections,” Nicholas spat. His uncle was just like Silvio: everything and everyone had a purpose. A person was merely a commodity to trade. He turned his back and stalked further into the suffocating room.

      “No,” the older gentleman said quietly and his face saddened. “I suffered greatly when Stefano died. We were very good friends. Stefano Salucci was a decent man.”

      A sombre air filled the space between them. “I look out for Francesca and her safety because she is the daughter of my friend,” Alessandro paused, “and because she has borne your son.”

      Nicholas stopped.

      He turned slowly, looking intently at his uncle for a moment and shouted, “Impossible!”

      CHAPTER 6

      McCrae Compound

      Viti Levu, Fiji Islands

      Francesca stared disbelieving at Sinclair, his face quickly clearing of any expression. Around her, breakfast dishes spread far and wide around the untidy kitchen. Outside, the noisy chaos of Archie and Tuicakau chasing each other with water pistols drifted through the open windows of the home. Rosabella sat at the kitchen table, playing with her favourite doll, pretending to feed her breakfast.

      It was another beautiful day in paradise. The weekend stretched before them, and this morning the sun shone through to the kitchen from the high clerestory windows. It bathed the elegant tropical interior in soft morning light, and Francesca again wanted to pinch herself in appreciation of her uncomplicated life with Sinclair.

      “And when did this happen?” Francesca quizzed.

      “Two years ago,” he answered, shifting slightly at her intense gaze. Sinclair reached for a small bunch of grapes from the fruit platter in front of her. Popping a couple in his mouth, he bit through the skin, delighting in the explosion of sweet nectar. He repeated the action.

      “But Bella is two.”

      “Yes. Do you remember my delay in returning for her birth?” Sinclair certainly did. He’d almost missed the most memorable night of his life. He smiled at the memory of his sodden greeting as she’d pulled him into the warm shower and kissed him passionately. Stepping from her embrace, he’d drunk her naked beauty, swollen with motherhood, her face alight with love. Those beautiful eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

      And then the sting. It shook her and she’d grasped at his hands, steadying herself as she bore the contraction, her legs involuntarily spreading as she crouched into the pain.

      “I’m not pushing,” she’d mumbled. “Francesca, don’t push.” It lasted a few minutes and at its completion, she’d looked deeply into his eyes.

      Her face of bewildered satisfaction and triumph, as she bore the discomfort. Followed by a brief weak smile as another contraction took hold. Sinclair glanced at Rosabella. Where had the last two years gone?

      Francesca nodded. “Yes, I remember.”

      “I was going through protocol after the event. Remember my fobbing off the injury to my leg?” Francesca nodded again. “Well, that was the same incident. It’s nothing, Francesca. A beat up. Truly. They hand out medals for anything these days.”

      “Is that so? Well, if it’s such a beat up, why are we being invited to Government House in Canberra? As well, a ball to follow?”

      “The ball is a fundraiser for the hospital. They’ve timed it to get the most political and financial mileage whilst we’re all together. So do you want to go?” he asked, popping another grape into his mouth.

      Francesca wasn’t fooled by his nonchalance. She may be prone to vagueness these days, but she wasn’t stupid. She shifted from her seat, checking at Bella’s happiness. The little girl moved to the lounge and was singing playschool songs to her bears. Francesca sauntered over to him as he perched on the barstool, his back to the breakfast bar.

      He looked so sexy sitting there, pretending that it didn’t matter.

      She straddled his lap, gently brushing a sun-bleached lock to the side, lingering her touch at his cheek. Since leaving the service, his hair had grown quite long. Waves of strawberry blonde were now bleached by the sun and surf. Today, it stuck out in a fan behind his ears. Francesca couldn’t help running her hands through the jumbled mess as she smoothed it down. From this close proximity, grainy salt spray glistened, stuck in the stubble along his jaw at the base of his ear lobe. Tell-tale reminders of the early morning surf.

      A small, amused twitch at the corner of her mouth was the only indication she gave to the mischief she felt at that moment. She could disarm him and taste that salt … with her tongue.

      Sinclair watched the amusement cross her features before she looked squarely at him.

      When she at last spoke, despite her attempts at serious conversation, that husky voice instantly gave away the seductive thoughts she’d nurtured.

      “Well Sinclair, I don’t see we have a choice in the matter. When’s the function?”

      Francesca shifted on his lap. The gentle massage of her bare thighs against him, stirred the response. Her mouth twitched in amusement again. And the smile met her eyes.

      His hastily tied sarong around naked hips provided little barrier to that now demanding her attention. Francesca tried to focus on the topic of conversation. She realised her mistake. It was impossible, when they were this close, to think about anything but him.

      “Next month.”

      Catching her in the middle of her back, his fingers lazily toyed with the tie on her bikini top as it gave way. Gently stroking at the bare skin hidden beneath her tumbling hair, he watched her as she licked her lips nervously. His hand moved to the back of her neck. He gently caressed the secret space. He leaned a little closer, breathing СКАЧАТЬ