All Wrapped Up in You by Sun Chara

Author:Sun Chara [Chara, Sun]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780007569496
Google: JBhMAgAAQBAJ
Amazon: B00H4JWOTA
Publisher: HarperImpulse
Published: 2013-12-18T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIVE

Peter dropped the packages he was carrying, baubles crashing to the floor as he leaped to catch her.

“Shh, I’ve got you now.” He brushed moist bangs off her forehead, his tone soothing. “It’s all right.”

She curled into his arms and closed her eyes; his body heat a welcome gift. “The light didn’t work and—” she tried to explain but the words wouldn’t come.

“Power lines down all across L.A.,” he said, stroking her shoulders. “It’s a heck of a mess out there.”

She nodded, wondering if his words held a double meaning about what was happening between the two of them. Reluctantly, she made to pull away, but he held her steady in his embrace. “Okay now, mmm?”

She didn’t answer. Couldn’t. Would she ever feel okay or carefree again, with him or without him?

“You must be starving,” he said, his words seeming to come from a distance. “When did you last eat?”

“I-I don’t remember.” She trembled, her teeth beginning to chatter. “Ye-esterday, I think.”

“Oh, Ellie…” he murmured, an edginess in his voice.

A tremor shot through her, and she locked her hands around his neck. He pried them loose. “You’ve got to eat something…”

“I’m not hungry.”

“…to think clearly.”

“I am think—”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“I don’t think I can cook…too tired.”

He swept a wisp of hair off her brow, and scooping her up in his arms, strode across the room and laid her on the couch. “You leave that to me, principessa.”

“You don’t know how to boil water, let alone cook.” She tried to prop herself up on one elbow, but he nudged her to stay put.

“Wrong.” He laughed. “Goes to show how little you know the man you married.”

“You can boil water?” she queried, attempting a joke.

“That…” He winked. “And so much more.” The glow from outside filtered in, casting light and shadow upon his features…a familiar sight, a welcome sight.

“Self-reliance is the Italian’s motto, especially being skilled in the culinary arts.”

“Is that so?” She grabbed her cap from the sofa and hid a smile.

“Oh yeah.” He lifted his mouth in that half smile that had her pulse prancing every which way. “Among other things.”

“You’re expertise knows no bounds,” she said tongue-in-cheek.

“Hey, I make a mean Italiano pasta-nasta sauce, enough for the whole famiglia.” He collected baubles and trinkets off the floor and set them in the corner of the room. Chuckling, he added, “Even got wrangled into doing dishes too.”

Ellie shifted into a sitting position and tucked her legs under her. “I met your family in their palazzo—”

“Hardly.”

“Mansion then—”

“We didn’t always live like that, Ellie.”

“I assumed—”

“I wanted to impress you.”

“You did?”

“I did.”

“Mmm.”

“But at the start of med school, I had to be creative with money matters…” he said in earnest, but amusement glinted in his eyes.

“Ahuh,” she said, suppressing a grin.

“…to pay my own way through med.”

“This I gotta hear.” She shifted to a more comfortable sitting on the couch in rapt attention. “I’m listening.”

“Uh, uh.” He winked. “Guess what I did to make money.”

She allowed her eyes to strobe over him, a smile playing on her mouth.

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