Early to Bed by Cara Summers

Author:Cara Summers
Format: epub

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Lily wouldn't have believed that so many people could fit into the living room of the penthouse suite. Within twenty minutes of the time that she and Tony had arrived back at Henry's Place, the entire Romano family had gathered. In the overstuffed chair near the fireplace, Sam was working quietly on his laptop, while Tony leaned over his shoulder, a cell phone pressed to his ear. From what she'd been able to gather, Tony was trying to reach his cousin Nick to fill him in on what was happening. Behind Tony, his patience on a short leash, Drew paced back and forth, also talking into his cell phone.

Lily envied Drew the freedom. She would have been more comfortable pacing. Instead, she was trapped on the couch—with Grace to her left and Sam's very pregnant wife, A.J., on her right. Alistair, sketching on a pad, faced her across the narrow coffee table. Dame Vera sat at the end of the table, sipping sherry, engrossed in her crystal ball. The room itself was not large, but the three Romano men had clearly separated themselves from the women. Lily was almost sure it was because Sam and Drew didn't trust her. How could she blame them?

On the other hand, the women in the family were treating her like a hero because Tony had told everyone that she'd saved his life. She was even less comfortable with that.

Gina and Lucy had taken over the small kitchen and were dispensing food as quickly as it arrived on the dumbwaiter. Trays laden with the remains of crackers, meats, cheeses and fruit now lay scattered on tables throughout the room. Her own plate, which Tony had urged on her, lay untouched on the coffee table. She couldn't eat, not while the image of that gun pointed at Tony still lingered at the edges of her mind.

But the stress of drive-by shootings seemed to fuel the appetites in the Romano family. Lily didn't think she'd ever seen so much food disappear so quickly. She wasn't used to huge informal family meals where everyone talked and argued at once. Her own limited experience had been confined to sitting at a formal dining table with her father, her stepmother and stepbrother. She'd only been allowed to talk when she was specifically spoken to, and sooner or later, she'd never failed to breach at least one rule of etiquette. Then Pamela would banish her to the kitchen where the cook would try to cheer her up with ice cream or warm apple pie. Comfort food had turned her into a chubby, unhappy teenager.

Lily closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. Her past no longer had to be her future. She could have whatever she wanted.

Except for Tony Romano. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked at him. He wasn't looking at her. Since they'd arrived at the hotel, they'd had only a few moments alone together. Tony had used that to make sure she was all right. He hadn't seemed to be able to take her word for that.

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