Protected by Shadows

Author:Aliyah Burke [Burke, Aliyah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Erotic Romance Fiction
Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
Published: 2013-03-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Valentino shoved his hands in his pockets and reclined against the tree behind him. He didn’t want to take part in this—parties weren’t really his thing. But there was no way around it. There was a decided wave of sorrow in the air as everyone had heard about Eugene.

Lexy had smiled at them all and thanked them then reminded them that Eugene was a huge fan of parties and would want all of them to have fun. So they were doing the best they could. Crossing his arms, he looked for his wife.

She stood with two other women, talking and laughing. To observe her, one would never know she’d not made it in until after ten this morning after having been up all night performing surgery. The woman made it work. She wore another pair of those damn shorts, which drove him wild showcasing her long, toned legs. The heels only added to the fantasy and her camisole top hid nothing. Not from his imagination or anyone else’s.

A lot of the guests had dressed similarly—the women anyway. Many of the men watched them closely but none were rude or needed to be put in their place.

When she’d gotten back to her house from surgery, he’d been in the living room watching television. She’d moved right by him as if he wasn’t there and to the shower.

He had bided his time, but she’d continued to treat him as if he weren’t there. Then it was time to go to this and they’d ridden in silence down the street to the park, where they were now. She put on a good show, playing the doting wife when she had to, but otherwise he knew she was ignoring him. As she’d suggested they do—stay out of one another’s way.

He watched her laugh at something one of the women said, he didn’t know what she’d said that was so amusing for her back was to him so he couldn’t read her lips. But he could read Lexy’s.

“Oh, he’s awesome in bed.”

He grinned. Leave it to women to get to conversations about sex. Lexy looked up and he watched a practiced smile lift her lips. He blew her a kiss and she shook her head before breaking the eye connection.

Valentino skimmed over the gathered group. Some he knew, most he didn’t. These were Lexy’s friends and neighbors. He pushed from the tree and entered the fray. He brushed by Paula with a nod and smile as he’d been doing to most of the people. She looked good—her blonde hair drawn back into a braid swung with each step she took. A tight shirt and pants added to the picture. No heels though, she wore slip-on canvas and he knew it was in case she had to run.

They were at the drink table. “How you doing?” he asked, reaching for a Coke from a tin tub full of ice.

“Fine,” she said, her voice a soft drawl. “You?”

“Same.”

He looked up when Lexy walked up to him. Her gaze moved over Paula before returning to him.

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