Page 11 of Cherished Union

“I know,” I reply somberly. Hayes takes everything on himself. It’s a family trait we all have. This time, now that I know what’s been happening, I’ll be keeping an eye on him.

“The less stress Annemarie has the bloody better. Your ma doesn’t know and neither does your granny.”

Which means Da does, in fact, know. “They should hold off telling them until the baby’s born. It’ll get Ma off their backs.”

“What about you? Hmm? Now that you’re marrying the beautiful Italian, when are you going to have kids?”

I glare at the fucker. “Keep your eyes to yourself.” The bastards pushing it. “As for kids, unlike my dear brother, I’m in no rush to knock Adelina up.”

“Just spank her though, right?” he asks with a chuckle.

“Fuck off,” I hiss at the bastard.

My family knows all about my sexual kink. Not that I give a fuck. My life is exactly that. Mine.

He hits me on the shoulder. “Remember what I said. You don’t need to punish yourself forever, Hay. You’re a good man. One I’m proud as fuck to say is my nephew. I’d hate to see you throw everything you’ve worked hard for away just because you’re punishing yourself for something that wasn’t your fault.”

The moment he walks away, my gaze returns to where Adelina was sitting, and I find her gone, but her father is now seated beside Natalia. I scan the room and catch sight of her exiting through the door. In need of some nicotine, I follow her outside.

The moment I step into the cold air, I see that she’s standing alone with her arms wrapped around her middle. She looks lost and uncomfortable. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my pack of cigarettes and light one up, inhaling deeply, letting the nicotine hit me.

I watch her, unable to pull my gaze from her. I’ve had one conversation with the woman, and she left her mark on me. Something that hasn’t happened before. She has such a vulnerability about her that it pulls at my protective instincts. Not to mention the steel grit I see in her emerald eyes. She’s a fighter, I can see that, but I’m curious as to whether or not she lets it out to play.

“Now, my dove, why do you look as though you’re about to cry?”

She laughs lightly as I come to stand beside her. The sound of her laughter is like a soft bell ringing. “Why do you call me dove?”

I’m not answering that.

I take yet another pull from my smoke. “You never answered me. Why do you look as though you’re about to cry?”

She huffs as she turns to face me. “I don’t cry,” she says with a roll of her eyes. “I never do.”

She’s lying. The slight lift of her lip, along with the flare of her nostrils, tell me that she’s lying her pretty tits off.

I blow out a plume of smoke and glare at her. “Try again, Ade. Next time you lie to me, I’m spanking that pert little ass of yours.”

She looks at me, those emerald eyes flaming with anger. Hmm, she’s fucking beautiful when riled up. I guess it’ll be good to see how hot she’ll run when she’s angry.

“You will not touch me,” she snaps. “You’ll never lay your hand on me, Hayden.” As she says the words, she takes a step back, her body trembling as she glances at anything but me.

Cupping her face with my hand, I hold her until she looks at me. “Who hurt you?”

She scoffs. “No one.”

“Warned you, Dove, don’t fucking lie to me.”

“Why would you even think that anyone hurt me?” she questions.

I step closer to her, putting the cigarette between my lips, and I run my hand down her arm while still holding her face with my other. She flinches.

“Wanna try that again?” I question, the cigarette hanging from my mouth.

She licks her lips and glances away. “It was an accident, okay? I bumped into something and got a bruise. It’s no big deal. No one hurt me.”

“If I find out someone hurt you, Ade, I’m gonna fucking kill them.”

Her lips part in surprise.

---