Awake My Heart (The Bentini Brothers Book 3) Read online

  “What condition are you talking about? I thought the doctor gave her a clean bill of health when she was released from the hospital.” Jason’s frown of concern is genuine.

  “He did and she’s fine. Will misspoke,” Antonio attempts to evade, but it doesn’t work.

  “Is that right Will?” Adam scrutinizes Will suspiciously.

  “Yeah, you heard the man, I misspoke. Drop it.”

  Like a dog with a bone, the twins persist. “What’s wrong with her, Antonio, tell us. She may be your girl, but we knew her first and we’re her friends.”

  “Now, I see how mom must have felt,” Tony murmurs. “There is nothing wrong with Ti. But seeing as you two aren’t willing to accept that, what I’m about to tell you doesn’t go beyond these walls. Aside from Will, no one has been told yet… Ti’s pregnant, we’re going to have a baby!” Tony proudly announces, eyes bright, smile wide as a rainbow as his brothers congratulate him. It’s easy to see that he’s thrilled and they are happy for him. All except one.

  “Well damn! That explains why you’re rushing to marry her,” Robert derisively surmises.

  Offended, Tony sets him straight. “Hey asshole, I’m marrying Tiressa because I love her! Step out of your cave every once in a while and you’ll see that plenty of people—rich people included—are starting families without benefit of marriage.” Frustrated with his brother’s narrow-minded supercilious company, Antonio walks toward the door. “I’m out of here, I can’t keep beating my head against the wall!” Robert bristles at the childhood nickname he was given by his younger brothers because he was and is considered extremely stubborn.

  Nick echo’s Antonio’s sentiments. “I don’t have enough stamina for another argument. I’ll walk out with you and Will,” Nick says shaking his head at Robert.

  “Hey man, I’m sorry Antonio and Will were so hard on you. But you have to know that they really do love their ladies and are very protective of them. And I can’t blame them; what would you do if the family felt that way about Angela?”

  Robert thinks about his lovely wife, the mother of his precious children. “Yeah, I guess I’m beginning to realize so many things,” he admits getting up and walking out the door.

  “So, what do you want to do, bro?” Jason asks his twin.

  “Hell, it’s almost five, let’s knock off for the day. Do you have anything planned for tonight? I mean aside from climbing between Carmen’s hot tight thighs.”

  “Hey, watch your fucking mouth! That’s my girl you’re talking about!”

  “Oh shit, sorry bro. I didn’t know you two were getting serious like that. I thought you were smashing her for kicks,” Adam teases, moving like lightning when Jason comes after him, fists raised.

  Finally catching on that his twin is baiting him, Jason turns and starts walking towards the door. Before he leaves, he tosses back a parting shot, “Fuck you Adam, and the broke down nag you rode in on.” Seeing Adam’s surprised comical expression, he laughs raucously as he exits, feeling well-vindicated.

  “I guess some people don’t know how to take a joke,” Adam mumbles to himself, opening the bathroom door.

  Totally caught off guard by the sudden appearance of Adam, Alison tries to dash to the dressing room. He is after her in a flash, grabbing her by the arm and swinging her back to face him.

  “Well, well, well, what do we have here; a gift for me perhaps?” he drawls, astonished and very pleased at finding his brother’s beautiful fiancée with all her ample charms on full display.

  “Let go of me Adam!”

  “I think not. It’s not every day that a man beholds such a glorious sight –an eavesdropper hiding in a bathroom, au naturel.”

  “That’s right, it’s William that I’m naked for, not you, so, let go of me. I mean it Adam! I’ll tell William about this!”

  “You do and I’ll do some telling of my own. We’ll see who comes out on top. Me, his brother or you, the girl he just dumped,” Adam sneers maliciously, reaching out to tweak one of her pretty pink nipples.

  Slapping his hand away, she hisses, “I told you, that was a mistake! It never should have happened!”

  “But it did and this is a prime opportunity for it to happen again,” Adam boldly declares, pushing her roughly against the wall.

  Seeing the wicked determination gleaming in his beautiful blue eyes, Alison pushes past him and runs into the dressing room. Before she can bolt the door, it crashes inward, knocking her to the floor. Adam smiles appreciatively at the arousing sight of her long beautiful legs spread open. “My brother isn’t going to like you shaving yourself completely bald,” he taunts nonchalantly, strutting into the dressing room and locking the door behind him. “While I, on the other hand, enjoy the landscape.”

  “You arrogant little bastard!” Alison spits, pushing up from the floor. “I’ll scream! I’ll scream the whole damn building down!”

  “You do and I’ll make sure William and my entire family know what a duplicitous whore you really are!” he threatens without a second’s hesitation or an ounce of shame.

  “How can you be so cruel? You know how much I love your brother!” she cries, putting her face in her hands, shoulders shaking.

  “Nice performance Alli, but everyone knows that what you really love is his money—well, everyone except Will of course. Now stop teasing me and get up on that couch…unless you want me to take you on the floor.” Unbuckling his belt, he steps out of his pants. “Besides, you heard Will, he’s done with you. He wants Kathy now,” Adam mocks callously.

  Standing in front of the sofa, to angry to even put on the pretense of being modest, Alison jeers, “You Bentini men are all alike. You think you can have anything you want!”

  “Get off your high-horse princess.” He disregards her bogus outrage, taking a condom out of his pants pocket, tearing open the foil and slowly rolling it down his randy manhood. “You started this. Maybe next time you’ll think twice before sleeping with one man while being engaged to another… especially, when the men involved are brothers!”

  She attempts to deliver a deserving slap across his smug, handsome face. “You swine! You arrogant—!”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know…I’m an arrogant bastard. And you’re a haughty bitch,” he says, slowly stroking his lengthy hard on. “Lucky for you, I love screwing haughty bitches.” Without warning, he shoves Alison down onto the sofa, spread her legs wide and shoves into her without benefit of foreplay. She lets out a little scream at the rough invasion, “You pig! You could have prepared me first!” she gasp, trying to relax her inner muscles so that she can take him more pleasurably.

  “Shut up. We both know you like it rough,” he growls unable to suppress an intense shudder from the strength of his ardent lust. Grabbing a fist full of luxurious blond hair, he yanks her head back, becoming even more excited by the sound of her breathless moans. “Do you want me?” he chuckles, relishing her desperate passion.

  “No. You son of a bitch!” she lies, furious with his game.

  “Oh sweetheart, you have just made a big mistake. No one loves his mama as much as I do. Now, I’m going to make you beg for it!” he swears between gritted teeth. Her gyrating hips pump empty air as her grasping little hands attempt to grab his hips and force him to give her what her body so desperately craves. “I want only to please you Alison. But you know what you must do,” he mocks.

  “You bastard!” she pants furiously, “Take me!”

  “That’s close, but not it,” Adam grunts, not sure how much longer he can take his own torture.

  “Take me, please take me!” she begs, tears springing to her eyes. “Please Adam—”

  “Good enough!” he declares, bearing down on her. “Yes, Adam, yes… give it to me!” she keens low, urging him on. Her inner muscles contract around his long, thick shaft as she lifts her hips to meet each powerful, hard thrust. He grits his teeth, his pulse racing as he erupts gloriously. Breathing hard, Adam slides off Alison’s damp body and onto the floor, lying
on his back looking up at the flush face turned towards him. He thinks to himself, “She is absolutely stunning. It’s a pity she’s also spoiled, devious, and faithless. Hell, I’m doing Will a favor!”

  Pushing himself up off the floor, Adam towers above her as he lazily peels the used condom off and discards it. “Thanks for the wild ride, but I’ve got to be going,” he says pulling his pants back on and straightening his clothes.

  “You are such a pig! If I wasn’t afraid of going to prison, I would stick a knife into your black heart! I may pay someone to do it for me,” Alison blusters, gathering her clothes and stepping into the shower room, quickly wiping off the residue of their scandalous passion.

  Following her, Adam issues a warning of his own, “Now, Alison. Don’t be a poor sport, and don’t go writing checks your pretty little ass can’t cash. You threaten me again, and I may not take it so nicely,” he states in a hard voice, making eye contact with her in the mirror as she gets dressed. Seeing that she has gotten his meaning, he pivots and strolls out of the dressing room and into the restroom.

  “I hate you Adam Bentini!” Alison grates, stepping out of the dressing room adjusting her clothing. She locates her heels and slides them on with quick angry movements.

  “Why? Did I fail to satisfy you?” Adam asks flippantly, knowing the opposite to be true.

  “Yes! You couldn’t satisfy a fly!”

  He sends a leering smile to her now covered crotch. “It’s a good thing for both of us that I’m hung like a horse,” he chuckles at his own raunchy wit, leaving her sputtering behind him. “I’ll distract Mrs. Bradley, while you sneak out. I’m correct in assuming that you snuck in here, otherwise, Mrs. Bradley would have alerted Will to your presence.” At her reluctant nod, he sends her one last cavalier look and strolls out of the bathroom and out of the office.

  Alison glances around the room making sure she isn’t leaving any evidence of her time there. As she makes her way cautiously down to the lobby and out of the building, she ponders what her next move should be; damning William Bentini and that milksop, Katherine Walters, with every step she takes.

  Chapter 5

  Emily enters her sister’s flower-scented hospital room and stands next to her mother at Kathy’s bedside. “Where’s dad?”

  “He was becoming melancholy so I sent him on an errand.”

  “What kind of errand?” she asks distractedly, focusing on the still figure of her baby sister.

  “I sent him to find us a hotel nearby.”

  “I have Kathy’s keys. We can stay at her place, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”

  “No, I want to be as close to the hospital as possible.”

  Emily knows that there is no point in trying to talk her mother into changing her mind; she is surprised that her mother hasn’t asked to have a cot placed in the room.

  “Do you think he’s the one?” Mrs. Walters asks in a hushed voice, sending an anxious look to her daughter, watching as she moves to the little sofa near the window.

  “I think so mom. Did you see how he was holding on to her; like he didn’t want to let her go?”

  “It doesn’t make sense. If he’s the one, then why did he abandon her? And why is he in the picture now?”

  “There can be a hundreds reasons why, mom, and none of them really matter right now. What’s important is that we protect Kathy from him, from that family. She’s been downright miserable for the past couple of years, and they are at the root of it.”

  “But, Emily, she’s never spoken ill of that family, she’s never said that they were the cause, as a matter of fact, she wouldn’t say who or what was. Not once. She’s been absolutely closed-mouth about the entire situation.”

  “Well, I’ve never agreed with that. If he is the one then we deserve to know, and so does—”

  “Oh excuse me, I didn’t mean to intrude,” Tiressa apologizes, entering the room quietly, but remaining by the door. “I’m Tiressa Hawkins. I work with Kathy…well, I used to.”

  “Hello…” Emily walks across the room to shake Tiressa’s hand. “I’m Kathy’s sister, Emily, and this is our mom.” Before Mrs. Walters can move from her perch against the windowsill, Tiressa hurries over to her. “Oh, Mrs. Walters, I am so sorry!” she cries, impulsively putting her arms around her friend’s mother. “I was the one driving the car. I would have done anything to avoid the accident, but the other car came out of nowhere…” Ringing her hands miserably, Tiressa’s distressed gaze swings between Kathy’s mother and her sister. “We were broadsided and I lost control of the car. I’m so sorry…I’m so, so sorry,” she continues to apologize no longer able to hold back her tears. Mrs. Walters immediately embraces her. “My dear, please calm yourself… we know you did not cause the accident. No one here is holding you responsible.” The kind-hearted older woman, comforts Tiressa until she is able to pull herself together. “Thank you for that. But, I can’t help feeling like I should have done something…maybe if we hadn’t taken the interstate at that time—”

  Taking both of Tiressa’s hands, Mrs. Walters offers her what comfort she can. “No. No dear, you can’t do that to yourself. It serves no purpose. I’m sure you did the best you could in a horrible situation.”

  “Tiressa? What are you doing here? Where’s Tony?” Will’s deep voice comes from the open doorway. He glances down the corridor looking for his brother.

  Tiressa stands there trying to decide if she should lie or tell the truth.

  Coming fully into the room and closing the door, he addresses her again, “Does Tony know you’re here?”

  “I’m a big girl Will. I don’t need Antonio’s permission to leave the house,” she says indignant at the thought.

  “Be that as it may, you know why he would be alarmed if he knew you were not at home resting per doctor’s orders.”

  Seeing his genuine concern and knowing he’s right, she decides it’s better to offer a compromise. “You’re right, William, but I had to see how Kathy’s doing for myself. I promise not to stay long.”

  Having put the other two women’s presence out of mind while she was focused on Antonio’s commanding brother, Tiressa is a little startled when Kathy’s sister intervenes on her behalf. “Stop browbeating her Mr. Bigshot; or do you get a kick out of ordering women about? Is that how you treat my sister?!”

  Will turns to the little firebrand who’s obviously spoiling for a fight with him. “I understand that you are under a lot of stress, but I don’t understand why you feel the need to attack me every time you lay eyes on me.”

  “Oh, is that right?!”

  “Emily, please.” Mrs. Walters tries to prevent her strong-willed offspring from causing an unpleasant scene by antagonizing the powerful young man–who, at the very least, is the son of her daughter’s employer. Tiressa, seeing that the confrontation is about to get real ugly real fast, slips from in between the two adversaries and pace across the room unnoticed.

  “No, mom, he needs to own up to what he’s done.”

  “What is it that you think I have done, Miss Walters?” William says stressing her name disdainfully, losing patience with her constant unwarranted verbal assaults.

  “Emily don’t!” Mrs. Walters’s plea falls on deaf ears as her daughter is determined to have her say.

  “You have made my sister’s life miserable! She doesn’t deserve what you have done to her…what you continue to do to her! And then you have the gall, the utter audacity, to come into this room like you give a damn, when we know that you could care less about Kathy!”

  Thinking that Kathy must have told her family about their affair, Will is stricken with guilt and it clearly shows on the handsome features of his set face. Seeing this, Emily continues lobbing accusations against him; shredding his character. “What kind of man are you to treat my sister so disgracefully; to treat any woman so shamefully?!”

  With clenched jaw, Will takes the berating. Not able to make eye contact with either lady, his regretful gaze rest on Katherine. �
��I know what I did to Katherine is dishonorable and inexcusable.” Then he looks at Mrs. Walters. “But I promise to make amends. I’m going to make it up to Kathy—”

  “How in the hell can you make amends for getting my sister pregnant and abandoning her?!”

  “Emily!”

  “What the hell are you talking about?!” Will shouts, shocked.

  “So, you are going to stand there and deny it!”

  “Lady, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about! Kathy has never been pregnant!”

  “Not only was she pregnant, she gave birth to a beautiful baby—”

  “Oh my gawd! Kathy!” Tiressa gasp in amazement, dashing over to her bedside. “Oh thank gawd you’re awake!” Tiressa cries, stepping aside when Mrs. Walters and Emily come rushing over. But Kathy only has eyes for William who is standing on the other side of the bed starring just as intently at her.

  “Kat,” he breathes.

  “Will,” she sighs, a lone tear sliding from the corner of her eye.

  Suddenly Kathy’s doctors and nurses rush in and clear the room, assuring everyone that all questions and concerns will be addressed once they have finished examining her.

  ***

  Mr. and Mrs. Walters sit huddled together on one of the sofas in the cozy waiting room, happily embracing each other and giving thanks for their daughter regaining consciousness. Emily and Will have positioned themselves in opposite corners of the room, deep in their own thoughts. Occasionally their gazes lock and they stab each other with angry glares. Feeling decidedly awkward and out of place, Tiressa goes into the restroom to call Antonio.

  He picks up on the first ring, “How’s my lady?” Tiressa takes a moment to appreciate the sound of his smooth deep voice before plunging right in, “Tony, you need to come to the hospital.”

  “Are you okay, what’s happened?!”

  “It’s not me, Will needs you.”

  “What’s happened to Will?!”