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

  ***

  On the way home from a fun game of bowling with Nicholas and his wife, Maria, Tiressa finally broaches an issue that’s been weighing on her mind since her doctor’s appointment.

  “She’s very beautiful.” Ti observes Antonio closely.

  “Who is?” he ask, more focused on the traffic than on what she is saying.

  “Beverly Montenegro,” Tiressa supplies, observing every nuance of his reaction.

  “Yes, she is…but then, so are you,” he compliments glancing at her.

  “Nice save,” Ti laughs.

  “Look Baby, you have absolutely nothing to be concerned about. Although I have always thought of Beverly as an attractive woman, she’s not my type. She’s Thad’s girl and has been from the start. I regard Beverly more as a sister than anything else.” He’s matter of fact in his manner; so much so, that Ti thinks about it for a minute and decides that he’s telling her the truth. “Thank you Antonio,” she says softly, “I don’t mean to be this way—”

  “Don’t apologize Baby. I like that you are possessive about me because I sure as hell am possessive about you. The day that stops being the case, one or both of us will probably be resting six feet under and then it won’t matter anymore,” he flashes a cocky grin.

  “That’s my man.” Ti adores him with her hot gaze, placing his large hand high up on her thigh. Leaning into him, she whispers huskily, “I can’t wait to get you home and out of your clothes.”

  Chapter 7

  Will expels a heavy breath as he exits the elevator on the fifth floor. Although he hasn’t been back to the hospital in a few days, he has been closely monitoring Kathy’s progress. Dr. Phillips is impressed with her speedy recovery and plans to discharge her in a day or two. Will is thankful that Kathy pulled through this nightmare and is on her way to having her life back to normal. But nothing will be the same for them if…

  He pushes open the door and enters Kathy’s hospital room, pausing in his tracks when he sees that her family is present and all eyes are on him. “Mr. and Mrs. Walters,” he acknowledges in greeting, his gaze sweeping over the other occupants very briefly before finally resting on Kathy.

  “Who are you?” Will’s gaze snaps back to the belligerent voice and he easily surmises that this must be one of Kathy’s three brothers. Their eyes lock in challenge. “I’m William Bentini and you are?”

  “I’m the man who’s going to kick your ass for what you’ve done to my sister!” Pandemonium erupts as the hostile young hothead runs up on Will with hands fisted. Will turns to face the threat, prepared to defend himself. He ducks the punch thrown at his face and counter punches with a blow to the other man’s ribs. The fight ends almost as suddenly as it begins when Kathy’s other two brothers rush into the room grabbing the combatants and pulling them apart. Will immediately holds both hands up showing that he’s not intent on keeping the fight going, but Charles isn’t willing to be as compliant.

  “Damnit Charlie, calm down!” He resist the restraint. “That son of a bitch has the nerve to show his face here! After what he’s put Kathy through!”

  “Stop it damnit! Can’t you see what you’re doing to mom?!” Charlie looks wildly about the room, finally realizing he’s making a spectacle of himself and upsetting his mother in the process. “Okay, I’m calm,” he says trying to pull out of his brother’s hold, but his brother isn’t quite so convinced. “I said alright, Richie!” Richard, the eldest, slowly loosens his hold, giving Charlie a brotherly thump of the shoulder. Mrs. Walters hurries over to Kathy and orders her to get back into bed, “Get back into bed right this minute. Now Katherine! I will not have you jeopardize your recovery.”

  “I feel fine mom,” she tries to convince her frantic mother, to no end.

  “I don’t care, get back into bed. Help me Emily,” Mrs. Walters commands, as she and Emily help Kathy back into bed and tuck the covers neatly back into place in no time.

  Ignoring everyone else in the room, Will addresses Kathy, “Can I speak with you Kathy …in private?” he asks, stepping towards her bed.

  “No way in hell we’re leaving you alone with our sister,” David, the middle brother states forcefully as he and Richard move to block Will’s path.

  “It’s okay Davie,” Kathy quickly intercedes, hoping to avoid another fight between her brothers and the man she loves.

  “Are you sure Kathy?” Emily asks, ready to protect her little sister from this tyrant who has shamefully taken advantage of her.

  “Yes.”

  “You shouldn’t listen to a damn thing this bastard has to say!”

  “Charlie, please,” Kathy implores her overprotective sibling.

  “That’s enough Charles!” Mr. Walters places a restraining hand on his son’s arm. “That’s quite enough son,” he repeats, looking at all three of his boys. “It’s up to Katherine,” he states, watching her closely. “What do you want to do, Kitty?”

  “I want to talk to William, dad…alone,” she replies, not taking her eyes off Will.

  “Okay, boys, you heard your sister. Let’s all step out and give them some privacy,” Mr. Walters herds his family towards the door. “Okay, dad, we’ll leave…” Charlie grates, but sends a warning to Will before he walks out of the room, “But we’ll be right outside this door.”

  “You got five minutes, buddy. Five minutes,” David add a warning of his own.

  Will watch as Kathy’s family file out of the room one by one, before turning his full attention back to her. Now that they are finally alone, she finds it difficult to meet his steady regard as he approaches her bedside with both hands jammed in his pants pockets as if he doesn’t trust himself to have them free. He stares at her averted face for several long seconds, before asking the question that has been uppermost in his thoughts for the past several days.

  “Is it true? Did you have a baby?” he asks, but has to ask again, when she doesn’t immediately reply; this time with more bite in his tone, “Did you have my baby Kat?”

  “Please Will, let me explain—”

  “Is it true, Kat?” he grates between clenched teeth.

  “Will, you don’t understand—”

  “Damnit Kathy, answer me! Do I have a child?!”

  Forcing the words past her clogged throat, she finally answers, crying softly, “Yes, Will, I was pregnant with your baby. I gave birth to a baby girl,” she pauses for a second and thinks to offer, “Her name is Willow.”

  Will digests this shocking news for a long few seconds, not breaking eye contact with Kathy. “Why Kat?” Although he doesn’t raise his voice, his confusion and hurt fills the room. “Why would you keep this from me…why would you keep her from me?” he ask trying to understand. “Was this your sick attempt at revenge because I dated another woman?”

  “You did more than date her! You got engaged to her, you were planning to marry her! But, I didn’t do it to hurt you, William. Honest to God, I was doing what I thought was best for my daughter.”

  “My daughter! She’s mine too! And I’m what’s best for my daughter!” Voice raw with emotions unfamiliar to him, Will fights back the urge to roar his outrage.

  “Will—”

  “How the hell do you dare to keep me from my child?!”

  “Will, please! If you would just give me a chance to make this right…I know I can make it right between us again.”

  Shaking his head, he turns away from her. “I can’t do this, Kat. I’m done,” he says, walking to the door.

  “Will, wait! Why can’t you give me a chance?” she sobs, reaching out to him.

  “Like you gave me a chance?”

  At the door, he looks at her with something akin to hatred. “I will never forgive you for this.”

  ***

  “Kathy? Why are you crying? Girl, what’s the matter?” Tiressa asks, sitting on the edge of Kathy’s bed and embracing her.

  “I’m so tired of crying, but that’s all I seem to do these days.” She flops back against the mattress,
wiping a fresh batch of tears from her pale cheeks. “Oh, Tiressa, I’ve really messed things up with Will!”

  Although Ti has a good idea of exactly why Kathy is upset and Will is angry, she wants Kathy to be the one to bring it up if she wants. “What’s going on Kathy? I saw Will as I was heading up here. He looked like a killer thunderstorm.”

  “We had a terrible fight. I’ve done something so awful and Will is more furious than I’ve ever seen him before.”

  “Surely, it isn’t anything that can’t be fixed.”

  “You’re wrong, Tiressa. He’s not going to forgive me for this. He says he’s never going to forgive me for what I’ve done.”

  “Do you want to tell me about it? Maybe I can help.” She gives Kathy a direct look, “No judgment, remember.”

  “I’m so ashamed,” Kathy weeps, covering her face.

  “Girl, we’ve all done things that we are not proud of. Whatever it is, it doesn’t make you a bad person, and I’m sure when Will calms down and is more himself, he’ll remember all the reasons why he loves you.”

  “No, he won’t. And even if he does, he won’t forgive me…I had a baby.”

  “What? When?” Tiressa tries her best to look suitably stunned, but is relieved that Kathy is not looking at her.

  “Two years ago I had a baby…it’s Will’s baby. I never told him. No one but my family knew about the baby. Will found out. Now, he hates me and he’s never going to forgive me Ti,” she says with abject hopelessness. Meeting her friend’s sympathetic gaze, Kathy attempts to put on a brave face, asking with as much feigned humor as she can muster, “So, girlfriend, can you help me fix that?”

  ***

  “Pour me a double this time Carl and keep them coming.”

  “Whatever you say Mr. Bentini.”

  Two hours later, thoroughly inebriated, William calls his driver to pick him up from his favorite downtown pub, Smokin Joe’s.”

  “Good evening Mr. Bentini.”

  “Good evening, Jed,” Will greets with a hint of a slur in his speech as he acknowledges his personal assistant—who steadfastly refuses the title of butler—with a brief nod.

  “Scottie would like to know what time you and Ms. Donavan would like dinner to be served tonight.”

  “Alison is here?” he asks hazily.

  “Yes sir, she’s awaiting you in the master chamber.”

  Without another word, Will ascends the stairs, slowly focusing on each step while trying not to appear to be swaying on his feet. When he gets to the top landing, he pauses to collect his bearings, thinking, “Alison being in my house when I’m not here is nothing new, but she could have let me know she was back in the country. Shit! I don’t need this tonight of all nights. I’m so drunk I can barely put one foot in front of the other.”

  He swings open his bedroom doors to the muted glow of candlelight, soft music and a scantily clad Alison sprawled seductively across his giant four-poster bed wearing one of her most revealing negligees. “Again, nothing new,” he thinks, staggering into the room, but with enough presence of mind to close the door firmly behind him.

  “Welcome home darling.”

  “Alison,” he plops down on the edge of the bed.

  “William! Is that all I get after being gone for nearly three weeks?” she pouts, crawling over to him and rubbing her breasts against his broad back.

  Ignoring the warm sensual feel of her full soft breasts, he exhales a steadying breath. “Alison, we need—”

  “I’ve got exactly what you need,” she purrs running her hands around his waist to unbuckle his belt. Seeing that he is in no condition to stop her, she has his pants unzipped and open in seconds. “Now, you just lay back lover, and let Alli do all the work,” she whispers deliciously as she pushes on Will’s shoulders and he lays back with a quiet whoosh. “Slide up on the bed William, you’re bound to fall off…here lift your hips, let me help you get out of all these uncomfortable clothes…”

  “Alison, we need to talk,” his slur is more pronounced. Closing his eyes, he exhales tiredly.

  Determined on her course, Alison ignores his obvious intoxicated state and continues undressing him, touching and caressing his manhood in the process. Sitting back on her heels between Will’s spread legs, Alison silently congratulates herself on the smooth execution of her seduction. She has William right where she wants him. He may not be excited to see her, but his manhood is and that is all she needs. Licking her lips, she bends forward inhaling the heavenly scent of William’s own distinctive, tangy man-musk as she buries her head between his legs. Moaning, Will gives up all pretense of protest as he lays back spreads his legs wider and enjoys the unbelievable sensation of being handled so skillfully. Alison has her way with him, savoring every inch of his shaft. When his climax begins, he clutches her hair tightly, bucking until he suddenly stiffens.

  “Oh gawd William, it’s been too long since we’ve enjoyed each other,” she murmurs, rubbing her face against his inner thigh. “Umm, I’ve missed the smell of you,” she drones, burying her nose in the dark bush at his groin. “William?”

  Unexpectedly, the sound of his loud snores fill the room. “William?!” Alison shrieks, lurching up from between his spread legs. “William?!” Pushing furiously on his shoulders, the only response she receives is more loud alcohol-induced snores. “Of all the nerve! You are just as useless as that bastard brother of yours!” she huffs indignantly, slinging herself from the bed and throwing on her negligee. “You are not going to ruin my grand plans,” she whispers furiously, walking through the connecting doors into the adjoining suit. Flopping down into one of the beautifully upholstered Queen Anne chairs, she places a call, “Mr. Bentini won’t be needing anything more tonight, but I’d like you to bring a tray up to the Primrose Chamber.”

  There is a light tap on the bedroom door in less than five minutes. “Enter,” Alison snaps.

  “Ah yes, just what I need.” Getting to her feet, she eyes the hunk who serves as William’s personal chef. “Well aren’t you going to say hello to me Scottie, it’s been a minute since we’ve seen each other…and I did get you this cushy job after all.”

  Instead of offering a greeting or thanking her, he clenches his jaw and ask, “Where would you like this tray Alison?”

  She points to an elegant little table near the door before sauntering over to stand in front of him, letting her negligee fall open revealing all her charms to his interested gaze. Without warning, his head snaps to the side with the force of the smack she delivers to his face, leaving red marks across his cheek. “I am Ms. Donovan to the likes of you. You will address me properly in my fiancé’s home.”

  Smiling wickedly, he rips her negligee from her flushed body, grabs a fist full of long blonde mane and tosses her roughly to the floor. Towering over her, he declares, “I see you still enjoy playing games Alli… I recall you being quite fond of this one,” he says unzipping his pants, amused by the spark in Alison’s eyes at the sight of his manhood as he releases it from confinement. “Get up on all fours on the edge of the bed,” he commands, his manhood becoming hard at the sight of the beautiful, snooty, Alison Donovan, eagerly doing exactly what he orders her to do. Stroking himself, he strolls over to the bed and stands behind her, near drooling at the sight of her, head-down ass-up. “You know I’m going to have to punish you for that slap,” he warns a second before bringing his palm down in a series of hard smacks across her firm, pretty little ass. Moaning and groaning into a pillow, Alison wriggles her abused derriere this way and that in an attempt to evade the blows, but she does not cry out or even beg him to stop. Moaning loudly, she gyrates and grinds against him. “Umm Scottie, stop playing and take me!” she commands, bouncing back against his groin. The rhythmic sound of their sweating bodies slapping together fills the room until they tremble and shake in release.

  He collapses on top of her breathing heavily, “Oh gawd, Alison, you’re still the best lay ever.”

  “Get off me you oaf!” she hiss
es. When he rolls to his back, she slowly crawls to the bed, using it to help her onto her wondrously shaky legs.

  “Do you want me to hang around? Give me a few minutes and I’ll be up and ready for more,” he offers, motioning lewdly to his not quite deflated manhood.

  Although she looks like she wants to take him up on his offer, she gives herself a mental shake. “You’ve served your purpose, now get out,” she orders, slipping back into her negligee.

  “So, is that how it is Alli…you use me and then toss me out?” he asks dispassionately, zipping his pants.

  “Yes, that’s exactly how it is,” she states with a malicious twist of her lips. “And Scottie, I’m sure I don’t have to remind you of the dangers of telling secrets.”

  Giving her a steady look, he replies, “No, you don’t. So, where is the chump of the year?” he casually inquires, looking at the connecting door.

  “I’ll remind you that you are referring to your employer and my fiancé. One word from me and you’re back in the unemployment line.”

  “My, aren’t we sensitive…okay, so where is Mr. High and Mighty?”

  She snorts inelegantly. “You weren’t concerned about his whereabouts when you were between my legs.”

  “That’s because I know you Alison, if the man of the castle were not absent or incapacitated in one form or another, you would never have greeted me in the buff desperate for a screw. The second I saw those lovely pink pebbles pointed at me I knew I was in for a treat.” Running his tongue across his lips, he finishes, “And what a treat it was. Nice seeing you again Alison…and I do mean all of you.” He chuckles, quietly exiting the room.