Chapter 242
The silence was broken by the sound of the glass doors sliding open. Madeleine stepped onto the terrace, baby Nero balanced on her hip. The little boy was busy chewing on a plastic toy, his big eyes wandering over the garden.
“Breakfast is ready,” Madeleine announced with a warm smile, “The chef has everything laid out in the dining room before it gets cold.”
Salvatore stood up first, offering his hand to my mother. She took it, her movements a little slow but her face bright. They began to walk inside, chatting quietly with Madeleine about Nero’s new tooth.
I started to stand up, ready to follow them into the safety of the crowd, but I didn’t get far.
Raphael’s hand shot out, his fingers wrapping around my upper arm. He didn’t stand up. He stayed seated, while the others disappeared through the glass doors.
“Raphael,” I hissed, my heart starting to jump in my chest. I looked over my shoulder, watching the backs of our parents as they walked away. “What are you doing? They’re right there. We have to go.”
I tried to pull away, but he didn’t budge. He looked up at me through those black-rimmed glasses.
“In a minute,” he said.
Panic flared in my gut. I looked inside, where I could see the soft glow of the chandelier and hear the clink of silverware. Then I looked back at him, my eyes wide.
“Everyone is waiting,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “If we don’t go in now, they’ll wonder why. They’ll come back out here. Please, let go.”
He didn’t let go. Instead, he stood up slowly, never breaking eye contact. He pulled me half an inch closer.
He grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me in. His mouth slammed against mine in a kiss that was hard, deep, and heavy. For a few long seconds, the world around us vanished. And the fear of being caught all drowned out under the pressure of his lips.
My breath was still uneven, and 1 knew my cheeks were flushed a deep, tell-tale crimson. We just stared at one another for a second. I wanted to look away, to run toward the safety of the breakfast table, but his gaze held me in place, pinning me to the spot more effectively than his hand ever could.
Neither of us heard the footsteps. Neither of us noticed the shadow stretching across the terrace until the glass door creaked on its tracks.
“What are you two doing out here?”
The voice was like a bucket of ice water. We both snapped our heads toward the sound, the breath catching in my throat as the world rushed back in.
Janedoewritings Author
I wasn’t planning to update today either since I’m not home, but then I thought, I’ll give you guys a little something. Hope you enjoyed this one!

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