A Promise of Forever (24 page)

Katelyn couldn’t believe how cruel fate was as she stared at the love of her life.
This was a confusing time for her.
In just two days, she had three marriage proposals, one by a man who thought he loved her, another from a man who wanted a friend and yet another from the man she loved with all her heart but he couldn’t or wouldn’t love her back.

“I think I should go and check on Jenny.
I’m sure she’ll want to fill me in on your adventures today,” Katelyn said, trying to walk past him.
He held her arm gently as she moved toward the exit and blocked any advance she was hoping to make to get past him.

“I think we should talk before you go and see Jenny.
She knows about us, Katelyn.
I told her everything.
She suspected the truth and when she came right out and asked me if I was her father, I couldn’t lie to her.
I know you would have preferred to have been there but I assure you I was careful about what I told her.”
He saw how disappointed she was and he knew what she was thinking.
She thinks I told Jenny the truth to get back at her.
“I would never hurt her or use her as a pawn against you.
I only told her because she asked me,” he said waiting for a reaction.

Katelyn didn’t doubt him or his intentions, regardless of what he believed she thought of him.
If there was one thing she was sure of, it was that Gianfranco was a good man and she knew he wanted to be a good father to their daughter.
The only person Gianfranco Broccolini seemed to have issue with was her.
They decided that they would talk to Jenny again and this time they would do so together.
From now on, they agreed that whenever they were in Jenny’s presence they would present the happy family she deserved.
It was the only way this situation was going to work.

“I guess we should go and talk to her together.
I’m sure she’ll have a lot of questions for me,” Katelyn said.

“One more thing before you go, actually two more things.
I don’t want our daughter, or anyone else, to ever have reason to think that this marriage is a farce.
I want you to at least pretend that you are happy.
You can start by not fighting me on the second request I have,” he said handing her a jeweler’s box.
“Put this on.”

Katelyn opened the ring box he handed her and had it not been for the cold way in which he presented it, she would have been jubilant.
He
wants me to pretend to be happy but what about him?
If this was any indication of the life they were going to share outside the bedroom, she was not looking forward to this volatile existence.
He took the ring from the box, placed it on her left ring finger and then kissed it and then gently kissed her on her lips.
Katelyn didn’t understand his contradictions; how he ran so hot and cold, but soon reality sunk in when she looked behind her and saw Jenny standing there.

“Daddy got me a ring too, Momma.
Isn’t it beautiful?” she asked displaying the little gold ring on her finger.

“Oh honey, it’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen,” Katelyn said, kneeling down so she could be at eye level with her daughter as they spoke.
“I want you to understand that I didn’t keep your father from you on purpose.
I wanted to wait and make sure he wanted to be with me; that was a foolish decision on my part.
You see, if he knew about you, he would have come home to us a long time ago.”

I know Mommy, Daddy already told me.
He said it doesn’t matter anymore because we’re together now.
Daddy said we’d be together forever from now on.
Right, Daddy?” she asked looking up at her father with eyes that worshiped him.
Still star-struck and in awe of her father, she waited for him to assure her that he would keep his promise.

Katelyn couldn’t say she was surprised to witness the camaraderie between father and daughter.
Their relationship was one that she knew would be fast developing and solid.
They both had the same determination to be in each other’s lives and his stubbornness would assure it happened.
She only wondered where she would fit in the scheme of things.

Gianfranco lifted his little girl into his arms; sensing her mother feeling left out, he pulled her into their embrace as well.
He could never get enough of his daughter calling him Daddy.
He gleamed with pride every time he heard the word.
“Jenny and I did a little shopping today and I don’t want you to be angry at us but I might have gone a little overboard,” he said, winking at his little girl.

He led them all into the other room and she saw that there were packages strewn everywhere.
What has he done?
She turned to him as if preparing to say something, then thought better of it when she saw the look in his eyes.
It was obvious Jenny and her father had bonded today and who was she to spoil their fun.
She owed him that much, she thought, but this would be the last time, her eyes warned him.

He nodded in agreement and told her he couldn’t help himself.
They both watched as Jenny took an exquisitely delicate porcelain doll from one of the boxes in the corner and went to show it to her Aunt Sylvia who was in the other room with Kevin.
Something about that doll reminded Katelyn about her Nana Julia.
Nana Higgins had always loved collecting dolls and this one would have been a welcome addition to her collection.
Katelyn couldn’t help wondering about her parents and grandparents who had passed on. “
Mom and Nana watch over us as we go through this difficult time,” she said softly, hoping that they could hear her request.

Everyone gathered in the living room after dinner and talked about the events of the day.
When it was time to put Jenny to bed, Katelyn excused them both and she and Jenny went upstairs.
Jenny took her bath and Katelyn read her a short story before Jenny finally fell into a deep slumber.
So much had happened in her life today and yet there was nothing but contentment on her face as she slept, Katelyn noticed.
She turned Jenny’s light off and walked down to her own room to change into her nightgown.

Katelyn sat, looking in the mirror and brushing her hair as she recalled her afternoon with Gianfranco and glanced down at the ring he had given her.
She hadn’t thought about it up until now.
It was huge and beautiful and she was sure he’d paid a fortune for it.
She couldn’t help but think of all that had happened this afternoon and wish that this ring meant something significant.
Sylvia came into the room, interrupting the sensual thoughts she was having about her afternoon of lovemaking.
Sylvia took the brush from Katelyn’s hand and continued to brush her sister-in-law’s hair, talking as she did.

“I would never have believed it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes.
Who could believe that the mighty Gianfranco Broccolini would be pining with jealousy?
It was actually amusing to witness him being bitten by the love bug,” she said with a hint of amusement.

Katelyn got up from the chair and walked over to the window and hugged herself as she looked out at the night sky.
What would Sylvia think of me if she found out that our upcoming marriage isn’t as it appeared?
She knew she had to keep up a front; she promised Gianfranco she would but she didn’t get a chance to do that.
She heard his voice and listened intently as he built their story for Sylvia.

“That’s because I was bitten a long time ago,” he said.
“It happened at your wedding the first time I saw her.
I haven’t been the same since.
Every kiss, every touch, every word from any other woman in my life was held up to and compared to Katelyn,” he said as he held Katelyn’s gaze.
He strolled masterfully over to his future wife and gently, but erotically, kissed the side of her neck from behind.
“By the way Sylvia, I am trying to rearrange my schedule so I can attend your ball.
I wouldn’t want my lovely fiancé all dressed up and without a dance partner,” he said holding Katelyn in his arms while talking to Sylvia.

Sylvia took notice of his advances toward Katelyn and very politely excused herself, before bidding them a good night.
He didn’t let go of Katelyn as Sylvia left the room but turned her around and made polite conversation.
He asked about her dress, what it looked like and if she had a good time shopping.
Katelyn didn’t know what he was after but she knew him; he was fishing for something.
She had almost let her guard down when, suddenly without warning he went in for the kill.

“Tell me, did you purchase your simple, but sexy dress for Brody?” he asked, sulking like a little boy.
He was trying to reach down into her private thoughts for answers to his questions.
My feelings don’t really count.
He’s just trying to protect a future investment.
Their eyes met and he saw the resentment she felt at his interrogation.
To him her silence only meant her guilt, or so he believed.

“I think this is where I take you into my arms and make you forget him or I put you over my knee.
I can’t decide which.
I could ring your bloody neck for what you do to me,” he said, with resigned discomfort.

“Which should I expect from you?” she asked, scrunching up her nose at him.
Let him be jealous of Brody; he will find out soon enough how unfounded his accusations are.
She knew she was provoking him and she also knew where it would lead.
He studied the look on her face as he contemplated how he wanted to approach the next step.

Gianfranco’s piercing brown eyes devoured her as he processed her statement.
He knew what she wanted because he could taste it himself.
He watched her as her tongue slipped from her mouth nervously and ran across her lips.
He gave in just like every other time his body hungered for hers.
He responded to her with a soft sigh of surrender as he crossed the room.
“Come to me, Katelyn…” he pleaded in a slightly chauvinistic undertone.

She didn’t know whether she should give into him or not but after trying to avoid her surrender to him she couldn’t help herself.
Nervously, she went into his arms and admitted defeat.
She couldn’t fight him anymore and she wasn’t capable of winning that battle, she knew that.
His long dark hands wrenched her forward as his arms circled around her waist and held her in place as he tried to stay in control.
His face touched hers; he whispered her name over and over in her ear.

“What did you think my reaction would be when you called Brody on the phone?
Did you want this to happen?
I want you to break your ties with him and this time I mean it.
This is never going to work if you keep flaunting your relationship with him in front of me.
I don’t think I’m asking too much of you,” he demanded as he loosened her robe and let it fall to the floor.

“Don’t do this, I don’t want us to make love every time you’re angry with me,” she begged.
“Brody is a friend, nothing more.
I won’t have you turn our friendship into something ugly.
I know that’s what you want.
You want me to hate him but I can’t,” she added miserably.

All of the sudden, without provocation, it was as though he were possessed animal.
It seemed that every time they moved two steps forward, they would take four steps back.
She tried to close her eyes to avoid looking into his but again she could not stop what her body was compelled to do.
He tore her nightgown from her body as though it were a scrap of paper; seeing her thong underwear, his body ached and it became his undoing.
He drank in the sight of her practically naked body before lifting her off the floor.

As he hastened toward the bed, she could see that his jealousy had been replaced by a fierce yearning to bury himself inside of her, a desire so strong that it pained him to know that she held that kind of power over him.
Gianfranco lifted her into his arms and wrapped her legs around his stomach.
He gently nipped at her breasts, before he buried his head in her neck and soaked in the scent of her.
He continued to covet the pleasure of loving her as he let her body slide down the length of his.
He wanted her to know exactly what she did to him, how deep his need was for her.

Katelyn couldn’t switch off her burning desire for him no matter how hard she tried.
She couldn’t disguise her wantonness for him or the feelings he evoked when he touched her.
She wanted to hate him for making her want him this way but she couldn’t.
This was the life she was fated to lead.
The need for him was just as powerful as his physical desire for her.
It was a predestined need they shared.
She let her hands take the journey they longed for as she began to undress him.