Chapter 42
ROSE
There is still no word of my sisters and I’ve been here for seven days already.
Julius is working hard, locked in his office with Eddie as they attempt to discredit Morgan’s story.
I make the most of my days by familiarizing myself with the house and enjoying the freedom of a home for once.
I love walking in the landscaped gardens.
The vegetable garden is my particular favorite.
The rose garden brings me delight as I walk through the rows, stopping to breathe in the heady scent of my namesake.
They have many gardeners here, and I’m amused when I think of the one at the convent.
It’s only now that I see he is nothing compared to Julius.
A weaker copy of masculinity, and I’ve learned that it’s not just the outward appearance of a man that attracts; it’s the heart beating inside that I have fallen in love with.
I am happy, so happy, and nothing is further from my mind than returning to the convent, but my heart will never be completely whole until I learn that my sisters are safe.
Julius finds me having a cookery lesson with their chef, and my heart flutters when he stands in the doorway, an appreciative gleam in his eye.
“Hey.” He says in his soft husky whisper, and I return it with a soft, “Hey.”
He jerks his head toward the chef with a brief, “Leave us.”
The chef vacates the room without question, and I raise my eyes.
“That was rude.”
“I can be ruder if you want.”
He advances, and my heart races as he reaches me, pushing me back against the counter, his hand sliding my dress up to my waist.
“Oh my God.”
“Are you seriously taking the Lord’s name in vain right now, Sister Rose?”
His wicked whisper causes me to giggle as he unzips his pants, and I groan as he presses his hard cock against my dripping pussy.
He pulls my panties aside and is inside me before I can take a breath, and as he fucks me slowly and casually against the countertop, I grip his shoulders and allow my mind to soar to the place only he can take me.
I don’t even consider that we could be seen.
He shields me from view and protects me in every way.
I am wicked, free and delirious around him, and Sister Rose would be horrified if she saw this in her future.
However, Rose Ravera loves every lustful minute when her husband is balls deep inside her and demonstrating how much he wants her.
The past three days have been wicked, obsessive and delirious, and I doubt that will ever change.
My orgasm explodes with the ferocity of a breaking storm, and as he fills me completely, his breath scorches my neck.
I love knowing a part of him will drip from me all afternoon and I’m truly hoping it finds its mark because I have come to the decision that I want several children with him.
I want to be a mother, his wife and the mistress of his heart, and that is my life’s calling. I’m in no doubt about that.
“I love you, Rose.”
My breath stills as his husky whisper drifts through to my heart, leaving a soft smile on my face because I will never tire hearing those words. I stiffen as he pulls away and cups my face, his smile lighting me up inside that is already dripping with his brand of physical love.
“You love me?” I raise my eyes and he nods, a confident smile on his face.
“Don’t tell anyone, it’s our secret but yes, I do, and just so you know–”
He kisses me softly, still buried deep inside me as he whispers, “You really don’t have to love me back because I have enough in my heart for both of us.”
I shake my head slowly this time, cupping his face in my hands and whisper with sincerity, “Loving you is the warning I chose to ignore. If I listened to my reasoning, we wouldn’t be here now.
You are everything I shouldn’t want, but I can’t imagine a life without you, and I do love you, Julius, and there is nothing you can do about that. ”
I kiss him softly, slowly and with a promise that I am exactly where I am meant to be and as tests go, this one was over quickly because even if many people believe I have failed it, I’m under no illusions that I have passed with flying colors.
I was always meant to be here, always meant to find him, and getting here was dangerous, but leaving is unthinkable now.
Two days later we head to his parent’s house in the Hamptons via helicopter.
I am becoming used to having everything that money can buy, and yet it’s the simple pleasures that interest me the most. Time spent with Julius, when it’s just the two of us and walks in the garden.
Learning how to run a home and organize my day.
But flying is my guilty pleasure that I can’t get enough of, and as we soar high above the ground, I am alight with excitement for the flight.
Julius holds my hand the entire way, and as I gaze down on the world below, I congratulate myself on finding him.
It doesn’t take long before we land on their immaculate lawn, and I gaze in awe at the splendid mansion that gleams in the sunshine. Their family home is even more extravagant than the Washington estate, and as we exit the helicopter, Julius grasps my hand and pulls me toward the house.
We head inside, and his mother is waiting to greet us and holds open her arms, a happy smile on her face.
“Here you are.” She smiles. “Welcome, darling. Now come and tell me everything you’ve been getting up to.”
Julius laughs behind me, and she rolls her eyes. “Spare me all the details but tell me how you are spending your days.”
“Julius!” Her sharp reprimand tells me he was about to speak, and his low chuckle blends into the background as Sophia leads me away.
We head to a room a short distance from the entrance, and as we make our way inside, I notice the large piano. The room itself is serene, beautiful in fact, and I ask with excitement, “Do you play, Sophia?”
“I do. It’s a passion of mine.”
“Me too.”
I stare at the piano, my eyes shining as I remember how I would practice for hours at the one both at home and in the convent.
“Play for me.” Sophia points to the piano, and I need no further invitation as I perch on the bench and lift the cover, my fingers trailing almost lovingly over the polished surface, my eyes closing against anything other than the music.
As I begin to play, the familiar tune transports me back home, to a place where my only freedom was through the keys at my fingertips.
As the music fills my spirit, I fly, taken away to a world where nobody exists, my place of safety, my sanctuary.
When I finish, it’s as if I crash to earth and Sophia whispers, “That was beautiful, Rose. It’s my favorite, Debussy’s Clair de Lune.”
“Do you play it?” I ask with a dreamy smile, and Sophia nods, a similar expression on her face.
“I do. I love the classics. However–”
She sighs and moves to sit beside me.
“I brought you in here to make a confession of sorts.”
My euphoria is replaced with anxiety as I sense the mood shifting.
“When you left the convent, Sister Agatha gave you a phone, and there were two numbers programmed into it.”
“You?”
She nods. “It was no coincidence that you were sent here, Rose, but it wasn’t at my husband’s request; it was mine.”
“I don’t understand. Why?”
“Because–” She smiles almost guiltily. “Sister Agatha was my best friend at Canton House. We forged a friendship that has meant a lot over the years. She is the only woman I truly trust, and I will never betray her trust in me. When she told me your story, I was in a predicament. I wanted to help her, help you and your sisters, but well, this world isn’t a suitable place for young innocent women. ”
She sighs. “I knew that as soon as Giovanni learned of your inheritance, he would see it as a business opportunity. He will never change, and to be honest, I wouldn’t expect him to.
So, I made my reservations known to Sister Agatha, and yet she was adamant.
She wanted the three of you to be here safe with us.
To teach you about life outside of the convent, knowing you would be safe from Morgan and her plans for you all. ”
“Plans?”
My heart is thumping as I fear the worst, and Sophia nods gravely.
“She feared for your lives because the only way Morgan could really control your fortune wasn’t through messing with the conditions of your father’s will. It was, well, there’s no other way of saying this, but Sister Agatha truly believed your lives were in danger.”
“Surely not.”
I stare at her in horror, and she nods. “I’m sorry, Rose, but yes, Morgan will have paid every mercenary out there to remove you from her life—permanently—leaving her to inherit the fortune.
So, Sister Agatha turned to me for help because on the one hand she wanted you to experience life before turning away from it and yet on the other hand, she didn’t want to be responsible for you losing yours in the process.
She believed that fighting fire with fire was the best alternative but accepted it also came with risks attached. ”
“My sisters?”
My only thought is for them, and Sophia’s anxious expression doesn’t help erase my fears.
“We’ve had no word of them yet, but we also have no word on my sons. They are operating in the dark, like Julius did, and so no news must be good news.”
“I hope you’re right.”
My heart is thumping through fear more than anything else right now, and Sophia sighs.
“I wanted you to know the full story because you deserve it. I want there to be no regrets between us and to assure you that my sons are dangerous men who take their missions seriously. Your sisters are in the safest hands, as you have discovered for yourself, and I’m sure we will soon hear of their progress. ”
She smiles. “So, shall we play some more and leave the men to talk business? Then, I have arranged a fantastic lunch for us to enjoy.”
“I would like that.”
I turn my attention to the music, hoping it will work its magic because until my sisters are safely with me, I will never be completely happy, despite how well things have worked out for me personally.