He reached up and caught her wrist. He turned in his chair to face her. “Don’t do this to me, Catalina.”
“Amore mio. What’s the matter? How hard has it been for you lately?” She touched his cheek with her free hand. Her words were as soft as her fingers when they grazed his skin. And even now her beauty held him mesmerized. Round eyes under a shadow of dark lashes blinked at him. Her seductive rose colored lips, delicate button nose and high cheekbones rounded out features both seductive and elegant. And her thick brown locks streaked in golden strands curled and cascaded past her shoulders. A few tendrils fell over her left eye. She had a natural tan that her Sicilian ancestry had blessed her with. She wore a tight fitted peach colored sweater with an oval bodice that showed how beautiful her heavy bosom was. “Talk to me. We’re friends aren’t we?” she said, desperate for him not to reject her.
“Catalina. You’re married. I’m your brother.”
“No. You are not. You know we aren’t blood related, Domi.”
“It’s not what I mean.”
“Then what do you mean? We can pretend before them, but alone you and I know better.”
“I can’t do this anymore.” He turned from her, but she forced the chair back around.
“We were friends before we were lovers. Yes, I’m married and we both know why that should have never happened. Don’t push me away when you need me to prove you’re strong. It only proves how weak you are.” Catalina slowly lowered and sat on his lap. Dominic wished he could summon the conviction to push her away, but he was so tired, and so in need that his body responded. He ran his hand over her thigh and his other arm wrapped around her waist to keep her there. She pulled his face into her breast and stroked the back of his head. Dominic breathed out of his nose slowly and inhaled her beautiful feminine smell.
“Relax,” she said softly, cradling him to her breast.
“This is harder on me. I can’t share you like this.” Dominic said, his voice hoarse with self-loathing and longing.
“He doesn’t touch me, Domi. He treats me like a sister instead of a wife. You two really should change roles,” she said with a sad smile. “You aren’t sharing me amore mio. I belong to you.”
“Give it time, Catalina. What we’ve been doing won’t help the situation. He’s your husband. It has to stop.”
Catalina stroked his shoulders and ran her hand back down his back. “The failure of my marriage is not your fault. It’s not my fault. I was young and stupid to agree to such an arrangement thinking I could be happy. There’s no passion with Franco and I. You know I’ve tried to be a wife to him. He goes through the motions, but he doesn’t want me any more than I want him,” she said her voice quivering around a sob.
Dominic lifted his head. The sight of her tears would break him. He pinched her chin and drew her soft lips to his, plying them open with his tongue and letting it plunge deep. Her sweet response filled him with strength. He touched her throat and kissed her deeper until they both were left breathless. Breaking away was the hardest thing he could manage, but he did.
“Let’s tell Gio. And think of what we have now. A bambina in the family. This has to mean good fortune for us all. Gio will change his heart and release me from my marriage.”
“Never. He will never grant it, and neither would the church. You are married. It’s done cara.”
“Domi please listen. Let’s talk to him. He found Mira again, which means love survives. Haven’t we tried to stay away from each other? We can’t. I won’t do this anymore. I won’t.”
“Catalina! If he ever learned that I touched you he will kill me. Do you understand? I violated you before you married your husband. It was wrong then, and it’s a sin now!”
“Go to hell!” she rose from his lap, tears streaming down her face. “It’s not a sin. It never was. What is wrong is the lie you tell yourself to keep running from me.”