One Step Closer (Erotic Romance) Book 1 (The DeLuca Brothers) by Lucinda DuBois Read Free Book Online

the night.”
    “You don't need to
do that,” Maria's voice and expression softened now that Frank had agreed to
see Sofia. “It's only Salvatore and me here. Your old room is still set up. You
can stay here and I'll make you breakfast before you go to see Sofia.”
    Frank immediately
understood that his mother's offer was two-fold. She wanted him here because
they hadn't seen each other for a long time, but she also wanted to keep an eye
on him to make sure he followed through on his promise and didn't leave before
he did as he'd said.
    “Ma, I have some
work I need to do.” The lie was out of his mouth before he'd realized he was
going to say it. “If I stay here, I'll be up all night talking to you and Sal,
and that'll mean I have to go back earlier than I'd planned because I'll be
behind.”
    The skeptical look
Maria gave him said that she didn't believe him, but she didn't press the
issue. “All right, but you be back here
first thing in the morning. I'll be making your favorite breakfast.”
    “Cinnamon rolls?”
Frank's lips curved upwards in a smile.
    Maria chuckled. “Of course.”
    It was only after
Frank had said his good-byes and gotten back into his rental car that he
allowed himself to admit the real reason he hadn't wanted to stay the night at
the house. Every inch of the house was filled with memories of Sofia. He'd been
able to ignore them at first, but once he'd seen her, they'd all come rushing
back and he couldn't shut them out.
    The time they'd
spent together as children, playing with his brothers.
    Coming home from his
classes at NYU to find her reading a book to Sal or helping Maria cook dinner.
    Her lips under his
for the first time.
    Sneaking her
upstairs to his bedroom for a make-out session.
    Watching a movie
together, huddled under a blanket in the dark, his hands beneath her clothes.
    Making love to her
in his bed while the rest of the family was out.
    Fucking her in the
shower after coming home from the gym to find her baby-sitting Sal.
    Sending Sal outside
to play so Frank could bend Sofia over the couch.
    Sofia sitting on his
lap at Christmas time while Sergio and Sal passed out presents, trying to
resist the urge to just take her upstairs right then.
    Holding her in his
arms as she cried after hearing about her grandfather's death.
    They flashed through
his mind, one right after the other, creating a virtual movie of moments he and
Sofia had spent together in that house. With them came a rush of emotions.
Betrayal. Hurt. Abandonment. Love.
    His mother was
right, and Frank forced himself to acknowledge it. He'd been in love with Sofia
Bianchi since she was seventeen and, despite everything that had happened, he
was still in love with her. A part of him realized that he always would be. Now
he just had to decide what he was going to do about it.

Chapter 6
    Sofia tossed her
keys on to the counter and kicked off her sensible work shoes. She'd just finished
her shift in the oncology ward and had about an hour before Tommy got home. She
sighed as she padded up the stairs to her bedroom. As she walked, she stripped
off her scrubs and tossed them into her hamper. She had a few things to do
around the house, but the first thing she needed was a shower. She'd been
thrown up on twice that afternoon.
    Fifteen minutes
later, she came back down the stairs, feeling much better. She loved her work
and never resented the patients for being ill, but being vomited on was never
fun. Now that she was clean, she could focus on the rest of the night. She'd
pulled her hair back into a sloppy ponytail and the still-wet locks soaked into
the back of her ratty t-shirt. She hadn't bothered with make-up and was wearing
her oldest pair of sweats to go with the Knicks shirt, but she was comfortable
and that was what mattered. It wasn't like she had anything planned for the
evening aside from dinner with her son and then maybe a game of cards or a
board game until it was time to put Tommy to bed. Then it would be