The Claim by Billy London Read Free Book Online

swell of one breast, then the other, feeling her pulse speeding beneath his lips.
    “Okay, I love you too. But we can’t do it here.”
    “Why not?” he asked genially, unzipping his jacket and pulling her tight against his warmth.
    “Hypothermia’s a bastard to heal from.”
    “That’s okay,” he assured her, lowering them both to the snow. “I’ll take the brunt.”
    “You won’t thank me if you lose a testicle to the cold.”
    Rocco laughed. “You’d still love me.”
    She grinned, cupping warm hands to his cheeks. “I would,” she murmured between kisses. “I’d love you anyway, two balls or none.”
    The memory of that night would never fail to make him hard. The snow melting around them, soaking into his hair as he pulled off what clothing he could to at once protect Anna and join them, the heat of Anna’s body writhing against his own until they were replete.
    It had been work to earn Anna’s affections, and when she gave them, she gave them with everything she had. Why should Anna give them another chance? Because she’d loved him. She’d loved him completely, and until lies forced them apart, he knew she didn’t have any doubts about the way he felt about her. They had the most amazing future together, just within their grasp. There was no reason to throw that away, especially not on the say so of Imogen fucking Barnes. If she’d meant it six years ago, he was damned sure she still loved him today. So fuck it, he was going to order her a teddy bear. That was always a good start.
     

Chapter Seven
     
    Anna was just putting on her coat to leave the office when Imogen came in, baby buggy in hand. No way, man . She knew she should have left an hour ago, but she’d been having a good giggle with counsel about a rather ridiculous case.
    “Darling, please, I need a massive favour.”
    “No can do, Imo,” she said, placing her phone in her bag.
    “Please! Neil’s got this do tonight.”
    “You have a nanny.”
    “I sacked her because she was trying something with Neil!”
    “She was sixty-two, what on earth would she try?”
    “It’s all on the Nanny Cam.”
    “I can’t, I’m meeting Mimi. We’re going to see The Lion King . It was my birthday present?”
    Imogen made a face. “Please. This is so important.”
    “Then you shouldn’t have sacked your nanny. I can’t, Imogen.”
    The baby started to wail, obviously set off by the pitch of its mother’s voice. Anna touched the tips of her fingers to the baby’s chest and wiggled them. “Sweetheart, don’t get upset. Mummy’s just being a little selfish.”
    The baby blinked at her and stopped crying immediately.
    “See, you’re so good with him. It’s just for a few hours.”
    If Anna cancelled on Mimi just once more, Mimi would start a revolution on her arse. “Imogen, no. I can’t. Bernie has the number of a great babysitter, she always uses her when she’s got last-minute hang-ups.” Anna edged Imogen to Bernie’s desk, and with Imogen and baby hovering by, Anna flicked through Bernie’s rolodex. “Here. Give this woman a call and sort yourself out. I really am late.”
    “But I—” Imogen’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open. What was she looking at? Anna turned around and saw Rocco heading for the lifts. “What the hell?”
    “Yeah,” Anna said shortly. “Look, I’ve got to go. I’m late.”
    “Are you mad? Have you lost your mind? Did you forget what he did?”
    “What the two of you did?” Anna corrected. “No. I haven’t. But I have a job and it needs doing.”
    Imogen stared at her in disbelief. “I never thought you were that stupid, but it’s obvious you want to get under him again.”
    “I’m going now because I’m not going to dignify that with an answer.” She headed in the same direction as Rocco, in fact, feeding into a perverse need to see how the two of them would behave toward each other.
    “Hold the lift,” she called, just as Rocco took a step inside. He held the door with