Honey Trapped

Chapter Forty-One

Silvana refused to let Pria hide away again. She barged into the bedroom, where Pria was still curled into a ball on her side, staring at the wall.

"Come down for breakfast," Silvana encouraged.

And have to face Brogue in front of his entire family? No thanks. "I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat," Silvana insisted.

"I'll eat later."

Silvana didn't speak another word.

A whirling sound made Pria look over her shoulder. Silvana held a dishtowel in her hands, spinning it until it rolled in on itself. Pria's eyes grew wide with alarm. "No!"

It was a too late. Silvana released one end of the towel making it snap sharply.

Pria squawked at the sharp bite of the towel and worked fast to untangle herself from the bed sheets.

"Breakfast." Silvana commanded. "Now." Swat. "Andiamo!" Swat.

Pria finally managed to jump out of the bed rubbing her backside. Silvana came after her, swirling the towel threateningly in the air and Pria made a mad dash for the stairs, yelping every time the towel nipped her. She burst into the kitchen startling everyone. Silvana was close on her heals still wielding that damned towel.

"Help Brogue with the pancakes." Silvana ordered, and pointed to the stove where Brogue stood.

Pria hesitated, sure that after last night, Brogue wouldn't want her help, only to yelp when the towel burned her behind again. "Ouch!"

Pria hurried over to Brogue who didn't hesitate to wrap an arm around her and canted his body so that Silvana couldn't reach her with the towel again.

Brogue's body shook against hers with silent laughter as Pria glared accusingly at Silvana over his arm, then at the room of occupants who were coming out of their surprise and beginning chuckle. "That woman is insane, you know that right?

"Oh," Mike chuckled. "Trust me. We know."

Breakfast was noisy and Pria sat back enjoying the chaos. It made her miss her family and all the dinners they had once enjoyed every Saturday like clockwork. While making breakfast, Brogue had assured her that he would be able to take her home tomorrow. Picking up the pieces of her life wasn't going to be easy. She was still in a battle with the insurance company. She'd have to get used to being on her own again, and that was something she didn't want.

Yes, she loved her independence, but after being surrounded by a family again, Pria realized she wanted the same for herself—laughter and teasing with a man she loved, a slew of bickering kids running around creating mayhem. Years ago, Pria had resigned herself to living with her parents until they either died or she got married. It was just the way her family did things. But when "Drew" had come into her life, he'd made quick work of moving her in with him and teaching her the things her parents hadn't. The time with him, taking care of herself out from under her parents' thumb, had been good for her. It was one of the things she could credit Brogue for.

She frowned. She could credit Brogue for more than just teaching her to be an adult. He'd kept her and her parents safe, getting injured in the process, just so she could go home and have a normal life. She bit her lip. His words from yesterday swam through her head. "I did love you. I still do."

Guilt and self-reproach had kept her in too tight of a grip yesterday to hear him, to understand what he'd admitted to, in front of his entire family. The last several years had really done a number on her, made her blind to so much, making her behave in ways that five years ago would have been an anathema to her. It was unfair to continue to blame him for her behavior. Only she could control her reactions, but she hadn't. She had acted unfairly, keeping a secret that should never have been kept. A secret he didn't seem inclined to forgive easily.