The Billionaire’s Prodigal Wife (Mackenna and Alessandro) novel Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Mackenna rolled her eyes and gave a shake of her head as she walked down the hall and slammed into the bathroom. She turned the hot spray on and stripped her clothing off. The one thing they did have in this apartment was hot water and plenty of it and it scalded her skin turning her a bright pink as she scrubbed a gauzy puff over her body, sudsy with a grapefruit scented gel.

She quickly washed her hair and then eyed her legs with a grimace. They definitely needed to be shaved but she was trying to hurry. The thought of being near her husband who had modeled himself and surrounded himself with models made her groan. She quickly pulled her lotion and disposable razor. She admitted suddenly having a monthly session at the spa where she was waxed and massaged was also a luxury she had missed.

Shaving her legs and armpits was a horrendous chore. Finally, she emerged from the steamy bathroom in a cloud of mist, snuggled in a thick robe Savannah had bought for her the Christmas before and her hair wound in a thin towel.

She crossed the hall and paused as she noticed Alessandro in her bedroom looking at the various items on her dresser. She decided to play it cool and moved to her hairdryer which had been tossed on her bed by Savannah, likely after she‘d borrowed it. She sat on the edge of the bed and towelled her hair off and then turned the hairdryer to its highest, hottest setting and flipped her head upside down between her knees and began the process of drying the long thick mass of hair.

She didn‘t look up as she felt Alessandro sit beside her on the bed but when his fingers curled around hers on the base of the hairdryer, she turned her head and he simply smiled and took the blower from her hand and pushed her head back so he could work his fingers through her hair.

He‘d never played with her hair before. She‘d always had it cut quite short, to her chin when she‘d been with him. It was at its current length purely for economical reasons, often opting to put the money she would have used for a hair cut into her savings account. Savannah trimmed her bangs and ends with a pair of surgical scissors monthly or so and her hair color was now her own except for the few blonde highlights Savannah put in her hair.

The highlights were remnants of the boxed color Savannah put in her own hair.

Now however as his long thin fingers massaged her scalp and then trailed through the silky tendrils of her hair her eyes closed and she sighed deeply. It was relaxing and stimulating

at the same time and the hot heat of her hairdryer was welcoming. She didn‘t protest when he pulled her into a sitting position and got her to sit on her knees on the carpeted floor between setting. Her eyes were heavy, and her body was lethargic as even after the humming of the machine stopped, he continued brushing the long tresses.

He smiled to himself when she stifled a yawn, and he tilted her head backwards and stole a kiss from her placid expression. ―You are exhausted His eyes were serious as they regarded her lazy expression.

―I‘ll be fine. I just need to get my second wind She started to get up, but he put his fingers on her lips. She scowled. ―You don‘t want me to get dressed up?.

He had planned to take her to an expensive dinner, woo her and remind her of all the good things they‘d once shared but as he stared at her, all he wanted was for her to rest and relax. He shook his head. ―No. I don‘t want you to He got up and pulled her to a standing position. He wrapped his arms around her middle and hugged her tight, pressing a long soft kiss to her forehead before he stepped away from her. He moved to her dresser, and she wrinkled her nose as he yanked out a tattered pair of sweatpants she‘d cut off at the knees and a tank top

and threw them on the bed. ―I think this is more your speed for tonight

―You don‘t want to go out to dinner?She suddenly felt her heart aching in a way she knew it shouldn‘t be.

―I don‘t think, in good conscience, I could drag you anywhere when it is obvious you haven‘t slept in some time He moved back to her and pressed yet another tender kiss, this time to her surprised lips and then stepped away.

She moved to the bed and picked up the clothing he‘d tossed for her and then to the door he‘d just disappeared through. She slipped her robe off and then pulled her sweats and the tank on, opting not to wear a bra on even though she knew probably should. Suddenly she heard the clicking of the front door and she raced to her window in time to see his feet passing

on the sidewalk in front of her bedroom window and she flung down on the side of the bed in disbelief.

That was it? He was gone. No good-bye? Was he coming back? She felt tears welling up in her eyes and wondered why she was crying, ―Because he left you dolt,‖ she berated herself

and flipped onto her back and pulled his shirt out from under her pillow and hugged it to her face. She lay there for a long time on the bed just holding his shirt and inhaling the tiny remaining scent of him. Then she sat up and saw Romeo eyeing her pitifully from the door of her room.

―Don‘t judge me, cat. I already know how pathetic I am but damn it, I‘m trying She lost

the direction of the kitchen. She‘d have to find something to eat since she wasn‘t going out now and she felt tears threatening again. It was exhaustion she told herself because she hadn‘t cried this much since she had first left Alessandro. She opened and closed the refrigerator four times before she decided there was nothing there, she wanted. She flung herself on a barstool and grimaced. Romeo howied at her for being annoying and she growled back.

She looked at the clock grimacing at the time. Her tummy was rumbling, and she was too tired to cook anything, not as if she could cook anything other than toast anyway. The sound of a key in the lock made her look up in surprise because it was just after six and Savannah was working until midnight. She walked cautiously to the door and then stared in surprise as Alessandro stepped into the space with his arms full. She instantly gravitated to the pizza boxes he carried, and he laughed at her.

―I didn‘t think you were coming back She was annoyed with herself for the pout in her voice.

―Well, I knew you were hungry, and I did promise you dinner He smiled at her as he held her key out. ―I hope you don‘t mind but I took these from the counter there, I didn‘t want to leave the door unlocked and I wanted to make sure I could get back in. I wasn‘t certain you wouldn‘t be asleep when I got back He lifted his attaché case over his shoulder and motioned for her to move ahead of him.

―It‘s probably more comfortable in the living room She led the way there. She saw the brown paper bag under his arm. ―Wine?.

―Yes. Tell me you at least have wine glasses He hadn‘t thought of it.