Her head jerked.
“Prentice –” Bella broke in.
Prentice wasn’t done.
His face dipped closer to hers. “The way you respond to me, no inhibitions, so quick, so wild, my kiss, my touch, my tongue,” his voice dropped deep, “my cock. I love kissing you, baby, touching you, f**king you. And I love knowing you love it too.”
Fiona could have done without hearing that but she saw he was getting to Bella because her eyes had grown glazed.
“Pren,” she whispered.
“The way you give of yourself, every second, to everyone without knowing you’re doing it or expecting that first thing in return. You’re the most generous person I’ve ever met in my life.” He got even closer, his arm sliding around her waist, his hand at her jaw gliding into her hair. “And I want you in my life until I’m no longer breathing.”
Bella was struggling with this, Fiona could see it. She wanted to believe but she couldn’t.
Or she wouldn’t.
“I –” Bella started to protest.
Prentice cut her off. “And I want you in my children’s lives.”
Bella bit her lip which had begun to tremble.
Then she said something bizarre.
“I think you’re confused.”
Prentice’s brows drew together, indicating to Fiona he thought what she said was bizarre as well.
“Confused how?”
“With who I am and who you think I am.”
“What?”
His voice was no longer soft and loving. Prentice wasn’t happy he’d laid it out for her and, apparently, it had no effect.
Fiona didn’t think this was a good sign.
“You think I’m that girl you met twenty years ago,” Bella explained. “I’m not that girl. I never was. And you’re confused.”
“So, who are you?” Prentice asked, his voice now edging towards impatience.
Bella heard it and decided not to respond.
Fiona watched as his hand fisted in her hair. “You’re telling me that all this is a game?”
Bella’s body jerked yet again and her face went pale.
“A game?” she whispered.
“Aye, a game,” Prentice clipped. “You’re saying you dropped everything in order to come to Sally… that was a game.”
“No!” Bella replied sharply.
“The laundry, the ironing, making the beds, hoovering the floors, baking the cookies, that wasn’t you? That was what your father said you were doing? That was you playing house?”
It was a low blow and Bella flinched like she’d been physically struck.