Free VITTORIO'S RUNAWAY BRIDE (The Vittorio Series) by Kimberley Reeves Page A

and that no one, no one , could beat him at his own game.   And yet Shelby, his sweet, unassuming little wife, had brought him to his knees and left him as weak and vulnerable as a newborn kitten.
    He headed for the kitchen to get the coffee started then changed his mind and turned around.   Whatever was wrong between them had to be hashed out and dealt with so he could stop feeling as if his world was going to come crashing down around his shoulders any minute.   Logan didn’t even make to the hallway before his cell phone went off.   He hurried into the living room, cursing under his breath when he couldn’t find the blasted thing and finally located it on the fireplace mantel where he must have left it after talking to Grady earlier that morning.   He checked the caller I.D., cursing again before answering it.
    Shelby was just pulling on her robe when she heard the incessant ringing of Logan’s phone.   Heaving a sigh, she hobbled into the bathroom to relieve herself and run a brush through her hair.   She knew what an enormous responsibility it was to run a corporation the size of Vittorio Enterprises, but sometimes she really had to fight the urge to take that obnoxious phone and flush it down the toilet.   It didn’t seem to matter what time of day or night it was; Logan always made himself available to calm whatever storm was brewing.  
    She couldn’t even begin to count how many romantic dinners or nights at the theatre had been cut short because he had to take a call.   For the most part, she really hadn’t minded the interruptions because she was proud that her husband was such an important man.  She also genuinely enjoyed listening to his strong, authoritative voice as he worked out how to avert the most recent crisis.   Still, there were times when she wished she had him all to herself without having to worry when the inevitable phone call would come.
    Shelby shuffled down the hallway, careful not to put too much weight on the injured ankle.   She’d done some serious thinking before she nodded off to sleep and had come to the conclusion she needed to scrape up the courage to come right out and confront Logan about his affair.   It wasn’t going to be easy to hear him confirm it, but if everything was out in the open they would at least have a chance of repairing the damage that had been done.   She felt good about her decision and was anxious to get it over with, but the sound of Logan’s deep voice coming from the living room told her he was still on the phone.  
    She started for the kitchen to put the coffee on and decided to peek her head into the living room first just to let him know she was awake.   Considering she’d eaten the entire omelet he made for her earlier, she was surprised to find that she ravenous.   Shelby smiled to herself.   No doubt the amorous love making had something to do with the sudden increase in appetite.  
    She stood just inside doorway, admiring the sleek muscles in his bare back as Logan stared out the window and continued his conversation, unaware that he was being watched. Her heart fluttered, and for a moment she was so overwhelmed by the enormous rush of love she felt for him, she could barely breathe.   Shelby lingered for a few more seconds then started to back out of the room.  
    She hadn’t really been paying attention to what Logan was saying, but she could tell by the way he was talking that it wasn’t business.   It had to be his mother or his sister, Milana, because his voice always took on a calmer, gentler tone whenever he spoke to the female members of his family.   She’d always found it endearing the way the Vittorio men treated their women, as if they were made of glass and needed to be handled with the greatest of care.  
    Not wanting to intrude on a private conversation, Shelby turned to go when something he said caught her attention.   With a sinking heart, she inched close enough to hear and immediately wished she