Free Never Without Hope (Sacred Vows Book 1) by Michelle Sutton Page A

noticed Tony’s truck pull up in the parking lot. My heart pounded so hard that I worried Jimmy would sense my guilt from the sound of it beating.
    Tony shut the door, and peered over at me. He gave me a brief nod and walked into the pizza shop. As much as I wanted to see him alone, I knew any friendly action on my part could give us away, and I didn ’t want to hurt him. I just wanted to get close.
    So I got out of the car. Jimmy was busy playing his Gameboy and didn ’t even look up when I stepped outside. I met Tony as he left the shop with about six pizzas balanced on his arms. Maybe I could talk to him about my book. Tell him I needed to go over a few things with him. Something that sounded legit. Instead my brain locked up.
    “ Hey,” I said with a tentative smile.
    “ Hi. Is pizza night for the guys. I talk to you later.” Then he piled the pizzas in his truck and pulled out of the parking lot. I noticed another man sitting in the seat beside him. Must be an employee. No wonder he played it cool with me. But still…
    It hurt that we had a relationship only in secret. I didn ’t like that one bit. Then I realized that maybe I had feelings for Tony and that made me pause. I’d read somewhere that a woman’s brain actually secretes a substance after intercourse. That hormone causes emotional feelings, a bond of sorts with the partner. That would explain why women fell in love because of sex, and yet to guys it was just…sex.
    From the corner of my eye I noticed the guy at the counter wave. My pizzas were done. I opened the door and picked up my order. The scent of cheese, bread, Italian sauce, pepperoni and garlic made my mouth water.
    My tummy protested, wanting me to eat some pizza now. But I’d wait until we got home. I hadn’t been eating much in the past few days and I was already noticing that my pants seemed looser. Not a bad problem to have. Unless I was so lovesick that I would wither and dry up without my fill of Tony.
    That thought scared me. Especially since I was “the other woman.” It even sounded icky. Once again I wondered what I was thinking by hooking up with a man outside of marriage. I opened the door of my SUV and slipped the pizza onto Jimmy’s lap.
    “ Ooh, these are nice and warm, Mommy.” He took a deep whiff.
    I loved it when he called me Mommy. “You have to wait until we get home.”
    “ Aw, man!” Jimmy licked his lips. Poor kid was probably as hungry as I was. Who was I to deny him when I didn’t deny myself anything? It was then that I realized how truly selfish my meeting with Tony was…to my family, my friends, my church.
    I could not be my true self in this state of transgression. I had to close myself off or be discovered. No matter which way I looked at it, the affair was a lose-lose, but when I was in Tony ’s arms, when he was making love to me, none of that mattered. Only him.
    I glanced at Jimmy who was doing an admirable job of controlling himself. I couldn ’t help but give in. “Okay, you can have one slice. But only one.”
    My cell phone rang. Steering with one hand, I answered the phone with the other. “Hello, this is Hope.”
    “ I am sorry I not talk to you. You look so good, Hope. I tried very hard not to stare at you. I can’t let people see my longing. That’s why I not stop and talk to you. The guy with me, he know my wife. He would tell her. Is not a good situation.”
    “ Where is he now?” I glanced over at Jimmy who was contentedly munching, oblivious to the fact that I had my lover on the phone.
    “ He is with guys in kitchen. I left to call you but must make it very fast. I see you tomorrow. I am excited just thinking about you in my arms. In my bed again. I miss you.”
    “ Me, too.” I blinked back tears. “Bye.”
    I had to hang up before I started sobbing. I already noticed Jimmy had finished his slice and was now watching me closely.
    “Who was that, Mom?” His little eyebrows met as he questioned me.
    I couldn ’t lie