Broken Wings (Contemporary Romance) by D.G. Torrens Page A

bed and spent the next hour trying on various dresses until she found an old black shift dress; it used to be her favourite and was still in near perfect condition. It was beautiful in all its simplicity. That will do for tonight . She hung the dress on the back of her bedroom door to allow any creases to fall out through the day.
    She climbed into a hot bath and closed her eyes as she relived her night with Joshua. She ran her fingers slowly up and down her naked body as she remembered his touch, his kiss, and his beautiful naked body next to hers. She almost felt dizzy at the thought and smiled as she recalled him deep inside of her, a sensation she had forgotten existed and one she thought she would never feel again. He felt so right it frightened her; she was beginning to feel consumed by him, this soldier she hardly knew. The bubbles started to dissipate and the water turned cold. She had been soaking in the bath for over an hour before she jumped out and wrapped herself in an oversized bath towel. Reaching for her cream, she moisturized her body from head to toe and then painted her nails and toes in a French polish. She wanted to look perfect for Joshua but not overdone; natural, classy and with minimal make-up.
    The radio was blaring in the background and the beautiful haunting voice of Adele filled her little cottage. How she loved her music, so heartfelt and filled with emotion.
    Angelina reached for her dress, slipped it off the hanger and stepped into it. She chose a pair of black sling back sandals and a pair of sheer tights to finish the look. When she caught sight of herself in the mirror, she looked in surprise at the image staring back at her. The last time she was so dressed up was the night Daniel was killed. Strangely she felt at peace and knew he would approve of Joshua; they probably would have been great friends in another life time.
    She grabbed her car keys off the mantelpiece and headed out of the door. She typed Joshua’s address into her Sat Nav and pulled off her drive. Curiosity was now getting the better of her as she wondered what Joshua had planned for dinner. Finally she reached the other end of town, turned down a narrow side road and drove right to the end, according to Joshua’s instructions. She parked and searched for his house. She spotted a small terraced house and saw Joshua’s car parked in the driveway. After checking herself in the mirror and taking a deep breath, she climbed out of her car and made her way up the drive.
    After ringing the door bell, she waited for a few seconds before Joshua answered, greeting her with a beaming smile and a kiss. “Wow, you look stunning.”
    “ Why thank you.”
    “ Here, let me take your coat.”
    “ Something smells good.”
    “ I sure hope it tastes as good as it smells,” teased Joshua. “I have been thinking about you all day, what have you done to me, Angelina Ferria!”
    “ The same as you have done to me, Joshua Allen.” Angelina smiled coyly.
    They sat down at the small table which Joshua had taken the trouble to dress in a white and gold linen tablecloth, coasters, candles and he had a bottle of champagne cooling in a crystal ice bucket, all of which he had borrowed from Lucy and Richard earlier that morning! He fell silent as he placed the poached salmon on the table and reached to the counter for the sautéed potatoes, a favourite dish of Angelina’s, something that he had taken the trouble of finding out from Lucy.
    Once he was seated, he reached over for her hand and looked at her pensively. “Angelina, I have something to tell you, I have been called to my barracks early for peacekeeping duty in Sierra Leone. I have to return for duty in two days. My leave has been cut short by five days.”
    The look on Angelina's face said it all; she could not hide her disappointment. She looked at Joshua with curious eyes, studying his face as he searched hers for a reaction.
    “Normally, a guy has time to release his affections