LOVE on The Horizon (Breaking The Rules #1) (18 page)

With a hand on each thigh, I spread her legs, giving me a better angle to drive my tongue right into her. My cock popped free from her mouth, the hand she had gripped around my base tightened, and her lower half began to shudder against me. I never stopped, never let up in any way until she came all over my tongue.

As I leisurely lapped at her while she calmed, she murmured, “Oh my God,” against my thigh over and over.

“Are you okay,
bella
?” I asked when a few minutes passed and she hadn’t moved yet.

“Mmm.”

I hoped she’d come back to earth soon because feeling the puffs of air from her breaths against my engorged cock had him twitching with the need to release. She must have sensed his telepathic abilities when, suddenly, her mouth covered me once again. She continued what she started until I came violently against the back of her throat.

Since getting back from the city, Marco had been uncharacteristically quiet. Obviously, speaking to his parents was weighing heavily on his mind.

When his mom left us in the great room to take a phone call, I placed a hand on his leg to settle his foot tapping.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. I wish I could help you feel more relaxed.”

“You can,” he said before nuzzling my neck with his firm lips.

“Not now.” I pushed him away playfully. “You’re nervous?”

“Yes, about you.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. They’re going to lose their shit, and I don’t want you worrying about them. They’ll eventually get over it,
bella
. Please promise me you won’t let their reaction affect us.”

“Sofia say hello,” Mrs. Puglia announced, interrupting our discussion. She passed us each a glass of wine before sitting adjacent to us.

Staring at this well put-together woman, it was hard to imagine her losing her shit. I had to admit, though, he knew me well. I already carried guilt over his career being derailed. I wouldn’t be able to handle it if his family also came off the rails because of me.

At Marco’s request, the four of us would be having dinner
alone
. All day I had been looking forward to a nice quiet night, especially after last night’s circus. But now, after his admission on what was to come, not so much anymore.

His eyes narrowed in on my foot tapping before he placed a firm hand on my knee.

“Did you like Florence?” Mrs. Puglia asked as we waited.

“Yes, it’s such a beautiful city, so much history.”

She tilted her head quizzically, prompting her son to say, “
Storia
.”

“
Ah, sì
. America is a baby, no?”

“Yes, our history…” I looked at Marco and added, “
storia
is not the same back home.

“Sorry, I’m late. I couldn’t resist these. We have them later with cheese.” Mr. Puglia walked in, carrying a handful of apples from the orchard. “Do you like happles, Rebecca?”

“Pa, apples.”

“That’s what I say,” he responded to Marco with a frown. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.

“Yes, I do. Thank you.”

“Lina, save these for later.”

His wife took the apples and instructed us to follow her into the kitchen. “Ma, we’ll be right in,” Marco said, holding my elbow to stop me from following.

He placed his hands on my face, searching my eyes desperately. “Promise me, Rebecca.”

“Marco.”

“Please? Promise me that you won’t freak out if they do.”

“I promise.”

He tipped his head to the side, weighing my immediate response. I smiled convincingly to appease his concerns. I wasn’t lying—I would promise to not freak out, externally at least. I really couldn’t promise if what I was about to hear wouldn’t forever cause my guilt to grow within me like an uncontrolled fungus, but he’d never know.

After a few moments of maintaining strong eye contact, he nodded before kissing me deeply. “Okay, let’s do this.”

We all settled around the table while Maria, the housekeeper, served our meal before retreating to give us privacy. With the four of us sitting in their large kitchen, the subtle tension between Marco and his parents bounced around the room like a pesky fly—minuscule in comparison to the space, yet extremely annoying nonetheless.

Mr. Puglia made small talk, asking us questions about our day, while his mother remained fairly quiet as she ate.

The reality that her son needed to tell them something was probably what prompted her to blurt out, “Marco, I no take it anymore. Tell us!”

Marco sighed and placed his fork on his plate. He glanced at me quickly before saying, “I’m no longer with Sunset.”

His mother’s facial expression morphed into…joy? She grabbed her husband’s hand as his grin matched hers. “This mean you come home now?”

Understanding why she jumped to that conclusion, I cringed when Marco said, “No, Ma. Do you remember my assistant, Ricky?”

“
Sì
.”

“Ricky, Rebecca, and I will be starting our own business.”

His father’s smile fell. “What kind of business? Imports?”

“No, Pa. Luxury cruises.”

They exchanged a shocked expression. “
Perch
è
?”

“Because, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.

Confused, his father rubbed his forehead while shaking his head. “I no understand.”

Marco turned toward me and asked, “Do you mind if I explain things in Italian for them?”

“Of course not,” I lied.

Of course, I worried that paranoia from not understanding what they were saying would mix with my anxiety and result in breaking my promise to Marco exactly ten minutes after making it.

Marco dove right in, raising a hand to stop them as they each tried to interrupt. My name, along with Ricky’s, dotted a long stream of words that he plowed through, barely pausing in between to take a breath.

This was the first time his Italian wasn’t turning me on. The more he spoke, the more they’d scowl, and the sicker I felt.

“We plan on purchasing a luxury yacht and running private cruises from Fort Lauderdale to different ports in the Caribbean.”

“What do you know of running a cruise?”

“Pa, I know plenty. It’s what I do.”
I shook my head in disbelief. Have they listened to a word I’ve said these past seven years?
“I want to do this for me, for her. I want to create something beautiful. I will be investing most of my funds toward our new business. Although I don’t need your permission, I just wanted to let you know.”

“You’re talking crazy!”

“
Why do you insist on hurting us?”
my mother added for good measure.

“
I am not doing this to hurt you. This has nothing to do with you!”

“You can’t blame us for being confused, Marco. Suddenly you show up at our door with a woman we never heard of, and now you’re leaving everything to start a business with her? Maybe Isabella is right, maybe she has an agenda?”

“Don’t!”
My blood boiled, but I forced myself to calm down.
“Isabella has to finally accept Clara and I will never be. Rebecca had no idea of my fortune until we got here, until she saw all this.”

“Fine, if this is something you must do, then why can’t you do it at home where you belong? If you must be with her,”
my mother said, glancing at Rebecca to emphasize her point,
“then be here in Italy with her.”

“
I belong where my passion is. Yes, Rebecca is part of my passion and she will be with me, but not here. The business is my dream, one Ricky and I have shared for a long time.”

“We can’t sit here and allow you to ruin the rest of your life based on a dream, Marco!”
My father suddenly raising his voice and slapping the table caused Rebecca to startle. I couldn’t plaster on a smile and pretend this conversation with my parents wasn’t absolutely gutting me. Instead, I reached for Rebecca’s hand, but based on the look on her face, it did little to appease her concerns.

“
But, that’s exactly what you did,”
I argued. His head snapped back in shock. “
You, yourself told me when you and Ma started, you risked what little you had to start your import business. You lived in a one-bedroom apartment when Ma was pregnant, and you worried that you didn’t have enough money to pay the hospital once Sofia was born.”

“Things we different back then. Life was simpler!”

“
Maybe, but having the love and support of your family was the same.”
My words softened my dad’s expression, and I continued before he had a chance to contradict. “
Your parents had nothing and Ma’s parents had less, yet they supported you. They said that you needed to follow your heart.”
I raised a hand at all the luxury surrounding us.
“This was a result of your doing just that. You of all people should understand what I’m feeling, Pa. You only had Ma and a dream. How can you sit there and tell me not to follow mine?”

“Do you plan on marrying this girl?”

“Absolutely
,” I responded immediately.
“I love her, Ma.”

“
You’re our only son. When you left seven years ago, we felt that we lost you forever. Then you return, with a beautiful woman whom you fell in love with. You can’t blame your mother and me for hoping and wishing you’d decided to come home.”

I lowered my voice, softening it so Rebecca could see that the conversation wasn’t all bad.
“
I understand you’re both upset that I will once again be leaving you, but I can’t stay here simply to make you happy. You haven’t lost me; I’m still your son.”

“You’ll see when you have kids of your own, losing them in any manner makes you feel dead inside.”

“But then by seeing them happy, you should feel alive inside.”

My mother took my dad’s hand in hers. That simple gesture along with their silence confirmed they both knew I was right, and how could they argue with the facts.

“I’m happy, Pa,” I responded quietly in English. Three sets of eyes focused on mine. I lifted Rebecca’s hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles. “Yes, I’m scared too, but so were you way back then. Of all people, you should understand why I need to do this. We’ll need to leave soon. I hope you’ll send us off with your support, and when the day comes that we come back, no matter if our plan succeeded or failed, that you’d continue to support us.”

My father met my eye with understanding.

My mother, on the other hand, tried one more desperate attempt. “Why you leave so soon. Why no stay for
Natale
?”

“Christmas is several weeks away, Ma. I need to get back to Florida as soon as possible. We want to visit Rebecca’s family beforehand.”

My father nodded and said, “
Lina, basta
.”

At his request to drop it, she nodded with a resigned sigh. I would have loved nothing more than to spend the holidays here with Rebecca, showing her how magical Italy was at this time of year. Not only would it not be fair to Ricky to leave him hanging on our future while we relaxed here, it wouldn’t be fair to my parents to prolong their agony over losing me again. “We’ll come back as soon as we can.”

“You do know we love you, Marco? That because we disagree with your choices, it doesn’t make us love you less?”

“Yes, Pa, I know. I love you, too.”

“Rebecca, you take care of my son for me?”

“I will, I promise.” Rebecca exchanged a warm smile with my mother. When she reached across the table to take Rebecca’s hand, optimism grew within me.

I hoped that this time, they’d get over my leaving a lot sooner than they did last time, but most importantly, I hoped that they finally supported my decision. Maybe having the support of the strong, beautiful woman beside me would help. Only time would tell.

Later that night while lying in bed, Rebecca insisted I tell her every word that was spoken in Italian, and I did…except for Isabella’s instigating comment to my parents.

Rebecca felt better, and truth be told, so did I. My parents were fine, and I could tell my words finally registered in their minds. Maybe it was having Rebecca by my side, or that I truly was happy for the first time and they saw that in me? Whatever it was, I appreciated that they now understood my reasons for leaving, both past and present.

That night, after chatting with Ricky on our current status, Rebecca and I decided to stay a few days longer than we originally planned. He assured us nothing was happening yet on his end. He was still pulling investors together, and before “shit got real”—his words—we should enjoy the opportunity of downtime.

Although Rebecca was anxious to repeat our “coming out” to her family, she loved getting to know my parents and seeing as much of my heritage as possible. She started to understand bits and pieces of our conversations and randomly would use words that she had picked up when conversing with my family. Each time she did, my mother would smile proudly.

My parents fell into a comfortable relationship with her, and I could tell it thrilled them. She and Sofia also became close over the past few days. Sofia accompanied us on our day trips, as well as joining us for dinner with her husband and kids at night.

Isabella was another story. I avoided my sister mainly because I couldn’t even look at her. I wasn’t sure what happened in the seven years since I left, but this Isabella was not the same person. At one time, she was the life of the party, the first one to crack a joke and usually at her own expense. From what I could tell, things between her and her husband were fine, the kids were all healthy and happy. So, why was my sister so miserable?

The common denominator had to be Clara.

At least my ex had the common sense to stay away since our welcome dinner. Normally, one would be relieved if the source of their angst kept their distance. I, on the other hand, was skeptical. Being home with Rebecca should have had Clara foaming at the mouth to cause me trouble. I couldn’t help but be suspicious that wasn’t occurring.

I forced myself not to waste too many brain cells on her. I spent the time showing Rebecca my beautiful city and loving her as much as physically possible—which wasn’t easy when a steady stream of relatives came and went all week.

At night, we’d excuse ourselves from the chaos that ensued in the main house to enjoy alone time in the guesthouse.

The reason my mother backed off as she did could have been from guilt or from fear that I’d suddenly take off. Either way, I had no problem using her complacency to our advantage—like right about now.

Rebecca emerged from the bathroom all ready for bed. She wore her favorite
The Horizon
oversized T-shirt that hit her mid-thigh. I knew she’d be naked underneath. Tonight we wouldn’t be slipping under the covers to make love. Tonight was our last night in Florence, and I had other plans for us.

Her eyes widened when she saw me sitting naked on the edge of the bed. My cock protruded from my crotch both stiff and proud, greeting her ceremoniously.

“Well, hello there, Mr. Puglia.” She arched a sly brow before licking her bottom lip.

“Hello, my love.” When she stepped closer, I said, “I have a surprise for you.”

“What’s all this?” Beside me sat two big, fluffy bathrobes and a basket containing two champagne flutes and a bottle of the region’s best sparkling wine.

When I stood, my cock poked her lower belly. With a devious grin, I lifted the hem of her T-shirt and threw it over her head. Her smirk quickly morphed into confusion when I reached for one of the robes and slipped it on her naked frame, before putting one on myself. “Slip those on.” I motioned toward a pair of slippers that matched the robe.

Before she could ask questions, I took her hand and led her out of the guesthouse. “Marco, where are we going?” Panic laced her words, and when we stepped out into the darkness, her eyes immediately darted around, looking for intruding eyes. The main house was dark, except for my parents’ bedroom light. Predictably, my father was probably passed out while my mom was reading in bed.

“Shh,” I said before leading her to the pool.

“It’s chilly outside.”

“It’s heated.”

Instead of heading toward the natural rock steps that led into the shallow end, I walked around the edge of the pool toward the waterfall. The pool was well lit, and her eyes widened farther when she realized we’d be naked. I raised my brows suggestively before throwing her a wink.

Behind the waterfall, thick shrubbery bordered the flagstone path on all sides. Still holding the basket in one hand and her hand in the other, I stepped between two well-placed shrubs into a private oasis.

“Oh my God,” she gasped when I pulled her through the “secret passage” that had served me well as a teenager. “This is gorgeous.”

“I know.”

Surrounded by a natural living fence of sorts, the shrubs provided complete privacy. The side that faced the pool was the backside of the waterfall. The glassy shimmering sheath of water that separated us from the house was impossible to see through.

“You can get here from the main pool if you dive under the waterfall. When I was younger, I rigged it so you could also get here this way.”

She quirked her lips to the side before saying, “Is this your love lair?”

“No,
bella
. I only ever loved you,” I quipped.

“Nice try.”

Placing the basket on the edge, I wordlessly removed her robe and then dropped mine. I stepped in first, holding my hand out to help her follow. The perfect square pool was shallow at about four feet deep, with a built-in bench running along its perimeter.

The warm water engulfed us, and a slow smile spread across her lips. “This is incredible.”

“You are incredible.”

I sat on the bench, positioning her legs to straddle my lap. My cock waited anxiously to sink into her, and her warm skin nestled around my length made it very hard to ignore…but I had something to do first.

With a damp hand, I pushed her hair away from her face. “
Bella
, I have been thanking
Dio
every day for bringing you to me. Now that I found you, I can’t live without you. I want you with me every moment of every day for the rest of our lives.” I placed a gentle kiss on her moist lips. Before it could progress, I pulled away to continue. “I brought you here to meet my spectacularly dysfunctional family. Without knowing the language, you not only endured their craziness but you’ve made them fall in love with you in just seven days. I shouldn’t be surprised, the same happened with me. You’re amazing, beautiful, kind, sweet, loving—everything I ever wanted in a woman…in a wife.
Ti amo, bella
.”

She ran a loving hand through my hair and bent to kiss my lips firmly. “I love you too, Marco. I didn’t think men like you existed.”

“Men like me are only possible because of women like you. I wasn’t like this before we met, and you most definitely changed me in such a short time. For all those skeptics who claim there is no such thing as love at first sight, they can fuck off. There is, and we are living proof.”

I reached into the basket and pulled out a small black velvet box. Her eyes widened immediately when she realized what it was. Flipping it open to reveal a classic round stone in a simple platinum band, I asked, “Rebecca, will you marry me?”

Her gasp echoed in the space around us. “Marco, when did you do this?”

“Remember when Sofia took you into that boutique and I grumbled I’d be waiting outside?” She nodded vigorously. “I was next door buying this. The owner is a friend of the family.” I slipped the ring onto her finger, kissing it before kissing her. “I wanted to propose to you before we left here. I want you to know we go into this new venture as partners, a team.”

“This is too big.”

“It’s not big enough,” I admitted. “But I knew you’d be mad at me.”

“Yes, I would be mad at you. This ring is way too much.” She admired her ring, her hand trembling slightly as she did. “It’s beautiful.”

“So, is that a yes?”

“Oh God, yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!” She threw her arms around me, kissing my face, my neck, my jaw, and finally landing on my lips. Our kiss immediately became heated and passionate between us.

I pulled away, holding her face in my hands. “We’ll toast soon. First, I need this,” I said, holding myself to her entrance and slowly slipping in. Her eyes fell shut, her mouth parted, and I held my fiancée in my arms as we made love under the moonlight of Florence.

“All packed,
bella
?”

I nodded sadly.

I really was going to miss his home. Despite the anxiety of meeting his family, the language barrier, and even his sister’s dislike of me, it was still a wonderful week. I couldn’t believe it’d been fourteen days since first arriving in Rome. On one hand, it went so fast. I got to see some of the most beautiful places in Italy with Marco as my own personal guide. On the other, so much had happened during these two weeks.

If at all possible, we became even closer. I knew this man had my back no matter what, and I’d prove to him I had his as well.

It wasn’t going to be easy for him to meet my family. Sure, he wouldn’t have a language barrier to deal with, but I couldn’t pretend meeting my brothers was going to be a cakewalk…especially Sam. I came into Marco’s family as his girlfriend, but he’d be coming into mine as my fiancé.

I had time to prep him, as he’d prepped me. Until then, I needed to relish the high I was still feeling from the two weeks he’d just gifted me with.

Marco came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist as I stared out the window. “You okay,
bella
?”

“I’m great. I love it here, thank you for bringing me.”

“It was my pleasure. We’ll come back as soon as we can.” He kissed my cheek and said, “I’ll go put these in the car. Wait here for me.”

I’d miss his home. During the week, we’d sneak off to quiet corners of the fruit orchard or go for long walks around the property. Even last night as he orchestrated the most perfect proposal in the secret alcove behind his pool, he supplied wonderful memories for me to carry back home.

Last night, fifty of his relatives came by for an impromptu farewell party. I wouldn’t be able to repeat the names of everyone I’d met. I felt comfortable enough to hang out with his sister Sofia, his brothers-in-law, and his cousin Gianni throughout the night. Marco kept checking on me, but he was often pulled away by a cousin or an aunt, leaving me to fend on my own.

Isabella attempted to apologize, in her own way. I haven’t told Marco, but she was quick to defend her actions, explaining how much he and Clara were in love and that their breakup was something that still saddened her all these years later. Isabella had no idea what occurred to cause the breakup. It made me feel sorry for her, putting so much trust and love into Clara while being deceived as to what kind of person she really was.

He admitted he shared his plans to propose with his parents, and of course, Sofia knew, as well as Isabella. Otherwise, no one else did. The traditionalist in him felt bad that he hadn’t yet asked my father for my hand and promised he would do so formally in New Jersey. Thinking back to last night, I had assumed their warm hospitality was due to our departure, when in fact, it was due to their accepting me as part of their family.

I circled, taking in all the details of this little guesthouse we’d called home for the last week. It felt so real being here with him, playing house in a way. Of course, this had been a fairytale of sorts, and I was level-headed enough to know there would be hard times, bad times, even very challenging times in the years to come. The only thing that could devastate me was the possibility of losing him.

If faced with a penniless reality where we could be destitute, homeless, even hungry, I’d gladly accept that fate if it meant keeping him.

A knock on the door snapped me back to the guesthouse. “Why are you knocking?” I asked, expecting to see Marco on the other side.

Clara smiled when she saw my surprised face. “
Ciao
, Rebecca. Can I come in?”