Propositioning the Rich Italian (14 page)

“There is a major difference between Daníella and myself.”

He gave her a measured look. “And what would that difference be?”

“The fact she has stayed around for four years since you divorced her indicates she still cares about you.”

His left brow rose in surprise. “How are you so certain of that?”

She gave him a knowing look. “Because if you had treated me like you treated Daníella, you would walk with more than a slight limp.”

She watched as his other brow rose at her statement. A moment later, a smile appeared on his face. The grin widened, and he began to laugh. She looked at him in shock, then at the Carabelli’s who were exiting the house quickly. The looks on their faces completely priceless, certain theirs matched her own. Carlo looked like a totally different person when he laughed, more relaxed. Even though there was a smile on Mona’s face, Tierra could swear there were unshed tears in her eyes. Tierra watched as Carlo stood slowly before he reached out to embrace her.

“If that is true, I must say I’m glad the two of you are different. I will also consider what you have said.”

She gave him a slight nod, then watched him walk back into the house, the sounds of his chuckle trailing behind. Turning, she looked at the shocked family members Carlo left behind. They all stared at her in amazement.

“What did you do to make him laugh?” Amalía questioned, being the first to break the silence.

Tierra shook her head. She wasn’t going to share a private conversation between Carlo and her with his family. If Carlo wanted them to know, he would be the one to tell.

“I told him the truth.”

She smiled at Amalía’s expression of disbelief. “We have been doing that for the last four years, and my brother hasn’t laughed, let alone smiled, yet you managed to get him to do both at the same time. You have to tell us what you said.”

Tierra shrugged her shoulders. “Let’s just say I caught him by surprise.”
  

She was grateful when Antonio stepped forward and pulled her into his embrace, saving her from further interrogation.

He pressed his lips to her forehead. “Whatever you did, I’m happy and grateful for it. It is good to see my brother laugh again, even if it is just for a few moments.”

Antonio placed a kiss on her lips before pulling back. Even with the brief touch of his mouth, desire flooded through her, and she instantly thought about the satin sheets waiting for them back at his home. His thought pattern seemed to be on the same wavelength.

“It is getting late. Are you ready to go?”

She nodded, stretching upward to get closer to his ear. “I’m ready to take you up on your earlier promise to show me how those sheet feel.”

She felt his body stiffen and watched his eyes darken with passion. A second later, she was the one smiling as he rushed her through the quickest goodbyes of her life. She let him hurry her to his car. Her eyes followed him as he moved around quickly to the driver side before getting in. The drive to his house took place in complete silence, the sexual tension between them simmering. It was obvious that he struggled to keep his hands off of her, but that didn’t mean she had to do the same. Reaching out, she touched his hard thigh, and he tensed immediately.

“
Cara
, if you don’t want me to pull this car over and drag you into the backseat, I suggest you keep your hands to yourself for a little while longer.”

She looked into the back, contemplating if they would fit, then removing her hand. They probably could squeeze back there, but it wouldn’t be comfortable.

 
It was enough motivation to make her behave during the rest of the ride. He pulled into his driveway a short time later. When he appeared by her door, she was out and in his arms before she could blink. He rushed her into his home, his lips finding hers as soon as the door closed. She felt him fumble for the lock before his long stride carried them across the room to the couch she’d been admiring earlier. When he drew back, he reached for her shirt and tugged it over her head. Her breasts were barely covered by the ivory colored lace bra. A harsh groan escaped him.

“
Cara
, we aren’t going to make it to those satin sheets right away.”

She smiled. “Well, we always have later.”

He studied her briefly, then lowered his head, taking her nipple into his mouth through the lace. She moaned in pleasure, arching up into his mouth. A shudder darted down her spine as he switched over to her other nipple. Her back arched, pushing her further into his mouth. The move brought her lower body in perfect alignment with his. Both of them stilled before he released the nipple he’d been lavishing attention on. She drew a deep breath as he sat up. Their clothes began to disappear. She wasn’t sure where they landed, nor did she care. He slowed when he saw her matching lace panties.

“Tierra, if I haven’t told you before now, I love your taste in underwear.”

She smiled to herself, honestly not able to recall if he said the words verbally. Her mind was too scattered by his touch, but his eyes always told her. Before she could tell him so, he removed her panties. He didn’t return to cover her. Instead, he slid lower on the couch. She knew what was coming but still didn’t have time to brace herself. His mouth touched her, and she cried out in pleasure, arching into him. The man had a skilled mouth, almost driving her to the edge of insanity. When his finger joined his mouth, she screamed. His touch made her fall apart as he began to stroke her in all of the places she needed him to. His other hand came up to hold her hip, as if he knew she would try to move away from his touch when it became too intense. He held her steady as she threw her head back and screamed again when the first orgasm slammed into her. When he kept going she tried to sit up.

“Okay, Antonio,” she whimpered. “One is enough.”

Before he could negate her statement, she cried out as another orgasm rushed through her. After he coaxed her into one more, he moved upward, covering her trembling body with his. It was a struggle to keep her eyes open, but as he entered her slowly, she focused on him. Her body contracted around him in aftershocks from her last orgasm. At his second thrust, her body jerked with surprise.

“Antonio, you have to stop,” she gasped.

He continued to move, unfazed by her halfhearted protest. She always thought it strange when she heard the phrase “dying from pleasure,” but now she had an idea of what it referred to. Her legs came up around his waist, holding him to her. A second later, she fell apart in his arms. Her body took over, sending her spiraling over the edge. She pulled him over with her into a powerful climax. He called her name on a cry of pleasure as she clung to him breathlessly, giving herself over to the satisfaction she was drowning in.

As she recovered, she stared up at him, meeting his gaze. He stared at her with an expression she couldn’t decipher. A heartbeat later, he stood up before sweeping her up into his arms. She stared at him in surprise.

“What are you doing?”

He glanced down at her before starting up the stairs. “We still have to try out those satin sheets.”

She looked at him with wide eyes. “Now?”

He nodded as he made it to the top of the stairs, then headed for his bedroom. She continued to hold onto him as he laid her on his bed. He followed her down, keeping her in his arms. It always scared her to death when the feelings she had for him came to the surface. She struggled to keep them at bay, even though it was difficult to do, especially when his arms surrounded her. She felt so safe in his embrace. How it could all feel so right to her? How could she feel more of a connection to a man she’d barely known one week over one she been involved with for over three years?

This was supposed to be a two-week affair. Why couldn’t she get her brain to wrap around idea? This could lead to serious trouble if she didn’t watch herself. She didn’t want to get hurt again. It would devastate her.

“What’s wrong,
cara
?”

She shook her head, embarrassed when tears sprang to her eyes. He pulled her closer to him, causing her tears to flow freely.

“This isn’t supposed to happen,” she whispered.

“What isn’t supposed to happen?” he asked with a mixture of concern and puzzlement.

“I’m not supposed to develop feelings for you.”

He smiled. “You make it sound like a bad thing.”

She looked at him with sadness and confusion. “It is. This is only supposed to be an affair.”

“Would it make you feel better if I told you I am starting to develop feelings for you as well?”

His expression was so sincere, she cried harder even as she shook her head.

“What makes caring about me so bad?”

 
The question made her sob harder. How could she explain the conflict she felt? Anything other than an affair between the two of them was impossible. Not with the distance between the two of them. Not after what she’d been through with Quincy. She’d given up quite a bit for a man who obviously hadn’t wanted her. She wasn’t ready to do it again. In this situation, she couldn’t afford to do that again. She stood to lose a lot more this time. It scared her when she realized how out of control things could get with Antonio. He slid a finger under her chin, making her look up at him.

“I thought we weren’t going to think anymore sad thoughts today?”

“How can I not?”

She sighed as he gave her a gentle smile. “Easy,
cara
, you focus on the good things we have together. Even in the end, you focus on the good things.”

* * * *

He didn’t tell her he didn’t plan on letting her go. There was no way he could, but how could he convince her they could make it work, especially in the amount of time he had left? He knew he could prove to her that they had what it took if both of them were willing to put the effort into it. He just had to show her. Looking down at her, he realized her tears had stopped running down her cheeks, but her eyelids were still wet.

“Tierra, I care about you. I have since I laid eyes on you. This isn’t easy for me, either, but I want to focus on what we have at least for the remainder of the time we are here. After that point, we will see what happens.”

He placed a soft kiss on her lips before pulling back. “Promise me we can do that.”

He watched as she stared at him for a long time before nodding. If nothing else, he could continue to try to make sure she enjoyed the rest of her time in Rome. He wanted to be good to her because she deserved it, especially after the jerk she’d put up with. He felt immense relief when she nodded her head slowly and offered him a wobbly smile.

“I can try.”

“
Buon. Cara, molto buon
.”

He continued to stare at her, taking in her beauty, and her expression became wary.

“What are you doing Antonio?”

He smiled. “I am focusing on a few of the good things we have together.”

His began to move his hands up and down her body unhurriedly, stroking every inch of soft, delicate skin he could reach. She relaxed in his embrace, letting him explore her body. He began to lavish attention on one breast, then the other until she arched into him. When he began to slide lower, her eyes closed. He was intent on providing the mind-blowing bliss they’d both grown used to. She jerked when he touched her with his fingers first. A moment later, his mouth followed, and for the thousandth time he made her whimper with pleasure.

He caressed her, alternating between his fingers and lips, pushing her toward release. It wasn’t long before her back left the bed as she cried out his name. He loved the way she responded to his touch. Even when she said it was enough, he knew there could be more. He came up over her, and when her eyes met his, there was a sated look in them with a mixture of underlying desire. Passion that he felt as well. He needed to be inside her, where he felt closest to her. He shifted his lower body until he rested at the apex of her thighs. He watched her shake her head as he began to enter her.

“You are killing me, Antonio.”

He smiled as he continued to move. “I don’t want to kill you,
cara
. I want to please you.”

“You are, Antonio,” she moaned.

He continued to move, and her legs came up around his waist, urging him deeper within her. She gasped, and he watched her, knowing she was going to climax again, and he wanted her to. He felt it as well when her body began to tighten around him. He drew away from her slightly. The look on her face told him what he needed to know. He loved giving her pleasure, knowing she hadn’t experienced it with anyone but him. His own body grasped for a taste of pleasure. He lowered his chest to hers, and a heartbeat later she moaned his name as her body tightened around his, pushing him over the edge with her. Her name fell from his lips in return. It took his remaining strength not to crush her and roll to the side instead. He reached out, touching her cheek and causing her to look at him.

She sighed softly. “Why is it like this with us?”

He could only smile. “Because it is supposed to be.”

He stared at her for a long time before smiling to himself. Every time he touched her, it always felt right, but it never seemed to be enough. He liked how she never demanded anything from him. It made him want to give her everything. It also scared him because he knew they weren’t at a point where Tierra would give him more. The idea of something more than a brief affair between the two of them made her skittish. She pulled him from his thoughts when she spoke.