Propositioning the Rich Italian (8 page)

“Antonio, wait…what are you doing?”

He looked up at her, and the only word she could use to describe his expression, passionate. The fervor she saw there almost intimidating.

“I’m giving you pleasure,
cara
. If you have to ask, then I must not be doing a good job.”

Her head fell back, unable to hold it up any longer.

“Trust me, you are doing a very good job of giving me pleasure,” she replied out of breathlessly, amazed he could still string a sentence together.

His predatory smiled reappeared. “Good. It should only get better after I do this…”

Even though romance novels gave her an idea of what was about to happen, this was the first time she would experience it for herself. His mouth joined his hands, drawing one of her nipples into his mouth, giving the beaded tip a light flick of his tongue, before doing the same to the other. Nothing in the world could have prepared her for this. He seemed to be trying to drink in all of her essence. She moaned in pleasure, trying to arch away from the intense satisfaction. Antonio wouldn’t allow it. Instead, he lifted her legs over his shoulders, leaving her seated firmly against his mouth. She moaned even louder, and he increased the sensation as if spurred on by the sound. Her head began to thrash side to side, and she began to chant his name. Several moments later, she screamed as pure bliss roared through her. The gratification she experienced so acute she actually sat up and clasped the back of his head as she rode out her satisfaction.

She finally fell back breathlessly, trying to figure out what just happened besides the best orgasm of her life. Antonio moved away from her, and she was so weak she didn’t have the strength to protest. He didn’t go far. When his hands went to his belt, she realized he still had all of his clothes on. She found enough strength to push herself up onto her elbows to get a better view. He undressed quickly and efficiently until the only item left were his underwear, almost completely revealing a perfect body to her. Then again she hadn’t expected anything less. His body seemed to be made up of chiseled muscles and corded steel, yet his skin felt like satin. She blushed at the thought of how she gripped his shoulders a few moments ago.

Still, she wanted to touch him again, needed to touch him again, touch him without clothes, touch the parts of him she neglected so far. Pushing herself up slowly, she made her way toward the edge of the bed on her knees, stopping directly in front of him. She caught a whiff of his strong masculine scent that held a tone of spiciness. It was a scent she liked, a scent that made her want to get closer to him. Reaching out, she touched his chest, loving the smooth yet hard feel of him. Desire began to pool in her belly again. She leaned forward and placed a kiss against the spot she just touched, and he inhaled sharply. At the sound, she looked up, and the desire she read in his eyes matched hers.

She let her hand slide toward his impressive erection. His eyes closed, and he emitted a feral growl. Another harsh sound escaped him as he stilled her hands before putting some distance between them. His attempt to separate them slowed the desire racing through them, but it did not disappear completely. She smiled as he pulled her back into his arms, and at the contact of their bodies, the passion began to flare up again. Her smile widened as his control slipped again, and his movements became frantic. Antonio removed her nightgown from her quickly and back on the bed before she could blink.

He trailed kisses over her jaw line, down her cheek, sliding lower. When he reached the swell of her stomach, he gave it a light, stinging nip before soothing it with his tongue. He moved lower until he was nestled between her thighs. His mouth found her, and she shrieked in a mixture of surprise and gratification. She’d been with Quincy for three years, and he’d never taken the initiative to pleasure her orally once, yet here Antonio was satisfying her twice, and he showed no signs of stopping. Quincy truly was a selfish bastard. Nothing made her happier than to be rid of him. Antonio kept his early promise of wanting to taste her, and she must have a flavor he couldn’t get enough of. A sensuous flick of his tongue made her scream with joy.

“
Antonio!
”

He satisfied her with an intensity, making her scream again as she convulsed against him in the throes of another orgasm. Satisfaction spiraled through her from all angles. He pulled away from her, and she could only watch as he removed his underwear before joining her on the bed.

Still, the simple action seemed to take too long. Just as she was getting ready to protest, she heard the rattle of a foil packet and knew he donned protection. She was thankful
 
and when he came back over her, she smiled.

He placed a brief kiss on her lips before moving between her thighs. Pulling back, he looked her in the eye.

“Are you sure about this?”

Tierra nodded without hesitation. “I have never been more sure of anything else.”

Antonio nodded before pressing forward.
 
At the sensation of him entering her, she gasped. Her body instinctively remembered what to do, granting him access into her.
 
She gasped with discomfort, and when her body clamped down around his, he held her hips and lowered his body to hers. She tried to move away, but he kept his hold on her and placed his forehead against hers.

“I’m sorry,
cara
.
The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you.”

Tierra tried to find the words to tell him she knew he hadn’t, but she couldn’t. She tried to keep the tears gathering in her eyes at bay, but judging by the sudden tenseness in his body, he’d seen them.

“You have to relax for me,
cara
. It is the only way the pain will go away.”

Her eyes closed, and a soft sob escaped her. She tried to compose herself, and after a few moments, the pain faded, and her eyes reopened. She gave him a small smile, and he removed one of his hands from her hip, wiping away her tears before speaking to her soothingly in Italian. She didn’t understand anything he said, but it helped her to relax, and he slid in another inch. Antonio murmured a few more words until he nestled completely inside of her. Her body hugged his tightly, and he gave her a few moments to adjust.

“Are you okay,
cara
?”
   

She nodded slowly, not trusting her voice. No other words were needed. He began to move slowly. His patience paid off. The instant all of the discomfort left her, her body became more lax, and she began to move with him.

He lowered himself to her, and she held fast, not wanting an inch of space between them. She inhaled sharply as he slid deeper, but it was one of pleasure, and her hold on him tightened. She felt the pressure of an impending orgasm, but she wanted him with her when she went over the edge this time. She gasped as he switched tempos, his thrusts coming quicker.

“Stay with me,
cara
,” he whispered brokenly in her ear.

She couldn’t respond verbally, but she had no desire to do anything but follow his command. A moment later, he let out a mixture of a growl and shout of ecstasy signaling his own release. He held her securely as her body continued to contract around him in pleasure. At that moment, she knew Antonio had stolen a part of her heart and it was going to be hard to walk away from him at the end of the next two weeks.
         

Chapter 7

Tierra stirred sleepily as Antonio lifted her up into his arms. She was still worn out from their lovemaking. It didn’t seem as though much time passed. She must have actually fallen asleep at some point. Now he carried her to the bathroom, and she realized he’d readied the vintage marble tub for them. He stepped into the tub with her, and she winced slightly as he lowered them to the water.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded, and he settled back in the tub, drawing her against him. They sat there for a moment, letting the warmth of the water seep into their muscles. He ran his hand up and down her arm in a soothing fashion.

“I am sorry I hurt you,
cara
.”

She looked up at him, melting at his tender expression. “I know it may sound strange, but it was worth it, and it didn’t hurt long.”

He smiled. “Not as strange as you think it may sound,
cara
.”

She nodded, but now the sexual tension between the two of them dissipated some, and other pressing issues were taking over her thoughts. “Antonio.”

“Hmm?”

“Tell me about your family.”

She watched him smile before he opened his mouth to speak.

“I love my parents because they have been a solid foundation in my life, as well as my siblings. I have to admit their presence can be unwanted at times, but I still love them in spite of it.”

She nodded, able to relate to how he felt. He placed a soft kiss against her temple.

“To begin with, there is my sister, Amalía. I think the two of you will get along perfectly, for you have quite a bit in common. I also think Amalía would appreciate the extra female companionship, considering five men normally surrounded her at a time. As a matter of fact, Amalía claims the reason she’s still single is because she has been raised around a bunch of uncivilized men.”

Tierra laughed. Having Hayden as a brother made her understand the dilemma perfectly. She heard the love in his voice for his sister.

“Although as much as Amalía may gripe, I think my sister is just waiting for the right person to come into her life so she could get married and fill some of her own baby strollers she been eyeing lately.”

Tierra had a feeling Amalía just needed to find a man who could challenge her, love her.

Antonio came along and challenged her in more ways than she ever thought imaginable. She listened as he told her about Carlo, Giovanni, Leonardo and Macéo, talking about them until she was half asleep against his chest again. She stirred slightly as he reached around her to let the water out of the tub before lifting her again. Even though she could be considered a small woman, she appreciated his strength. She wasn’t entirely sure her own legs would support her. He wrapped a towel around her, then wrapped one around his waist and carried her back to the bedroom.

She watched as he paused to blow out the candle, leaving them in the dark, before carrying her to the bed. He joined her,
 
pulling her into the side of his body where she was most comfortable. Her head instantly came to rest on his, and his arms surrounded her. She didn’t know when she actually fell asleep, but she knew she could stay in his arms like this forever, and the thought scared her.

* * * *

The corners of Antonio’s mouth tilted upward as he studied Tierra. For the first time in his life, he held a woman through the entire night. Actually, it had been more like burrowing since that was pretty much what she’d done. If he moved one inch away, she moved two inches closer. He wrapped both arms around her, and he’d been watching her sleep ever since he awakened half an hour ago. Only one word came to mind while he watched her, beautiful. He didn’t mind waking up to her like this. She didn’t make much noise other than the natural breathing sound, exhaling heavily on occasion. He looked at the clock on the bedside table and smiled. More time passed than he originally thought. It was almost noon. Surprisingly, she hadn’t awakened yet. She must have really been exhausted after last night. It bothered him that he hurt her. The pain had been evident on her face, but it still hadn’t ruined the moment. He’d been her first lover, and the way he saw it, her last.

It had been meant for him to be captivated by her beauty and enter the bar of the restaurant, a place he used to go all the time three years ago, to drag his brother Carlo out, when he decided to wallow in self-pity. Carlo’s accident had done a number on him. Antonio hadn’t been in the bar since he convinced Carlo it wasn’t the way to solve his problems. Still, Antonio hadn’t been able to resist the temptation he felt when he spotted Tierra. Now he knew it had been the right decision. After last night, there was little doubt Tierra might be the woman he wanted in life—beyond two weeks. The only thing he had to do was convince her of the same. She stirred next to him, moving closer, before opening her eyes slowly. He smiled when she looked up at him.

“Buongiorno.”

“Buongiorno,”
she whispered, her voice still husky with sleep. She rolled onto her back, still maintaining contact with him.

“What time is it?”

He smiled as he brushed a runaway strand of hair out of her face. The feel of her soft skin so addictive he didn’t think he would ever tire of touch it.

“It is a little before noon.”

Her eyes widened. “Did I sleep long?”

He nodded. “You were tired, or I would have awoken you.”

She gave him a shy smile. “Thank you. I think I might be suffering from a little jet lag.”

He stroked her cheek with his hand. “That’s understandable.”

She reached for the sheet before sitting up against the headboard. He sat up beside her. “Are you hungry?”

She nodded. Her stomach chose that moment to grumble, indicating the six-course meal she enjoyed last night was gone. Antonio smiled and placed a brief kiss on her lips.

“But I need to use the bathroom first.”