Surprised by Love (10 page)

 “He
was impotent—another little matter he forgot to mention before the
wedding.”  She frowned, tightening her embrace.  “Alessandro, please
can we never again talk about that time in my life?  I was unhappy in the
marriage, and was on the point of asking Marcella to get me a divorce, when the
accident happened.”   

 “Forgive
me,” he whispered against her mouth.  “It was just that I…”

Connie
kissed him full on the mouth.  “You wanted it to be better for me than
what I’d been used to.  I should’ve told you before that he was
impotent—at least he was with me—he probably wasn’t with Violet…”

 “Will
you answer me this—how does friendship and passion compare with so-called love?”

“Favourably,
amore—
can a woman say that to a man?”

He
nodded.  “If you mean it, yes.”     

Connie
smiled.  “I mean it.  But you were telling me that once was never
enough for you?”

 “With
you, that’s true, as I intend to prove to you very soon.”  Trailing
baby-kisses over her face until he returned to her mouth, he whispered, “With
you, everything is so different.  I should tell you that when I was merely
having sex—I felt nothing.  It was a sort of aerobic exercise that…”

 “Got
your rocks off?” Connie suggested helpfully.

Alessandro
threw his head back and laughed.  “Yes, that’s it exactly. Now stop making
helpful suggestions and come into my arms.”

 “I
am in your arms.”

 “So
you are—  My dear
fidanzata
, will you have me again?”

 “Does
that mean fiancée?  Yes, please.  Um…Alessandro?”  Her
near-whisper sounded hesitant.

 “What,
amore?”

 “Are
we getting married just so Nonna
won’t be upset?”

He
tightened his embrace.  “For a highly intelligent woman, you sure ask some
dumb questions,
carissima.”

 “I
think I prefer ‘
amore’.”

 “Anything
you want,
amore. 
And I hope that you will give me what I want some
time soon?”

 “And
what is it you want?”

 “Take
a wild guess, my dearest fiancée.”

Chapter
9.

Connie
wondered whether Alessandro would want her to sleep in his bed from now
on.  These days engaged couples slept together—she knew that.  She
had been a bit surprised when Bob had not made any attempt at having premarital
sex with her—for a very good reason, as she discovered after they were
married.  With an impatient shrug of her shoulders she dismissed Bob from
her mind. 

 “What?” 
Alessandro’s deep baritone caressed.

 “I
wondered if you wanted me to go to my own suite,” she said slowly.

 “No. 
If I had wanted us to sleep apart, I would have come to your bed,
carissima,
so that I could leave.  But I want us to sleep together from now
on.  Do you agree?  Is it what you want?”

Connie
nodded.  “You have nice manners.  And yes, it’s what I want too,
 Alessandro.  Although—going by what we’ve been doing so far—sleep
will not figure prominently in our nights together.”

Alessandro
laughed.  “I hope that doesn’t faze you?”

Connie
slowly shook her head.  “No.  I like being with you.  As I said,
you have such nice manners…”

 “I
think it is essential that married people should have nice manners for each
other, more so than for strangers.  Do you agree?”

 “Yes,
I do, Alessandro.  I’m beginning to think maybe this marriage might work
quite well…”

****

Alessandro
reached for Connie many times during that night, and when she awoke—curled into
his side, his arm around her, her hand on his penis—she gazed at his sleeping
face, elated at being with him.  She smiled.  For once he was
dormant—well, after all he was asleep.  She realized he had a high sex
drive—which he had suppressed once they began working together—remaining
celibate all that time.  She gazed at him in quiet delight. 

Alessandro
was exceptional—an experienced, accomplished lover—an incredible improvement on
the past in every way.  She was no longer worried about having accepted
his proposal of a marriage based on friendship and passion.  He was
right.  She and Bob had married for love, and what had that got her? 
Lies, impotence, evasions, infidelity—he had even committed bigamy in order to
be with another woman.  She promised herself she’d never waste another
thought on the past.

Turning
her face into Alessandro’s body, she pressed her lips to his upper chest in a
soft kiss.  A shiver of excitement ran through her.  Alessandro
hadn’t been with any of the sexual athletes that were his for the asking—not
since the day she started working with him.  Had he felt an interest in
her that long ago?  She thought that unlikely, although…  She had to
confess that she’d begun  thinking about Alessandro when he’d started
taking her out.  When they were having dinner together, talking about
private things, he’d seemed closer to her than when they were working. 

And
now they were engaged to be married…  Amazing. 

She
felt his penis jerk against her palm—ah, definitely no longer dormant. 
She heard his voice, husky with sleep, and realized that her kiss must have
woken him up.

“What,
tesoro
?” 

“I
was thinking about you—us,” she said slowly.

“Do
you think you could forget about thinking for a while, and begin making love to
me?  It’s about time you did some work,
amore.” 
He lifted her
by the waist, sliding beneath her, slowly letting her impale herself on his
deeply aroused penis. 

“I’ll
take you for the ride of your life,
caro,”
she whispered—and did just
that.

Afterwards,
lying in his arms, feeling protected by his passion for her, she began to
realize that she had fallen helplessly and hopelessly in love with him—whatever
he thought about ‘love’.  She decided to keep this a deep, darkly hidden
secret from him.  He didn’t believe in love—then she wouldn’t burden him
with her feelings. Maybe, if she was patient, he would one day come to love her
as deeply as she loved him now. 

****

Nonna
decided to hold a reception for her grandson and his bride.  Gina
complained that she—Alessandro’s mother—should hold the reception.  For
once, Nonna
pulled rank and seniority.  She was determined to have
her way, ensuring that the engaged couple would enjoy the reception—which was
not exactly a given if Gina were to do the planning.  No doubt, even at
the party for her son’s engagement to Connie, she would have a surfeit of
alleged virginal girls in their late teens. 

Nonna
shook her head.  Gina was nothing if not predictable.  She would
probably hand over a list of ‘friends’ which she wanted to be invited—a list
which Nonna
intended to ignore
.
  This was going to be a
happy reception for Connie and Alessandro. 

Connie
was surprised at Nonna’s and Gina’s interest in what she would wear at the
reception.  Nonna
asked most delicately whether she would like her
help in getting a designer gown for the reception.  Connie was glad to
reassure her that Alessandro had taken care of that. 

Gina
telephoned and suggested that she take Connie to her own pet designer. 
Connie countered that Alessandro had flown Valentino Chiari down from Milan,
and she had acquired several dinner and evening dresses—long and short. 
Connie thought for a 5-7 reception a short evening dress would be best.

When
Gina went on and on about the desirability of the fiancée standing out in a
long dress, Connie sweetly suggested that Gina talk to Alessandro.  No
more was heard about a stand-out long gown. 

The
afternoon of the reception, Alessandro asked, “Which dress have you decided
on?”

“Your
mother suggested a long gown, but I think that’s overkill for a 5-7
reception.  I thought Tino’s pale sage green short evening dress.” 
She shrugged one elegant shoulder.  “What does it matter what I
wear?  The women will come to look at you—I could be in a t-shirt and
shorts and they would never notice.”

Alessandro
laughed.  “I hope you won’t be tempted to put that to the test,
tesoro. 
And yes, I agree that’s a wonderful dress.  Nonna
will like
it.”

“As
long as you like it, I’ll be happy to wear it.”

“I
don’t care what you wear—I’m far more interested in taking that dress off you
when we get home after the reception.”

“Insatiable!”

“Complaints?”

Connie
shook her head until her blonde curls danced around her head.  “Of course
no complaints, you know that,
caro. 
I was just pointing out an
undeniable fact.”

“Ah. 
Come here.”

“Alessandro—we
have to be at Nonna’s
in three hours…”

“You’re
a mathematical genius.” One corner of his mouth curled in amusement. 
“Tell me, how much time do you need for a shower and getting dressed—I’ve
noticed you’re not into primping—half an hour?”

“Yes,
I guess.”

“Good. 
I say again, come here.”

And
Connie went willingly into his arms.

****

As
Aldo was driving them to Nonna’s villa, Connie glanced at Alessandro.  The
glow of having just made love added something indefinable to his already
stunning looks.  Women would throw themselves at him, she thought, amused. 
Let them—as long as they realized that he was going home with her after the
reception.

“What,
tesoro?”
he asked.      

Connie
smiled.  “I was just thinking, with that well-loved and well-kissed look
you will be totally irresistible to the women at the reception.  They’ll
throw themselves at you with more than the usual abandon, even.”

He
shrugged.  “Ah, but will you?”

“I
don’t have to.  I get to take you home, where I’ll have you at my
mercy.”  Connie saw the remarkable blue of his eyes darken to sapphire. 
How was that possible?  They had made love twice before getting dressed
for Nonna’s reception.  How could he be interested so soon again—even
allowing for his high sex-drive—

which
she thought would cool down a bit once he had got over his long period of
celibacy?

Alessandro’s
voice was husky.  “Say one more word, and I’ll tell Aldo to turn around
and drive us home.”  The look he gave her was explicit and sent an erotic
shiver all the way down her spine.

“Alessandro,
you can’t!  Nonna
is doing this for us.”

He
nodded.  “And that’s the only reason I’m not telling Aldo to turn around
.”

He
can’t mean that—it’s just his way of flirting with me…

Alessandro
shook his dark head—accurately reading her expressive face.

“I
wasn’t flirting,
tesoro. 
I meant it.” 

Connie
gazed at him in surprise.

He
grinned. “Friendship and passion make a very potent combination, don’t you
think?  Better than the delusion of whatever people mean by love.”

“Even
so, I haven’t entirely given up on love,
caro.”

“Haven’t
you?  Why waste time on it, when what we have between us is so powerful,
engrossing, all-encompassing?”

Connie
ventured, “If we loved each other, we might reach greater heights?”

“If
you want greater heights, remind me when we get back home, and I’ll take you there
with passion alone.”

****

They
arrived at Nonna
’s
sumptuous villa nestled in vast, parklike
gardens.  Connie sighed her admiration.  Aldo drove in through the
high wrought-iron, gold-tipped gates, which opened as if by magic.  He
stopped at the entrance to the villa, and Alessandro quickly got out, offering
his hand to Connie.  They were just in time to see Nonna
push a
portly, dignified man aside.

“Enrico! 
I want to welcome my grandson and his fiancée!”

Hastily,
Enrico stepped back.  “Entirely as you wish,
Signora
Contessa.” 
He did his best to assist her down the few steps to ground level, as Nonna
,
in her hurry to reach Alessandro, was in danger of losing her
footing.  Enrico’s strong arm was there to prevent any mishap. 
Alessandro nodded gratefully to him, over Nonna’s head, catching her in a
loving embrace. 

“There
you are at last, Sandro,” she gasped, tears in her eyes.  She reached for
his face, cradling his lean cheeks in her thin hands, so that she could kiss
him—her dearly beloved grandson, who had ignored Gina’s matchmaking and instead
had chosen a woman with whom he had a great deal in common intellectually—not
to mention that they were a stunningly beautiful couple, and obviously deeply
in love.  Nonna
could see that at a glance.