Under the Italian's Command (17 page)

‘Lorenzo, this is fabulous…’

He had brought her to an exquisitely restored Georgian manor house deep in the Cheshire countryside. It was an award-winning hotel,
Carly
learned from reading one of their embossed cards while Lorenzo checked them in. The village was chocolate-box picture-perfect, the house lovely, and their welcome warm and unpretentious. It was very Lorenzo, she concluded.

‘Only the best is good enough for you,
bella
signorina
,’ he said, gesturing towards the staircase.

The best turned out to be a sumptuous suite with a vast four-poster bed in the centre of the bedroom. The bed was dressed with ivory silk, and there was every conceivable aid to comfort in the room. There was also a space-age bathroom down the tiny hallway full of luxury products that could easily tempt you to stay for ever, and a small sitting room with an elegant dining room off. ‘You really didn’t have to go to all this expense,’
Carly
exclaimed as she gazed around. ‘But I’m glad you did,’ she added mischievously.

He started to laugh. Nothing made him happier than seeing
Carly
smile. As he watched she tried out the mattress, bouncing on it. He’d restrained himself long enough. Dropping down beside her, he brought her into his arms. She tasted wonderful; her skin was soft and fragrant like a peach, and he was ravenous for fruit…

‘We’re wearing far too many clothes,’ she pointed out sensibly.

‘I couldn’t agree more.’ His face was close to hers and he smiled against the plump, yielding cushion of her lips. ‘But there’s one thing I want you to do first…’

She yelped in disappointment as he moved away. ‘What?’ she said, running her hand down his back in a way that was guaranteed to change his mind if he didn’t move fast. ‘My letter,’ he reminded her. ‘Did you bring it with you?’

The erotic mist slowly lifted from her eyes. She’d searched for the letter after he’d told her about it, but she hadn’t quite been able to bring herself to read it. ‘Yes, of course I did…It’s in my handbag—’

‘Good. I want you to read it…’

Fear took the place of desire on her face. ‘Now?’ she said, frowning anxiously. At his nod she slipped off the bed without another word.

She handled the heavy vellum fearfully, tracing her finger over Lorenzo’s bold black writing. How was it that every time things were going well reality stuck its oar in and spoiled everything? She stood with her back to him so she could hide her feelings, but then, as if some internal starter gun had gone off inside her head, she ripped furiously at the envelope, pulling out the single sheet.

Her gaze, so well trained, so accustomed to studying each word in sequence to be sure she didn’t miss anything important, hopped straight to the bottom of the page where Lorenzo had written the three most important words in the English language: I love you.

She stared at them unblinking for a while, standing motionless until it finally sank in, and then, returning to the beginning of the letter, she read it through. When she’d finished she held the sheet to her chest, and then pulled it away again to read it through once more. She was terrified as she began reading that the words might have changed, or disappeared; that they might be nothing more than a figment of her imagination. But they were still there: I love you; signed, Lorenzo.

He loved her? Lorenzo loved her?

‘I’m so sorry,’ she whispered, turning to face him. ‘If I’d had any idea…If I hadn’t been such an idiot after the interview, I’d have read this and saved us both a lot of trouble…’ Lorenzo had resigned from the scholarship project, but had decided to continue his career at the bar in London. He was asking her to stay with him whatever she decided to do in life, but he asked her to think about the future very carefully and not to hurry into anything.

‘So many thoughts in your eyes,’ Lorenzo observed quietly. ‘Are you going to share any of them with me?’

‘I love you too…more than anything in the world.’

‘And you’re not hurting too badly because of the scholarship?’

‘The scholarship? No.’ She had almost forgotten it. It was behind her now, and only the shadow of her parents’ disappointment remained.

‘And the future?’ Lorenzo prompted her.

She did have an idea what she would like to do, but every time she thought about it her mother’s face flashed into her mind.

‘You must have thought about it.’

‘I have…’ And him. And his reaction when she told him. She wasn’t sure she was ready to face that now. ‘I think…’

‘Yes?’ he prompted.

‘I think I don’t want to think…’ Her expression took on meaning.

‘Well, I want you to think,’ he said, still not coming any closer. ‘And I want you to share those thoughts with me. All I want is for you to be happy, and I know you well enough to know that drifting aimlessly through life isn’t your style. To be happy you have to have a goal,
Carly
. You know that. You’ve always grasped the nettle in the past and made something good out of it. What’s holding you back now?’

She knew what she wanted to do, but also knew it would sound ridiculous when she told him. ‘I love you, and that’s enough.’

‘Really?’ His expression changed from sultry to sober in a heartbeat. ‘Love takes more than words,
Carly
. It takes commitment and hard work. And you won’t have the energy for that if you become bored, which, knowing you, I know you will. Look at your sister, Olivia—don’t you think she longs to find something to do?’

‘If law isn’t for me I’m not sure I have the confidence after all these years of training to try anything else. It’s a lot to give up—’

‘Rubbish. I never heard such nonsense. If the past is holding you back it’s time you moved on. Learn from it and then break free.’ He paused for a moment and then said, ‘Are you ready to share a glass of champagne?’

That was a loaded question, and everything hung on her reply.

CARLY CHOSE MARINATED goat’s cheese with mandarin and honey-peppercorn dressing, followed by grilled swordfish with red pepper and fresh tomato
coulis
, while Lorenzo selected Thai-style
rosti
fish cakes, followed by Cajun-spiced tuna with cucumber crème
fraîche
, but then he ordered chocolate fondue for two with fresh dipping fruit…

‘And champagne,’
Carly
reminded him.

‘Are you sure?’ His eyes were serious.

‘Never more so…’

He placed the room-service order briskly and then dragged her into his arms. ‘This is all I want, all I care about; you—’ His voice was laced with passion, and as he kissed her champagne quickly became an afterthought, though he had ordered a second bottle to be kept on ice for them, just in case. ‘We might need a few crates more,’ he pointed out when she exclaimed at his extravagance. ‘If you decide to take a bath in it…’

‘Shall we leave that for the tabloids?’
Carly
suggested, wondering if she might burst with happiness.

‘As long as we don’t part with the hot chocolate sauce,’ Lorenzo said wickedly.

‘You read my mind again,’
Carly
said happily.

Lorenzo insisted on feeding her the best bits from his plate, and the chocolate fondue was no exception, though he seemed to be keeping most of it for himself. Not that she objected to being a fruit plate. The peach was cool, the segments of orange cooler still, and with a dribble of icy cold cream, augmented by hot chocolate sauce and a sprinkling of nuts she was nothing if not deliciously aroused.

There wasn’t a part of her to be left neglected, Lorenzo declared, and he was as thorough as he had promised to be, right down to the swathes of towels he made her lie on while he ministered to her needs on the bed. Her clothes were scattered round the floor, as were his. Her body was in raging torment for him, but he refused to hurry. She must learn to be patient, he insisted, slipping one of her legs over his shoulders. He was going to finish every scrap of the chocolate sauce, he assured her, dribbling it in a warm stream onto her most sensitive, her most secret place.

Not a secret any more, at least, not to Lorenzo. She had never felt a sensation like it. The insistent pressure of the stream of chocolate, the rasp of Lorenzo’s tongue and the heat of his breath, the rhythmic sucking motion of his lips; sensation didn’t come any better than this, and yet every time she drew close he drew back.

‘Are you determined to send me mad?’

‘Haven’t I taught you anything about the benefits of delay?” he countered, licking chocolate off his lips as he stared down at her.

‘You have a very healthy appetite,’
Carly
observed, moving restlessly as Lorenzo examined the fruit bowl to see what was left.

‘And I love apple, in particular. It’s so firm and juicy,’ he said, doing incredible things with it.

She bucked towards him as he continued his experiments with the fruit salad. ‘You can’t leave me like this,’ she complained when every piece of fruit had been eaten, and Lorenzo paused to wipe his hands on a hot towel. ‘I might die of frustration.’

‘Somehow I doubt that,’ he said with a confidence that raised her to new levels of arousal. ‘So you want me?’ he said.

‘Don’t tease me, Lorenzo, you know I do.’

His wicked gaze challenged her. ‘Show me…’

Drawing her knees back, she offered herself to him.

‘Tell me…’

She begged him to take her in words she hardly
recognised
, begged him to ease the ache inside her where she needed him to be, so firm and hard and strong. He came to her then, and she writhed beneath him, inviting him on. He took control, his strong hands positioning her; one cradled her buttocks, while the other cupped her face, holding for his first impassioned, love-hungry kiss. The time for subtlety had long passed and now desire overtook them.

Lorenzo’s first thrust sank deep. It was a raw display of sexual power and sexual need that filled and stretched her, and sent them both to the very edge right away, but as he knew this he withdrew slowly…withdrew completely. She whimpered her complaint, and so, with his lazy, confident smile tugging at the corners of his mouth he took her very slowly again. He went as deep as he could, taking his time to allow her to relish every moment, until every muscle and nerve ending she possessed was mad for more. ‘Faster,’ she begged him hoarsely. ‘Faster now…’

Lorenzo’s answer was to repeat the sensation-packed stealth invasion again and again until she couldn’t remain still beneath him a second longer. Lifting her hips towards him, she claimed him greedily, drawing him deep into the heart of her womb where she held him with powerful muscles until he obeyed her wishes. Pulling out, he thrust firmly, once, twice, and then in a gloriously rhythmical pattern at a much brisker pace.

‘More…more,’ she begged, working her body in the same rhythm as his. She craved
fulfilment
, but wanted it to last for ever. Lorenzo ground his hips against her to heighten her pleasure, while she clung to him in desperation until ecstasy claimed her. She was only dimly aware as she called out wildly that her abandoned cries had mingled with those of Lorenzo.

Each time they made love it was a revelation,
Carly
reflected drowsily as she lay safe in Lorenzo’s arms. They had showered, made love again and now they were sleeping together. She loved him, she loved everything about him. She loved his body and loved his mind. The feel of his naked flesh beneath her hands was addictive; the slide of muscle, the shift of limbs, the sheer weight of him and the power he exuded. Not to mention his finesse,
Carly
thought with pleasure, listening to her body’s quiet satisfaction. Lorenzo was magnificent, and he had put himself and all his skills at her disposal. What more could she ask? Gazing at him as he sprawled in contentment at her side, she had to confess he was even more beautiful than she had imagined when they first met. Perfectly proportioned, he was steel to her cushioned softness; they fitted perfectly together, and for the first time in her life her generous curves made sense. When she pressed her lips against his chest she could feel his heart beating steadily and strong; he was her anchor, her port in a storm…

Carly
wasn’t sure how long she slept, but she woke to find Lorenzo on one elbow at her side, looking down at her. He brushed the tangles of hair from her face.

‘I enjoy watching you sleep.’

She made a sound of contentment. ‘I don’t know how you’re still awake when every inch of me is exhausted. Where do you find the strength?’

‘You’re my inspiration?’ he said dryly.

But there was a look in his eyes she hadn’t seen before. ‘What are you thinking about, Lorenzo?’

‘I heard you talking to your mother in the kitchen. I have good hearing and plenty of practice at speaking while I listen. I heard her ask you if you might be pregnant.’

‘Well, I’m not.’

‘Can you be sure?’

They’d just made love unprotected, so, no, she couldn’t be sure.

‘Would you be disappointed if you found that you were not pregnant?’ Lorenzo asked her.

She didn’t want children…of course, she didn’t. The only thing she had ever wanted before Lorenzo came along was a career…All her mother had ever wanted for her was a career,
Carly
amended silently. She had a major rethink on her hands.

Lorenzo pressed her for an answer.

‘I’d be disappointed,’ she admitted softly.

‘You can have it all,’ he said. ‘You do know that, don’t you? Career, family—’

She gave herself a warning, knowing she couldn’t even begin to face the pain if she talked herself into believing Lorenzo wanted a family with her.

‘Yes, but as I’m not pregnant—’

‘We can soon put that right—’

‘Lorenzo—’

‘Are you complaining?’

‘No,’ she gasped.

‘Happy Christmas, baby…’

It took everything she’d got to open one eye, and then
Carly
saw that Lorenzo was not only up and about, he was shaved, dressed, and ready to hit the road.

‘Half an hour and the driver will be here,’ he reminded her. ‘You’d better get up.’

‘Must I?’ She brushed the hair out of her eyes to look at him.

‘Unfortunately, yes.’

She swung her reluctant limbs over the side of the bed. ‘Merry Christmas, Lorenzo…’ She had barely enough strength left to form the words. ‘I think you drained every ounce of energy out of me last night.’

‘I’m sure there’s plenty more where that came from. I only wish we could stay longer and find out,’ he said, folding her in his arms, ‘but we have a take-off slot to fill.’

‘Okay,’
Carly
murmured reluctantly, snuggling close. Winding her arms around his neck, she turned her face up for a kiss, and then complained when Lorenzo lifted her out of bed and steered her towards the bathroom.

‘It’s lucky that one of us has some self-control,’ he said.

‘Yours wasn’t so hot last night.’

‘That was a one-off,’ he assured her. ‘Go on,’ he urged, ‘I won’t relent.’

Good,
Carly
thought with satisfaction, leaning back against the closed door. And wasn’t that what she loved about him, the challenge, the wall to kick against? But what if her mother was proved right? What if Lorenzo was just using her for sex? No. He loved her. She firmed her jaw. Lorenzo loved her.

‘Don’t take too long,’ he called through the door. ‘We can’t miss that slot.’

‘Move in here,’ Lorenzo suggested when they got back to his apartment.

‘Are you serious?’
Carly
stared at him.

‘Why not? What’s the point in keeping a room at Louisa’s when you’re going to be here with me? I’m going to have to put a lot of time and effort into satisfying your demands, and I’ll need you on site for that.’

The way Lorenzo was talking made living together sound like a building project. But maybe it was a project to him, something to carry out with his usual efficiency before finishing it and walking away…Giving him chance to start again on a fresh project.
Carly’s
heart squeezed tight as she thought about it. ‘You mean like a temporary arrangement?’

‘
Carly
…’ Lorenzo’s lips tugged up at one corner as he shook his head. His thumbs were lodged in his belt loops with his fingers pointing the way to an impressive bulge, which took her mind off…everything.

As they ripped clothes off she couldn’t help noticing his socks were covered in rabbits. ‘Are these prophetic?’ she said, laughing as she tugged them off.