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Ah, hello? You’ve got over your snit? Not wanting to play the role of injured party, she answered him.
Definitely. We’ve got babysitters.
We’re sounding like an ordinary couple. X
A kiss? Mattia had sent her a kiss?
Aren’t we just?
Her finger hovered over the X key. What the hell? She liked his kisses, those of the touching, feeling kind.
X
Then she went to see how Gino was getting on.
CHAPTER NINE
MATTIA PRESUMED DINNER was superb, because he’d eaten at the Tyrrhenian Hotel before and not been able to fault the food or service. Tonight he could’ve been eating dust for all he knew. With Elene sitting opposite, that red dress highlighting the figure he’d spent all day trying to stop wondering about, nothing he put in his mouth had flavour. Even his favourite wine tasted bland. Elene, on the other hand, was anything but.
For once her hair wasn’t tied back in a knot but flowing over her shoulders. He wanted to get lost in those auburn locks. Her make-up was flawless, yet he preferred it when she didn’t wear any, her skin blemish-free and lightly tanned. Tempting. The shade of the dress highlighted the creamy skin of her shoulders and neck.
‘So, what are we going to do about you, Aimee and me?’ Elene asked.
Her question should’ve brought his mind to order, focused on the important. It didn’t. Showed how far gone he was.
Ignoring his half-full plate, he lifted his glass. It was necessary to pretend nothing was disturbing him, otherwise Elene would pounce with a zillion questions, though she was watching him, her gaze searching. ‘I hope you find what you’re looking for,’ he quipped, suddenly afraid he’d be found lacking.
So like Elene, she didn’t drop her gaze. She wasn’t afraid of him. ‘Wouldn’t you like to know?’ Someone was obviously totally in control of her mind—and her body.
Damn her. It wasn’t right he was the only one suffering. ‘Let me see. You’re wondering what it would be like to make love under the stars on my deck.’
She blanched. Now her eyes lowered. Her teeth dug into her bottom lip. And the hand holding the wine glass shook. ‘Where did that come from?’ she whispered.
He should feel lousy for taunting her. He didn’t. It was the mating game and he’d never played it with Elene. Hadn’t wanted to before. Make that—hadn’t been prepared to give in to the relentless need. But tonight? Oh, man, he didn’t know how not to. Because none of what had happened over the past ten days had done a thing to turn off his attraction to Elene. She’d done what no other woman had for a long time—got to him in every way.
Pull back. Talk about the weather. Don’t let her any closer. You’ll only regret letting her in. It’s a road to pain. But nothing would stop him pushing harder. Removing her glass, he wrapped his hands around her hand. ‘It comes from that kiss yesterday.’ And the previous one, and all the ones he’d dreamt of in between. ‘It isn’t enough. I want to know what’s behind it. To discover you.’
Colour rose in her cheeks, her lips curved into a smile so encouraging he wanted to haul her across the table and have her right then.
Mattia stood, still holding her hands. ‘Come on. We’re going home.’ He was making a habit of cutting dinner short.
Even as she said, ‘Your parents are there,’ she was running beside him in a familiar way, her fingers gripping his as though afraid he’d let go.
‘Not for long,’ Mattia muttered. It was a bonus Papà had joined his mother for babysitting duties because now he could drive Mamma back to Napoli as soon as he and Elene got home. He wasn’t changing direction this time. He was going to make love to Elene.
Later, he couldn’t remember driving up the hill, or parking, or saying goodnight to his parents, who seemed extraordinarily happy and quick to leave after telling them Aimee was sound asleep and that Anna had gone to her sister’s for the night. The only memories he retained were of carrying Elene to his bedroom and standing her on her feet by the massive bed. Of pausing to ask, ‘Are you sure?’
And Elene murmuring, ‘Absolutely,’ before pressing her peaked breasts against his chest.
Memories of kissing her, of losing time and everything else except them, their bodies, their lovemaking. Of pulling the zip of her dress down, notch by notch, then smoothing away the fabric from her shoulders, feeling her come alive under his palms, down over those unbelievable breasts to her trim, curvy waist, beyond to her hips, until it fell in a pool at her feet, still wearing the wicked shoes that did a number on him all by themselves.
‘Let me see you,’ she said in a throaty voice that sent more ripples of longing through him.
When her fingers were too slow undoing the buttons of his shirt he leaned back to haul it over his head and toss it aside without taking his eyes off those lace-enclosed breasts. Then he bent forward and licked her nipple through the lace.
She cried out, and a shudder rocked her.
He bit gently.
Her cry was louder, the shudder stronger, and her hands were on his shoulders, gripping tight, her lower body pushing against his, where his need for her was apparent. Hot and hard.
He gave the second breast the same treatment, got the same reaction. Elene was whimpering, and they’d hardly started.
‘Look at me,’ he commanded. ‘I want to see your emotions.’
It seemed to take for ever for her eyelids to lift, and the eyes that focused on him were slumberous with desire. No doubt a mirror image of his own.
Her hands were on his hips, then moving to his manhood, wrapping around him, sliding down his shaft, up, down again.
‘Not yet,’ he growled, his eyes still intent on hers, reading every reaction as he cupped her breasts and rubbed his thumbs across her nipples.
Her hand tightened on him.
Scooping Elene
up into his arms, he kissed her in an attempt to slow things down. Should’ve known better. Their previous kisses had always been incendiary; this one was no different. They fell onto the bed, Mattia aware of the soft mattress that absorbed their bodies, of the low light spilling across her face, his arms—knowing that soft mewing sound Elene uttered every time he touched her, the tension in her muscles at the top of her legs, the need pulsing through her veins.
‘Elene,’ he whispered as he brought her to a climax.
‘Mattia,’ she whispered in return as she took him in, gave back to him.
‘That’s getting to know each other on a whole new level,’ he muttered as his breathing returned to normal afterwards.
Elene laughed, a deep, rich sound that made his toes curl with emotions he wasn’t ready to explore. ‘Not sure where it takes us but right now I don’t care.’ She snuggled close, a hand splayed across his chest.
He covered her hand with his. ‘Closer.’ Perfect, really.
That was all he remembered until he awoke later and reached for Elene. He had to have her again. But the bed was empty. She was gone.
The en suite bathroom’s light wasn’t on. When he placed his hand on the sheet it was cold. She’d left his bed while he slept. That was new for him. They’d hardly started; there were hours to go before they had to get up for work.
Flinging the sheet aside, he stood up and headed for her bedroom until he noticed a light showing under the door of Aimee’s room. Shoving the door wide, he stepped in and faltered to a stop. Aimee was tucked into Elene’s arms, her sweet face pushed against those beautiful breasts. Air leaked over his lips. This was parenthood. It interrupted everything, held mums and dads to ransom. It was changing his life abruptly—no slowly getting used to having to put Aimee, and Elene, before everything else. He’d thought he’d be the full-time parent, with Elene and Anna picking up the slack. It was possible, though it wasn’t how he wanted to raise his daughter—to be remembered by his absences and not playtime before dinner, bedtime stories before sleep.
