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‘None that I can think of.’ She could feel his body, hard and tight against hers. They were going so fast that there wasn’t even a chance to strip her T-shirt off before he was inside her. And then there was nothing to do but just hang on and feel him go for the burn.
They came together, the one, last movement of his hips making them both cry out. Everything that gave her pleasure seemed to give him equal pleasure. Every movement, every touch was for both of them, not just him or her. Rose clung tight to him as their breathing began to slow, feeling sweat trickle down the back of her neck.
He lifted her down from the parapet, setting her gently on her feet. ‘You know...being a sexual plaything isn’t as bad as I’d thought it might be.’ Matteo grinned, kissing her forehead.
‘No? How bad did you think it would be?’
He shrugged, reaching for his glass and taking a sip before he handed it to her. ‘I don’t know really. I had a lingering fear that you might chain me to the bed and take over my kitchen.’
‘No chance. You’re far too good a cook for that. How about sexual and domestic plaything?’
He laughed taking the glass back for another sip of wine. ‘Yeah, okay. That works for me.’
* * *
They showered, and then cooked and ate together. Time slipped away, like sand through her fingers, and before Rose was finished with the afternoon it had gone and she was wriggling back into her dress, smoothing the creases.
He walked her to her car, opening the driver’s door for her. She kissed him goodbye, caught in his gaze for one last time.
‘I loved this afternoon, Rose. I wish you could have stayed tonight.’
‘So do I.’ Guilt stabbed at her, and she reached up to smooth the collar of his shirt. ‘I’m sorry, but I really do have to get back for William.’
‘I know. That’s okay, I was just registering the feeling. I know you have to go.’
‘Thanks.’ Matteo never seemed to blame her when things didn’t go quite the way he wanted them to. He just accepted the way it was. ‘Can we do this again?’
He smiled down at her. ‘I was very much hoping we might.’
* * *
She drew up outside the house just as Elena was ushering the children out of her car. William sleepily told her that he’d had a great time, and then Rose took over and bathed the children ready for bed.
‘You’ve finished the model?’ Elena was curled up on the sofa next to her husband, Cesare, when she got back downstairs.
‘Yes, I still need to do the colour wash, but it needs to dry out first. In fact, we went for a drive this afternoon up to a hot spring in the mountains.’
‘Ah. Very good for the complexion.’ Elena laughed quietly. ‘You need to go back now to collect your things?’
She must have noticed that Rose hadn’t unloaded the boxes of modelling equipment from her car. To tell the truth, she’d forgotten all about them. ‘No, I... I’ll go and fetch the model during the week.’
‘Why don’t you go now?’
It was only nine o’ clock. She could have coffee with Matteo, maybe a walk on the beach, before she came home again. ‘No, I... You’ve had William all day.’
‘You look after my children all the time. And four children is not so different from three when they’re asleep.’
‘I don’t know...’ Rose was already missing Matteo, but this was crazy. ‘No. It’s okay.’
Elena didn’t appear to have heard what Rose had just said. ‘If you have things to do, and it gets late, you needn’t drive alone at night. Come back in the morning.’
‘No, I—’
‘Go to him.’ Elena ended the conversation with a wave of her hand and picked up the book that was lying next to her.
Right. Rose had just managed to banish the thought that I’ve just had sex was written in large letters across her forehead. Clearly she’d been mistaken. It must be I’ve just had great sex and I wish I could have stayed with him for the night.
