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He smiled down at her and tucked his fingers under her chin, tilting her head back. This was it, here came the passionate kiss that would ignite everything. No. He planted a chaste kiss on her lips and stepped back. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow … does seven work?”
She nodded mutely, stunned that he was leaving. He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Ciao, bella.”
She stood in the doorway and watched him walk back to the elevator. When he reached it, he turned around and smiled.
“You don’t want to …?” She couldn’t believe she’d asked, but she couldn’t help it.
He nodded solemnly. “I want to, bella. You have no idea how much I want to.”
For some reason, her disappointment came out as anger. “Oh, I think I get the idea. After all, you’re there.” As if to reinforce her point, the elevator announced its arrival with a ding and the doors slid open. “I’m here. Goodnight.”
She turned to go inside, shocked at her outburst. She doubted she would see him tomorrow after that. It turned out she didn’t need to wait that long. He was back at her door before she had chance to close it. He closed his arms around her and backed her against the wall, just like she’d imagined in the elevator. He claimed her mouth in a kiss that left no room for doubt whatsoever. Even if she hadn’t been convinced by that kiss, the feel of his hard-on pushing between her legs told her in no uncertain terms, that yes, he did want her. His hands roved over her, and her arms reached up around his neck, clinging on for dear life as he swept her away with a kiss she knew she’d never forget.
When he finally lifted his head, they were both breathing hard. He placed his hands on the wall on either side of her head but continued to rest the weight of his body against her. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her racing heart. All she could feel was his hot, hard cock pushing between her legs.
He smiled. “Just to be clear, I’m trying to be a gentleman here. I wasn’t feeding you lines to get you into bed earlier. You can be certain of that because I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t even try to get you into bed. Not tonight.” His brown eyes held an intensity she hadn’t seen in them before. She felt it, too. She wanted to take him by the hand, lead him into her bedroom and explore the passion that was crackling in the air between them.
“I want you,” she breathed. At this point, she had no shame. She had nothing but desire to finally be with him.
He claimed her mouth again, kissing her senseless before all too quickly lifting his head again. “I want you.” He closed his hand around her breast, making a low moan escape from her lips. He rocked his hips, making her move in time with him. “You have to know how much I want you. But a promise is a promise, bella. Not tonight. Tomorrow. Will you come to me tomorrow?”
She nodded, and he cupped her face between his hands, kissing her deeply one more time. “Goodnight, Mary Ellen.” He turned and left.
Once she’d closed the door, she leaned back against it. Her hands were shaking, and she was out of breath. She went through to the bedroom and looked at herself in the mirror. “Tomorrow,” she told herself. Tonight, she would no doubt toss and turn for hours, wishing he’d stayed and wondering if he could possibly have meant even half of what he’d said. Part of her thought he might be playing some horrible game with her, but that was just fear and insecurity talking, and she knew it. The rest of her was half afraid, half excited about what might be happening between them.
Chapter Seven
Antonio pushed his chair back from his desk and ran his hands through his hair. He’d thought that coming into the office would help distract him, but it seemed that nothing could. It was now two-thirty on Saturday afternoon. Fourteen and a half hours since he’d somehow managed to walk away from Mary Ellen’s apartment. Four and a half hours until he’d see her again—until he could make up for what he hadn’t done last night. He’d thought he was doing the right thing, thought he was respecting her, being honorable. The look on her face when he’d left and the ache in his balls ever since told him that what he’d been was stupid. He could have stayed, could have spent the night with her, learning her, loving her, getting to know every inch of her body, tasting her creamy skin. He balled his fists and banged them together. He hadn’t done it. He needed to stop thinking about it for the next four and a half hours. Then he would make damned sure he made up for it.
He paced his office, wondering what he was going to do to kill time between now and seven. He’d normally walk the vines, but he knew it would just remind him of her. She’d looked so beautiful in the moonlight. He should have undressed her out there, laid her down and … dammit, no! He needed to do something.
He smiled and picked up the phone. He’d call home. Check in with his parents and his brother Marcos. He hadn’t talked to them yet this week—he’d been a little distracted. He decided to call Marcos first. He’d been concerned about him lately. It seemed that his breakup with his wife Caterina was finally permanent. Antonio didn’t like the woman, but he still felt bad for Marcos. He wasn’t used to failing at anything, and the thought of failing at marriage was what had kept him trying long after most men would have walked away.
“Pronto.” Marcos picked up on the third ring.
“Pronto.”
“Antonio!”
“Hey, brother. How are you?”
“I’m alive. And you?”
“I’m good. What’s going on with you?”
Marcos sighed. “Misery and divorce. How about you?”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, you’re not. Neither am I. It’s good that it’s finally over. We haven’t been together for nearly two years.”
“You haven’t? But I thought …”
“You thought what we wanted you to think, just like everyone else. She’s been fucking Lorenzo all that time. Neither of us wanted the shame of the world knowing about it.”
“Damn. I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need. It’s all worked out. I’m rid of her. I’m free.”
