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Within the space of ten minutes, me, Dante, and Mia had changed, run down the cliff side, and were now emerged up to our necks in the cool, clear water.
We all knew our roles in our bid for a few minutes’ escapism.
They swam and messed around, while I swam around in circles on my back, watching for the dust we knew would rise into the air if anyone came near.
There was no way we’d had the hour I’d insisted to Dante we would get, and when the dust came, it didn’t appear gently as if it had been blown into the air by a carefully driven car. Instead, no sooner than it appeared, within seconds it had risen at least twenty feet into the air, being driven skywards by a sense of urgency.
Don’t panic, I’m sure it’s nothing.
Although I tried to reassure myself, when I heard that the huge cloud was being caused by Salvatore’s bike, I stood hastily. I found the sand beneath my feet and curled my toes into it, hoping it would offer me the stability I suddenly felt I needed. The dust cloud grew larger as, apparently reluctant to slow down, he stood up on the foot pegs while his eyes fought to search me out. Even after our eyes had locked on to each other’s, he continued to ride his bike down the track as fast as he could and jumped off as soon as his wheels found the sand beneath them.
I took in his smart clothes and knew instinctively that he’d come straight from the same meeting my papa and brothers were at. I wasn’t sure why it hadn’t crossed my mind before, but thinking about it, I realised it was obvious he would be involved in his family business.
How do I feel about that?
Truthfully, I was concerned and transfixed all at the same time. The minute I spent contemplating my feelings towards his chosen profession, it became very apparent that the concern inside me was overshadowed by the fact that I was captivated by him.
With fear and instinct driving me on in equal measure, I started to make my way out of the water. As my feet found purchase on the sand and occasional small rocks underneath them, I occasionally glanced up to my family’s villa. When I saw no sign of movement on the terrace, I comprehended that neither my papa nor my brothers had yet arrived home.
‘Sera?’ Dante’s voice sounded out his concern from the water behind me.
‘It’s okay, I’ll go and see him. Take Mia back home please, Dante. Papa will be home soon.’
‘I’ll take her up and then I’m coming back for you.’
‘No, don’t.’ I momentarily stopped walking and looked back over my shoulder at my younger brother and sister as they walked out of the sea behind me. Straightaway, I saw just how much Dante had grown, and taking in the expression of determination on his face I knew it was pointless arguing further.
As the two of them started to make their way back home, I took the couple of steps I needed to rapidly close the gap between me and Salvatore.
Apparently, a need of desperation to connect was running through us both and neither of us stopped moving forward until our bodies collided. Still wet from the sea and shivering slightly in the September breeze, I allowed his arms to wrap around me and pull me into the shelter and warmth of his large, hard frame.
I knew whatever had happened must be bad.
‘Little bird.’ His name for me was said with a sense of relief and as he lowered his forehead towards my shoulder and rested it there for a short time, I could only imagine the look on his face. I knew that men like Salvatore didn’t give an insight into their feelings easily, but in that split second, I absorbed that right here and now I was the only one he needed or wanted and that understanding made me stand taller.
For a few minutes I accepted his embrace, the embrace I’d dreamt of for at least the past couple of years. With my eyes shut tight against the rest of the world, I savoured the feel of his bare forearms nestled in the small of my back as his fingers ran down the length of my spine, which had been left bare by the low back of the swimsuit I was wearing, until my nipples had hardened to the point of being painful in reaction.
Finally, the synapses in my brain started to fire. I was wearing next to nothing, and I knew that to any discerning eye my body was making it very plain just how much I wanted him.
Although my bare skin had been cooled by the water and the breeze around us, I felt suddenly feverish. My heart was beating ferociously at being held in his arms, and all my senses had been recentred on to him, until all I could smell was the citrus hues in his cologne. Every hair on my body was standing to attention, as driven on by need I attempted to wordlessly reach out to him. I silently pleaded with him to hold me tighter and for his arms to never let me go.
‘Salvatore.’ Reading my mind, his arms tightened around me as I spoke his name on a sigh.
Suddenly, understanding how the two of us would look to anyone who came upon our stolen embrace, I reluctantly pulled away from him slightly and rested my wet hands onto the front of his crisp white shirt. Noticing that Salvatore’s breathing had quickened at my touch, and being aware that it was holding me that had caused the sizeable erection that was currently pushing against the lower part of my rib cage, I stared hard at his chest, unable to look up and into his eyes. Rendered speechless and motionless by the strength of our connection, I watched mesmerised as his shirt soaked up the water from my skin.
‘Look at me,’ his deep voice commanded, and instantly the back of my knees felt weak. ‘Serafina.,’ he implored.
Slowly, I lifted my gaze to find his bottomless, dark eyes as he stared intently at me from between the longer strands of his hair.
‘Salvatore,’ I whispered back at him.
With a controlled movement he lowered his head towards mine until, with our eyes still wide open, he brushed his lips over mine once, twice—until he expertly placed his mouth over mine and I was lost to him as I always knew I would be.
As his tongue found its way into my open mouth, encouraging me to give him my everything, the world around us dimmed. The sound of the sea fell away to be replaced by the thud behind my eardrums as my blood sped around my body. All I could smell was him, a musky male smell that was all Salvatore, with hints of his cologne filling my nostrils as it floated up from the warmth of his body. All I could feel was him, the way he held me and the way I felt safe and protected in his strong arms.
All that there was, was the moment between us. The way he made me feel as his body held me close to him, with the protection he offered, was all-consuming. The world drifted away until, with his lips moving against mine, I wordlessly surrendered myself to him body and soul, and I understood that it was all I would ever need to feel.
Noise from above us brought us to our senses.
