Taste of Italy

by Lula Woods

  “Definitely,” she replied as she looked at the lake below the vineyard.

  “Come, let me introduce you to my crazy famiglia.” I took her hand and led the way inside the rambling ranch house, which had been added to over the years. It had been built more for function than beauty, but it worked for us, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

  “Dom! We’re here!” When no one answered, I kept Gail’s hand in mine and wandered into the dining area, to be greeted with shouts of “Surprise!” and “Benvenuto!” as we were bombarded by the people in the room with kisses and hugs and talking and laughter.

  I could feel Gail startle beside me, but when I looked at her, she was smiling. “Wow, that’s quite a welcome,” she said as she was petted and dragged over to the dining table to sit in a chair, with me pushed into the one next to her. “Do they miss you that much?” she asked, with a cheeky smile. It made me want to kiss her, but it could wait. All in due time.

  “No, they’re just trying to impress you,” I spoke to my troublesome family members briefly in Italian and then switched to English. “Gail, meet my older brothers Dom and Berto, their wives Bianca and Geltrude.” They grinned and nodded. “My sisters Luisella and Jolanda, with their husbands Amando and Nuzio. The little ones are at school.”

  I gestured to Berto, who sat at the head of the table. “Filberto is the head of the family, and he never lets us forget it.” This led to impolite things spoken in Italian, which needed no translation, from the giggles that escaped from Gail.

  Berto said, “Welcome to our home, Gail. I am sorry you have had to endure Benedetto’s company, but if you ever need childhood stories as ammunition, I would be happy to help.”

  “Don’t you dare!” I declared, causing loud laughter at the table. Soon, the kitchen staff served a light meal, since work still needed to be done in the vineyard before everyone took their riposo.

  “We can go down to the lake,” I said to Gail, “and you can see another view of the vineyard. It is unbelievable.”

  “I bet.” I watched as my family engaged her, and was happy to see she fit right in. I’d had a feeling she would.

  As the meal finished, Berto pulled me aside. “She is lovely, your lady.”

  “Yes, she is. Neither of us wants anything serious, and I plan to keep it that way.”

  “Still, if there’s a chance for love…”

  Berto was a romantic. “I know, but perhaps it’s not in the cards for me. I’m fine. Stop worrying and go moon over your wife.”

  He slapped me upside the head and pushed me toward Gail. “If you plan to have sex, take a blanket!” he called out, just to embarrass me, I was sure.

  But Gail was not fazed. “We already have one and condoms, too. Thanks, though.” She grinned, and everyone laughed and whistled.

  “I like her,” Berto said.

  We left soon afterward and got into the car to drive back the way we’d come, taking a different turn this time to lead us down to the lake. The tours would stop in an hour for the afternoon rest period, so we would have the place to ourselves for a little while.

  Right now, a family was enjoying a meal at one of the wooden tables. We greeted them and moved further around the lake until we found a clear spot.

  I sat with my back to a tree and settled Gail in front of me, my arms around her waist. “Okay, look up.”

  She craned her neck and gasped. “Oh, Ben! What a view!” The way the sun reflected on the vines, the perfect rows, the house at the top, the peace of the day together created the perfect setting.

  “I thought you’d enjoy it.” She turned a little so she could curl into my chest with her head on my shoulder. I loved the smell of her hair, like berries, this time. “I bought this vineyard so we could have a family legacy, something we could pass down through generations.”

  “Everyone seems to be invested in keeping it going.”

  “We are. We’ve tried different things, including the tours we have now, and that seems to work well. The wine sales are good, too. We’re not wealthy, by any means, but we get by, and it keeps the family together.”

  “I love that,” she said.

  “Tell me the real reason you took this trip to Europe, Gail.”

  A sigh, and then, “I got tired of lackluster relationships. Perhaps having a broken engagement was the start of everything, years ago, but I just needed to regroup. Figure out if a commitment is what I really want, or just having fun is enough.”

  I stroked her hair. “I have been where you are, Gail. I was married for a short while, and we both realized we were better friends. Commitment means different things to different people if it even applies. Now, I am like you. I just want to enjoy life and not worry about having a ring on my finger.”

  She turned her head and looked toward the bench where the family had been eating. They were now gone. When she looked back at me, she smiled. “So, now that we’re on the same page, do you have those condoms I told Berto about?”

  Chapter Five

  Gail

  Ben’s laughter echoed in the valley, and he wasted no time cupping the back of my head and kissing the life out of me. It was as if everything had built up to this moment, and I couldn’t get enough of his tongue, the way he squeezed my waist and caressed my breasts.

  I kissed my way up his cheek and bit his earlobe. “Where are the condoms?” I asked as I straddled his lap and unbuttoned his shirt to caress his chest. Yes, it was very well-defined.

  “In my left jeans pocket,” he replied, taking out the supplies and setting them aside before squeezing my hips and ass. “You have no idea how the way you move affects me,” he murmured before sucking up a mark on my neck, causing me to gasp. “Men drool as you walk down the street, Bella. You are perfection.”

  “So are you,” I replied as I writhed against his hardening cock. “I love watching you work in the restaurant,” I said, arching as he bit my erect nipples through the thin red top I wore.

  “Maybe I like you watching me,” he replied while unzipping my pants and caressing my belly, touching skin. He looked down, and I watched the pleasure in his eyes as he realized how little I was wearing. As in, nothing but jeans.

  “Ah, Gail. You are a temptation,” he said as he dove in to kiss me once more and stuck two fingers inside my wet vagina. Oh, it felt good, the way he fucked me. But I needed more.

  “More, Ben,” I said as I wrapped my legs around his waist and rode his fingers as he plunged inside repeatedly, his thumb rubbing my swollen clit until I spilled.

  “Ah,” I cried out, body arched in pleasure/pain as release took over, and I rode that feeling until I was spent.

  As I caught my breath, Ben unzipped his jeans and pulled out his dick, which was hard and seeping. I watched, panting, as he prepared himself with a condom and used my fluids to slick up his cock. Fuck, that was hot.

  As he entered me, Ben kissed me again, merely taking what he wanted. I squeezed his waist with my thighs and held onto his shoulders as he took me, over and over. My name was a whisper on his lips when he came minutes later, his hips jerking as his release filled the condom.

  I caressed his face. “You’re gorgeous like this,” I said, pulling us down to the blanket after he removed the used rubber and zipped up his pants and did the same for me. “Let’s rest here a while,” I said, placing his head on my breasts. I could get used to fucking in the outdoors.

  He snuggled close. “That was only the beginning, Bella.”

  “Agreed.” I rubbed his back and tweaked his nose. “I hope you took your vitamins before you left this morning.”

  “I’ll drink some wine—it will do wonders for my libido.” I laughed as we kissed slowly then held each other while we snoozed in the early afternoon sun until the sound of voices announced the imminent return of people into our small paradise.

  “I suppose we should get up,” Ben said as he sat back on his ankles, his black, rumpled hair and wrinkled shirt announcing to the world exactly what we’d been
doing. I was sure I wasn’t much better, and I didn’t care. It was so freeing.

  “I guess so.” He helped me up and combed his fingers through my hair and then shrugged since it was likely hopeless. “Hey, Berto will be pleased,” I said as he rolled up the blanket and we walked hand in hand past the family of six, the adults giving us smirks as we passed by.

  “We’ll never hear the end of it,” Ben groused.

  “So, let’s be proud of our endeavors,” I replied and kissed him boldly as we walked back to the car.

  I was mildly disappointed when no family members were present when we returned, but it gave us a chance to shower together before dinner.

  When we arrived for the evening meal, Berto grinned. “I’ve heard rumors of strange animal sounds coming from the vineyard this afternoon,” he began.

  Ben pinched him while one of his young nephews piped up. “What kind of animals, Zio Berto?”

  When Berto looked to Ben to help with an answer, he just shrugged. “Your uncle is really smart. He knows the answers to everything.”

  I hid a smile and joined him at the table. We had a festive meal after a blessing was said, and I learned and promptly forgot the names of the younger members of the family. There were so many.

  I leaned over and whispered in Ben’s ear. “How do you keep track?”

  “Most times, I just point and say, ‘Bambino!’ and hope for the best.” I laughed and enjoyed the rest of the evening with his family, having a formal dinner that took hours to complete. By the time we were finished, I was stuffed.

  Ben leaned over and rubbed my tummy. “No room for gelato, Bella?”

  “I don’t know where I’d put it,” I replied.

  “I’ll help you.” Once the gelato was served, Ben spoon-fed me the delicious dessert until I told him I couldn’t eat anymore. “Enough.” I looked at his solid frame. “Where are you putting all this, anyway?”

  “I worked up quite an appetite this afternoon,” he said, which his siblings and their spouses overheard, and chaos ensued.

  By the time we made it to bed, I was exhausted. “Thank you for a lovely day, Ben. I haven’t been treated so well in a long time.”

  “It was my pleasure.” We snuggled together under the blankets in the room he used when he visited the vineyard, and we fell asleep almost immediately. It was one of the best days of my life, and I had no regrets.

  ****

  We made it back to Rome by noon the next day since Ben had wanted to take a long way around and show me the coastline. We’d even stopped a few times so I could see the water up close.

  Traffic was horrendous in the city since the weekend was pending, and people were heading away from Rome in search of rest and relaxation.

  “Wow,” I said as I took in the chaos. “Is it always this bad, heading into the weekend?”

  Ben nodded as we navigated around a truck, narrowly missing another car. A female driver yelled at him, and he yelled back.

  Yes, and when it’s the holiday season? Things are at a standstill. You might as well walk, as fast as you’ll be able to move.”

  When he finally dropped me off at the hotel, we both took a deep breath. “I will never complain about rush hour traffic at home ever again.”

  Ben laughed. “It takes some getting used to, I grant you.” He held my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I will be in Venice in a few weeks. Maybe we can meet there. You’ll be leaving town on the train in a few days, yes?”

  “Yes. I’ll make my way to Venice and stay there for a while, take some day trips to explore the surrounding area. I’d love to meet up, if possible, perhaps take a gondola ride on the river.”

  “I will be there, Gail.” He kissed me. “Come see me before you go, though. I want to show you the rest of my restaurant.” The way he wiggled his eyebrows, fun times with flour, and who knows what were likely in my future.

  “I will.” I grabbed his face and kissed him, messy, open-mouthed, tongues touching tonsils. Perfect. “You have made my time in Italy unforgettable. Thank you.”

  “Wait until you find flour in your hair. You might change your mind.”

  With a laugh, I got out of the convertible, grabbed my overnight bag, and waved as he sped off down the road and merged with traffic.

  Chapter Six

  Ben

  The day before Gail caught her train to Venice, she came over to the restaurant during the riposo. I unlocked the door for her and dragged her inside, happy that we were the only ones here since my relatives were likely doing similar things to their significant others right now.

  “I brought a change of clothes and shampoo, just in case,” Gail said, and I laughed out loud. She was the kind of woman who was easy to love if my heart were wired that way. But it seemed that she understood all the same.

  “I’m glad you thought ahead,” I said as I dragged her behind me through the swinging door to the back area where we prepared the ingredients for our famous pizzas.

  She hopped onto a steel table that had quite a bit of flour on it and crooked her finger. “Come here,” she said with a cheeky smile that drew me in without even trying.

  My T-shirt and jeans went flying, and I removed her loose top and unclasped her bra, loving the way her breasts spilled into my hands. “Such a handful,” I said as I bent to take a nipple into my mouth, then did the same to the other one.

  “More, Ben. Please!” she whimpered as she pushed against my lips, the sensitive nubs hardening quickly. I was her willing servant, doing whatever she desired, because it was what I wanted, too.

  I removed her jeans and loved the sight of her thong over her shaved vagina. So smooth. I pulled out my cock, dragged her forward enough so her legs could wrap around my waist. “You want me to fuck you, yes?” I said against her skin, leaving little bites everywhere as I found all her sensitive spots.

  “Per favore,” she replied, and her use of my mother tongue spurred me on. I teased her with the thong briefly, rubbing it against her clit before moving away to prepare my cock with the pre-lubed condom in my pocket.

  Her scent filled my nostrils as I pushed the thong to the side. “I’m taking you now, Bella, just like you wanted.” And I thrust inside her with one long stroke, uncaring of the shouts that emitted from both our mouths as we rode each other, my hands on her hips as I took her while she rubbed her swollen clit with her fingers, so sexy in her abandon.

  “That’s it, my sweet,” I urged, the table moving with each hard fuck and flour in the air. “Take what you want. I’ll give you anything.” And it was seconds or hours, but when our release hit, it was unlike anything I’d ever encountered.

  We remained locked in our embrace, kisses languidly as our hands roamed each other’s bodies. I didn’t want her to go, but at least I would see her in Venice fairly soon.

  “Thank you for making a memory with me, Gail,” I said as I finally pulled out and removed the condom, placing it in a paper towel. I stuck it in my pocket after I pulled on my pants, not wanting to announce to the world what had just happened in my kitchen.

  Gail was adorable, with flour on her body and in her hair. “I’m certain that wasn’t sanitary by any stretch of the imagination,” she said as she hopped off the table and grabbed her bag from the floor.

  “That’s what industrial cleaners are for,” I replied, and she pinched my arm.

  “I’m going to change,” she said as she headed for the bathroom, her full rear end almost having me ready to go again. Almost.

  It took an hour, but between the two of us, the place was pristine and liberally doused with chemicals, but the marks on my body probably gave away what we’d been doing anyway. There was probably still flour in my hair.

  Gail fisted my shirt and pulled me toward her, where we stood on the sidewalk outside of the restaurant. I had just flipped the sign to Open. “See you in Venice?” she said, her arms sliding around my neck as she gave me a kiss that made my eyes cross.

  “Absolutely.”

&n
bsp; ****

  It felt like forever before I saw Gail again. I had finally arrived in Venice on business a few weeks after our last encounter, hoping to close a deal on a small building to expand the restaurant, based on the amount of traffic that came through and the popularity of the food I offered.

  Gail had texted me the day before with the details of where and when, and now, there she was, in the setting sun, beautiful in a red dress, her hair pulled back in a bun. She had a blanket over one arm.

  I strolled over to her and kissed her palm before caressing her cheeks. “Bella, I missed you,” I said, giving her a quick kiss before stepping back and taking the blanket from her.

  “I did, too, Ben, but we’re here, together for a night, so let’s make it count. I head to France tomorrow.”

  My heart hurt to hear it, but it was a good pain, based on an unforgettable experience. “Gladly.”

  We walked along the pier until we reached the gondola that Gail had booked. I helped her into the boat, and the gondolier took his time in the dark, navigating the canal as Gail and I snuggled together underneath the blanket.

  I told her about my plans to expand in Venice. “That’s great news, Ben!” she said, kissing my cheek. “How long have you been working on this?”

  “I’ve been waiting about six months for the old goat to finally give in. He kept raising the price, hoping for more money, but I knew my offer was fair. We finally signed the documents last night.”

  She kissed me and rested her head on my shoulder. “Congratulations, Ben,” she said, and this time, when we kissed, there was more heat between us. The gondola operator likely knew what we were doing, but at least the blanket covered us enough for a semblance of modesty. Frankly, though, I didn’t care.

  I stroked her thighs and kissed her languidly, enjoying the slow burn that built between us. Gail squeezed my cock through my pants, and I jerked, unable to mask a gasp at her touch.