by Jo Leigh
He sucked harder while reaching down until his fingers brushed against her trimmed pubic hair. In this position, her lips were parted just enough for him to zero in on her swollen clit.
Her sharp intake of breath made his cock jerk, and he brought his free hand up so his fingers could tease her other breast, swirling around her pebbled nipple in sync with his tongue.
April hummed above him, rocking on her hands and knees, forward and back, letting him play and explore. Making him burn with need.
He pulled back slightly and blew warm breath over her moist nipple. “You drive me crazy,” he whispered.
She gasped. “What?”
“You,” he said, moving his finger inside her, the warm, smooth wetness the most seductive sensation in the entire world, “make me crazy.”
She arched her back and tried to kiss his mouth, but she couldn’t reach him. “I want—”
Using two fingers, he thrust into her again. “What do you want?”
“You,” she said. “Inside me.”
“I am inside you.”
“More,” she whispered, then sat up, and he was able to look into her half-closed eyes. “Before...when I stretched...I was just getting this.” She showed him the condom in her hand. Then she closed her eyes and squeezed the fingers inside her, and he nearly lost it.
“Gimme,” he said.
“I’ll do it. You just keep on...keeping on,” she said, her words slurring slightly.
He loved that he could do that to her. Watching her slowly fall apart made him so hard he almost bucked her off with an inadvertent thrust. As she dealt with the packet, she continued to torment him. He groaned and twitched and it was all he could do not to come when she slipped the condom over his cock.
Her smile was pretty damn smug as she shifted just enough so that she could hold him steady as she lined him up.
“Oh, Christ,” he said, the words slipping out of him as she lowered herself down inch by insane inch. The sounds he made after that were far too high to be his voice, but shit, it felt better than anything was supposed to feel.
Jesus, he wasn’t going to live through this.
When she hit bottom, they both stilled. Her grin was slanted but happy. It was an amazing sight, looking up at her, but he couldn’t stand it. He reached for the back of her neck and drew her down into a kiss.
When she pulled back, she didn’t go far. He met her gaze and didn’t blink as he pushed up. They were close, so close he breathed her breath. Her soft little whimpers got inside him as their connection grew and he knew he’d never...
“I’m not going to last,” he said. He stole another kiss, but his head immediately dropped back onto the pillow. He could feel the beginning of his orgasm. Slipping his hand between them, he found her swollen clit and rubbed her there. Seconds later she stilled, killing him perfectly with the way she trembled and came.
That was all it took. To watch her eyes go dark, her lips part on a silent cry, her body quivering in and around him—he came so hard he was lost. And when he found himself again, she was still in his arms. He helped her lie down on her side, where they curled against each other and relearned how to breathe.
* * *
APRIL DRIFTED ON the rise and fall of Luca’s chest, his strong arms keeping the rest of the world at bay. She had no idea what time it was. The dark was broken by diffuse light streaming through the new window shade, and all she could hear was the beat of his heart, the sound of her own sighs.
This was what she’d imagined when she’d pictured herself in love.
Independence and support in equal measure. A man who had nothing to prove. Someone who would make her want to be better, stronger. Kinder.
If only this was real.
And who knew? It could be. She still hadn’t gotten past her luck over the apartment. How much more perfect could things have turned out? On the other hand, it wouldn’t be easy sleeping on her own, in her own apartment, knowing Luca was just ten minutes away, sleeping alone. Or maybe he wouldn’t be alone at all. With her gone, he could bring home dates again.
The thought turned her stomach.
She had to focus on the bigger picture. They wouldn’t know if they had something lasting between them until she moved forward with her life, which included moving out. Thank goodness for her mentor, Elena, for the connections April continued to make. It would all come together; she knew it would.
Perhaps leaving the safety of Luca’s arms would be her final trial by fire. She felt certain that no matter what happened between them, he’d always be there for her if she needed him. That was who he was.
She’d be there for him, as well. She hoped they would have another opportunity to talk about his future. He deserved to be happy in every aspect of his life. Surely there had to be a way he could help his family but still pursue his dreams?
Tonight, though, she would sleep in his bed. Listen to the steady rhythm of his heart. Soak in how lucky she was to have found the one man in all of New York who was perfect for her.
18
ON MONDAY, APRIL worked at a car show, handing out fliers. Although her feet were killing her at the end of the day, she’d made three hundred dollars. And in a couple of hours, she’d be able to see her new apartment.
By the time she walked through the front door, she had twenty minutes to change her clothes and shoes before Luca got home and they headed to Hester Street. She stopped in the kitchen and slipped the three hundred dollars into the envelope of cash Luca hadn’t picked up from last week. It bothered her that he seemed to be ignoring it, but she’d already called his attention to it twice. After making a notation of the amount in her little notebook, she grabbed a bottle of water and took it upstairs with her.
When she heard Luca come home, she grinned. He couldn’t see her and she couldn’t actually see him. But the smile was automatic.
“Sweetheart?”
April heard his voice and froze. Had he brought someone home with him? Because he’d never called her that before. Nor had he used any other endearment.
“April?”
“I’m here,” she said, her heart threatening to join her stomach.
She heard him run up the stairs, and then he was there. In her room. Putting his arms around her, pulling her close and kissing her.
“Hi,” she said against his mouth.
“Hi, yourself.”
“Are you alone?”
He leaned back and looked at her. “Yeah. Why?”
“Oh, no reason.” She smiled big and moved closer. “Do you have the key?”
Luca smiled back. “Yes, but first I’m going to take a shower—”
“You don’t need one. Honest. I’d tell you.”
“I’ll be less than ten minutes.” He rubbed her back, long, slow strokes that made her knees weak, before he rested his hands on top of her butt. “After I finish kissing you.”
Of course the kiss started heating up. In seconds he had his hand underneath her top, trying to find the clasp of her bra. His rock-hard erection had probably set a record.
She finally broke away just as he would’ve unfastened her bra. “Guess what?”
“What?” he said, clearly frustrated that she held him at arm’s length.
“No shower. But you can change your shirt if you want, then we’re going. But honestly even your shirt is fine.”
He made a face.
“You wouldn’t have started making out with me if you were too dirty.”
Understanding registered on Luca’s face. Laughing, he shook his head. “Fine.”
* * *
THE APARTMENT WAS on the third floor of a four-story building. The elevator worked. The stairwells were clean and well lit, and the building had looked nice from the outside. There was a bus stop on the
corner and a metro station a few blocks away. So far, so good. When she entered the third-floor hallway, it smelled fine, the paint looked fresh and the carpet looked older but clean.
“Here it is,” Luca said, handing her the key to number 303.
She was almost afraid to open the door, but it couldn’t be terrible, not if Tony thought it was decent. She turned the key, glad to see there was already a dead bolt lock. Walking inside, she hit the light switch.
It was love at first sight.
It was small, like every other apartment she’d seen in New York except for those belonging to members of the Paladino family. But it wasn’t bathtub-in-the-kitchen small. There was a little red couch—okay, maybe a love seat—in the living room, which was sectioned off by a throw rug. The kitchen was basically one long counter that held the sink, the tiniest four-burner stove she’d ever seen and an apartment-sized fridge—and there was even space enough for her coffeemaker and microwave.
The linoleum floor had seen better days, but at least it wasn’t cracked. The whole space had standard white walls, which was fine with her. There were two standing lamps and one light over the sink.
A long window was cranked open in the living room. The view was of a building across the way, but at least the area below wasn’t filled with trash cans. No bad odors wafted into the apartment, and that was a blessing in the city.
“Luca,” she said, turning to him. “Holy crap.”
“Don’t stop now. Keep looking.” His arms folded over his chest, he looked so pleased he could pop.
“Right.” The bathroom was really small. The toilet bore some faint rust stains, as did the small sink, but they were otherwise clean. The shower actually looked pretty decent. The water pressure sucked, but she wasn’t about to complain.
Luca stepped aside so she could make the sharp right into the bedroom. There was a bed. With some linens on it. It looked to her like a full, but it could have been a queen. There was even a little closet that had empty hangers just waiting for her clothes.
“I’m sure we can find you a dresser and a nightstand at one of the resale shops in the neighborhood,” Luca said. He peeked out the window on the far wall. “Ah, it’s not even a busy street, you’re lucky. You can see a tree from here.”
She joined him, and finding his hand, she squeezed it. “Oh, my God. This is beyond my wildest dreams.”
“It’s pretty good,” he said, “for New York.”
“Big rooms are overrated. This is perfectly cozy. And I’ll be able to put my stamp on it with some pictures and stuff. I bet I can fit a desk across from the couch, and a chair if I don’t have a TV. It’ll be great. I’ll be able to work from here. Cook, so I don’t have to get takeout all the time.” She turned so she could look up into his eyes. “You think we ought to try the bed? Make sure we both fit?”
He nodded.
They didn’t pull down the covers. Before she slept there, she’d go buy her own sheets and pillowcases.
“I’ll ask my mom to send me some of my stuff,” she said, as she lay down on the side of the bed nearest the door.
Luca joined her, and while it wasn’t as roomy as his king, the mattress was comfortable, and it would work out fine. Better than fine. Because it would be hers. At least for a year. Who knew? Maybe Mr. DeLaria would stay in Rome forever, and she’d build her empire from apartment 303.
“That is one big smile,” he said. “Tell me what you’re thinking?”
“That I’m the luckiest person in the world. That I owe your brother a huge bottle of wine. I hope he likes cheap Chianti, because that’s all I can afford, but I’ll wrap it pretty. I’ll have to find out about the Wi-Fi, though, but I’m not worried about it. And did you see the bus stop? It’s so close.”
He chuckled, his hands imitating hers, tucked under his chin. “I know. It’s so great.”
“But it is. It really is. This is the nicest place I’ve looked at by a whole lot.”
He didn’t even try not to laugh. “I’m so glad this makes you happy.”
“It does. So much. And at this price? I’ll totally be able to pay you back, with or without Wes returning my money.”
“He’d better.”
She shrugged. “We’ll see. I don’t want to think about him right now. I just want to sign all the papers immediately so no one can change their mind.”
“I think you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”
“I want to be there first thing.”
“I’ll make sure you are.”
“I forgot to look in the fridge.”
“I was assured everything was in working order.”
“Still. I’ll need to see it. And also, do you think that stove had an oven?”
“I think so. I’m sure it did. It was around twenty inches, and that’s considered apartment-sized. But we can go take a look if you want.”
“Not yet,” she said, uncurling one of his hands so she could touch him. “It’s going to be weird not coming home to your place.”
“No one said you have to move right away. I mean, you could stay a few more days. Or maybe you should wait until you get that package from your mom. Have your own things when you’re ready to move in.”
April couldn’t stop smiling. She supposed it was foolish to try to pretend she didn’t love him. It wasn’t just the apartment. Or any one thing. He was amazing in every way. Her real luck hadn’t actually been finding this place. It was meeting Luca.
* * *
POOR LUCA. APRIL had kept him at the apartment far too long, until she finally realized he was starving. But instead of eating out, they decided to come back to his place and have food delivered. While he took the shower he’d wanted, she placed an order with their favorite Chinese place, then went downstairs to wait for the delivery guy while watching Jeopardy. Mostly, though, she daydreamed about how she’d fix up her new apartment.
When the doorbell rang, she had her cash ready, plus tip. But it wasn’t Liu Wei with his usual smile. “Wes. What are you doing here?”
His blond hair was parted on the wrong side and slicked back with hair gel, otherwise he looked the same. And yet everything about him creeped her out. Especially his smile, which was wider than it had any right to be. “I thought I’d find you here.”
“Doesn’t mean you’re welcome.” She couldn’t believe his nerve showing up like this. “Unless you have some money for me.”
“I do.”
“All of it?”
The smile dimmed. “Not quite. Can I come in?”
“I don’t know,” she said, studying him. She didn’t recognize his clothes. He hadn’t been a slick kind of guy back when they were together, but the suit he was wearing was just that. Slick. He probably thought he looked sharp, but the breast pocket of the jacket was slack, his white collar worn. The briefcase was new, though.
“Seriously?” he said. “At least give me a chance.”
The sound of the water cut off. What if she let Wes in and Luca came downstairs wearing nothing but a towel? Not that she cared what Wes thought, but it wouldn’t be fair to Luca. “You want me to trust you now, is that it?”
“Look, I feel like shit for what I did. And I’ve missed you. A lot.”
She replied with an impatient snort.
“It’s true. I honest to God thought I would surprise you by doubling the money we had. And then everything went to hell. But it’s better now.”
She heard Luca on the stairs, but she waited until he was almost at the bottom to turn. He wasn’t in a towel, but in low-riding jeans and no shirt. Barefoot, hair wet and sexy as sin.
“That’s really neither here nor there, is it?” she said, facing Wes again. This was Luca’s apartment, but she knew he would be okay with whatever she wanted. “You know what? Come in. But you’ve got five minutes. T
hat’s it.”
He crossed the threshold, but she didn’t bother to shut the door or give him room to come any farther inside. If he did, he would see Luca standing by the stairs. If Wes pissed her off, and the odds were high he would, she’d back him right out into the corridor.
Wes bent to open his briefcase and pulled out a folder. “If you just take a look at this prospectus for the start-up, you’ll see why I was so impressed with it.”
She took it and flipped through the pages. It certainly looked professional, but big deal. “Fine. I’ll look through it when I have a chance.” When hell froze over.
“It’s a really solid—”
“Wes. Please.”
He nodded, brought out two envelopes from the case, then closed it and stood. “Here’s a thousand dollars,” he said, handing her the first envelope. “I know it won’t go far, but it’s impossible to withdraw the funds at this point. It’ll screw things up for everyone.”
She closed her eyes. If he couldn’t see what was wrong with that, he was hopeless.
“But I drew up an agreement. A payment plan.” He handed her the second envelope. “It’s worst-case scenario. If everything goes to hell, which it won’t, I’ll still pay you back.”
“When?”
He sighed. “Come on, April. Let me buy you a drink and we can talk.”
Behind her, she heard Luca approach.
Wes’s eyes widened. “Paladino?”
Luca joined them at the open door. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again,” he said, looking at Wes as if he was deciding which limb he was going to take apart first.
Wes’s gaze darted to April. “What’s going on?”
April opened her mouth, too stunned to speak. “What’s going on?” she said finally. “Luca has been kind enough to let me stay here until I can find a place, which, I’m guessing you know, isn’t so easy in this city. Especially when you don’t have much money.”
Wes looked at Luca again. April realized how close he was standing, which she didn’t mind. Let Wes make any assumption he wanted.
