“What kind do you recommend?” Eliana asked.
Kacia paused. “Chocolate, definitely chocolate. We have some more daring flavors, but I think you should try something simple.”
“It’s like you know me,” Eliana said with a laugh. “I’m a simple girl who likes simple things.”
Kacia looked down at me, one eyebrow raised. I scowled, pointing up toward the counter, silently threatening to do her bodily harm. She rolled her eyes and moved around me to get the sample for Eliana. “Here you go,” she said, handing over two wooden spoons with the gelato clinging to them.
“Mmm,” I heard Elaina moan.
I closed my eyes, imagining the look on her face as she licked the spoon and tasted the sweet gelato. It was probably the sexiest thing I would ever see, and I was hunkered below the counter, unable to witness it with my own eyes.
“Do you like it?” Kacia asked.
“I do. This is amazing. I never knew this place was here. I think I have found my new favorite splurge.” She laughed.
I inwardly groaned. That would not do. I wouldn’t always be able to run away and hide like a little boy. She could come in during a rush, and I wouldn’t know until she was standing directly in front of me.
“My boss has had this place for a few years,” Kacia said.
“Really?” the friend asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this place, and I’ve passed by here many times.”
“My boss really needs to do better advertising,” Kacia answered. “He sucks at it.”
I rolled my eyes. She had no idea how much advertising cost. I did what I could.
“Is he a good boss?” Eliana asked.
Kacia made a loud groaning sound. “Sometimes. He can also be a real dick. Like right now, he’s having some serious girl problems, and he is just impossible to work with.”
I pinched her calf again. I was going to make her pay dearly for that little comment. She thought she was so funny.
I listened to the two women order. Eliana stuck with the tried and true chocolate, while her friend ventured out of the norm and went with one of my specialty flavors, Marostica. It was a pistachio and sour cherry combination that only appealed to a select group of individuals. I tried to get some of the more unique flavors in my shop and often changed flavors with the season. It saved money, which was my ultimate goal.
Thankfully, the women got their gelato to go, and after chatting with Kacia a bit more about the weather and tourist season and other totally stupid and irrelevant shit, they finally left, allowing me to get off the floor.
I scowled at Kacia as I dusted off my ass. “Could you have talked to them any longer?”
She grinned. “I could have. Next time, I will.”
“Don’t you dare!”
“She was really nice and very pretty. I can see why you like her.”
I smiled, having to agree with her assessment. “I know, and now you see why I don’t want to risk losing her. She’s too good to let go.”
“I don’t think you’re giving her enough credit,” Kacia said. “I bet she won’t mind a bit that you don’t have money. You heard her. She is a simple girl. I didn’t get the gold-digger vibe. Her friend, on the other hand, would dump you in a heartbeat if she found out you had no money.” She laughed.
“And what makes you think she’s different?” I asked, genuinely wanting to know.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. She didn’t wear a bunch of jewelry and very little makeup. Her clothes were plain and simplistic, not flashy and showing off her tits like her friend. To me, Eliana appeared to be someone who likes to be low key. I can’t see her appreciating the trappings of wealth, like the private jets and red carpets and all the schmoozing.” She sighed. “I, however, wouldn’t mind a few of those things.”
“I know you wouldn’t.”
“Tell her before it’s too late,” she said in a quiet voice.
I slowly shook my head. “I can’t. I don’t know how.”
“Easy. You say, I was joking about the wealth thing. I’m comfortable, and I can take you to dinner, but I can’t whisk you away to a tropical island or whatever it is you think she might like. Be simple, and be honest. I truly think that will appeal to her.”
“And if she laughs in my face and runs in the opposite direction?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Then she isn’t worthy of you.”
I scoffed. “That’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one that is at risk of losing the girl you really care about.”
“You can’t possibly care about her—not yet. You’re interested in her. You like her. You’re attracted to her. All of those things can be felt for another woman.”
I shook my head. “Not like this. This is different. This is something special. I like how easy she is to talk to.”
“You’re going to lose her if you don’t tell her. If you do tell her and you lose her, then there’s nothing you can do about it. You can’t get rich overnight. You can’t change who you are to suit her. You’re Cade Kouris, humble owner of a gelato shop. You’re a great guy, and if she can’t see past the dollar signs, you don’t need her. Seriously. Don’t even waste another minute thinking about it.”
I nodded, knowing she was right, but damn, it sucked. I hated the idea I could lose a woman because I didn’t have a big enough bank account. Then again, I didn’t want a woman because of my bank account. As much as it hurt to admit it, it was true.
Chapter 16
Eliana
I turned my head from one side to the other, feeling the pillow beneath my head and the cool satin sheets under my naked body. The sheets were a welcome contrast to the heat radiating from my overheated skin. I felt like I was on fire.
I was tingling with need from my head to the very tips of my toes. Everything felt heightened. The feel of the man over me was making my body arch and writhe as his mouth deposited kisses over my collarbone. His hands intertwined with mine and held me against the mattress.
I groaned loud enough to vibrate the pillow beneath me. His mouth was so hot and wet and oh so skilled at kissing. I turned my head to the side, making room for him to smother my neck with more of the hot wet kisses. He suckled my flesh, pulling it between his teeth.
“Oh god,” I moaned.
“You taste like honey,” he whispered.
I smiled, thinking about the honey scrub I had used before he’d come over. “Just for you, baby.”
“Moro mou,” he whispered in Greek, calling me his baby.
I closed my eyes, allowing myself to be transported to a place far above the stars as his mouth moved over my breasts. More suckling and teasing of my nipples had me feeling like a bow strung too tightly. I needed release. My body felt as if I would shatter if I didn’t get the release I was craving so desperately.
“Please, Cade, please,” I begged.
“What is it you want, Dolcezza?” he asked.
I didn’t understand the word. “Who?”
His head rose up as he looked into my eyes with those deep brown eyes. “Sweetness. You are my sweetness. You taste so sweet.”
I smiled, the heat rising up from my belly. “Italian?”
He winked. “Yes.”
“I love when you speak Italian to me,” I whispered.
He released one of my hands and ran his fingers over my cheek before sliding up my body and kissing me on the mouth. He tasted just as sweet. Was it the power of suggestion? Was it my own taste on his tongue? I didn’t know, but it made the kiss all the sweeter.
“You make me crazy. I forget what language I’m speaking. It just comes out.” He laughed softly before putting his mouth to my neck once again.
I jerked as his hand slid down my body, sliding between my legs and touching the part of me that felt on fire. I could burst into flames at any moment. I couldn’t remember ever feeling so desperate for a man’s touch. I needed him as much as I needed the air I was breathing.
My hand raked over his back, scouring him with my n
ails as I reached down and squeezed his tight ass and jerked him against me.
“Shh, slow,” he said, rubbing his erection against me but refusing to enter my body and give me what I was demanding.
“I don’t want slow,” I ordered. “I want now.”
“Dolcezza, I’m going to take care of you,” he whispered. “Patience.”
I leaned my head back, looking up at a ceiling that wasn’t really there. I saw nothing but fog and mist. I wasn’t sure where we were, and I began to wonder if we were truly in the heavens.
His fingers slid over my slit, gently parting me. I squeezed my eyes closed once again, focusing all my attention and energy on the part of me that begged for his touch.
He was gently moving his fingers over me, a slow glide of his fingers over sensitive flesh that was swollen and begging for pressure. I spread my legs wider, completely exposing my core to his slow perusal, giving him control over my body. I laid perfectly still while he stroked me, trying to command my body not to move, afraid the sensations spiraling through me would somehow disappear.
“Are you ready, Dolcezza?” he whispered.
I whimpered. “I am. Please.”
His long, thick finger probed my opening. I gasped, holding my breath, waiting for more. Nothing happened. My eyes popped open, and I saw him staring at my face. “What are you doing?” I panted.
“I’m watching you,” he replied, pushing the finger in just a little more.
I cried out. The feeling of being penetrated by him while staring directly into his eyes made me nearly sob with ecstasy. “More,” I demanded.
He slowly nodded. “More,” he answered, pushing the finger in deeper until I could feel his knuckles pushed against me.
I wanted to close my eyes, but his gaze refused to let go of my own. He was staring into my very soul, his finger buried deep inside me. My body squeezed and contracted around him. I could feel the orgasm hanging just out of reach. He pushed in a little deeper. It wasn’t enough. I could feel my body vibrating. It was a desperation I had never felt before. I couldn’t seem to get him deep enough.
“Please,” I begged, staring into his eyes.
“Do you want me?” he asked.
“Yes. I want you. I need you. Fill me.”
His finger was gone, leaving me feeling empty. His large body loomed over mine, his knees nudging my legs open farther as he rose up to his knees over me. He was huge. His muscles were well defined, and for a brief moment, I let myself imagine I was with one of the mythological gods.
A lock of his dark hair hung over one eye as he looked at my body from his elevated position. I felt naughty, spread eagle and nude, my chest heaving up and down as I waited for him to enter my body. I was panting, whimpering while he watched. I could see the desire in his eyes and felt even hotter.
“Now?” he asked.
“Now!” I screamed the word with sheer desperation.
He smiled, grabbed his heavy cock with one hand, and guided himself to my opening. I felt the tip probing, rubbing over the sensitive swollen flesh, and I reached out with both hands and clung to the satin sheets I was lying on. I clenched them in my fists, needing to be anchored to something. I was arching and moaning, and the man wasn’t even inside me.
“Look at me,” he ordered.
I hadn’t realized my eyes had closed. I opened them, finding that same deep stare from him. “Cade?”
He pushed himself inside me, filling me until I was absolutely sure I couldn’t take another bit of his rather large size. Then he pushed in a little deeper.
His eyes held mine the entire time. My body was contracting and squeezing around him, leaving me absolutely breathless and unable to speak. I opened my mouth, a silent cry as my body erupted. His eyes never left mine.
He was stalwart over me, his body impaling mine without so much as a flinch as my body arched and writhed beneath him. The intensity of his gaze was making me come harder than I had ever before. I feared I would snap in two with the powerful spasms wracking my body.
I awoke with a violent jerk and the sensation of an orgasm in the final throes. “Holy shit,” I whispered in my dark room.
I ran a hand over my face, feeling the perspiration that matched my racing heart. I was embarrassed, mortified, and absolutely shocked I’d had such an erotic dream about a man I had kissed once and shared a single meal with.
I had never in my life felt so sexually attracted to another human being. I hadn’t even really enjoyed sex all that much with my ex-boyfriend. It had been more of a chore and something I knew I should want, but the guy just didn’t do it for me.
Cade had made me orgasm without touching me. That was insane. I tried to push all thoughts of the man from my head, focusing on going back to sleep. I couldn’t. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face, that silly grin of his, and those eyes staring back at me. Eyes that looked like they were looking into my very soul.
“Go away,” I muttered, hoping I could banish him from my thoughts.
He was just as stubborn in my head as he was in real life. The man refused to go. He insisted on waiting for me every time I closed my eyes. He was just hanging out, his arms folded across his chest as he leaned against something invisible. Just waiting. Just like he had outside the venue.
“Dammit,” I groaned, realizing I wasn’t going to get back to sleep, not without doing something drastic to get him out of my head.
I looked at the clock. It was just after seven. I hadn’t made it to bed until two. It was going to have to be enough sleep. I refused to dream about Cade. I didn’t even know if I liked the man.
I couldn’t understand how he had managed to get under my skin, but I didn’t think I liked it. I didn’t like the idea of wanting someone that badly. That made me vulnerable and would leave me open to heartache. I did not want heartache. My mom had enough of that for the two of us. Hell, she had enough of it for a whole crowd of people.
I pulled on a pair of shorts over my panties, which was all I usually slept in. If I was going to continue to have erotic dreams about Cade, I was going to be wearing jeans to bed to keep myself from taking care of business, with the thoughts of him drifting through my mind. I would not give him that much credit.
I walked into the kitchen, my eyes bleary from lack of sleep, and opened the refrigerator door. I pushed things around until I found a can of soda. I popped the top, took a long swallow, and then went for the coffee. It was going to be that kind of day.
I sat down at my tiny table, waiting for the coffee to brew while I sipped the cold cola. All the while, my mind kept going back to Cade.
What was different about him? What was making me think about him so often? He was handsome, and he was nice, but I had dated people with both those traits before.
I didn’t give a shit about his wealth, but I had to wonder if that was what I was truly attracted to. What if I was more like my mother than I thought I was? The very thought made me shudder with revulsion. I refused to be her. I refused to date men and allow them to use my body to gain something in return. It was never going to happen.
I got up, poured myself a cup of coffee, and returned to the table. I knew what I had to do. I had to end it with Cade. I had to end it before anything could get started. I was following in my mother’s footsteps, and that was completely unacceptable.
I had decided long ago I would never date a man with money just for the principle of it. He could be the nicest man in the world, but it would always make me feel like her.
I was not her. I would not ever be her.
I was not going to get into a relationship with a man that felt like he was renting me until I grew old or he tired of me and could toss me out and go in search of a new woman.
Chapter 17
Cade
I left Kacia in charge of the shop and drove across town to meet Maceo for a late lunch. I kind of felt like I owed him after what he had done for me at the restaurant the other night. I didn’t feel like I owed him—I did owe h
im.
The guy didn’t know me, but he had hooked me up in a big way. It was a big deal, and I wanted to make sure I thanked him in person.
When I walked in, he was on the phone, drinking what looked like a glass of scotch. I wasn’t going to say anything about the time of day. I figured if one were as wealthy as he was, he could drink whenever he damn well chose. It wasn’t like he needed to drive or actually make any big, life-changing decisions. He had people that did that. He quickly ended his call when he spotted me and gestured for me to sit down.
“Want a drink?” he asked, holding up his glass.
I smiled, shaking my head. “No thanks.”
He nodded. “I understand. How did it go the other night? Don’t keep me in suspense.”
“I want to thank you,” I said. “I wasn’t expecting you to pay for my dinner. I’d like to pay you back.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t pay. It was a favor the chef owed me.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “I don’t want you to think I’m taking advantage. I can pay for my own dates.”
He smiled. “I know you can. As I said, it was a favor. I have many people who owe me favors. Too many. I will never be able to cash them all in. So, how was it?”
I couldn’t stop the grin. “It was good. Really good.”
“Are you going to see her again?”
I grimaced. “That’s up for debate still.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Did you tell her about your financial situation?”
I shook my head. “Nope. She still has no idea I’m just a poor man trying to make it in this world.”
“But you did ask her out again?”
“I didn’t. I told her I was going to, and she told me not to do it. She made it very clear that the relationship wasn’t going to go anywhere.”
He scowled. “That doesn’t sound like a really good date. Maybe we should start with your expectations.”
I laughed. “I think she is predisposed to saying no. I have a feeling she’s been burned by a bad relationship in the past and is taking things very slowly with me. I did steal a kiss, and she didn’t kick my ass for doing it.”
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