by Haven, Rose
“No Alberto….you don’t know….”
“Shhh….” I put my fingers on her trembling lips to silence her. “I know….I know that you are the only woman I want, I know that you are the only woman who fills my life with happiness, I know that you are the only woman I love….”
I cup her face in my hands and then kiss her gently. She is everything I ever dreamt of. She sighs against my lips and I take that opportunity to thrust my tongue into her mouth. I turn that gentle kiss into one so powerfully possessive and demanding that both our bodies come alive with a need so strong that our hearts seem to burst with passion.
Breathless after the kiss, I carry her in my arms and take her to my room. I cannot think of spending another moment away from her. She looks up at me, her eyes still dazed with that mind blowing kiss. I lay her on my bed and pull out the few pins from her hair that hold them in place. Her blonde hair falls down in waves and she looks sexy as hell. Her hardened nipples press against the fabric of her gown telling me that she is not wearing a bra underneath.
I slowly push her gown off her shoulders and amazed at the creamy expanse of skin before me. I kiss her senseless once again and then make my way down towards her neck and shoulders. She is making small sounds that seem to arouse me even more. I gently nibble and suck the sensitive skin at the base of her neck and she gives a small cry of pleasure. I can sense that she is loving every touch, every sensation.
That encourages me to take our passion to another level. I pull her gown further and her pert round breasts are revealed to my hungry eyes. I push her backwards and my mouth captures her delectable nipple.
“Oh Alberto!” she cries out loud. She grabs the sides of my head as if not wanting me to stop. I give out a deep, husky chuckle and continue biting and teasing her little nub. As I shift my attention to the other nipple, she arches her body towards me pressing me into her heated skin. My erection is becoming almost painful and I can wait no longer.
I quickly take off my clothes and in a matter of few seconds, I am again on top of her, kissing her and moving my hands over her silky smooth body. I want to make this night memorable for her. Her soft, blue eyes are once again looking at me and they are turning me on like never before. I have been with many women in the past but the raging lust that is filling my soul and mind….I have never experienced it before. Her every touch seems to put my body on fire. I have waited for so long for this moment to arrive…and now that it is finally here, I want to savor each and every memory.
I take her into my arms and literally rip that gown off her body. She seems shy of her nakedness initially but I start touching her pink nipples and she loses herself in the emotions that I seem to evoke in her. Slowly I move my hands down her stomach and then towards her wet womanhood. She gasps at the intimate touch but as I move my fingers into her slick heat, she moans with pleasure.
“Oh…oh Alberto…I don’t…I don’t know what to do!” She is breathless.
“Relax, bella. Just let yourself go,” I tell her soothingly. I lower my body onto her and press my erection against her soft heat. She rubs her hips against my rock hard erection and I am about to explode. I immediately don protection and in one swift motion, I am inside her.
As soon as I enter her, she gives out a cry of pain. I stop at once and see that she has closed her eyes tightly and the expression on her face is no longer of desire. I curse myself inwardly…in my blinding desire for her, I had failed to remember that she might be a virgin.
“Gemma….amore, open your eyes. I promise not to hurt you.” She slowly opens her eyes and I feel her shoulders relax a little. I try to remain as still as possible.
“I wish I could stop this right now but I am in no position to do that. Just try to relax, ok? I promise this will get better.”
She nods her head and moves a little to get more comfortable and I kiss her once again to relax her. Soon she is back to grinding her hips against me and I take it as a cue to start moving inside her. She is making small noises of pleasure and I know she is with me once again.
Gemma is holding onto my shoulders tightly as I press myself into her in a steady rhythm. When she literally screams out my name, I know that she has finally reached her orgasm. Her reaction and climax make me reach my own explosive, mind numbing orgasm and both of us lay in each other’s arms for a long time catching our breath.
When I hear Gemma’s steady breathing, I realize that she has fallen asleep in my arms. I pull up the covers gently over the both of us and drift off to a happy sleep.
Chapter Eleven
I wake up next morning to Gemma wearing my white shirt and holding a cup of hot coffee for me. When I look at her with an amused grin, she says, “What? You tore that beautiful gown of mine last night. So I had to wear your shirt, you see. Mrs. Antoni has locked all the other rooms and I didn’t know where the keys are.”
“The keys are right here.” I hold out the bunch of keys on my bedside but immediately hide my hand behind as she tries to snatch them from me. “You are not going to your room until Mrs. Antoni arrives.”
“What? Are you crazy? What will I wear? All my stuff is in that room,” she cries.
“Well, you look far better in my shirts than those dowdy dresses that you wear,” I reply with a laugh.
The next two days prove to be the best days of my life. We spend them laughing with each other, sharing meals in bed (once again, I must say, Gemma is an amazing cook), watching some amazing movies and making love just about anywhere. In those two days, we make love in my dressing room, my huge bathtub, on the kitchen table, on the sofa in the living area and even in the balcony overlooking the beautiful city of Florence.
We both have confessed our love for each other and when Mrs. Antoni arrives after two days, I break the good news to her.
“Oh, I am so happy for both of you. I just pray to God to keep my children blessed for the rest of their lives,” she wipes the tears of joy that are pouring out of her kind eyes. “Have you popped the question to her as yet, Alberto?” she asks me.
“No. Not yet. But I am planning to do that very soon. Its mama’s birthday tomorrow. I’ll personally go to the orphanages and the Cancer Hospital to give donations and then I’ll head to the Jeweler to buy a ring.”
“That would be perfect. I am sure your mama would have approved your choice too, caro. Gemma is a very good girl. I am sure she’ll keep you happy.”
*******************************************
The next morning, I leave the office early and head to the orphanages and the Cancer Specialty Hospital that I had opened a few years back in memory of my mama. My heart always breaks when I see people, especially small children, fighting with that deadly disease that took away my mother from me. I made sure that the hospital treats patients from all walks of life at a very affordable cost.
Every year, I make it a point to personally visit these places on mama’s birthday so that I can spend some time with these less fortunate people. This makes me appreciate all that I have been bestowed with and it keeps me grounded.
I am having a word with the head doctor at the hospital when I see someone looking too much like Gemma sitting on a bench in the park with a young child. I can’t seem to focus on what the doctor is saying….I am too much distracted by the scene before my eyes. The doctor perhaps notices where I am looking and informs me, “What happened Mr. Alberto? Do you know that girl?”
“Uh…I think so. She worked at one of my offices I think,” I lie.
“Oh! Poor soul! She is the elder sister of Rio, that boy you see there. He is suffering from blood cancer.”
“Do you know her name?” I feel as if the world is spinning around me.
“Yes. She is Arianna Rizzio and hails from Murlo, a small village near Florence. She came to the hospital about 6 months back with her brother and almost begged me to get him admitted here. The condition of that boy was very critical, so I took him in. He has been responding favorably to the treatments these past month
s and….”
“Does she come here frequently?” I ask. I cannot believe my ears.
“Yes, she comes here at least once every week since the time Rio has been admitted….sometimes even twice or three times. Last week, it was Rio’s birthday and she brought a cake that she had specially baked for him.”
I remember that day! She had said that she wanted to bake a cake for some woman she met at the chapel and I had praised her in my heart for her generosity.
I feel my hands curl into a tight ball. I feel like punching something! The past one month of my life had been a complete lie….everything Gemma had said was a lie! Hell, she’s not even Gemma!
She’s ARIANNA…….
THE END
Italian Billionaire Romance
If You Trust Me
Book Two
Rose Haven
Italian Billionaire Romance: If You Trust Me
Prologue
Alberto Graziani is one of the richest men in Florence. He takes great pride in the fact that he is self-made and has reached this height on his own.
One night, he accidentally hits a young girl with his car on his way home. When he realizes that the girl is unconscious, he brings her home and calls his personal doctor to examine her. Due to the head injury that she sustains in the accident, the girl loses all past memory. He decides to keep her in his house as long as her memory doesn’t return. Mrs. Antoni, his late mother’s best friend and now his only family in the world, gives the girl the name Gemma.
As days pass, Alberto finds himself attracted towards gentle and caring Gemma. She impresses her with her honest and kind nature and soon, they both fall hopelessly in love with each other.
Alberto had lost his mother to cancer and in her memory, he had opened a charitable cancer hospital. On his mother’s birth anniversary, he visits the hospital to spend some time with the patients there when suddenly he sees Gemma there too, talking to a young boy. The doctor informs him that the boy was suffering from blood cancer and the girl with him was his elder sister. She had been visiting him every week since the past six months. This meant that Gemma had been lying to him about her memory loss all along. Even her name had been a lie. She was not Gemma….she was Arianna Rizzio!
Chapter One - Arianna Rizzio
I am so happy today. The doctor has said that in a matter of few months, Rio shall be absolutely fine. My little brother will be able to play, run, and go to school just like all the normal kids his age. I thank God once again for his kindness.
Six months back, I had almost given up all hope. I ran away from my home in Murlo with a very ill Rio and just a few bucks in my pocket. I knew nobody here in Florence, and we had nowhere to go. I still shudder at those memories, the cold night that we spent in a park, holding each other close for some warmth….the look on Rio’s face when he collapsed from being hungry for almost two days…..that day when I finally located the cancer hospital that I was determined to get Rio admitted to….how I had to literally beg the doctor to get him admitted there!
I had never in my wildest dreams imagined that my life would change so drastically. Looking at Rio’s smiling face makes me forget my guilt for a while- guilt of lying to the man I love, the man who is the reason behind our happiness…both Rio’s and mine!
God knows I tried to tell him the truth, but somehow the circumstances didn’t favor me. But I know that I will have to reveal my true identity to him before it gets too late…before he finds out the truth himself! I cannot even imagine what will happen if he comes to know that I have been lying to him. He trusts me so much. I can’t seem to forget what he said to me the other night. His words still ring in my ears…. “Gemma, you have no idea how special you are to me. I have never met a more innocent, pure and honest woman before….”
I can never forget that look in his eyes when he said that to me. I feel ashamed of myself for having betrayed his trust for so long. I promise myself that I will tell him the truth today. I know he’ll probably hate me after hearing the truth but I am prepared to face his wrath. I deserve it.
With a firm resolve, I head towards the penthouse that now seems like home to me. I would be lying again if I say that I do not enjoy the benefits and comforts that come with being rich, but I am not at all materialistic. I do not crave for an extravagant lifestyle or a big house and big cars. I am a very simple girl with simple needs and desires. All I want from life, apart from a healthy and happy Rio, is a loving husband and a warm household filled with children. Is that too much to ask from life?
Lost in my thoughts, I do not realize when the taxi finally reaches the penthouse. I see Alberto’s Lamborghini parked in the basement and wonder why is he home so early today. A kind of eerie feeling creeps up my spine but I decide to ignore it. I have to reveal the truth to him and Mrs. Antoni today, no matter what.
As I ring the bell, Mrs. Antoni opens the door almost immediately. I smile at her and she returns the smile, but I can clearly see that it is forced. Inside, Alberto is sitting on the huge sofa, looking very intimidating. I cannot read his expression, but it is clear that he is not happy about something. I wonder if it is the right time to tell them the truth.
“What is the matter? Is everything alright? You both look a little tense,” I ask them. No one replies for a few seconds. Then Alberto speaks up.
“Where did you go?” he asks curtly. I cringe at the tone of his voice. It is devoid of any emotion.
“I…I was at the Chapel. I told Mrs. Antoni to leave early as I wanted to spend some more time there by myself.” Another lie! I hate myself a little more with each lie I tell Alberto.
“Oh, I see,” Alberto says with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “I believe you were praying to God to reunite you with your family, weren’t you?”
I am confused at his strange behavior.
“Uhhh…yes…”
“Well, God seems to have answered your prayers, Gemma….or should I say Arianna!” he says in a calm yet scathing voice.
I can see my entire world crashing down with that one name…..ARIANNA. He knows everything! He knows that I’ve been lying to him throughout. And the look in his eyes clearly tells me that he hates me for it. He is looking at me with contempt and disgust and I just can’t take it anymore. I look at Mrs. Antoni but she too seems appalled. I have never felt so hopeless and helpless in my entire life….not even when we found out that Rio had cancer!
Chapter Two
“Please Alberto…I can explain….” I try to speak when I finally find my voice.
He gives out a harsh laugh. “You can explain? Of course you can. After all, you are such a fine actress, aren’t you? You’ll weave another web of lies and expect me to fall into it! But let me tell you one thing Ms. Arianna Rizzio, I was stupid enough to believe you once, I shall NOT repeat the same mistake again!”
I am stunned at his words. I have never seen this side of Alberto. It is as if he has already convinced himself that I trapped him intentionally.
“Do you know what you’ve done? You’ve scarred me for life! I shall never be able to trust another woman again, EVER! All that time we spent together, did it mean nothing to you?” The hurt in his eyes is killing me. I feel tears rolling down my eyes.
“No…no Alberto. It’s not what you think….”
“Don’t you dare lie to me again,” he thundered. “You have broken my trust, my belief in you. But most importantly, you have broken my heart Gemma! And I hate you for that….I hate you Gemma, I hate you!”
“Please don’t say that Alberto, I beg of you,” I cry. “I know it was selfish of me to keep you in the dark but I had my reasons….”
“I don’t want to listen to your crap anymore Ms. Arianna Rizzio.” I hate it when he calls me Arianna.
“I….in fact Mrs. Antoni and I both have had our fair share of your lies. Now you can find another wealthy target who you can con with your fake innocence and charm. Perhaps your new target won’t find out your truth as easily as I did and you may get a
chance to rob him off a few million!”
His words cut my heart into a million pieces. I want to hug him tight, to explain him why I took such an extreme step. But the hatred in his eyes stops me from doing that. He thinks that I lied to him for money! Oh Jesus, can anything be more farther from the truth!
“Alright Alberto, if you have already decided that I lied to you because I was after your money, no matter what I say, you’re not going to believe me.” I frantically wipe the tears off my face that have been falling incessantly since the past few minutes.
“But I just want to say one thing. I know I was wrong in hiding my true identity from you but the past two days….. please don’t call them a lie…..they were the most beautiful days of my life. You can throw me out of your life….and I totally deserve it…..but you cannot stop me from loving you. It is true that I am Arianna and not Gemma, but another truth is that I have loved you with all my heart.”
I look at him one last time and then turn towards Mrs. Antoni. After all, I owe her an apology too.
“Mrs. Antoni, I have no words to thank you. You have been like a mother to me all this time. If today I am standing here completely healed after that accident, it is because of you.” I cannot stop the tears that are again falling from my eyes. Mrs. Antoni is wiping her tears too.
“I know I have hurt you a lot but if possible, please try to forgive me. I shall always remember your love and kindness.” I move closer and kiss her on the cheek and then turn around to leave these two wonderful people forever. My heart is hurting so bad that I feel it may just break into two. My eyes are hurting from all the crying and I feel terribly miserable.
As I am about to exit the apartment, I hear Mrs. Antoni voice.
“Wait Arianna.” I slowly turn around.
“Alberto, I know that she lied to us about losing her memory in the accident, but still….my heart somehow tells me that she must have had a valid reason to do what she did.”
