Winter

by Michelle Love

Bo grinned at her friend. “Hell, no.”

  They were interrupted by a call from the hallway. “Hey, kids.”

  Raffaelo walked in and kissed Bo’s cheek, then she felt her cheeks flame as Tommaso walked in behind him, holding the hand of a shy, little curly-headed boy who could only be his son.

  Tommaso kissed Bo’s cheeks too, lingering a little, meeting her gaze. “It’s wonderful to see you again, Bo.”

  She smiled. “You too, Tommaso … and who’s this little guy?”

  Tommaso pushed a reluctant Matteo forward a little. “This is Matteo. Matty, this is our friend, Bo. Say hello.”

  Matteo shook Bo’s hand very seriously. Bo hid a grin. “Matteo, it’s very nice to meet you—this is Tiger. Tiger, come ’ere.”

  Tiger and Matteo studied each other for a long minute. “’Allo,” said Tiger in his broad London accent. “Wanna come play outside with me?”

  Matteo was hesitant, looking up at Tommaso, who nodded encouragingly. “Okay.”

  Dinner was out on the patio, a riotous evening of laughter and talking, and Bo found herself growing fonder of this little group of people. Tiger and Matteo seemed to get along well, even though Tiger was a monster at the dinner table; he’d always been easily distracted, and now that he had a new friend and somewhere new to explore, getting him to sit still was Bo’s new nightmare.

  “For God’s sake, child,” she groaned, as he scooted from the table for the fourth time. The others laughed, and Tommaso gave a little nod to Matteo, who followed his friend.

  “Listen.” Tommaso leaned over to Bo. “I’m grateful Tiger is here. It’s the most animated I’ve seen Matteo since his mother passed.”

  Bo looked at Tommaso. His delicious eyes were ringed with black circles, and he looked exhausted … and completely desirable. “I’m so sorry, Tommaso. It must have been awful.”

  “It was.” Tommaso’s merry eyes were, for once, serious. “The worst thing is … I don’t know if I’m ever doing the right thing for Matteo. Not ever. I give him some food, then I think, wait, is that what he needs for his nutrition? Or, I take him somewhere to entertain him, and wonder if it’s really appropriate.”

  Bo hid a smile. “Are you taking him to strip clubs? Already?”

  Tommaso laughed. “No, not quite yet.”

  “Then stop worrying. Actually, I should warn you; you never stop worrying. About everything. Comes with being a parent.”

  “So, this walker-on-a-tightrope feeling?”

  “Get used to it.”

  Tommaso grimaced. “Thanks for the pep talk.”

  Bo laughed. “You’re welcome.” She realized that Inca and Raffaelo had slipped from their seats and were walking around the garden, obviously giving them space. The way Raffaelo looked at Inca made Bo’s heart ache. Tommaso’s hand was next to hers on the table, so close she could feel his body heat, and a pulse began to beat between her legs. Tommaso met her gaze, and her insides melted.

  “We will have to spend some time together while you are here.”

  Bo could only nod dumbly. Tommaso’s fingers gently touched her hand and, as if it was totally naturally, they linked with hers. Bo’s heart was hammering against her ribs.

  The moment was broken by a wail. Matteo. Bo and Tommaso were up immediately, but by the time they got to the kids, Matteo was fine again.

  “What happened?”

  Tiger looked up at them with a steady gaze. “We found a snail that got smashed, but I told Matty it was okay. He was in heaven now, with Kit and Matty’s mummy, and they were looking after it.”

  Bo felt her heart clench at the mention of Kit’s name, but Tommaso smiled at Tiger. “Good job, Tiger.”

  “Fanks,” he said in his broad accent, then immediately got back to playing with his new friend.

  Bo realized she was holding hands with Tommaso, but was loathe to let go. She saw Inca glance at their linked hands and saw the gleeful gleam in her eyes. “Come back to the table and I’ll get the chocolate cake. Kids, you want some cake?”

  After dinner, they lingered over coffee, then Inca excused herself for a little while. After a half hour, she came out of the house. “Matteo, Tiger? Have you ever had a blanket fort? Come inside and see.”

  Curious, the other adults followed the kids in, and saw that in one of the guest rooms, Inca had indeed built a blanket fort for the kids. Two sleeping bags lay on a mattress, fresh pajamas on the pillows. Inca looked sheepish.

  “I just thought they could stay here for the night; give both of you a rest.”

  Inca Sardee Winter, you are a minx, Bo thought, knowing exactly what Inca was up to. But she hid her grin and bent down to speak to Tiger. “Would you like that, Tigs? Want to stay here with Matteo?”

  Tiger nodded enthusiastically, then looked at Matteo. “I would. What about Matty?”

  “Me too.” Matteo looked excited at the new adventure, but then looked uncertain. “Can we still have cake?”

  Inca laughed. “Of course you can. Then, in the morning, we can have breakfast in here, if you’d like.”

  After the kids had exhausted themselves and fallen asleep, Inca asked Raffaelo if he would ‘Come help me in the kitchen.’ Bo was sure Raffaelo murmured the word ‘Pimp’ to his wife.

  Tommaso grinned at Bo. “Subtle, isn’t she?”

  “She’s gorgeous.”

  Tommaso laughed and nodded. “Wants to make the whole world happy.” He looked over to her. “It’s working.”

  For a second, Bo wavered. Could she really risk her heart again? But, no, she wanted this man … and the way his hand was drifting up and down her bare back. She looked at him squarely.

  “I should tell you … I don’t do commitment. I’m here for a few days, then I have to get back to London to record my new album.”

  “Understood.”

  “So, if we do this, then realize … it’s friends with benefits.”

  Tommaso lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “Bo … I understand.” He leaned over and pressed his lips to her, and Bo felt her reservations slip.

  “Tommaso Winter … before I change my mind. Take me to your place.”

  Tommaso grinned triumphantly.

  An hour later, they stood face-to-face in his bedroom. The room was hot, the evening humid, and, as he slowly peeled her dress from her, Bo felt a drop of sweat trail down her spine. “I think I need to shower,” she said, before Tommaso covered her mouth with his. Kissing her, he peeled her underwear from her, then shed his own clothes. He swept her up into his arms, Bo protesting about his back, but Tommaso didn’t seem to register the weight of her curves.

  He cranked the shower on, and they stood underneath the cool spray, feeling the relief from the heat. Bo kissed his mouth, then dropped to her knees to take his rock-hard cock into her mouth. God, he was huge, but she teased the tip of him, wanting all of him inside her, tasting the salty pre-cum. She brought him expertly to a peak, shooting thick, creamy cum into her mouth, then he carried her, still wet, to the bed, where he pushed her legs apart and found her sex with his tongue. Bo closed her eyes and gave herself over to the sensations drilling up her body.

  Tommaso sucked on her clit, then teased it into a state of such hardness that he heard Bo groan again and again, his tongue dipping deep into her cunt. She tasted of soap and clean skin. His cock was almost painfully hard, but he wanted to prolong the anticipation. His teeth grazed her clit, and Bo yelped, his fingers tangling in his hair.

  His own hands kneaded the soft flesh of her hips; she really was so soft and curvy that he reveled in her sensational body. He brought her to orgasm before moving to claim her mouth again, his cock rigid and ready. He felt her spread her legs, welcoming, inviting him in, and slowly, oh so slowly, he entered her, keeping his gaze locked on hers as his engorged cock slid into her warm, wet cunt.

  Both of them shivered as he filled her, panting for air, and they began to move as one, Tommaso thrusting harder and deeper, Bo opening her legs wider to take him in balls dee
p. Their fingers linked, their breath mingled as they fucked each other, feral and wanton in their desire for one another. Tommaso began to thrust harder than Bo had ever experienced, his eyes intense on her, and the flame of danger in them made her come harder and longer than she had known.

  “God, Tommaso … Tommaso…” Her body bucked and jerked with the force of her orgasm, but Tommaso, coming with a groan inside her, flipped her onto her stomach and pushed gently into her ass. Bo clenched the sheets as he took her—she had never been fond of anal sex, but with this man, God, he sent her flying—and she came quickly again, her entire body vibrating with pleasure.

  Tommaso kissed her tenderly as they recovered their breath, and Bo stroked his face. “Well,” she said, with a grin, “that was even better than I had imagined it.”

  “You imagined it?”

  “Oh, yes,” she laughed. “Many, many times.”

  Tommaso grinned. “Me too. God, your body … it’s heaven.”

  Bo blushed. “Thank you … I get told so often to lose weight that it’s nice when someone appreciates it the way it is.”

  “You are not overweight in any way. Who wants to fuck skin and bones? Look at Inca; she’s all curves too.”

  Bo frowned. Why was he bringing up his sister-in-law? He saw her face and looked vaguely sheepish. “Sorry. Look, you might as well know. Inca was my girlfriend before Raff’s.”

  That did surprise her. “So, you and Inca have slept together.”

  Tommaso looked away from her gaze. “A long time ago. Everything worked out for the best.”

  Suddenly Bo felt a little awkward. She sat up and reached for a bottle of water on the nightstand, taking a cool long drink. She studied him. “You’re not still hung up on her, are you?”

  Tommaso shook his head. “No, I promise. And … how about you? I know Kit Mallory meant a lot to you.”

  “He did. He does, of course. He always will, and I still have a connection to that family. I still miss him. But it’s not going to bring him back.”

  “I know. Perdita—that’s Matteo’s mother—I still can’t believe she is gone. I mean, before Raff and Inca’s wedding, I hadn’t seen Perdy for … well, five years.”

  “And she turned up at your wedding?”

  Tommaso’s face darkened. “It was my father trying to ruin Raff’s wedding by turning up with his ‘son’.”

  Bo felt confused. “Wait … Raff’s son?”

  Tommaso grinned wryly. “Perdy was Raff’s girlfriend.”

  Bo gaped at him. “Wait … do you two share all your women?”

  He held his hands up. “I know it seems like that, but no, I swear, both occasions were very different, and everyone is with the person they should be with now. Perdita actually left both of us after we cheated on Raff. My father—our father—is a manipulative piece of work. He wants to control our lives, but we cut him out completely after he tried to kill Inca.”

  Bo was very uncomfortable now. “He tried to kill her?”

  “He tried to rape her, and she stabbed him with some scissors. Made him mad.”

  “Good for her.” Bo felt furious on behalf of her friend. “Bad ass.”

  Tommaso shook his head. “You have no idea. So, yeah, Edgar Winter is scum, and that’s how I ended up being reunited with Perdita and my son. Then we had the accident. “

  “I’m sorry, Tommaso.”

  He nodded. “Thank you—coming from you, it means a lot, just … life sucks, sometimes.”

  She laughed softly and stroked his chest. “And sometimes it doesn’t.”

  Tommaso smiled and kissed her. “And sometimes it doesn’t.”

  In the morning, they got up early to be back at Raffaelo’s villa before the kids were awake. Their plan was foiled though; as they arrived, they heard the boys shrieking with laughter, and the sounds of water splashing.

  Raff greeted Bo and Tommaso with a smile.

  “They’re in the pool with Inca.”

  “Hello, Mummy,” Tiger called, and she waved at him, delighted to see his joy-filled face. Tommaso called out to Matteo, who looked at his father hesitantly, then gave him a small smile and wave.

  “Progress.” Tommaso was obviously pleased. Bo watched as Inca threw a football to the boys, and they sent it back at with such force it made her shriek—they were obviously ganging up on her.

  One of Raffaelo’s chefs was laying a breakfast buffet out on the outside table. Bo grinned at Raffaelo. “I’m sure you Italians just try and fatten me up all the time.”

  Raff grinned. “We love our food, it’s true.”

  They all feasted and, after breakfast, Bo went with Inca as she showered and dressed. Tommaso was right; Inca was slim, but curvy, full-figured. Because she was petite though, Bo had always thought of her as skinny. But seeing her now, she realized she’d been wrong and felt more comfortable with her.

  “So?” said Inca, dragging her underwear on, completely uninhibited in front of Bo. “Tell me everything.”

  Bo laughed out loud. “Inks, you know what happened … even, I believe, what it was like.”

  Inca blushed. “Sorry, I should have told you. But it was a long time ago, and it’s not important now. You had a good time?”

  “Very. Tommaso is … incredible.”

  Inca looked delighted, and she hugged Bo. “I’m so glad.”

  “All down to your machinations, Inca Winter. God. Inca Winter…”

  Inca broke into peals of laughter. “Oh, I know. That’s why I went double-barreled. I wanted to take Raff’s name, but there was no getting around it. But, stop changing the subject … so you think …?”

  Bo’s smiled faded. “Sweetie, I don’t know. I have such a full schedule, and I’m all over the place. It’s hard enough to make sure Tiger doesn’t have too much disruption … add in an international boyfriend and …”

  Inca pouted. “I get it. I do. It would be a shame, is all. You two are so right for each other.”

  Bo grinned. “And you can tell from just one night?”

  “Oh, yes. Look, Bo, life is short. We, all of us, have had experience of that. I just want you both to be happy.”

  Later, Raffaelo and Tommaso decided to take the boys to the marina, and Inca and Bo wandered around the boutiques in the city, chatting idly.

  It was getting late in the day, and as Bo handed the store clerk her purchases, she looked around for Inca. Her friend was nowhere to be seen. “Have you seen my friend?”

  The store clerk shook her head, but called over to her assistant. “She went outside with an older man,” the other woman said, looking nervous. “She didn’t look happy.”

  Bo felt adrenaline spike through her. She went outside and looked around, but couldn’t see Inca anywhere. She circled the area twice before she saw Inca’s bag lying on the ground. She darted over to it, and picked it up. Heart pounding, Bo called Tommaso. “Tommaso … it’s Inca. I think someone has taken her.”

  At home, Raffaelo paced around like a man in torment. Bo settled the kids in bed—they went quietly, knowing something was very wrong.

  “It’s Edgar,” Raffaelo spat. “He’s determined to take his revenge. Oh God …”

  Tommaso, his handsome face hard, was talking to the police, his tone fierce. “He’s gone too far this time … if anything happens to her …”

  Bo waited until he had finished talking to the police, then hugged him. “I know she’ll be okay. Bad ass, remember?”

  He leaned his forehead against hers. “I’m scared for her, for Raff. He won’t survive if anything happens to her.”

  And what about you? she wanted to ask, but pushed the thought away. That wasn’t fair; even she would be devastated if Inca was hurt, and she hadn’t known her nearly as long.

  “Why would she go with him?”

  Raffaelo looked like a broken man, and they had no answers for him.

  It was four a.m. when the police pounded on the door. Raff steeled himself for bad news as he opened it.

  Sh
e’s dead. She’s dead.

  Instead, the police officer smiled at him. “We’ve found your wife, Mr. Winter.”

  Raffaelo almost collapsed, and Tommaso had to hold him up. “She’s okay?”

  “She’s been taken to the hospital, but she should be fine. As we suspected, she was abducted by Edgar Winter. She told us he had a knife and forced her to get into his car.”

  “Is she hurt?”

  “Slightly … defensive wounds. We believe Mr Winter intended to kill her and dump her body, but she fought back.”

  Raffaelo moaned, and Tommaso held him tighter. “She’s okay, Raff. She’s okay.” He turned to the officer. “Is she upset?”

  The police officer smiled slightly. “More angry than upset. Mr Winter definitely came off the worst in that fight. He’s in custody now. We’ll charge him with attempted murder and kidnapping.”

  Raffaelo’s shoulders slumped. “Look, I need to get to my wife.”

  “Of course.”

  Bo hugged him. “We’ll stay and take care of the kids. Tell Inca we love her.”

  “I will, thank you.” He left with the police officer, and the house was quiet again.

  Tommaso took Bo in his arms. “Life is short.” She nodded. This whole thing had brought back memories of when Kit had died and now, with the relief of knowing Inca was safe, she began to cry, for the life she never had with Kit, for the life she so desperately wanted with this incredible man …

  Tommaso held her until her sobs became hiccups, then she smiled up at him. “Sorry. That’s been a long time coming.”

  He nodded, his eyes serious. “Bella, I don’t know what is going to happen in the future, or how we can possibly make this work. I just know, I want to make it work. If it means me and Matteo coming to England to live, so be it. The boys already adore each other, and being with Tiger has brought me and Matteo closer. It’s still not everything it should be, but we can work on that. And as for you and me … I like the way it’s going—don’t you?”

  Bo smiled, feeling her heart lift. “I do. So, what are you saying?”

  Tommaso smiled and kissed her. “I’m saying … let’s not waste any time. Let’s try to work this out. I want you. I want to be with you … what do you say?”