Marsala and Magnolias

by SJ McCoy

  Mary Ellen and Piper laughed at that. “Why does everything have to come back to wine around here?” asked Piper.

  Chelsea laughed. “Because it’s what we’re all about. It’s what our lives are based on.”

  Mary Ellen nodded her agreement. “It is, and I know you have a point. I need to judge Antonio on the way he treats me—not on the way someone else treated me in the past.”

  “And by the sounds of it, he’s treating you very well. I can’t wait to hear where he takes you this weekend.” Piper looked as though she might already know.

  Mary Ellen raised an eyebrow. “Are you in on it?”

  Piper smiled sweetly. “It wouldn’t be fair to say, either way.”

  Chelsea spun around to look at her. “That sounds like you are.”

  Piper simply shrugged. “I just hope you have a great time, wherever you go.”

  “Me too.” Mary Ellen was looking forward to spending the whole weekend with him. If he’d gotten his way, they would have left this evening, but she’d already made plans with the girls, and no way was she going to break them. She’d already spent every evening with him this week. It had been great. He was fun and sweet, and they could talk about anything and everything. He made her laugh, and she knew he was enjoying her company, too, and not just in bed, though they had spent a fair amount of time there.

  “What are your plans for the weekend?” Chelsea asked Piper.

  “Nothing much. I’ve been away so much that we just want some quiet downtime together. And I know Cam wants me to look over some of the wedding stuff.”

  “You know you should just tell him if it’s all too much for you,” said Chelsea.

  Piper shrugged. “It’s fine. I know your mom and dad are looking forward to it all, and it’s important to him and to them.” She shrugged. “It’s not like I have anyone to think about. There’s just me. The only person I consider family is Laura, and she’s already part of your family, so …” She shrugged again “It’s all good.”

  Mary Ellen couldn’t imagine how that must feel. She might not be close with her folks, but she couldn’t imagine them not being around. When she’d planned to marry David, the guest list had been evenly split between her people and his.

  “What about you, anyway?” Piper asked Chelsea. “How long do you and Grant plan to wait before you get married?”

  Mary Ellen looked at her curiously. She’d asked Chelsea a couple of times about her wedding plans, but she’d always shrugged it off.

  She smiled. “We thought we’d wait until you and Cam get yours out of the way first. We’ll do something much smaller and quieter. I like the idea of a beach wedding somewhere, just close family and friends. Grant likes the idea, too. Maybe in December when things are quiet.” She grinned at Mary Ellen. So that should leave things clear for you for a spring or summer wedding.”

  Mary Ellen laughed. “Don’t get too carried away. All this talk about where things are going is all well and good, but there’s a long way to go between here and wedding bells.”

  Piper laughed. “You’re right. It’s fun to tease you, but just see how it goes.”

  Chelsea laughed, too. “I’m not teasing. I’m deadly serious. I’m making my prediction now for a summer wedding for you two.”

  Mary Ellen shook her head and tried to hide her smile. She and Antonio married? Part of her wanted to do a happy dance at the thought. Her more practical side wanted to put a stop to the conversation—it was ridiculous!

  Chapter Eleven

  Antonio smiled as he took his coffee out onto the terrace. He loved to start his days out here. He’d enjoyed it even more last week when Mary Ellen had sat out here with him. He could picture her now, sitting in her robe, sipping her coffee, and taking in the beautiful view of the valley in the early morning light. He could get used to that. He hoped he would get used to it. Last night was the first night he’d slept alone since she came here last Saturday night—and he hadn’t cared for it. He’d grown too used to sleeping beside her, to waking up to find her by his side. He’d be happy for that to become his new normal—his new life. He thought back to Cameron’s cautioning words last night—that he should take things at a pace she was comfortable with. He nodded reluctantly to himself. He knew that was the right way to go. He just hoped he could contain himself. She was practical; he was impetuous. It made them a good match, but he didn’t want it to scare her off.

  He checked his watch. It was too early to go and collect her. He’d suggested that he should pick her up from Molly’s last night, so she could stay here with him, but she’d refused. She’d said it was to give her a chance to pack her things for their trip, but he had a sneaking suspicion that she hadn’t wanted the girls to see him coming to get her. He could take it badly if he thought she was ashamed of him, but he knew better than that. It was more likely that she didn’t want it to seem like just a booty call after they’d both been out with their friends. He smiled. She meant so much more to him than that, but he knew his reputation went before him, so he’d agreed that he’d pick her up bright and early this morning instead. Impatient, he looked at his watch again. It was only six thirty, which meant he had an hour to kill before she’d be ready. It amused him that he didn’t seem to have any difficulty being punctual when it came to her.

  Fifty minutes later he knocked on her door. It took a few minutes before she answered, and when she did, she took his breath away. She was dressed simply, in cut-off jeans and a white shirt, but she looked amazing. He stepped toward her and took her face between his hands. “Good morning, bella. I missed you.” He planted a kiss on her lips. He’d intended it to be just a peck, but her hands came up to his shoulders, and somehow his arms found their way around her waist, pulling her against him. The feel of her full breasts against his chest made him moan. His tongue found its way inside her mouth and he was kissing her deeply before he knew what was happening. She didn’t mind. She relaxed against him and kissed him back. He loved the way she kissed him. It wasn’t surrender—she wasn’t his to plunder—yet it wasn’t a duel, either. She kissed him as an equal, something he wasn’t used to. She’d let him in, then take control herself, then give it back. Her fingers tangled in his hair and she moved his head to better suit her. She was amazing.

  When they came up for air, he smiled. “You didn’t miss me, then?”

  She chuckled. “Not much, no. Can’t you tell?”

  He laughed. “Not at all.”

  “Just give me a minute? I’m almost ready.”

  She disappeared into the bedroom, and he was tempted to follow her. They hadn’t made love in her bed yet, and after that kiss, he’d be happy to christen it before they left. If it were up to him, they wouldn’t get many chances to—she’d be living with him before long.

  He went and leaned in the doorway and admired her ass as she bent down to pick up her bag. “Is that an invitation?”

  She straightened up and turned around. “It could be, if you want it to, but I thought we needed to get on the road early.”

  He let his gaze travel over her, torn between the need to take her now and the want to make the most of their time away. He shook his head and stepped toward her. “Kiss me?”

  She came to him and slid her arms up around his neck. The feel of her against him made the decision clear. He closed his hands around her ass as his mouth came down on hers. It seemed it was an easy choice for her, too. Instead of finding their way into his hair, her fingers started unbuttoning his shirt. He kneaded her gorgeous round ass and held her against his already aching cock, making her moan into his mouth. He wanted to take his time, fill his hands with her ass, her breasts, explore her with his fingers and his tongue, but there was an urgency between them this time. She had his shirt undone and ran her hands down his chest, over his abs and unfastened his jeans. He drew in a deep breath as her hand closed around him. As she began to stroke the length of him, he knew he was behind. She was still fully dressed, but he could
n’t focus on anything except the feel of her hot fingers wrapped around him. She started to pump up and down in a rhythm that he wouldn’t be able to take for long. He let himself enjoy a few moments, then reluctantly pulled out of her reach. He dropped his head to mouth her nipple though her shirt while he undid her jeans and pushed them and her panties down over her hips. The needy little gasps she was making stopped him from undressing her any further. They’d have plenty of time for the rest of the weekend. For now, he backed her against the wall and pushed his own jeans and boxers down over his hips.

  She was doing a little jig, trying to step out of her jeans, but he could only wait long enough for her to free one foot. Once she had, he hooked his hand behind her knee and wrapped her leg around his waist.

  “Oh!” She looked up and the surprise and desire he saw in her eyes pushed him over the edge. He slid his hand between her legs, not sure if she’d be ready. He needn’t have worried. She was hot and wet. He tormented her clit, making her moan and rock her hips. He dipped a finger inside her and moaned himself as her velvety wetness tightened around it and grasped it tight. He withdrew his hand, needing to feel her grip his cock instead. He guided himself to her entrance and stroked her with his hard head. He couldn’t help his smile as she grasped his ass and urged him inside. He thrust his hips and plunged deep, making them both gasp. “Oh, God, Antonio. Fuck me!”

  Her choice of words startled him, but he was happy to oblige. She clung to him, and he gripped her leg around his waist. She was opened up perfectly for him, and he let her have it—deep and hard. Until now, he’d been restrained with her; he’d made love to her. Now she was begging him to fuck her, and he wasn’t going to disappoint. He thrust his hips wildly, loving the feel of her as she moved with him, closing around him with each stroke. His breath was coming hard, and soon, so would he. The tension was building at the base of his spine, sending out ripples of pleasure each time he plunged inside her. He wasn’t going to last. He needed to make her …

  “Oh. Oh. Oooh!” She leaned her head back against the wall and screamed at the ceiling as she tightened around him.

  “Give it to me,” he cried. His orgasm tore through him, sending waves of pleasure pulsating through his body and into hers. He saw stars as he drove deeper and harder, their bodies melding into one. He came hard, the waves crashing through him from the soles of his feet right up to his scalp. They moved together faster and faster and then more slowly, their orgasm like a crescendo that slowly receded, leaving them quivering in each other’s arms.

  When they were finally still, she looked up into his eyes. “Wow.”

  He let her leg down and carefully stepped back. “Well, you did ask me to fuck you.”

  She chuckled. “You can expect that to be a regular request in the future.”

  “I can? I’ll happily oblige.” His heart buzzed in his chest. Not only was it a request any guy would love to hear on a regular basis, but more than that, she was talking about their future.

  ~ ~ ~

  Mary Ellen turned to look at him as he turned the car off the road. “Where are we going?”

  He smiled but didn’t answer.

  She looked out the window, then back at him. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say we were going to the airport.”

  He shot her a quick smile. “Who says you do know any better?”

  She frowned. “I don’t know. I think I just assumed we’d be going to the coast.”

  “You want to go to the coast?”

  She laughed. “I don’t mind where we go. I just want to know where it is.”

  He chuckled as he turned into the airport. “You’re telling me you don’t like surprises?”

  She thought about that for a moment. “No, I don’t suppose I do. I like known factors, so that I can prepare for them.”

  He parked the car and turned to her. “Sometimes, I find it’s better not to prepare. To go with the flow, you know? Spontaneity can be fun.”

  She nodded. “It can be, you’re right.” She smiled. “But would you please tell me where we’re going?”

  He laughed. “You don’t want to try being spontaneous?”

  “Maybe, soon, at something else. In fact, I think we were already spontaneous once this morning, so you have to give me some credit for that.”

  Shivers ran through her as he ran his gaze over her appreciatively. “I give you all the credit for that. So, fair’s fair. My plan, if you want to do it, is to take you to Summer Lake.”

  “Oh.”

  “You don’t like that idea?”

  “I do. I’ve wanted to go see it for a while. It sounds like a wonderful place. It’s just that I don’t associate you with going there. It’s where Piper came from. Where Cam met her. It’s where Smoke and Laura live, but I never thought of you going there.”

  He smiled. “I haven’t been there for years, but I have some very good friends there. Of course, there’s my cousin, Cole—or Smoke, as everyone seems to call him these days. Did you know he and Marcos and I all went to college together?”

  “I didn’t.”

  “Yeah, and the guys Smoke works with now—at least the ones he leases his plane to, we met them in college, too. We’ve all been good friends ever since. Jack and Pete and Nate. I’ve wanted to get down there and visit them, and I know you’ve wanted to see the place.”

  Mary Ellen nodded. She’d imagined that they’d be spending a romantic weekend alone together—not going to visit his old friends.

  “You don’t like the idea? We don’t have to go there. I’ve got the plane for the weekend. We can go anywhere you like.”

  She shrugged. “No. It’ll be good. Just … tell me so I can know what to expect, are we going to visit your friends?”

  “I thought we could visit with them, but only if you want to.” He cupped her cheek in his hand. I want you to myself most of the time, but I’d like you to meet my friends, the people who are important to me. If you want to?”

  Mary Ellen’s heart beat a little faster at that. Here she’d been thinking that he was trying to kill two birds with one stone—spend some time with her and get to catch up with friends, but he was telling her he wanted her to meet the people who were important to him? That put a very different spin on things.

  She smiled. “Yeah. I’d like that a lot.”

  “Good. I think you’ll like them. They’re good people, and I know they’ll like you.” He planted a kiss on her lips and got out of the car.

  Mary Ellen watched out of the window as the plane descended over the hills. The lake shimmered blue and silver, growing bigger as they came in to land. The hills which had seemed so small beneath them just a few minutes ago, now rose up to welcome them, and by the time they touched down on the runway, they huddled around like protective giants. She loved the place already.

  A golf cart came out to meet them on the tarmac and took them to the FBO building where Smoke greeted them with a smile.

  Antonio embraced him in his usual enthusiastic manner. It made Mary Ellen smile that not only did he get away with his man hugs, but that even a guy as intense as Smoke embraced him back with a big grin.

  “It’s good to see you here finally.”

  Antonio grinned. “It’s good to be here. Especially with Mary Ellen.” He put his arm around her shoulders and drew her into his side.

  Smoke nodded at her. “I’m glad to see you. Cam and Piper have both talked about getting you up here, but I’m even happier that you’re here with this guy.”

  Mary Ellen smiled. She liked Smoke, but she never knew what to say to him.

  “Don’t take any crap from him, will you?”

  She laughed out loud at that. “Oh, don’t worry, there’s no chance of that.”

  Antonio laughed with her, and Smoke looked a little taken aback.

  Antonio hugged her closer to his side. “I should explain. Mary Ellen is not just a friend for the weekend. We’re dating. I’m trying to im
press her, because I hope that soon she’ll agree to more than dating.”

  Smoke looked shocked at that, but not as shocked as Mary Ellen knew she must look.

  Antonio grinned at them both. “I brought her here, so she can meet my friends.”

  Smoke shook his head in wonder and looked at Mary Ellen. “I’m assuming this isn’t news to you?”

  She chuckled. “Not exactly, no. I think of him the same way you do. I’ve known him for years, but it turns out he’s not the guy I thought he was.”

  Antonio held his hands up. “If anyone knows how it goes, Smoke does.” He turned to his cousin. “You lived the same life I did until you met Laura, right?”

  Mary Ellen was amazed at the way Smoke’s expression changed. He nodded and smiled and grasped Antonio’s shoulder, then looked at her again. “I know exactly what he means now, but I’m not sure you do?”

  She shrugged. She knew what he was saying. She knew Smoke’s story, even if she didn’t know him that well. He’d been another one who only spent time with women for one reason. Then he’d met Laura and changed his ways completely. He was now a one-woman-man and a devoted husband. “I know what he’s saying; my problem is that I’m not sure I totally believe it.”

  Smoke raised an eyebrow. “All I can say is that I’ve known him all his life. He’s a man of his word. He wouldn’t say it if he didn’t mean it. And …” He hesitated, but then decided to go on. “If you think about it, he’s never said it when he didn’t mean it.”

  Mary Ellen wasn’t sure she understood that.

  Antonio gave her a rueful smile. “I think it’s safe to spell it out, it’s not as though you don’t know who I’ve been. In the past, with women, there may have been many of them, but I never made them any promises. I never misled anyone about my intentions. I never pretended I wanted anything other than—” He stopped himself short, but they all knew he’d been about to say sex. “Than what I said,” he finished, looking a little shamefaced.