“Bella, I’ll be back shortly. I never leave my work unfinished,” he says as he winks and leans in for a kiss before leaving the room. I know Mateo is going to fill Leo in on the stranger outside my apartment and Giorgio. I wish I had a chance to tell Leo myself, but I’m glad to have someone who knows how to handle the situation. I feel safe with these men I’ve only known a short time.
It’s taking Leo and Mateo a lot longer than I thought, so I get up and explore the house. I take the stairs to the basement and find a killer workout room—state of the art equipment, floor to ceiling mirrors, and yoga mats. There’s also a steam room and a double-head rainforest shower. This floor is bigger than my entire apartment here in Italy.
Actually my apartment back in Michigan isn’t all that grand either—I’ve been known to be a little cheap. I save, save, and save for a rainy day. Don’t get me wrong, I drive a kickass Mercedes and have my fair share of Christian Louboutins—but outside of a few luxury items, most of my money sits in stocks and investment accounts. Not what you expect from a 25-year-old. #Boring
This is one of the reasons I’m shocked that I’m in Italy in the first place. Before this I can’t remember the last time I took a vacation.
I notice another set of stairs leading deeper into the house and find myself in a chilly wine cellar. There are rows and rows of wine bottles—I feel drunk just looking at them. There’s even an entrance to a sitting area, which must be the wine bar.
I grab a bottle, not knowing if it’s any good or if it’s a bazillion dollars, but I take it back with me up the two flights of stairs. I’ll buy him another one if this is a collector!
On the main floor of the house I’ve already been into the kitchen, patio, and living room featuring the seductive fireplace. This floor also has a den and a library. I’m ecstatic to see this library! It’s so big it even has a ladder to the second story of books. I think I’m in heaven. This is my Belle from Beauty & The Beast moment. #FavoritePrincess
I pull myself away from the library because I want to finish my tour, but remind myself I’m going to come back to curl up with a book by yet another fireplace if Leo and Mateo aren’t done soon.
A double set of marble staircases stands at the main entrance to the house, and I take one of them and find a row of guest bedrooms to the left—everything is professionally decorated—and Leo’s bedroom to the right, along with his office. The door to Leo’s office is shut and I know that he and Mateo are on the other side talking about our safety. I want to barge in to hear what’s going on but I decide to leave them be. I dash back downstairs to grab my overnight bag and find Gemma in the kitchen cleaning up Leo’s stacks of messy papers.
“Ciao Elena, would you like something for dinner? And would you like me to open that bottle for you?” she nods at the white wine bottle in my hand.
I know there’s an unspoken rule to never turn down an Italian woman’s offer for food, so I accept. The same goes for the offer to open the wine.
I sit at the table that’s now clear of Leo’s mess and Gemma puts a basket of fresh bread and a plate with olive oil and roasted pine nuts in front of me, as well as a plate with a huge salad with dark, leafy greens and baked salmon. I hope Leo knows that I’ll never be able to cook like this for him. Unless I took lessons or something. Maybe Gemma would teach me?
Where did that thought come from? I’ve never considered learning how to cook for someone else. I actually take pride in the fact that I will not be anything like a ‘housewife’ for any man, ever. Maybe because I haven’t found a man I wanted to take care of before.
Me take care of Leo? Yes, I guess I’d like that. He deserves that.
“Bella, I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long,” Leo says, entering the room. He’s lost his tie and a few buttons on his collared shirt are open as he rolls up his sleeves. I can’t take my eyes off him. He’s a man so confident in himself that he commands the respect and attention of every room.
“You see something you like?” he says, laughing as he takes a glass out of the cabinet and pours some wine before joining me at the table.
I dig into my salad as Leo tells me about how Mateo caught him up on the latest situation.
“Cara, why didn’t you tell me about Giorgio if what you heard upset you? I don’t like you keeping things from me.”
I put my fork down and turn my attention completely on him.
“I wasn’t keeping it from you, I promise. I trust you. I just wanted the chance to explain what I thought I heard in person, not through a text message. I felt crazy again when I say ‘oh, I just had this bad feeling’ and I wanted to read your expression. What do you think about the whole Giorgio thing? Him talking behind your back?”
He runs his fingers through his hair, clearly frustrated.
“I know that Giorgio can be very short-tempered. Italian businessmen all have that trait; I guess all Italian men in general,” he says trying to reassure me. “But him talking behind my back doesn’t matter—most people have something to say about their boss.
“What really upsets me is him talking to you about the shooter and implying that it’s a man. I guess most people are quick to assume in terrible situations the criminal is a man, just look on the news—but that’s not always the case. I have no idea who would want to shoot me; I can’t list off a specific enemy. But like the police say, a high-powered person always in the spotlight can attract any kind of weirdo—even jealous or angry women.”
“Do you think any of your ex-girlfriends would want to get back at you for anything?”
He lets out an exasperated breath.
“We’ve spoken about this before, but of course you don’t remember,” he says, making me feel slightly embarrassed. “I don’t have any ex-girlfriends. I took women on dates, but only a couple dates for each woman and then I’d move on. I was never with anyone seriously and I was never anyone’s boyfriend—they all knew this and they were okay with the arrangements. But that doesn’t mean that I didn’t piss any of them off, though I hope not enough to want me dead.”
He’s never had a girlfriend? Why me then? He said he’s already spoken to me about this, and I’m going to guess I freaked out on him about it, like I want to right now. So remain calm and don’t be annoying this time around. Act confident with yourself, damn it.
“Okay enough of this super serious talk for tonight. Come with me,” I say, taking Leo’s hand and pulling us both out of our seats. I lead the way with him still holding my hand as we go up the stairs and into his bedroom. I open the door but step to the side so Leo can see what I spent my time doing while he was having ‘serious boy talk’ with Mateo.
Vanilla candles sit on the dressers and rose pedals lead the way to his four-poster king bed. I know these touches are super feminine and more to get me in the mood, but I have a few more tricks up my sleeve that will turn him on too.
“Bella, did you do this for me?”
“Si, Mr. Beautiful. Now you’re going to go sit your hot ass down on that bed, but not before I strip you out of these clothes,” I say, reaching for the buttons on his shirt. I quickly throw it to the side and reach for his black belt, tossing that off too. I don’t even think it takes 60 seconds to have all his clothes off and him standing in front of me in all his glory. He’s smiling at me and I look down to see his cock is rock hard.
“Sit down,” I command.
“Don’t I get to undress you too?” he says, reaching for my T-shirt, but I grab his wrist, stopping him.
“I said sit down,” I command again with a little more force in my voice as I push him back towards the bed. I wasn’t sure how this whole control situation would go down, but I decide it’s worth a shot to let it play out.
I get out my iPhone and put on the sexy playlist I created just for tonight. Kelly Rowland’s ‘Motivation’ starts to play as I begin a slow striptease to the music and fling my clothes towards him, trying to be as flirty as I can.
“Touch yourself,” I whisper to him. He l
ooks at me with a scowl and just when I think he’s going to protest, he picks up his cock and starts to stroke himself. Dear God, that’s hot.
I take my ponytail out and toss my head as my hair falls around my shoulders in long waves. I move my hips ’round and ’round—just like I learned when I took ballroom lessons back in college. As my hips move, I bring my hands up and down my own body, stopping to squeeze my breasts. Leo strokes himself slow and steady, matching my pace; he hasn’t taken his eyes off me once. I can see he’s fighting back taking control and commanding me to stop touching myself, but he doesn’t. As the song ends, I’m completely naked and standing just out of arm’s reach of Leo.
I open the top drawer of the nightstand and take out the things I brought with me. A blindfold, sexy dice, and massage oil. Leo eyes everything I’ve displayed on the bed. He releases his cock to grab my wrists and pulls me towards him. I fall on top of his bed and let out a little moan as my wet clit rubs in just the right spot against his massive bulge.
He takes the black lace blindfold I was planning to use on him and puts it around my eyes, leaning me back to lay on the bed with my head on a pillow. It’s quiet for a minute and my body is on high alert; I’ve never been blindfolded before. I can’t believe I even bought these stupid toys! When I stopped by the lingerie shop again I noticed they had a little discrete corner filled with sex toys—I bought the tamest ones I could find.
“Get out of your own head,” he whispers in my ear. I feel the heat coming off his body, which is now hovering over mine. He sucks on my earlobe and trails kisses down my neck and collarbone heading towards my breasts. He stops and then after what feels like an eternity his hands are back on me. He runs his hands, now slick with baby oil, down my chest and cups both of my breasts. He massages them and applies a little pressure; with the oil it feels divine!
His strong hands trail down my body slowly, bringing the oil down my stomach and over my hips. He spreads my legs open and slowly works his hands down my thighs. I arch my back a little and try to push my pussy towards his hands; I want him to touch me. He knows what I want and he’s trying to tease me.
His hands are off me again and I hear him shift from the bed. It’s quiet in the room and I swear I hear the door open and close. What the fuck? Did he leave me here? Is he walking around his house naked right now?
I can’t think of any more questions because I frantically jump when something ice cold lands on my stomach.
“Holy shit! Leo?” I ask to make sure a creeper hasn’t just walked in the room. Hey you never know; I’m wearing a fucking blindfold.
“Si bella, it’s me, don’t worry,” his says in his deep and raspy voice. His seductive tone tells me he’s turned on.
The ice cube he placed on my stomach melts while he trails another piece around my right nipple before dragging it over to do the same on my left one. The sensation of the heat from the oil and the cold from the ice, plus not being able to see anything, makes my body hypersensitive. Leo trails another ice cube down from my tender breasts towards my stomach and then he hits the spot I’ve been waiting for. He puts the ice cube directly over my clit.
“Fuck,” I scream. I reach out to push the ice cube off me but he grabs my hands, stopping me from getting anywhere near my pussy. He interlocks our fingers, as I arch my back off the bed, still holding on to his hand.
“Don’t fight it, Elena. Let the feeling take over,” he says as he starts to circle the ice cube around my tight nub. I feel it alright! In every nerve in my entire body. This feels incredible.
The ice cube is flicked over and over my clit until its gone, replaced with Leo’s warm mouth. Leo blows across my sex and the tingling I felt before is replaced with a new sensation. Before I can get used to him blowing on me, he takes his tongue and runs it through my sex. I let go of his hand, needing to grip the sheet above my head. I’m ready to explode right this second. He must know because he commands me, “Don’t come yet, Elena. I will tell you when you can come.”
Before I can argue, he returns his mouth to my pussy and sucks. Leo takes what feels like two fingers and pushes them inside me. Between the ice and my excitement, I’m wet and waiting for anything he’s willing to give me. He pumps his fingers slowly while continuing to suck and swirl his tongue.
“Fuck Leo, I can’t wait much longer. Please … please say I can come,” I beg as I continue to grip the sheets for dear life. I feel like if I let them go, then I’ll let everything go. I’m right on the edge.
Then everything stops. His fingers are no longer inside me and his tongue is gone.
What the fuck?
“Leo, if this is you teasing me, I’m going to be really pissed off.”
I hear him chuckle and then I feel the bed shift from his body weight. The blindfold is gently pulled off my head and it takes a second for my eyes to readjust to the room. Still dark and romantic, the candles are dimming and Mr. Beautiful is leaning next to me with a huge smile. It’s cute and all, but this girl has needs and he has toyed with me long enough.
“Are you going to fuck me or not?” I spit out. His smile quickly fades and he looks at me with hungry eyes. Those emerald eyes say it all—it’s time.
Leo lies on top of me and positions his massive cock at my entrance and slowly, very slowly, pushes his way inside.
“Oh … my … god,” is all I can manage to say as I tilt my head back in pure bliss. He pushes a little more and I realize, holy shit, he’s not even all the way in yet! Is he going to break me? No idiot, he’s been inside you before! This isn’t your real first time. Damn it, why did you need to point that out, inner bitch?
Leo must sense that my mind is now running crazy with thoughts so he slams his cock the rest of the way inside of me as he also slams his mouth onto mine. His tongue swirls around my own at the same time he pumps his hips into me over and over. I try to push my hips up to meet his, but Leo’s weight rests on me. I’m trapped beneath him and I love it. He cups the side of my face with his hand and continues to kiss me with such fierce passion.
“Elena, this is it,” he growls with one final thrust hard into my pussy and, just like he commanded, I surrender to his control and my body gives into him. I feel his cock pulse inside and I squeeze my muscles together to give him a little thrill while he’s coming down from his high still inside me.
His hand is still on my face and he collapses on top of me, this time letting me hold all his weight.
“Okay time for bed,” he says laughing.
“Get real lover boy, I don’t think I can breathe.”
He starts to laugh even harder now and slowly pulls his cock from my sex, flopping next to me on the bed. I let out a sigh, realizing I am truly spent. I don’t think I’ve ever been as thoroughly fucked as I just was. I roll over to cuddle into his chest and I drift into the most blissful sleep ever.
Leo and I have been spending every night with each other. I hardly go to my apartment anymore except to restock the closet I’m slowly taking over at Leo’s house. He hasn’t mentioned me moving in with him, and I’m kind of worried that I’m overstepping my bounds. However, he must want me here because Mateo has orders to drive me here every night. I’m not going to ask him just in case it’s too soon.
I haven’t felt any uneasy feelings of being watched, but my routine is basic: work at the coffee shop, go to the gym, my apartment for some clothes, and then back to Leo’s. We go out to dinners and we even took tango lessons one night, which was surprisingly lovely. I love dancing, but normally to a choreographed routine and without a partner. Leo is a great leader and, of course, being with a man who is confident is a turn on.
Leo spoke with Giorgio, but I’m still uneasy about the man. Giorgio chalked up his overheard outburst to having a bad day. He apologized and there haven’t been any more outbursts; however, Leo has assured me there’s a second set of eyes on his employee just in case.
Tonight Sophie and I are at the gym taking one of Alessandra’s packed classes. I’m sweat
ing out of every pore in my body. She’s a great instructor and her students love her—including me! I haven’t been such a great friend to Alessandra since the shooting and I feel bad about it. I got caught up in my own bullshit and the inner voices in my head trying to control me, when I should have let my friends in on my feelings instead of trying to figure it out myself. #ThatsWhatFriendsAreFor
After class the three of us head over to the juice bar across the street from the gym. I order a green juice and sit down at the outdoor patio. It’s a gorgeous night, the sun is setting, and the temperature is cooling down a bit, unlike the hot and humid days. As much as I love every single minute spent with my man, there’s something refreshing about being surrounded by girlfriends. And not just any girlfriends—girls who kick ass at all they do. I really hit the friend jackpot.
“So Sophie, tell us about your man?” Alessandra says, putting Soph in the hot seat. And get this … Sophie actually blushes! It’s the cutest thing ever to see my friend lose her cool over a man. And not just any man, someone as kind and loving as Marco.
“Girls, he’s amazing!” Sophie squeals with excitement that’s quickly matched by squeals from Alessandra and me! I think we are just as happy as Sophie.
“When I came to Italy, I told myself that I would just take things slow because we haven’t spent any time together face-to-face. I wasn’t sure we’d like each other as much as we did over the Internet. But in person it’s better baby! I feel like we click like we’ve been lifelong friends. It’s crazy and kind of makes me nervous.”
“Nervous how?” I ask my best friend.
“Nervous because I don’t want to rush anything—but I feel so strongly for him already. We’ve spent so much time getting to know each other—and I feel dorky admitting this because I’m not one to go ‘ga ga’ over a dude,” Sophie says taking a sip from her juice, “but I just want to keep everything perfect.”
In unison Alessandra and I say “Awe!” towards Sophie.
Fighting For Mr. Beautiful: Eternal City Love, Book 2 Page 11
