No, no, I reasoned. I do believe that this did actually happen.
I felt so alive…
I was on the pitch.
I’d done Roxy, Monique, Bella and myself proud. I’d experienced some passion and ticked another goal off my list.
And it was funny. Somehow, despite not knowing Lorenzo, without having a full face of make-up, being clad in overtly designer gear (not to mention the lady garden situation and the fact that I hadn’t been this intimate with anyone for ages), I’d still felt remarkably comfortable with him.
Whilst I was frustrated that we hadn’t gone all the way, perhaps it was better to ease myself into this new world gently. I’d already done far more than the uptight, prim and proper MARGIN who’d arrived in Tuscany four days ago would have done.
In fact, who the hell am I? Where has Sophia gone?
I undid my sandals and curled up on the bed. I would certainly have sweet dreams tonight.
My alarm sounded at 8 a.m.
After barely four hours sleep, I was feeling groggy. Then, like a thunderbolt, it hit me:
Oh my God…
I wriggled around on my bed in excitement. It had happened. A million thoughts flashed through my mind. The taste of his lips, the sensation of his warm, sweet breath all over my body, the feeling of a highly aroused and ridiculously hot man on top of me…
My, my, my…
I wondered how he’d act towards me at breakfast. Would he pretend it didn’t happen and go back to being cold or would he be nice? I’d soon find out as I had got an hour to shower, put on a hint of make-up, quickly smooth out my hair (after last night’s antics, it had become more than a little dishevelled), get dressed and pack my suitcase.
‘Buongiorno,’ I said as I approached the kitchen. Erica was in there with Fran and surprisingly gave me a warm smile.
‘Buongiorno, Sophia,’ she replied. Well, I wasn’t expecting her to be so nice to me, given the fact that she must know I had gotten up to no good with Lorenzo last night.
A flash of guilt ran through me. I’d known how much she liked Lorenzo, yet I’d still pursued him. Whatever happened to the sisterhood?
Fuck it. Remember what Albert said: Life is short. You only live once. You have to go for what you want. Lorenzo’s single, I’m single. We’re both free agents. And Erica lived over here, so she could see him any time. But I was only staying for a few days and had to try and seize the opportunity.
As I entered the hallway, I saw the vision that was Lorenzo glide through the dining room doors from outside.
Wow…
He was wearing those sexy dark blue jeans again, with a fitted blue jumper that showed off the shape of his magnificent chest. Yes. I remembered that chest…
He flashed his killer Colgate smile, and I felt my body tingle all over. He is so damn hot.
‘Buongiorno,’ he said as he approached us.
‘Buongiorno, Lorenzo,’ I replied innocently as he entered the kitchen. My stomach did a giant backflip.
I attempted to hold it together as I made my way out to the dining table and sat down.
I overheard him speaking to Erica, checking that everything he’d set up for breakfast earlier that morning met with her satisfaction. When she agreed that it was fine, I heard his footsteps pad into the dining room. Then he stopped, sat down and moved his chair so close to me that our bodies were almost touching.
I tried very hard (and failed) to focus and to push the memory of what had happened the last time we were seated at this table out of my mind. Oh my God…
‘So, Sophia,’ he said, looking me straight in the eyes. ‘Last night. Did it really happen, or did I dream it?’ His accent was so frigging sexy.
‘Yes,’ I said, holding his gaze and smiling at the flashbacks of his head between my legs that were now buzzing through my brain. ‘I believe it actually did, Lorenzo…’
‘Mmm, good,’ he replied, stroking my thigh.
This man…
‘I really enjoyed my lesson,’ I whispered into his ear. Partly to avoid Fran and Erica hearing our conversation from the kitchen, and partly to assume my new role of seductress. ‘You’re an excellent teacher,’ I said, now stroking his inner thigh upwards and purposefully just missing his manhood, which seemed to be expanding by the second. ‘Do you think we could have another lesson before I leave?’
I didn’t know what had come over me. And this time, I couldn’t even blame the prosecco…
He started grinning wickedly again.
‘Mmmmmm. I would love to give you another lesson,’ he said, his hands travelling further up my left thigh. ‘But how? Everyone is here and it is daylight. People will see.’
Good point.
Think, Sophia, think.
‘Well, maybe before we leave, I might need help bringing my suitcase down or something, and being a gentleman, maybe you might need to come up to my room and help me?’ I said suggestively.
He laughed.
‘But of course I help you,’ he said, licking his lips. ‘Beautiful woman must not carry heavy suitcase herself.’
Oh, yes. It’s on…
Just as we were probably about to get ourselves into hot water (which, with the way I was feeling, could have quite conceivably ended with me clearing the table in a fit of passion and pulling Lorenzo on top of me), Erica and Fran came into the dining room.
I spun my chair forward and moved it a little to the right to create a more acceptable distance between us and then reached for the toast in a bid to try and play it cool.
‘Where’s Grace and Dan?’ I asked Fran casually.
‘Oh, they’ve already had breakfast and are in their rooms, packing their suitcases,’ she replied. ‘I did mine earlier this morning, so I’m just going to go for a quick walk around the grounds before we leave. What time is the driver coming, Erica?’
‘In about forty minutes. Maybe less,’ she replied solemnly as if sensing the rising sexual tension between Lorenzo and me. ‘I have something to do in my room,’ she said, walking towards the door. ‘So I will come back in a minute.’
‘I’ll walk out with you,’ said Fran.
We’d managed to clear the room again.
Within seconds, I’d grabbed hold of Lorenzo’s hand and was leading him through the living room and up towards the staircase. I stood on the second step, making us just about equal height-wise, and leant forward and started kissing him. He responded without hesitation.
As his tongue flicked against mine, I felt the electricity pulsing through my body all over again. He was such an amazing kisser. I still couldn’t believe this was what I’d been missing all of these years. Passionate kissing. Something so basic, but yet so powerful in how it can make you feel.
I should never have left it this long. There must be so many women my age or older in unhappy, loveless relationships who dream of this, but think it’s too late. Or maybe think that as much as we still desire it, passion is something that disappears when you hit your thirties or forties, settle down and become overwhelmed with the pressures of work and life in general. I certainly had done. But now that I’d put myself out there and was very much enjoying the touch of a man again, I could definitely confirm that it wasn’t just a huge turn-on; it was also giving me a new sense of energy. I felt happy. On cloud nine. Alive.
Within seconds, our hands were going everywhere. Then we heard a noise and he pulled away.
‘We must stop,’ he said, looking worried. ‘We must not do this here.’
Awww. He was trying to be good and responsible, but he’d awoken my naughty side…
I took his hand again and we treaded gently up the stairs, then darted across the hall into my room. He pushed me up against the wall, pressed his body against mine and kissed me on my neck and across my shoulders, then lifted up my black t-shirt and started petting my stomach, licking inside my belly button and then planting kisses downwards until he met the top of my jeans.
‘I want you,’ he said, gasping for breath
.
‘I want you too…’ I replied, pushing my hand down the front of his jeans.
He lifted me up swiftly and carried me the few steps towards the bed before laying me down gently and climbing on top of me.
‘Condom,’ I said, panting. ‘We need a condom.’
‘I have,’ he replied.
He reached into his back pocket, whipped out his wallet and fished out the square packet from a side compartment. Just as he was about to unbutton his jeans, we heard footsteps on the staircase.
‘Lorenzo! Dove sei?’
It was Erica. For fuck’s sake! Why does everyone have to keep interrupting us?
He jumped up, grabbing the condom, stuffing it in his pocket, hastily smoothing out his jumper, straightening his jeans and widening his eyes to signal for me to do the same.
‘Quick, quick,’ he whispered, hurrying me to make myself look presentable as he leapt over to grasp the handle of my suitcase.
Thankfully, by the time he flung open my bedroom door, I was on my feet, had pulled my t-shirt down, fixed my hair the best I could and was trying to look innocent whilst Erica’s eyes burned through me as she padded up the final few steps and approached the doorway.
‘Ma che cosa fai, Lorenzo?’
I’m guessing she was asking him what he was doing…
‘Sophia called me to help with her suitcase,’ he attempted to explain. ‘She bought a lot of things in Firenze which made it heavy.’ Hmm, not sure that he was a very convincing liar. Particularly as Erica was walking with Fran and me for much of the afternoon in Florence and would have seen that I’d only bought a couple of small leather bags, plus some truffle oil. Nevertheless, I just had to go with the story…
‘Yes. Grazie, Lorenzo,’ I said, playing along. ‘You’re such a gentleman. I think that’s everything. If you’re able to take it downstairs for me, that would be amazing.’
Erica shot us both an I don’t believe you, but I can’t be bothered to argue look.
‘Well, the driver is coming soon, so better you wait downstairs,’ she demanded.
‘Great, thank you, Erica. And thanks, Lorenzo, for taking it down for me,’ I said, continuing the act. ‘I just need to check my room again and pop to the loo, so I’ll be down in a second.’
They both left the room, Erica shooting Lorenzo a dirty look, but once she was out of sight, he turned back to face me and gave me a cheeky smile.
I closed the door once again and sat down on the bed. Oh…it could have all ended so differently. First Grace last night, and now, when we were just about to get down to business, we were disturbed again. Dammit. Erica’s timing sucked. I guess we just weren’t meant to sleep together. But I really wanted to. The connection I felt between us was undeniably electric.
Seconds later I heard footsteps running up the stairs and my door flung open. It was Lorenzo!
He pulled me towards him and gave me one long, hard kiss, then gently stepped back.
‘The driver is downstairs, so Erica ask me to come and get you,’ he said.
‘Will I ever see you again?’ I asked a little too eagerly. ‘Will you come to London?’
He paused.
‘I do not know,’ he said, bowing his head. ‘It is the truth. My life, it is very complicated. I have problems with my girlfriend—well, she is now my ex-girlfriend. It is stressful. I wish she was a wonderful woman like you. It is busy season. I will work for the next six weeks without any breaks and then over the summer too. It is difficult. I do not want to tell you lies.’
Although I’d achieved what I’d set out to, and seeing each other again hadn’t been part of the plan, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Typical me. I always wanted more…
Lorenzo reached into his pocket to take out his wallet again and this time pulled out a business card.
‘Here,’ he said, placing the card in my hand. ‘WhatsApp or email me. We stay in touch, no?’
‘Okay, sure,’ I replied.
‘Can I have a hug, please?’ he asked, wrapping his arms around me, and I put mine around his waist. Although I barely knew Lorenzo, I already sensed that I was going to miss him. Definitely needed to nip those feelings in the bud. This was just a bit of fun. To get myself back on the pitch. I couldn’t start getting all mushy.
We stayed there together for a good minute.
‘Come,’ he said, pulling away. ‘Erica will look for us again if we are not quick. Let’s go.’
We hurried down the stairs, through the living room and dining room and out to the front of the building, where Erica was standing and the door of the people carrier was open, waiting for me to take my seat.
‘Ciao, Sophia,’ she said, smiling, leaning forward to give me a kiss on each cheek. Still found it strange that she was being so nice to me. Maybe she didn’t know and really did think he was helping me with my suitcase? Okay, probably not..
‘Ciao, Erica, and grazie mille for everything. You’ve been a wonderful host,’ I said, meaning every word, as she really had been great.
‘Prego,’ she replied, the smile now becoming a little more strained. A pang of guilt flashed through my mind again.
I turned to Lorenzo. Now this was awkward. How did I say goodbye to him? Well, we’d kind of already done it inside, so I supposed a formal, no we haven’t just been snogging each other’s faces off approach would be best.
‘Ciao, Lorenzo,’ I said as he also planted friendly kisses on my cheeks.
‘Ciao, Sophia. Volo sicuro.’
I’m guessing that meant something innocent, like have a safe journey, rather than the I wish I could have made sweet love to you thoughts that were racing around my head right now.
I smiled at them both, then climbed into the back seat of the people carrier and shut the door.
Oh, how I wished we weren’t leaving…
The driver had barely got into second gear before Fran spun her head around in the seat in front to face me.
‘So, Sophia the seductress. What have you been up to?’ she squealed with excitement. ‘Tell me everything! I want to know all the gory details, you saucy little minx!’
Chapter Fifteen
‘Don’t be shy, Sophia,’ said Fran, feigning innocence. ‘Come on, you’re amongst friends here.’
For the last ten minutes, she had been using every trick in her extensive arsenal to get me to dish the details on my night with Lorenzo, but I wasn’t having any of it.
I’d seen how she’d skilfully coaxed information from Erica and even Lorenzo himself. But as much as I was bursting to share every detail because I was still on such a high from what had happened, I wasn’t about to do it in front of this new driver, who would no doubt report everything to Erica and the rest of the Taste Holidays team. I didn’t want to get Lorenzo into any trouble.
‘You came up to bed at three twenty-seven a.m.,’ Fran stated, giving a knowing smile, ‘so he must have been an excellent lover for you to be downstairs for so long together…’
I knew she’d be listening and checking her watch. Forget the NHS. I reckoned Fran was one of M15’s top agents. Her speciality was sure to be interrogation. Who needed waterboarding or the threat of chopping your fingers off? Just send in Fran and she’d get even the most hardened criminal to talk.
I could tell she wasn’t going to give up, so I thought I’d throw her a bone. Make her think I was giving her something, but not actually tell her anything. It probably wouldn’t work, but it was worth a shot.
‘Francesca,’ I said formally, ‘as you know, I am a lady. And a lady never tells,’ I added virtuously. ‘Especially in a car full of people which includes a driver that could go back and blab to all and sundry. But what I will say is that I had a wonderful time last night, and let’s just leave it at that.’
Fran raised her eyebrows as if to say seriously? There was no way I was going to get away with my PR spiel.
‘Oh, come on, Soph,’ she said, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms to show she meant business. ‘You
’re not at bloody work now. Stop feeding us that spin shite. Don’t worry about the driver, he probably doesn’t even speak English.’
Right on cue, the driver, a man in his early sixties who had been smiling to himself throughout Fran’s interrogation, suddenly went all stony-faced as he pretended to play deaf and dumb.
‘Trust me, Fran, our lovely driver probably understands everything we’ve been saying,’ I said, nodding my head in his direction, hoping she’d catch a glimpse of his ‘busted’ guilty face in the rear-view mirror. ‘Let’s save this story for another time, shall we?’
‘No!’ Fran screamed in frustration. ‘I’ve been itching to find out what went on since you came up to bed at all hours, and I can’t wait any longer!’ she said, eyes widening like a crazed gossip junkie who desperately needed her fix. ‘You owe me, madam,’ she huffed. ‘If it wasn’t for me spotting that something was going on and clearing the room for you, you probably wouldn’t have got any action at all last night.’
She had a point, but I wasn’t going to be broken.
‘So you guys actually did the deed last night, then?’ asked Dan brazenly. ‘Get in there, my son!’ he shouted, thrusting his hips backwards and forwards suggestively. ‘I knew that Lorenzo would score. He’s a filthy one, he is, I can just tell! And I bet you’re a bit of a screamer, aren’t you, Sophia?’ he added crudely. ‘You know what they say about the quiet ones! I thought I heard noises downstairs. Grace? Can you enlighten us? You must have heard everything!’
So bloody cheeky…
‘I’m with Stella on this one, Nathan,’ said Grace respectfully. ‘What happened between her and Luciano is a private affair. The only thing I will say on the matter is that they seemed to be having a lovely evening with each other.’
‘Thank you, Grace,’ I said. At least someone knew how to act tactfully. Then again, she also owed me one after interrupting us. ‘Dan, happy birthday by the way,’ I said, changing the subject. ‘Got any plans for celebrating with your wife tonight?’
And just like that, I managed to steer them away from asking about my love life. As if it wasn’t bad enough having my mum, Roxy and Monique grilling me at home, now I had Fran and Dan submitting me to an interrogation on my holiday too. I had to admit, if the shoe had been on the other foot, I’d want to know all the goss. I would tell them, but just not right here and right now. In any case, I wouldn’t have a choice as, just like Liam Neeson in Taken, you could guarantee that Fran would track me down and tie me up until I’d revealed every last detail.
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