by Jessica Gray
“What about ‘First work, then play’,” she said with a seductive smile.
“I’ll teach you to leave me high and dry,” he said and backed her up against the wall, plunging his fingers into her center.
Gina moaned and rubbed her breasts against his chest.
“God, you’re dripping, Gina,” Preston said with a hoarse voice and bracketed her waist with his hands. She wrapped her legs around his hips and he thrust into her. Hard, fast, and greedy.
Minutes later, both of them came apart. Breathless, set her down, washed her hair and finally carried her from the shower. After rubbing her dry he glanced at the clock and said, “Monica and Ornella will arrive in four minutes, you better get dressed.” Her stupefied look was worth a million.
“You’re not serious, are you?”
“Dead serious.” Preston chuckled and slipped on dress pants and a white button down shirt. “I’m done, what about you?”
Gina dressed just in time when their visitors arrived and entered the sitting room in a knee-length ivory dress with a pencil skirt and combed, but wet, hair. Gosh that woman is sexy.
The four of them watched the video on Gina’s phone and Preston recounted the incident with Sandrine.
“If we release the video, we’ll also have to release the name of the person who took it. We’ve held the press conference giving a statement that you and Sandrine Johnson are no longer engaged. We didn’t mention Gina and I think it would be a mistake to do so now,” Monica said. She was right. But she wouldn’t be one of the highest-paid publicists in Italy if she didn’t come up with a silver lining. “Actually, this video is good, just not by airing it to the world. Someone with her temper must have hidden dirt. I’m sure she’ll be willing to cooperate as soon as we find something.”
Preston had a queasy feeling, but agreed.
Monica and Ornella left, promising to come back as soon as they had news to share.
“Ready for dinner,” he asked Gina, looking her up and down, “You look gorgeous.”
“I’m starving,” she said.
“Then lets go.” He slipped into a jacket and held out his arm for Gina. “Japanese, Italian or French?”
“I heard the Japanese restaurant in the hotel is fantastic, can we go there?” she asked and then put a hand on her mouth. “I mean, if…we don’t have a reservation…”
Preston chuckled and led her to the private elevator. “I believe if I show up in the presence of such a beautiful woman, they’ll give me a table even without a reservation.”
After a scrumptious dinner, they had just returned to his suite, when the front desk called to announce Monica Russo was on her way upstairs. Preston glanced at his watch and raised a brow, “That was fast.”
“Maybe Sandrine told them something useful,” Gina suggested.
“I have good news,” Monica shouted beaming from ear to ear. “Fantastic news! The private detective went to the lock-up facility to speak with Miss Johnson, but she’d already been released by the time he got there.”
Preston and Gina looked at one another and he asked, “How is that good news?”
“Because my P.I. and the Swiss guards go way back. They chatted for a while and gave him an information, that’ll knock your socks off,” Monica could barely contain her excitement.
“I bite. What information did they give him?” Preston asked.
“Someone had come and bailed her out. Her husband.”
“Husband?” Preston surged to his feet. This was clearly a misunderstanding.
“You heard right. I checked the facts. Your ex-fiancé is already married.”
“Married?” Preston shoved a hand through his hair. “But how?”
“Once we knew what to look for, it was easy. The detective found out that Sandrine fell in love with a Croatian last year while she was on vacation. They married on the spot and she was in the process to obtain a visa for him to live with her in the United States. But then she met you and plans changed. They decided she could marry you, get a quickie divorce, and then she and her other husband could life happily ever after with half of your fortune.”
“How could I have been so stupid? She was using me all this time.” Preston flopped on the couch, dropping his head into his hands.
“Don’t beat yourself up too much,” Monica said with an empathetic face, “be happy you didn’t marry her before finding out these things.”
Preston raised his head, “I’m very grateful. So, how do we use this information to make the press go after her and leave Gina and I alone?”
“That’s what you pay me for,” Monica smiled, “Ornella and I make sure the media gets the proper amount of information and uses it correctly. You two have a nice evening.”
Chapter 24
Tiredness pulled at Gina and she yawned. It had been a long day, full of excitement and revelations, the least of which was now becoming the focus of her attention. Somewhere in the last few days, she’d fallen for Preston. Hard and fast.
Tomorrow was Monday and she had to return to her own life. To University. It was the last week of classes before finals and she had to focus on the task at hand if she wanted to stand any chance to graduate.
She had her future all mapped out – finish the semester, graduate, and then look for a well-paying job in the tourism industry. Nowhere in her plan did a man appear, at least not for a while, and certainly not a man like Preston.
Then why was the thought of not seeing him again so depressing? He was everything she wasn’t. He had reached thirty, was established in his career choice, wealthier than she could even imagine, and the world was his for the taking. And she was nothing but a twenty-four-year-old college student struggling to make ends meet.
Preston didn’t even live in Rome. He was American and soon would be returning to his home country across the Atlantic Ocean. They’d never see each other again.
Gina was old enough not to fool herself into believing there was a future for the two of them together. Their relation was never meant to last. They’d gotten an extension for their one-night stand due to all the fuss with the media, and she got to spend the weekend with him, but now that time is over.
Over.
Preston had excused himself moments earlier to take care of a few phone calls, leaving her to fend for herself as the sun set and night arrived. Nostalgia swept over her, but that wasn’t what how she wanted her time with Preston to end. No, she’d give both of them a night they could think back and smile for many years to come.
Her decision was made. She’d sneak out in the morning for good, but tonight…tonight, she wanted to make every second she had left with him count. With that thought in mind, she entered the large master bathroom and started filling the tub with water.
She moved about the bedroom, lighting candles and making sure everything was set for a night Preston wouldn’t forget. She might be determined to leave him in the morning, but she didn’t want him to forget her. She wanted to be the woman who came to him in his dreams for years to come, just like she knew he would be the man who dominated her fantasies.
***
Preston finished his phone calls and went looking for Gina. He’d sensed her sadness after Monica and Ornella had left. He had a good idea of what was bothering her, but every time he’d tried to talk about the future, she’d changed the subject and evaded him.
Like now.
She wasn’t where he’d left her in the sitting room, and she wasn’t in the second bedroom.
He returned to his bedroom and called out, “Gina?”
No answer. That’s when he heard the water running in the bathroom. He pushed the door open and a smile curled his lips. Gina was lying in the tub full of water, stretching her leg up. It was full of bubbles and she ran a razor over it.
She hadn’t sensed him standing there, and he watched her for a few minutes before squatting down next to the tub. The sadness in her eyes tugged at his heart.
“Are you finished?” he asked.
“Yes, I thought maybe we could talk…”
Gina shook her head, “Not tonight. I don’t want to talk tonight.”
Preston looked at her and then nodded, “Very well.” He reached into the water, mindless about soaking his shirtsleeves or the front of his shirt when he scooped her out of the water and carried her back to the bedroom. He grabbed a towel, stood her by the foot of the bed and thoroughly dried every inch of her body before disrobing himself.
There was a fragileness about her tonight and rather than allowing the passion between them to burn out of control, he made love to her with sweet kisses. He used his hands and mouth to worship her body, kissing his way all the way down to her toes and back up until she was writhing and begging him to stop teasing her.
“You’re amazing,” he whispered as he joined their bodies together. He tipped her chin up, wanting to see her eyes when she came apart in his arms, but she lowered her eyelids, hiding her true emotions from him.
“Gina, don’t hide from me,” he breathed into her ear, pushing her arms up above her head as he started to move within her warm body. She arched up into him, meeting him thrust for thrust, and when she finally opened her eyes, he was sure he saw the sheen of tears in them.
We need to talk.
But talking never happened. He took her to paradise, calling out her name when he followed her, and as they came back down, she snuggled close to him and held on tight.
The hidden pain and need in her gesture sliced his heart open. He hugged her as tight as he dared without fearing to break her bones, pulled up the covers and curled his body into her own, placing a kiss on the top of her head.
“Sleep, beautiful. We’ll talk in the morning.”
He held her for long moments, finally succumbing to sleep himself, with Gina pressed tightly into his embrace.
The first slivers of dawn doused the bedroom in twilight, when a noise woke Preston. Then he missed Gina’s warmth in his arms. Slumberous he rolled over to her side of the bed. Empty.
He tore his eyes open and listened for a moment, jerking up when the clang of the elevator door sliding closed registered in his brain. Preston leapt from the bed, and stormed to the elevator, cursing, when he realized she was trying to sneak out on him. Not again, Gina! Not this time!
Preston threw open the door to the hallway that led to the public lift and pushed the button, impatiently waiting for the car to take him downstairs. Thankfully it arrived within seconds. He jumped inside and pressed the button to the ground floor, praying nobody would delay him.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
The elevator slowed down to open its doors on the sixth floor. Who on earth goes to the lobby before sunrise?
An elderly lady in her eighties stood there, staring at him like she’d seen a ghost. Has she never seen a man before in her life? Or does she think she’s the only one who has the right to be up at this ungodly hour?
The lady pursed her lips and asked, “Did you forget something or is this one of the new services the hotel is offering?”
When Preston gave her a confused look, she lowered her eyes at his groin and raised a brow.
Holy hell. In his haste to go after Gina, he’d stormed out of his suite stark naked. Blood shot to his face and he covered his groin with both hands.
“I’m…no, this is not a new service. I’m trying to keep my girl from running away,” he stammered.
The old lady smiled gently at him and then pulled the Hermes silks scarf from around her neck, “Take this, please.”
She handed him the scarf and her lips twisted the tiniest bit as she checked him out.
Preston felt more blood rushing to his ears. By now he was probably glowing like a beacon buoy. He tied the white silk scarf with pink flowers, gold leaves, and taupe ribbons running across the fabric around his hips, oblivious to the fact how ridiculous, he must look.
“Ma’am, are you getting in?”
“No, I think I’ll wait for the next car,” the lady said with a wistful smile. Then she raised her fist, “Go get your girl.”
Preston nodded and stepped back into the car. The doors slid closed and thirty seconds later he stepped out into the lobby. Gina wasn’t anywhere to be seen.
He darted like a maniac to the back entrance on bare feet, earning surprised looks from the few guests present at this early hour. They didn’t often get to see a streaker in the lobby of a five-star luxury hotel.
Preston did his best to keep the scarf over his privates, and he reached the service entrance just in time to see Gina fastening her helmet and climbing atop her Vespa.
“Gina! Gina, don’t leave. Please!”
Chapter 25
Gina had awakened with the first rays of sunshine on the horizon. It had taken all her determination, but she’d slipped from the warmth of Preston’s embrace and walked down to her Vespa. With each step, her legs became heavier until they barely moved. Her heart screamed at her not to be stupid. But she resisted the urge to crawl back under the covers and snuggle up against him. It’s for the best. The earlier I leave him the less it hurts.
Her eyes watered as she put on her helmet and climbed atop the Vespa to start the motor. Why did it have to hurt so much? Gina closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply.
When she opened them again, a naked man with a Hermes scarf around his hips, stood at the service entrance and waved at her. She turned off the Vespa off and removed her helmet.
“Preston?” she asked, looking him up and down, “What are you doing out here like that?”
“I can’t let you leave,” he said, breathless from running.
Gina shook her head, “You and I both know this was never meant to last. We have different lives, different countries…”
“Nothing you’ve mentioned is insurmountable.” He approached her and whether she wanted it or not, she had to appreciate the hotness of his perfect masculine body.
No, she couldn’t let her hormones weaken her resolve. “But it is, can’t you see, I don’t belong in your world.”
“You’re wrong.” His eyes locked with hers and once again she felt like she was getting sucked into a vortex of deep emotions.
“Preston, what do you want?” the words barely left her mouth, afraid of the answer. There wouldn’t be a right answer. There couldn’t be.
“You. I want you,” he answered and shifted his naked feet in the chilly morning air.
“Me?”
“Can we finish discussing this inside? It’s rather chilly out here.”
Gina glanced at her watch and then shook her head, “I can’t. I’m already late. If I don’t leave now I won’t make it to class.”
“Gina…Please. Come back after your class and we’ll talk. Promise me,” he demanded.
“Why should I? Haven’t we already said everything there is to say?” Gina tilted her head to the side.
“Not by a long shot. Come back and we’ll talk.”
“Give me a reason,” she pleaded with him.
Preston strolled over to where she still sat on the Vespa and lifted his hand to her neck and jaw, “Because I love you. Is that reason enough?”
Wow! The impact of his declaration almost knocked her off her bike. She sat there, trying to form a coherent thought in her mind.
“Please.” He kissed her. As if that helped to get a clear mind.
“Okay. I promise, but it’ll be afternoon…”
“That’s fine. I’ll see you this afternoon,” Preston grinned like a small kid on Christmas, before he pressed another gentle kiss on her lips.
Gina instinctively reached for her helmet and floated away in as if on cloud nine. He loves me. She drove all of three blocks before she swung the bike around and dashed back to the hotel. It was time to stop running and go after what she truly wanted. Preston.
I love him. And I never want to leave his side. She couldn’t have said what moment it had happened, but it didn’t matter. She returned
to the service entrance and parked the bike, hurrying through the hallway to the service elevator. Then she stepped into the suite, calling out for him, “Preston?”
No answer.
Chapter 26
Preston stood beneath the shower spray, trying to come up with the best way to convince Gina to give them a chance. He hadn’t wanted to let her drive away, afraid she wouldn’t keep her promise to return in the afternoon. But he knew how important her studies were to her, and that was the reason why he’d let her leave.
As strange as it seemed, he felt like he’d known Gina for ages, not a few days. He was one hundred percent sure she was the one for him. Still, his rational brain kept questioning what his heart already knew.
Time and again he compared what was happening between he and Gina and the disaster that was titled Sandrine. He’d never felt this way about his ex. He’d never been certain life couldn’t go on without her by his side. And he sure never had needed her more than his next breath. Like Gina.
Preston turned the water off, grabbed a towel and rubbed his hair. Then he slung the towel around his hips and stalked to the espresso machine in the dining area. In the living room he froze and stared at the beautiful fata morgana sitting on his couch.
“You came back!”
Gina jumped up off the couch and launched herself into his arms, “I couldn’t stay away.”
He tightened his arms around her soft figure and despite a night full of lovemaking he was rock hard within seconds.
Gina must have felt the evidence of his arousal, because she pushed him away, “I came back to talk, not for sex.”
“Can’t we talk while having sex?” he asked her with a wide grin.
Gina flushed and giggled, but then made a serious face. “No. Get dressed. I’ll wait here.”
“Aye, aye, Sir,” he answered and trotted into his bedroom, where he pulled on a pair of faded jeans and an olive green T-shirt. Then he passed by the espresso machine and entered the living room with two cups of steaming hot coffee.
“Okay. Talking it is,” he said as he returned to where she was sitting on the couch. Preston eyed the space besides her, but chose the large oversized chair opposite. If he was to get through this discussion, he needed a clear mind. Perhaps some distance would help. Although he doubted it.
