by Ella Brooke
They spread out the blanket, and Briony watched as Marco pulled out all sorts of delicate treats from the basket. All of the food was small, almost bite-sized, but there was so much that they could both have a full meal.
She was shocked at how much there was to talk about. Despite the wide gaps between their worlds, they were fascinated with each other, and more than once, the empty keep rang with their laughter.
After the food was cleared away, however, Briony fell quiet. Her mind buzzed, and to her irritation, it was with the same old question.
"What is it?" Marco asked, sensing her mood.
"I keep wondering if I'm...faking something when I'm with you," she confessed. "When I'm with you, I feel so vibrant and exciting. I feel as if everything in me is bubbling out, like I'm someone who doesn't have to hold back..."
Marco was still long enough that she wondered if she had offended him.
"I would never tell you who you are," he said. "You are the only one who can do that. But I can tell you who you are to me. More than just being the mother of my child, you are someone who came into my life like a comet, lighting up the night. I treasured how you were when we first met..."
"And now?" she asked, unable to keep the anxiety out of her voice.
"Now I treasure you all the more. It is all you, cara mia. It's all you."
Briony could feel the truth of his words sink into her. Passion and practicality, it was all one, and finally, for once, they were united. They both urged her forward until she was in Marco's arms, leaning up so she could kiss him hard.
"Marco," she murmured, her voice a soft moan, and she heard a breathlessness in his voice that only aroused her more.
"I know, I know," he said softly. "You can be whoever you want with me..."
"Take off my clothes," she murmured, her voice heated, and she felt his body tense with desire.
It was almost impossible to keep herself still as his deft hands pulled her dress over her head, turning her to undo her bra and pull down her panties.
The moment she was bare, however, doubt moved in like a battalion. God, she had given birth just a few months ago. Her breasts ached even after pumping, her belly was soft and slack. It had only been a year, but it felt as if her body had undergone continental shifts since she had last made love with Marco.
"This is a bad idea," she whispered, reaching for her clothes again, but he stopped her, holding her against him and planting kisses across her shoulders, collarbones and throat.
"No, no, never be shy with me, beautiful girl," he whispered. "Never, ever be shy with me. Your body delivered a beautiful little girl to me. Why would I ever look on it with anything less than care and need?"
When Briony still shifted uneasily, Marco snorted and took her hand in his. He pressed it between his legs, and under the layers of fabric, she could feel how taut and needy his flesh was. The undeniable proof of his desire sent heat flowing over her body, and he purred as she eased against him.
"Never doubt what you do to me," he murmured, and he laid her back on the blanket.
She wanted him enough that she could weep, but there was so much pleasure in his hands and mouth that all she could do was cry out softly at his touch. For what felt like hours, he was content to kiss her, one hand sliding up and down her body before gliding between her legs. He parted her thighs with just a little pressure, and she sighed as he cupped her mons with his hand. When Marco started to slip his fingertips along her slit, she moistened at his gentleness. He never budged from his pace until she started to buck against his palm.
"God, but you're beautiful when you want me," he said, lifting his head from a deep kiss. She could see that his lips were reddened with their passion, and knew that hers were just the same.
"I do want you," she murmured. "So very much..."
"Good."
She shifted on her side with Marco spooned against her back. He smiled when she pressed back against him demandingly, but he didn't stop touching her with the same languid grace. His hand came up to cup her breast, massaging just a little so that she sighed with pleasure, and then she was carried away by his mouth at the back of her neck.
The haze of sensuality was enough to transport her, but she couldn't stop herself from being aware of Marco's erection against her rear.
"Please, I want you so much." She knew there was a pleading tone in her voice, but she could also feel his fingers sliding along her body more freely. She could smell her own arousal, and that had the effect of arousing her even more. She needed this man in ways she could barely voice, and to her relief, he seemed to understand that.
"Good, because I'm not sure I can hold out much longer," Marco said with a laugh.
He rose up from her body, tearing off his own clothes as if he could not stand to be covered a moment longer. While her body had gone through so many changes, his was just as she remembered, thick with muscle, strong but so graceful. She started to shift from her side, but a hand on her shoulder kept her where she was.
"Shh, let me," he murmured.
He came down to straddle her lower thigh, lifting the upper one to rest on his shoulder. After a moment of surprise, Briony realized what he meant to do. She blushed from her hairline down to her breasts, and Marco laughed.
"Trust me, this will feel so very good."
She held her breath as he pressed himself between her legs, up against the very core of her. She was grateful for the stretches she did every day, because they allowed her to open her legs for him fully. She could feel the hard ridge of his knuckles against her inner thigh for a moment as he guided his cock into her, and then they both cried out as he sheathed himself inside her.
There was no discomfort, no pain at all. Instead, there was only a deep and full pressure as he filled her, pressing in so deep that they were joined. She glanced up to see that his eyes were wide and focused on her, completely enraptured by her and what they were doing together.
Marco said a few words in Italian, but then shook his head slightly.
"Beautiful," he said. "So very perfect..."
He steadied himself for a moment, and then he started to move. Briony could feel her body wanting to move with him, but she realized in this position that she was pinioned. She only had a small range of motion, and she was nearly helpless as he thrust in and out of her body, each stroke raising her higher.
"Oh, Marco, Marco," she groaned, her eyes falling shut. All she was aware of was the powerful rhythm of the two of them together, the gorgeous way they were matched with one another. She might have lost herself just like that, but then Marco reached down with one hand to caress her clit with the pad of his thumb. It was as if he had shot electricity clear through her, and she cried out so loudly that it echoed through the castle.
He pushed into her, timing his thrusts with the strokes of his thumb, and before Briony thought possible, her body was shuddering, every muscle tensed as she sought the climax she knew waited just beyond.
"Reach for it, baby," Marco murmured. "Let me give it to you..."
He leaned down to nip her earlobe with his sharp white teeth, and for some reason, that was all it took. Her body felt as if it had been lit on fire, and now she was burning in the flames. One hand reached up to claw at Marco's shoulder, and the other clenched on thin air. Her orgasm had absolutely no mercy, tearing at her with a vicious power that seemed to want to savage her.
Even before her body was done trembling with the force of her climax, Marco pushed into her one last time, spilling into her with a deep growl. It felt primal and perfect, his essence mingling with her, and she knew deep in her heart that some part of her would always belong to this man. Perhaps she would be afraid of this later, but right now, a deep sense of wellness poured through her.
Marco was still for a long moment after he had taken his pleasure, and then he pulled away slightly, falling down to lie on the blanket next to her. Their legs were still tangled, and a light breeze came up to cool their warm bodies.
There were no words that needed to be said in this ancient and beautiful place. All that mattered was that they were here with each other.
***
"Two weeks? That's how long they're going to take to rebuild the set?" Seanan asked. When the producer nodded, she sighed. "Do we have to stay here?"
"Nah, that's a solid two weeks, and it might stretch into three if the local builders aren't available. Get out of town, just for the love of God, don't break a leg or anything, all right?"
Seanan considered her options, but in the end, there was really only one choice. She had of course been keeping up with her sister and her darling niece, but Skype and texts were never enough.
Plus, I need to go to Italy to check out the prince himself, she thought.
Briony had been restrained about what she was even willing to say to her sister, but reading between the lines, Seanan could see that there were some deeper emotions at play. That meant she wanted to really assess this guy, find out if he was as wonderful as Briony said.
Her motives weren't entirely pure, however, and Seanan grinned with mischief. There was, after all, a certain very good-looking Italian movie star currently staying in Florence for a period movie he was shooting. They had connected at an industry event, quite memorably, and he had told her to contact him the next time they were in the same time zone, so...
Nope, long past time I get to check in on my baby sister, Seanan decided, booking her tickets.
Chapter Thirteen
Life fell into a rhythm that was incredibly sweet. It was so sweet that Briony occasionally had to pinch herself, thinking that it was all a dream.
She got to spend as much time as she liked with Eva, but thanks to Paz's dedicated efforts, she wasn't drained by the childcare the way she would have been at home. Eva was flourishing in Italy, growing every day, it seemed, and reaching for the entire world with her chubby hands. She could see glimpses of the brave and wild girl her daughter would become in Italy, and it warmed Briony's heart.
Of course, she would be remiss if she left Marco out of that sweetness. The man was a revelation, and every time she looked at him, or every time he touched her, she felt a warmth reach deep inside her.
They were building a history together, moment by moment. It was a foundation that they could stand on, and one day, Briony knew, it would take them to the stars. There was no more shuttling between bedrooms at night. Instead, they put Eva to bed together, and then the long hours between night and dawn were all theirs. Marco moved her to a kind of pleasure that she had never contemplated before. There was no fear or shame or pain in their bed, and their lovemaking was just a new way for them to get to know each other. Sometimes, they didn't fall asleep until dawn, still hanging on to each other. It was nearly dawn one day, almost three weeks after they had gone to the castle, when Briony turned to Marco.
"Do you still believe what you said a year ago?" she asked softly. "That women can't be people of character, that they can't have the integrity that men do?"
Marco turned to look at her in the dimness of the bedroom, and his smile was rueful.
"God, I feel as if I've shed the person I was like an unpleasant shell," he said, shaking his head. "I'm not sure I ever truly believed it, and even if I did, you have cured me of it."
Briony felt as if a great weight rolled off of her shoulders, and when she drifted off to sleep in Marco's arms that night, her dreams were almost unspeakably sweet. That was the last thing that had bothered her, that she was raising Eva with a man who thought she could never be as brave or righteous as a boy. Now with that doubt gone, she felt as if she could give herself fully to Marco.
After all, she knew his secret.
Sometimes, late at night when he thought she was asleep, Marco propped himself up on his elbow to watch her. Sometimes she drifted off into true slumber under his watchful eye. Other times, he broke the silence to say, "I love you."
There was still something fearsomely secret about the way he said it, as if he were waiting for the perfect time or the perfect way of saying those words. To interrupt him would have been, not disastrous, but perhaps a disappointment to Marco, and the last thing she wanted was to disappoint him.
So she would wait, and be content to wait, at least for a little while longer, because at the end of the day, the same words sang in her heart, just waiting for the perfect time to come out.
The night before had been one such night, moonlight filling the room, and Marco's soft voice repeating those words like a prayer. She had fallen asleep to him swearing his love, and Briony only hoped he would openly tell her soon.
In the morning, however, she was awakened to the smell of buttery, perfect croissants and an apologetic Marco, fully dressed and kissing her goodbye.
"I'm sorry," he said with chagrin. "I need to be in Venice today, and no one told me until the last minute, more's the pity."
"Oh, Venice, what a trial for you," Briony said, unable to keep a wistful sigh out of her voice.
He chuckled. "It's the off-season anyway. Next time, I'll take you and Eva, and we'll make a weekend of it. Right now, though, I'm on my way out, and I might be gone for two, even three days. Why don't you take Eva to the city if you're bored? Do some shopping, buy her some clothes."
"She's a baby," she said, slightly scandalized. "There's already plenty of clothes that you ordered before we got here, and they certainly still fit."
"A man likes his girls turned out nicely," Marco said with a grin that told her he wasn't serious. "Go, have some fun. I'll be back to you as soon as I can."
Briony figured she was just going to stay around the palace honestly, spending time with Eva and perhaps exploring the grounds, but that was when Seanan called.
"Darling, I've missed you so," her sister trilled. "Come to the city! Let me see my favorite niece, and let's catch up on everything!"
Then of course, she had to pack things up and head for the city, driven by Marco's faithful driver. She was excited to see her sister, and maybe the days without Marco wouldn't be so bad after all.
Of course, three days later, everything changed.
***
Marco did his due diligence as the prince of Florence, but it was obvious to him that at the moment his heart wasn't in it. He loved his city, but the truth was that he simply loved Briony more.
There was no question about it in his mind, absolutely none. He loved Briony, and every moment he spent with her, he could barely stop himself from saying the words. It was a good thing that soon enough, he wouldn't have to stop himself.
The men of his family had always had a tradition of presenting their women with showstopper rings, ones that were devastatingly beautiful and rare. The jewelry maker in Florence had been working for weeks, and the ring would finally be ready when he came back through Florence on his way home.
The jeweler's shop was on an obscure corner in the city, a place frequented only by the rich and the famous. The jewelry maker's family had served the popes and dukes of Italy, and when she handed him the engagement ring, he could see why. It was a stunning, pigeon blood ruby set in rose gold, surrounded by a halo of pale green diamonds. It was a work of art, and Marco knew that when he saw Briony next, it would be time.
Of course, he didn't expect to find her in the streets of Florence, kissing another man.
He had barely stepped out of the jewelry shop when he saw a familiar flash of chestnut hair. He slowed, stunned by recognition, and watched from several houses away as Briony got out of the taxi cab and mount the stairs to one of the fashionable townhouses nearby.
It was hard to see her face; there was no way to read her expression. She kept glancing around, as if she was afraid of being caught, and Marco's first instinct was to comfort her, to swoop in and protect her from whatever was making her so anxious.
As soon as she gained the top step, however, he realized the source of her fear. The door swept open, and a handsome blond man stepped out. Marco recognized him immediately, Paolo Olivetti, H
ollywood's new Italian sensation.
Marco's mind kept ticking along like a machine, marking who the man was, how he tugged the woman into his grasp, kissed her with savagely tender need, and crushed her against his body. It kept going even as his heart seemed to shatter in his chest.
A dozen different urges seemed to seize him. He wanted to go tear Briony out of the man's arms. He wanted to shake her. He wanted her to explain how it was all a mistake.
Instead, Marco got into his car and started to drive. The ring box was a hard lump in his pocket. It had cost more than a well-off man might make in a year, but suddenly he wanted to fling it down a well.
He didn't do that.
Instead, he turned his car towards one of the clubs he used to frequent years ago, a place that loved his wealth and his fame more than any other. As he paid for the first round, he could feel something hot and grieved well up inside him, but he knew that if he kept drinking, he wouldn't have to feel it at all.
***
Briony had sent Paz away for the day, jostling Eva on her hip as she checked her phone again. When Marco was late returning from his business in Venice, she had contacted him, but ever since then, his responses had been short and curt to the point of rudeness. She only knew he was coming back tonight because one of the maids had mentioned turning out his bed.
While he had been gone, it was too difficult to keep sleeping in the big bed alone, so she had moved back to her own quarters. Now that he was on his way home, she was relieved to have things return to where they used to be.
She was still in her own quarters when she heard his familiar step in the hall.
"Papa's home," she told her daughter sleeping against her shoulder, and she grinned to see her daughter rouse briefly at the words before settling into sleep again.
