by Lea Hart
Tilting his head, he wondered if that meant she would eventually like to call it home. “If you had to design a home, what would it look like?”
“I like the old farm homes of Tuscany. I like crumbling plaster and faded ochre walls.”
“Shit, does that mean I need to sell this heap and build you a Tuscan farmhouse?”
“Bruno and I saw some lovely homes today, so you can hold onto this and not have to worry about me becoming a permanent houseguest.”
He drank his wine and didn’t know if she was intentionally ignoring his very obvious comments or just being obtuse. Either way, he needed to communicate that he very much wanted her to become his wife in the near future. He took a small plate and filled it with a sample of everything from the antipasti platter and then handed it to Valentina. “Tell me about your life in New York.”
She took the plate and ate an olive. “Bruno and I share a duplex and seem to find ourselves working more often than not. We have a small group of friends that we socialize with and like to take in shows whenever we can. We both love musicals, so we go to the theater at least twice a month.”
“You two are like an old married couple.”
“In many ways, we are.” Nibbling on a cracker, she looked up and shrugged. “I’ve never been able to date freely, and neither has Bruno, so we’ve become each other’s significant others by default.”
“Was the dating thing hard because no one could compare to me or was it the whole mafia princess thing that got in the way?” Seeing her eyes crinkle, he was happy she didn’t immediately deny the possibility that he was a contender.
“Maybe a little of both.”
Shocked at her honesty, he tried to appear unfazed. “I hope you’re being a little serious.”
“I don’t want to get involved with the prince of the Zanetti family.”
“I don’t want to marry the princess of the Conti family either. But it looks like we’re shit out of luck because I believe you’re the one for me, despite the fact it’s going to turn into a three-ring circus.”
“Our fathers are going to be so freaking happy.”
“I know, and it kills me since I do everything I can not to make it possible.”
Laughing, she leaned forward and set the plate on the table. “Is that because you’re the oldest son and have always been expected to take over the family?”
“Maybe.” He refilled their wine glasses and sat back. “Thankfully, Eduardo is willing to take on the crown.”
“So you plan on remaining on the fringes and building your empire with the Red Door?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“God willing, you won’t get dragged in at some point.”
“Are you afraid of that?” Seeing her casual shrug, he realized how important her answer was. “I will never let anything touch you.”
“That’s not possible, and we both know it.” Sipping her wine, she studied the pool. “I could very well be the one to bring danger to your door. The Conti Syndicate is volatile, despite my father’s efforts, and I’ve been targeted twice. The only reason I’m still alive is because of Bruno.”
“I would easily lay my life down for you and know at some point it may become necessary. No one grows up in this world and believes otherwise.”
Laughing, she leaned back. “This is the first honest conversation I’ve had with someone who I was considering dating.”
“Cara, we will be doing a lot more than dating. When you and I decide to start this thing, then every step we take will be toward the altar.”
Patting his leg, she shook her head. “Nothing of the sort is possible.”
“Yes, mi amore, it absolutely is!” “When she didn’t respond, he decided not to say more. “Are you hungry?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.”
Standing, he held out his hand. “Let’s see what Rosa has made for us.” She slipped her hand into his, and an unmistakable sense of rightness washed over him. His queen had found her way to the castle, and all he had to do was convince her to stay.
***
Valentina ate the last bit of her ice cream and sat back groaning. “That was a delicious meal, and I’ll be sure to let Rosa know in the morning.”
“The woman loves compliments, so if you tell how much you enjoyed it, I’m sure she’ll soon be making all of your favorites.”
Stretching her legs, she watched Gio lift one and set it on his lap. “What are you doing?”
He slid off her sandal and winked. “Giving you a foot rub. I’ve noticed you favor sky-high heels and I imagine they’re torture on your feet.”
“Maybe a little.” Feeling his large, strong hands rub the last of the day’s pain away, she bit back a moan of delight. “Since I’m so short, I find it necessary to give myself as much of a lift as possible. Being the boss-lady isn’t all that easy when you’re looking up all the time.”
“Cara, you have more power in your little finger than women twice your size.”
“Are you saying that because I always have Bruno standing next to me?”
Digging his knuckles into her arch, he shook his head. “No, you’ve got a lightning quick mind and a sharp tongue, so you’ve got everything you need to ensure your bidding is done.”
“I’m not sure if that’s true.” Running her hand over her dress, she looked across the patio and noticed the sun washing the last of its colors across Red Rock Canyon. “Do you like being in the private club business?”
“I do.” He lifted her other foot and gave it equal attention. “Though I never would’ve guessed that when I was at Wharton.”
“I didn’t know you got your masters there.”
“Pops wanted his kids to have the best education possible, so after I got my undergraduate at the University of Chicago, I decided to apply and was lucky enough to get in.”
“I went to Booth for my masters after I graduated Vanderbilt. If we were closer in age, we would’ve been like ships passing in the night.”
“Damn, woman, Booth is the top business school in the country.”
She tried to keep her smile in check but found it impossible. “I’m more than a spoiled girl from New York.”
“I’ve never thought differently.”
Hearing his sincerity, she nodded and wondered why she bothered fighting the attraction so hard. Gio Zanetti was everything a woman could want. Not only was he smart, incredibly good-looking, and kind, he was interested and could handle her family. Something that had never occurred before. “What made you decide to open the Red Door?”
“I liked the idea of having a high-end club that could cater to the needs and tastes of a discriminating clientele. I wanted to have not only the best food in town but the best bar and high-stakes poker games.”
“What about the sex club part?”
Clearing his throat, he rested his hands on her feet. “It’s not a sex club. It a place where like-minded people can find one another and indulge in the sorts of activities they crave.”
“And what sorts of activities do you crave, Mr. Zanetti?”
He set her feet on the patio and then stood, sweeping her into his arms. “You, cara. I crave you.” Dipping his head, he pressed their mouths together, making her realize she was very much interested in the chemistry burning between them.
All the arguments against them getting involved disappeared as the heat of his body surrounded her. She wanted him just as she had when he kissed her long ago, and when she parted her lips accepting his tongue, she wondered if he was, in fact, the man she’d been waiting for.
Moaning, she was soon lost in the sensation of his mouth moving against hers. All the stupid clichés about butterflies and electricity slid across her brain as he moved his mouth along her jaw.
“Do you feel it?” he whispered.
“What?” she replied on a breathy moan.
“The heat. The chemistry, and the thing that can’t be denied.”
He nipped at her earlobe and anticipation sh
ot through her body. “Yes, Gio…I do.” His lips grazed her neck, and every cell in her body came awake, and she wondered if this was the thing people were forever talking about.
Skimming his teeth across her shoulder, he groaned. “You taste fucking incredible; let’s go inside.”
“Too many eyes out here?”
“Si, mi amore. I always have six men on the perimeter, and I don’t want them to see a second of your pleasure.”
She moved her hands to his face and took a moment to see what was in his heart. When she saw nothing but raw desire, she let out a breath of relief.
There was no subterfuge.
No game needed to be won.
It was just lust.
Pure and simple.
When had it ever been that?
Never.
Which allowed her, for the first time in her life, to let go. God willing, she’d be safe in his arms. Pulling him down, she whispered against his ear, “Show me your room.”
He turned his head and kissed her hand. “Once you go in, know that I may never let you out.”
Stepping back, she gave him a wink. “Then I suppose you’ll have to prove it will be a captivity I’ll enjoy.”
Sweeping her into his arms, his laughter bounced off the stone walls as he strode into the house. “It will be my pleasure.”
“And mine too, hopefully.” When his dark eyes sparkled in response, she let out a happy sigh, knowing for the first time in her life that she didn’t need to pretend. They had almost identical lives, and she realized that the peace it gave her was more than she ever expected to have.
CHAPTER SIX
Gio closed the door to his bedroom and hit the wall switch, lowering the drapes. The view of the mountains disappeared along with any of his men’s ability to see inside, not that they’d be looking. But he wasn’t one to risk anyone catching a glimpse of what was his.
And Valentina Conti was just that.
Possessive feelings crashed against his chest as he watched her looking around the room. “Do you like it, cara?”
Turning slowly, she gave him a smile. “It’s very masculine.” She ran her hand over the low wall that separated the sitting area from the bed. “It fits you.”
Stalking toward her slowly, he let out a chuckle. “I can see that we either have a major redecoration ahead of us or I need to get rid of this and let you pick out exactly the home you want.”
Twirling a lock of hair on her finger, she smiled coyly. “We’re just having sex, not setting up house.”
Closing the last of the space that separated them, he lifted her chin and smirked. “We both know this isn’t going to be casual. In fact, it’s going to be the damn opposite, and the sooner you accept it, the better.” Her small hands moved to his shirt, and he wondered if she was going to protest his words. When she started unbuttoning it, he decided she was just going to ignore it.
Maybe it was best.
Because sometimes it took the mind a little longer to accept what the heart and body already knew.
When she had freed all his buttons, he shrugged the shirt off and then bent down, lifting the bottom of her caftan. Looking up, he grinned. “Thank you for allowing me the privilege of making you mine.”
Her luminous eyes flared in surprise as he pulled the dress off in one motion. Letting his gaze roam over her body slowly, he felt his chest expand with something he suspected was a love that could last a lifetime.
Not able to speak, he picked her up, cradling her soft, perfect curves. “Valentina, you are more beautiful than I ever imagined.” Linking her arms around his neck, she pulled him down and sealed her lips over his.
With a groan, he gave in to their mutual desire and returned her kiss with greed. It’s never going to be enough, he thought to himself as he sat down roughly on the bed and let her mouth go. “I’ve thought about you in my bed so many times over the years; it’s hard to believe it’s finally happened.”
“I remember when we met and the overwhelming desire I had to hold your hand and kiss you. Which was completely ridiculous since I was sixteen, but now I see that perhaps it wasn’t. Maybe my soul recognized you even though I was too young to do anything about it.”
He closed his eyes and took a second to appreciate her confession. The need that had been beating relentlessly in his heart since she walked off that plane was finally satisfied.
Her acceptance of what they were quieted the restless energy that had been his constant companion and allowed it to morph into a calm determination.
A determination that would allow him to do whatever it took to make the woman in his arms happy for the rest of her life. “It’s always been you, tesoro.” Taking her mouth urgently, he plundered her sweet lips as they learned one another’s mouths.
Something he would happily do the rest of his days.
Except her hand moved away from his hair and slid across his bare chest, shooting his need into the stratosphere. He stood and gently laid her on the bed, knowing her pleasure was far more important than his own.
Getting rid of his sandals and shorts in less than a minute, he stood before her and watched her eyes dilate. Always a good sign from the woman who would be in his bed for the rest of his days. “I’d like to unwrap my present now,” he murmured as he bent down and slid the tiny scrap of lace down her legs.
Hearing her intake of breath, he dragged his eyes away from her glistening pussy and saw her pulse flutter in her neck. “If there is anything off the table, tell me now because I plan on tasting every inch of you and filling you with my seed.”
She let out a nervous laugh and moved her eyes to his cock. “Go slow because it’s been a long time.”
“Always, my love.” Dipping his head, he covered one breast with his lips, pulling the rosy nipple into his mouth. Her sweet taste inflamed his need as he grazed the tight bud with his teeth and then soothed the gentle bite with long laps of his tongue.
When she arched into his mouth, he groaned with satisfaction and covered her other breast with his hand, giving it similar attention. Her soft sighs filled the quiet room, and his cock tightened in response, building a pressure he didn’t think he’d stand for long.
Levering himself over her body, he made sure there wasn’t a part of his body that didn’t touch hers. Letting his length drift slowly back and forth across her clit, he built her need as she moaned into his mouth.
“More, Gio.”
“Not yet, my love.” He closed his lips over hers and devoured her with a passion he could no longer control. Thrusting his tongue inside her willing mouth, he gave her a hint of what was in store as he ground his hips against hers. His cock slid through her juices, and he thought she was close as she began breathing hard. “Let go; let me see you fall apart,” he whispered after pulling his mouth away.
“Not until you’re inside me…”
“Are you sure?” he ground out as her words slit the tenuous control he had. When her knees bent, he grinned. “That’s a yes.”
Her spellbinding eyes locked on his, glazed and eager as he eased his cock into her tight sex. “Hai il mio cuore.”
“You have mine too,” she responded.
Pushing in, he was careful with her body and let out a breath when her slick walls clamped around him, cushioning his heat and pulsing with desire.
Keeping their gazes locked, he caught the light in her eyes as he slid out and then slowly back in. When she bore down, he began stroking, harder and deeper with each thrust.
“It’s…”
“Perfect,” he said quietly as his heart locked with hers. Her knees bent further, and she moved her legs around his waist, pulling him in so deep that he saw stars. Feeling her tense, he prayed she was close as he staved off his own climax with everything he had.
Breathing her in, he ground himself against her sex as her cries grew louder, causing his body to tighten and his balls to draw up. Sucking him in, she convulsed and flew apart around him. Shifting his hips, he dragged out her
climax and then gave in to his own.
He burned from the inside out and spilled himself inside her, losing himself to her soft body and warm heart. “Mi avrai semore il cuore e l’anima.”
***
Gio fell against her, and she let out a laugh as he covered her face in kisses. Feeling lighter and more contented than she thought possible, she took his hand and tangled their fingers.
Intimacy with Gio was like no other experience in her life, and she wondered if it was because she hadn’t felt the need to hide. There wasn’t a fact of her life that he wasn’t aware of, and there wasn’t a thing he needed or wanted from her family connections.
Was that why she opened her heart to him so quickly?
“You’re thinking very loudly, cara.”
She watched him lift his face and give her a worried smile. “I’m sorry it was so quick; I promise I will worship you from this moment on.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked as she felt the result of their lovemaking slide down her leg.
“I didn’t take my time, and that will never happen again. I want the taste of your sweet honey on my lips when I bury my body inside of yours and plan on giving two or three orgasms before I take my own.”
Patting his sweat-slicked skin, she smiled. “Do whatever you feel is necessary.”
Growling, he rolled over on his back and held her tightly as he tangled their legs together. “Now, we can begin our lives.”
“And what exactly does that mean?”
He kissed her head and then let his finger run slowly over her arm. “Marriage, children, and a happiness that will make the stars blink in the sky.”
“I thought we could just date and see how that goes.”
Letting out a dark laugh, he tightened his hold. “You’re funny.”
Closing her eyes, she wondered if clearing up his confusion needed to happen before she fell asleep. Feeling her body melt into his warm embrace, she decided it could wait until morning. After all, there was no need to start world war three before it became completely necessary.
And it seemed Gio’s crazy ideas were eventually going to ensure that happened.
