by Lea Hart
“Now, that was a battle,” Hank said as he slung his arm over her shoulder.
Standing among the ruins under the afternoon sun made her realize how fortunate she was to be here with Hank. Not only because she apparently loved him but also because he understood the history behind the crumbling stone, and what it had cost people to change history. Slapping herself figuratively upside the head, she realized she was done for. Love goggles were firmly in place and there wasn’t a thing she could do. “So, who is your favorite Roman general?”
“Sure, ask me something easy.”
Taking his hand, she led him back on the path in the direction of the arch. “Top two.”
“My first one would have to be Caucus. The guy was basically the Yoda of Rome. He was an old, blind and battled-scarred vet who put younger soldiers to shame. One of his greatest moments was when he was called into the senate in a moment of crisis when Pyrrhus of Epirus had worn down so many Roman armies that the senators were ready to surrender. Caucus delivered a speech so uncompromisingly defiant that it goaded the Romans back into action. He said something along the lines of, ‘Each man is the architect of his own fate,’ and with those words, he became the architect of Rome’s.”
“Do you believe those words?” she asked as they picked their way over the uneven ground.
“Absolutely. Every day that I spent on the Teams allowed me the opportunity to do just that. I needed to prove myself and start a journey that would allow me to do something exceptional, and becoming a SEAL gave me that. It changed my DNA.”
“Who would you have been had you not become a SEAL?”
“I can’t answer that because I don’t know who that man would be…the one who was never on the Teams. It gave me everything I ever wanted because I got to test the limits of my ability.”
“Okay, give me your second favorite general.”
“All right. I guess I’d have to say Flamininus. He was a reluctant conqueror and even though his military feats were not showstoppers, his integrity was unshakable. He was in command of Rome’s armies while the republic was expanding east into Greece, and his duty to Rome forced him to break the back of Greek rule where it posed a threat. The only problem was, he fiercely admired the nobility of Greek culture and hated watching the Greeks become slaves even when Rome was the one enslaving them. So, in 196 BC, in an unprecedented move, he gave up Rome’s control and declared Greece a free territory. He saved countless lives and was a class act.”
“What were you looking for when you decided to become a SEAL?”
“Ultimately, I wanted to test my ideas about myself and who I thought I was. In my heart, I always believed I was attuned to a more primitive version of what men were once required to be, and still are when our special skills are called for. By training and temperament, I was afforded the chance to see if I was up for the task.”
“And were you?”
“Yes, I absolutely was. Most men at some point ask themselves, ‘What would I do if I were confronted with a deadly-force encounter? If I were in a pizza joint and a man came in with a shotgun, if someone on the street flashed a big knife and demanded my wallet, if someone I loved was threatened somehow, what would I do?’ At some point or another, almost every man wonders, ‘How would I perform in mortal combat? Could I kill before I was killed? Who would I kill for? Who deserves to die?’
“For me, just thinking and wondering about it wasn’t enough. There is a breed of man with something inside him that pushes him to find out. And I am that man. My dreams have always centered around adventure and conflict, and most of the time it was mortal combat. That’s who I am at my core and that is the thing that always motivated me. So, to answer your question, I absolutely found what I was looking for on the Teams. It gave me the opportunity to know that I had the ability to perform when I’m called upon. Those who have fought in combat units often have a deeper appreciation of life because they have fought for that life and they know what it means.”
As they got closer to the arch, Stazi realized she would never have to ask the man another question. Everything she needed to know about him had just been answered. The two men he described were not flashy generals with bloody victories on their hands. They were men who made choices based not on furthering their own glory but on doing the right thing. He had also asked and answered a difficult question about himself and had come out with the answer he needed.
Which made tears gather in her eyes again. No way around it, Hank Coleman had her heart.
***
Hank studied Stazi across the table and felt like something was different. They were sitting on the terrace of the restaurant in their hotel, and he sensed that she was starting to have some real feelings for him. Which he prayed was true.
She had her hair piled on top of her head and wore dangly earrings and a dress that tied at her shoulders. He’d never seen anything so beautiful in his life and he was fucking head over heels in love. The need to confess his feelings beat against his chest, and he didn’t know how much longer he was going to be able to hold back.
The day they’d spent at the Forum had been amazing. Their shared love of history made the whole thing a hundred times better than he could’ve imagined. He’d loved hearing things from her art history perspective and she seemed to be interested in his military perspective. So as far as he could see, they were a match made in heaven.
For two people who seemed to have nothing in common, they sure had a lot of things to talk about. Which was the best discovery he’d made so far. Not only did he crave this woman physically, he was also equally interested in her mind. And that had never happened.
Stazi set down her menu and looked up. “Why are you looking at me that way?” She ran her hand over her cheek. “Do I have something on my face?”
“No, honey, I was just thinking how beautiful and interesting you are.” He stood, went over to her side of the table, and pulled out a chair. “I want to sit next to you.”
“Okay.” She straightened her fork and gave him a small smile. “I hope you don’t plan on stealing any of my food because I am starved.”
Placing his arm on her shoulder, he leaned down and gave her a small kiss. “No, I’m not interested in your food, but I am interested in your mouth.”
Patting his leg, she nodded. “That’s fine. Just don’t touch my pasta.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, honey.”
“Did you enjoy the Forum today?”
“I did. I was surprised to see the famous ruins sitting in the middle of the city. Not to mention the chain link fence that surrounds the area and the ivy climbing over some of the statues.”
“It’s the perfect representation of Rome. One part ancient history, one part bustling city, and another utter neglect.”
The waiter arrived and Stazi placed her order and then asked Hank what he wanted and placed his as well. “I want to try some of your grilled cockerel. That sounds delicious.”
Hank lifted an eyebrow and grinned. “Anytime, honey.”
“Funny, I didn’t think you were old enough to begin experiencing hearing loss.” She gave him a sympathetic smile. “I thought you still had a couple of good years in you.”
Growling, he bent his head and kissed her behind her ear. “I plan on showing you how good I am as soon as we’re done with our meal.”
Stazi turned her head so their mouths were a breath apart. “I’ll eat fast so we can do it before your bedtime.” Puckering her lips, she gave him a quick peck and then leaned away. “Oh look, here comes our drinks.”
Sitting back in his chair, Hank ran his hand over his shirt and grinned. “Guess I have to keep you up all night so you can be confident that the man you’ve chosen will always satisfy you.”
After they had their drinks in hand, Stazi lifted hers and smiled. “Thank you for coming to Rome and letting me share the city I love.” They clinked glasses and then she went in for a kiss. About to seal their mouths together, she spoke against his lips. “I know yo
u are absolutely the best choice I could’ve ever made.”
Before he could respond, she pressed her mouth to his and showed him every feeling she had.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Monday, June 12
Rome
“Do you still think that I’m an old man?” When there was no immediate response to his question, he lifted his head and looked over and saw that Stazi’s eyes were closed. “I’m going to assume that your inability to respond is based on the fact that I have you so sexually satisfied, you are incapable of forming words.”
Her hand slowly rose and she gave him a thumbs-up. “This time I’ll let you rest,” he said, “but not for long.” When she rolled over and pulled the sheet over her head, he assumed she was taking it under advisement. Stretching his hands over his head, he grinned. Their morning quickie was the fourth time he’d taken her since they’d gotten back from the restaurant last night and he was feeling very satisfied with himself. He prided himself on knowing when to be a gentleman and when not to be. Last night, he’d shown her both versions and he was more than satisfied that she liked both.
Every time she had given him the privilege of control over her body, he felt that she was giving him another ounce of trust. Last night, she had willingly given herself to him and in turn, he gave her the tender love she needed and the hard love she craved.
His greatest desire was that she would eventually entrust her safety to him. Mindy, body, heart, and soul. So far, she trusted him with her body, and while that made him unbelievably happy, he really wanted her heart. Because she had his.
He knew that finding a perfect woman was impossible; however, finding one who cared about his complexities and beating heart might not be. He was pretty sure that the woman lying comatose next to him wanted to understand him and know him because she was constantly asking him questions. Sometimes, he felt like a book she couldn’t read fast enough because she was so curious about what he thought and liked. Yesterday, when she asked him about his favorite Roman heroes, he almost fell over. No one outside his immediate family had ever wanted to know him so intimately, and it had opened his heart in a way he couldn’t describe.
It made him want to give her everything he had and become a better person so that he could be worthy of her. Which made him realize he was good and gone. So many soft and romantic feelings were flying through him that he wasn’t sure if he was the same person he’d been a month ago.
Which wasn’t a bad thing, considering he’d had few interests outside of work. This opportunity with Stazi was giving him the chance to become a whole human being, and since he’d never had it before, he didn’t plan on wasting it.
Stazi was his chance to walk through the door and make a life that he could be proud of. The last thing he wanted to do was end up as a one-dimensional human being, and having a wife and children was going to ensure that never happened.
Sliding out of bed, he decided to grab a quick shower and then get on his computer. He’d kept up with the intel that Lucky and Sam were putting together and he wanted to make sure that nothing had come in overnight that he needed to be aware of.
They hadn’t picked up a tail since they’d arrived in Italy and he truly didn’t expect one. But being paranoid and hyperaware didn’t allow him to ever get too complacent, so he kept himself in the loop just in case something came up that he needed to be aware of. Before he walked into the bathroom, he heard the sheets rustle and saw Stazi throw them off and roll on her back. She must’ve gotten hot in her cocoon because she was still asleep. He’d discovered over the last couple of weeks that she was a restless sleeper and flopped around. Watching her for another minute, he noted she was dead to the world.
Looking down at his body, he let out a silent chuckle. He fisted his hard erection and gave himself a couple of hard tugs. Maybe he could wake her up by eating her sweet pussy and then give them both what they seemed to crave. His mouth watered a little as he stalked back to the bed. He liked nothing better than getting his mouth on Stazi and licking up her sweet nectar. He parted her legs gently and quietly called her name before he spread her pussy lips open. Diving in, he rubbed her sweet honey over his mouth and nose. The idea of being covered in her sticky sweetness when he buried himself in her had him almost coming against the bed. He pushed two fingers inside and rubbed her sweet spot as he licked and sucked. Hearing her breathing pick up, he knew she was awake, so he stroked her G-spot and sucked on her clit. When her hips moved against his mouth, he worked her harder and moaned.
No better place in the world.
It didn’t take long before she was coming on his face and leaking her sweet honey on his fingers. Bringing her down slowly, he licked her clean as the last of the spasms left her body. He rose on his knees and pushed her knees back, so she was completely open to him. “Ready, baby?” After lining up his cock, he thrust inside her warmth. “You’re so wet, we’re going to make a lot of noise.”
Stroking heavily into her body, he gritted his teeth at the perfect way she fit him. “You’re mine, Stazi.”
Tilting her hips up, she nodded. “Only you.”
Music to his ears.
He leaned down and sucked a tight nipple into his mouth as he thrust harder, bottoming out against her cervix. Riding bare, he knew he had a small chance of getting her pregnant despite the contraception she was on. A small devil in his mind whispered that if he got her pregnant, she would be his. The thought nearly had him going off as his strokes increased. She moved her legs around his waist and pulled him in deeper, and he thrust one final time and felt her go over the edge. Pulsing around him, she milked his cock as he emptied himself. As she sucked his seed deep into her body, he figured a one percent chance was better than none.
Collapsing, he rested his head next to hers. “You’re my everything.”
“Fai attenzione al mio cuore, perché tu lo possiedi.” Lifting her head, she pressed their mouths together. “Be careful with my heart, because now you own it.”
“Always.”
Rolling away, he pulled her into his arms. “If this is a Monday, then I can’t wait to see what Friday brings.”
“Me too,” she replied against his chest. “You’re a dirty boy with a filthy imagination and I can’t imagine what you’re going to come up with.”
“More of what we just did and…”
“What?” she asked.
“Guess you’ll have to wait and see.” Hearing her laughter after what they’d just done told him they could be very happy for the rest of their lives. Not just because she let him take her in any way he wanted, but because she let him see all of her. The smart side, the funny side, the scared side, and everything in between.
He wanted all of her and she was slowly letting him have it and, in turn, she seemed to want the same from him. Which was something he’d never dared hope for. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought he would want or have a connection with a woman like the one he was making with Stazi. They hadn’t been together a month and he was all in and had a feeling she was too.
All they had to do was trust that it was real and not screw it up.
***
Stazi jumped out of the cab and felt her face split into a huge smile. They had come to the Piazza di Santa Cecilia, which was one of the most splendid ones in the heart of Trastevere. It was away from the traffic and chaos and quite close to the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro. After they had lunch, they were going to see her mentor, and then she would show Hank around.
After Hank paid for the cab, he joined her and took her hand. “Honey, there are two things that give you that smile. Since I know the first thing can’t be done in public, I’m assuming we’re about to eat some amazing food.”
Looking up, she shrugged. “Guess you’re lucky you found a simple woman.”
“Nothing simple about you.”
Sweeping her hand up, she pointed to the Restaurant Roma Sparita. “One of the best places for cucina romana. The menu is short, bu
t there are few places that serve better cacio e pepe pasta.”
“Is that pasta with pepper?”
“Almost. It’s made with pecorino cheese and black pepper and it’s served on a crisp shell of Parmigiano. We can have the cozze all marinara too. It’s mussels with garlic, chili, pepper, and a hint of tomato.” Clapping her hands, she pressed them together. “It’s divine.”
Hank led her toward the faded ochre and terracotta building and smiled. “I need to be fed because I used up all my energy this morning satisfying my woman.”
“I guess we should order double then because the day is only half over.”
He kissed her head as they waited for a table on the piazza. “I like a woman who plans ahead.”
After they had ordered their feast and both had a glass of wine, Stazi felt Hank’s arm slip over her shoulder. Leaning her head against his chest, she let out a contented sigh. “I spent so much time in this neighborhood when I was at the Istituto, it’s hard to believe that I’m back here with you.”
“How far away is it?”
“Maybe five minutes.” Placing her hand on his leg, she ran her fingers back and forth across his shorts. “I’m looking forward to showing it to you.”
Hank looked down and then moved her hair off her cheek. “Tell me how you became interested in art conservation. It’s not a common career choice.”
Their artichoke was delivered and Stazi leaned forward to inhale the gorgeous scent. “There is nothing more delicious that garlic, wine, herbs and an artichoke.” She took several leaves, scraped them across her teeth, and moaned. When she saw Hank grinning, she shrugged. “I love to eat. So what?”
“I know, honey. I figured that out when you ate that piece of pie and didn’t let me have but one bite.”
“Whatever.” She pointed at the artichoke and lifted a brow. “Jump in or I’m going to eat it all.” Unwinding his arm, he sat forward and dug in. When his face broke into a smile after he tried it, she felt her heart grow a little bigger. To share the things she loved with him and have him appreciate them made her believe that they might end up having something real. “To answer your earlier question, it was my father who started me on the path of being interested in art. He used to restore Russian lacquer boxes in his free time and I always loved watching him go through the process of taking something that was almost destroyed and turning it into a beautiful piece of art. He’d been trained as an artist in university and never really had the opportunity to pursue his dreams, so this was his way of expressing his artistic side. He had a workshop set up in the garage and spent as much time as he could turning what some might consider trash into jewels.”
