VITTORIO'S WOMAN

by Kimberley Reeves

  He took her with wild abandon, their bodies exploding as one into a glorious kaleidoscope of sexual pleasures; the sizzle of skin on skin, mouths hungrily devouring each other, the warmth of his seed shooting up inside of her and seeping into her welcoming flesh. They held onto it as long as they could, but their minds and bodies were spent, and exhaustion finally over took them.

  Lilly mumbled a sleepy protest when he gave her one last lingering kiss then left her bed, but there was still a soft smile on her lips as the dream ended and faded to black.

  ***

  “Good morning, cara,” Simon said when Lilly came to help him out of bed. “Did you sleep well?”

  Lilly’s eyes darted away, a slow blush beginning to work its way up her neck. “I slept fine, thank you.”

  She walked with purpose to his closet and selected a pair of jeans, her hand faltering as she reached for a shirt when Simon chuckled.

  “I thought you might. After what happened last night, I am surprised you are up so early.”

  She glanced at him sharply before plucking the shirt from the hanger. Get a grip, she admonished herself. There was no possible way he could know what she’d dreamed about. Lilly gave him another passing glance as she moved to the dresser and pulled out boxers and clean socks, but there was nothing mocking about his expression. No, he didn’t have a clue, she was sure of it.

  Returning to the bed, she laid out his clothes and helped him into his chair, then turned to straighten his covers while she waited for Simon to return from the bathroom. It hardly looked slept in at all, whereas hers had been so disheveled the sheets where halfway off the mattress. Lilly stared at the bed, gnawing anxiously at her lip.

  Was it possible those wild throaty sounds she’d been making last night hadn’t been contained to her dream and Simon heard her? If so, then he had to know she’d been dreaming about him, and just exactly what they’d been doing too! Lilly’s cheeks turned an even darker shade of red. Was there no end to the humiliation she brought down on herself?

  “How is your head, tesoro?”

  Lilly whirled around, her heart racing like a frightened rabbit. “You scared the life out of me,” she laughed nervously.

  “My apologies,” he gave her a sheepish grin. “Blame it on Gaetano for keeping the wheels on my chair so well oiled they make no noise when I enter a room.”

  “I’ll do that,” she replied, happy that his mood had lightened up and they could joke with each other.

  Simon studied her face while she slipped his boxers through one foot and then other, waiting until she had them up to his thighs before speaking in a tone that was deliberately seductive.

  “Did you enjoy our time together last night?”

  Lilly’s head shot up, the blood draining from her face. “Wh-what do you mean?”

  He pulled his boxers up, smiling indulgently. “The wine, the moonlit night, does this ring a bell?”

  “Oh…yes, of course,” she breathed an audible sigh. “It was very nice.”

  “And did it help you sleep soundly?”

  Lilly’s hands shook as she slipped his legs into his jeans. “Yes, it did. I had an…unusual dream though. I hope I didn’t talk in my sleep and wake you.”

  “To tell the truth…” Simon paused just long enough to catch the tell tale sign of color coming back into her cheeks before finishing, “I was sleeping so soundly myself a hurricane wouldn’t have woken me.”

  “Thank God,” she blurted out then turned a few shades darker. Rising hastily from the kneeling position she’d been in, Lilly was halfway across the room when Simon asked where she was going off to in such a hurry. “To get our breakfast trays, of course,” she called over her shoulder.

  She hoped he’d take his cue and wheel himself out onto the balcony before she returned. Being so close to both Simon and his bed simultaneously was unnerving and she needed to escape as quickly as possible.

  It was too early for Luisa to have brought up their trays, but Lilly was grateful for the extra minutes of respite from Simon’s inquisitive eyes. He was too in tuned with her not to notice she was behaving strangely and it wouldn’t take long for him to start asking questions if she didn’t pull herself together. She blamed her jittery nerves on the erotic dream she’d had, but she could relax now that she knew Simon hadn’t heard her moaning or, heaven forbid, calling out his name. By the time she got to the kitchen, Lilly managed to produce a genuine smile for Luisa.

  “You are up early,” Luisa returned her smile as she seasoned the eggs. She turned from the oven and hurried to the refrigerator for a carafe of orange juice and settled it on one of the trays. “Simon is awake also?”

  “We both turned in early last night,” Lilly offered in the way of an explanation for them rising earlier than usual. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “You help already,” Luisa beamed, “you get my Simon to eat and grow strong again.”

  “It was nothing,” Lilly said modestly. “He probably would have snapped out of it by himself eventually.”

  “No,” Luisa shook her head with vehemence, “he give up, not want to live no more. It is you who bring Simon back.”

  Lilly couldn’t help feeling pleased by the older woman’s confidence. “I’m glad I could help. Simon is…he’s a wonderful man.”

  “He is good man,” Luisa agreed as she dished out the eggs and set them on the tray then opened the oven to retrieve the bacon and a stack of pancakes.

  “Simon’s not the only one gaining weight,” Lilly laughed, eyeing the huge portions of food Luisa piled onto the trays.

  “This is, signorina Lilly. Men do not like their woman to resemble the bones of a chicken.”

  “I’ll keep telling myself that while I’m devouring this lovely breakfast.”

  Luisa’s face lit up. “I am happy you do not pick at your food as Milana does. Too thin, my girl is.”

  “Where is Milana? I didn’t see her at all yesterday.”

  “Sono spiacente! Ho dimenticato di dirlo che sarà andata…”

  “Luisa, in English please. I’m afraid I didn’t understand a word you said.”

  “I am sorry,” she repeated, wringing her hands together. “I forget to tell you Milana is gone.”

  “Gone? Is something wrong, is she ill?”

  “Oh, no, no…she go for two days to the casa of her padre.”

  Lilly relaxed, smiling at Luisa’s mixture of English and Italian. “She’s visiting her parents?”

  “Si, her parents. She also tell me Signorina De Angelis is to arrive today. You will let Simon know?”

  Lilly ignored the stab of jealousy that sliced through her. “This…Miss De Angelis is flying here to see Simon?”

  Louisa picked up one of the trays. “Si, Gabriella is close friend of Simon. He will be happy to see her.”

  Lilly lifted the other tray and trailed after Luisa, fighting the urge to ask just how close this woman and Simon were. “Has she been here before?”

  “Oh many, many times. She stay for few days then leave. Do not worry, Lilly, I make up another room for her so you no have to move.”

  The bottom dropped out of Lilly’s stomach. “She…she usually stays in my room?”

  “Next to Simon, si. It is more adatto…convenient.”

  The nausea that had risen when Luisa announced Gabriella was coming for a visit quickly morphed into anger. Simon, the lying rat, had sworn to her that he’d never invited another woman to his home…or his bed. Oh, God, she’d made love to him in the same bed that he’d slept with Gabriella in! Or had they made love in the bed she was sleeping in now? Another wave of nausea hit her and Lilly nearly dumped the tray as they reached the landing.

  “You want me to carry it in?” Luisa asked when they reached Simon’s door.

  “No, I can manage,” Lilly answered thinly. Luisa nodded and set the tray down then turned to go. “Luisa wait…what time shall I tell him Gabriella will be here?”

  “She always come in time for l
unch.”

  “Great…thank you, I…I’ll be sure to tell him.”

  She waited until Luisa had gone before setting the tray on the floor, then made a mad dash for her own room and the ensuite bathroom. What little food remained in her stomach from dinner the night before made a hasty exit followed by a couple rounds of the dry heaves. Lilly flushed the toilet then dragged herself up off the floor and splashed cold water on her face before vigorously brushing her teeth.

  She lifted her head slowly, staring at the pair of wounded eyes in the mirror for several minutes before she heard Simon calling her name. Choking back the enormous boulder in her throat, she smoothed her hair back from her face and turned to go just as Simon wheeled his chair in front of the doorway.

  “Lilly?” His face lined with concern, Simon inched his chair through the doorway. “You are sick?”

  “I…it was the wine, I think.”

  “You are sure it could not be…something else?”

  Something that calls herself Gabriella, she thought miserably, before she caught his meaning. “I’m not pregnant, Simon, I told you two weeks ago I had my period.”

  “Still…it might be best if you did not drink any more alcohol until you have confirmed it with a doctor.”

  “I don’t need confirmation from a doctor,” she snapped.

  Simon’s jaws flexed. “No more alcohol, I insist.”

  “Fine, I was never much of a drinker anyway. Now would you mind backing out of here so we can have breakfast before it gets cold.”

  He hesitated for a moment then did as she asked, not entirely convinced it was the wine that had made her sick but reluctant to work her up any more than she already was. He returned to the balcony, carefully weighing the risks of expressing any more concern while she carried in the trays and set out the food. He noted the slight tremor of her chin and the way she kept her eyes averted, and quickly surmised there was something more worrisome on her mind than the consequences of a hangover.

  Simon tried to concentrate on his meal but the question kept rolling through his mind. Had she figured it out? Had she finally realized it wasn’t a dream after all and that he’d come to her room and made love to her? He stole a quick glance at her face and tried to read the guarded look she wore.

  She didn’t look angry. If anything, she looked scared. But scared of what; that she had given herself to him again or that she might have conceived his child last night? The timing was right for it. Lilly wasn’t the only one who could count back the days and figure when she was fertile. Unable to endure even another minute of not knowing, Simon worked up the courage to ask.

  “Cara…is there something you would like to discuss with me?”

  “Discuss?” She lifted her head and looked at him, forcing herself not to wince at the pain gnawing a hole in her gut. “Oh…yes, I almost forgot. Luisa asked me to tell you Milana would be gone for a few days because she’s visiting your parents, and…” Lilly’s eyes shifted to the view of the ocean though she wasn’t really seeing it, “she also asked me to tell you that Gabriella De Angelis would be arriving today.”

  “Really? It will be good to see her. She wanted to come and take care of me after the accident but I refused.”

  “Well, now she’ll get her chance,” Lilly said stiffly.

  Simon’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

  She shrugged indifferently. “Just that you won’t need both of us taking care of you. It’ll be a relief actually, I could use a few days off.”

  “Then you do not mind if Gabriella stays for awhile?”

  “Why should I? I mean, it’s not as if…as if you and I are involved anymore, right?”

  “This is true,” he agreed amicably.

  Lilly dabbed the corner of her mouth with the napkin then laid it back on the table and stood up. “I’m still feeling a little queasy,” she said evenly. “If it’s all right with you, I think I’ll lay down for awhile. I’ll clear away the dishes later so…so you and Miss De Angelis can have lunch out here if you like.”

  Simon flashed a warm smile. “That would be wonderful.”

  She blinked back the sting of tears but didn’t quite keep the tremor out of her voice. “Okay then…I guess I’ll just go now.”

  He watched the mechanical movements of her slender body as she walked away, wanting more than anything to go after her and kiss her senseless. Maybe then she would realize how deeply he felt for her and stop torturing them both by keeping him at arm’s length. On the other hand, perhaps this visit from Gabriella was just what she needed to open her eyes to her own feelings.

  Jealousy was not usually an emotion he tolerated in his women, but Lilly was not just any woman. She was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and if making her jealous was what it took to make that happen then Simon would just have to see to it that Lilly was pea green with it.

  Chapter 9

  Shortly before lunch time, Lilly slipped out of her room and went to search out Luisa to let her know Simon would be dining with Gabriella and that she would take her own lunch out in the gardens. She didn’t think she could handle being right in the next room while he entertained his friend, and she certainly didn’t want him thinking she was sulking, so she’d decided to Luisa carry up the trays when the time came.

  She was not sizing up the competition, Lilly told herself, but was merely being hospitable to Simon’s guest in Milana’s absence. The fact that her heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice had nothing at all to do with Miss Gabriella De Angelis, nor did the knots in her stomach.

  Lilly had just reached the bottom of the grand staircase and was still trying to convince herself she wasn’t the least bit jealous when the sound of Luisa’s excited rush of Italian made her stop short. There was a flurry of activity coming from the foyer and then another feminine voice responded in the same excited tone. Obviously Gabriella was a welcome guest here, and a frequent one if the rapid exchange of conversation was any indication of how well the two women knew each other.

  Lilly smoothed her hands down the light cotton sundress she’d put on that morning, resisting the urge to race back upstairs and profess her undying love to Simon before Gabriella had a chance to come between them. A ridiculous idea considering Lilly herself had already driven that particular wedge firmly into place, but she thought about it just the same.

  Opting not to make an utter fool of herself, she pasted on a plastic smile and stepped into the main hall to wait for them. A few minutes later, Luc appeared, toting two enormous suitcases as well as a shoulder bag. Good God, was the woman intending to move in indefinitely?

  Lilly’s smile faltered as her gaze moved past Luc, her composure completely thrown off balance the moment Gabriella came into view. Any hope she’d had that Simon’s relationship with this woman was platonic was instantly shattered. Tall and elegant, Gabriella moved with the grace of a dancer and was impeccably dressed in a cream colored silk jumpsuit that clung to every dangerous curve like a second skin. Her dark hair was pulled back in a stylish twist, leaving nothing to detract from the stunning beauty of her face and the almond shaped eyes that could only be described as sultry. Lilly hated her on sight.

  “Signorina Lilly,” Luisa said with a worried frown, “why are you not in bed?”

  Her attention was drawn away from Gabriella by the strange question. “Why on earth would I be in bed at this hour?”

  “Because Simon tell me you are ill and to no disturb.”

  Lilly waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, that. I had a little upset stomach this morning but feel perfectly fine now.” She turned to Gabriella and extended her hand. “I’m Lillian Barclay, Simon’s physical therapist.”

  “Luc was not lying,” Gabriella smiled as she took Lilly’s hand. “He said I would have trouble keeping Simon’s attention with such a beautiful woman around attending to his needs.”

  “I doubt Simon would even notice I was in the room if you were there,” Lilly replied magnanimously. “As it
happens, you will have him all to yourself for the next few days while I take some much needed vacation time.”

  “You poor thing, I imagine Simon has been an absolute bear. But do not worry, Gabriella knows just the thing to tame that awful temper of his.”

  “I’m sure you do,” Lilly quipped dryly, then turned a lovely shade of scarlet when Gabriella arched an elegant brow. “Simon hasn’t had any visitors,” she rushed on, “so I’m sure seeing you will lift his spirits immensely.”