by Sofia Tate
“In about two months. I need time to rehearse and get my voice ready.”
“You know where I’ll be.” He beams at me, waiting patiently for me to respond.
“Front row center, Harvard,” I reply knowingly.
He pulls down his sunglasses slightly so I can see his eyes. “Always, Venus,” he replies, looking at me with that glint that makes me breathless and my heart beat faster every time I see it. He takes my left hand and places it on his right thigh, stroking it with his thumb, just like he did that first night.
The light turns green. He pushes up his aviators to the bridge of his nose and turns his focus back on the road ahead.
He really is a guy sometimes. And I love him, just like he said about me—even more than I ever thought possible.
About the Author
Sofia Tate grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey, the oldest of three children in a bilingual family. She was raised on ’70s disaster films and ’80s British New Wave music and classic TV miniseries. Her love for reading started when she received a set of Judy Blume books from her aunt when she was ten. She discovered erotic romance thanks to Charlotte Featherstone. She loves both writing and reading erotic romance. She graduated from Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York, with a degree in International Studies and a minor in Italian. She also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Adelphi University. She has lived in London and Prague. Sofia currently resides in New York City.
Learn more at:
SofiaTate.com
Twitter: @sofiatateauthor
Facebook: Sofia Tate
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Pinterest: Sofia Tate
Davison and Allegra’s sinfully sexy story continues with
Devoted to Him
Available Winter 2014
Chapter One
Davison
Allegra Orsini is the most stubborn, aggravating, maddening, hotheaded, smart-mouthed, opinionated woman on the planet.
And I can’t imagine my life without her.
She is also warm, caring, strong, brave, courageous, talented, beautiful, funny, passionate, and sexy as hell.
Which is why I’m waiting for her patiently on her father’s sofa, my knees bouncing up and down in anticipation. She’s getting ready for her private graduation recital, the redo, the one she missed when she was kidnapped.
That bastard Carlo Morandi died a lucky man, because if he hadn’t been shot by the NYPD, I would’ve paid someone to leave me alone in a room with him so I could kill him myself. And I would’ve made sure it was slow and painful, not quick like that cop’s bullet. It would’ve been a pleasure to torture him the way he made my beautiful Allegra, my baby, my Venus, suffer, and her mother before that. If my damn money could be useful for anything, it would’ve been for that.
Over two months have passed since Allegra was almost taken from me. I took her to Italy to get away from the media frenzy that was ravenous for any news of her, her recovery, and even me because I was part of her life. Most of all, I needed time to just be with her. We’d had a huge fight before we left when we let out all of the raw anger and emotion that had been festering inside us since she was rescued. I even destroyed a Waterford vase that my mother had given me when I finally told Allegra that I’d known all along that Morandi had planned to take her back to Italy to be his sex slave, something that I probably wasn’t going to be told at all, no doubt to prevent the type of reaction I did have in the end.
That fight had actually brought us some peace. It was incredibly cathartic, and from that point on, we were determined to fight for our future together. She’s already seeing her former therapist, and I’m going to start having joint sessions with her and Dr. Turner as well to continue our healing.
Our trip to Italy was amazing, especially for me, seeing the country through her eyes. Her fluency in Italian helped us when our rental, that gorgeous cherry-red Ferrari, broke down on the autostrada and we had to call the twenty-four-hour roadside assistance hotline.
Even more than that, I loved being able to give her the trip she deserved. Staying in posh hotels, eating at fine restaurants—it was all worth it for her because she could relax and enjoy herself. Another way I put the Berkeley money to good use. Anything for her. For Allegra.
And relax she did. I can still remember every single moan, every time she yelled in ecstasy when I’d fucked her in the bathtub of our suite in Venice. How she rode me, bucking up and down, her neck and back arching on the verge of her body exploding in orgasm, my cock sheathed in her tight cunt, milking it again and again as she shuddered…
Fuck!
I look down at my crotch. I’m hard as a rock.
I jump to my feet to bring down my hard-on. Thank God her father is still downstairs in his butcher shop. I start pacing the floor, thinking of less arousing topics like the pile of work that’s waiting for me on my desk in my office or Professor Abrams’s monotone timbre discussing supply and demand in my undergrad macroeconomics class at Harvard.
“Hi.”
At the sound of her soft voice, I turn away from the window.
Allegra stands before me in a simple black dress that hugs all of her spectacular curves, with a thin belt that cinches her waist. With her hair pulled back in her familiar style at the nape of her neck, her legs encased in black stockings and those black stilettos I love, she is a vision.
But my favorite part of her ensemble is the ruby ring that adorns her right hand. I gave it to her in Venice when our gondola floated under the Bridge of Sighs, which, according to legend, was supposed to seal our love for eternity. She couldn’t stop crying when I showed it to her and put it on her finger. My eyes welled up as well, seeing how happy she was.
Before I met Allegra, I was never such a romantic sap, not even with Ashton Canterbury, my girlfriend before Allegra. Thank God I finally saw that shrew for what she really was—cold, unfeeling, materialistic, none of which could ever be used to describe Allegra. Meeting Allegra has opened me up in so many ways. I laugh more. She makes me want to be a better person. But most of all, I can be myself with her.
“Baby…” I murmur as I rush to her, cupping her face with my hands, my eyes roaming over her. “You take my breath away.”
“Davison, you’re going to make me cry, and I’m not wearing waterproof mascara,” she whispers.
I’m in awe of her. “Sorry, I can’t help myself. You look beautiful.”
“So do you,” she says, fingering my red tie, then running her hands over the lapels of my charcoal-gray suit. “This is one of my favorites.”
I lean in and start nibbling on her earlobe. “Why do you think I wore it?”
“Don’t start, Harvard. We’ll never get out of here if you keep that up.”
She wriggles out of my grip, stepping into the hallway, returning with her coat. “Now, be a gentleman and help me with this. My father’s waiting downstairs.”
If anything is going to crush my libido, it’s the mention of her strict Italian father.
“At your service, Venus.”
I assist Allegra with her coat, wrapping her cream silk scarf around her neck. I look down into her cocoa-brown eyes, which are still moist from her near tears. Even though I’ve only known her for a few months, I can tell what she’s thinking and feeling just from the expression in them.
“Baby, you have nothing to be nervous about,” I reassure her. “You’ve been rehearsing almost every day. I should know because I’ve been missing you like crazy.”
She laughs slightly at my attempt at levity, a smile appearing on her soft, lush lips.
“You’ve got this. You’re going to be amazing.”
She nods. “Thank you. I needed that. Now let’s go before I lose my nerve.”
She turns around, and with my hand on the small of her back, I steer my love out the door.
* * *
Allegra
Front row center.
He’s always there, no matter what.
I smile back i
n silent reply to the one spread across Davison’s face. He gives me a quick wink of encouragement as I clear my throat. I signal to Derek, my accompanist, who begins playing the opening notes on the rehearsal room’s piano. I open my mouth and enter my comfort zone. I forget the eyes staring at me and the ears listening for everything from pitch to pronunciation. I become Mimi introducing herself to Rodolfo as I sing one of my favorite arias, “Si, mi chiamano Mimi” from La Bohème, and everything is right again.
I sing the final note and shut my eyes, trying not to let the tears that are forming fall down my cheeks. I open them again to see the entire audience, all seven members of it, on their feet, applauding with Davison and my father shouting, “Brava!”
I bow in gratitude for the applause. Davison is the first to embrace me, of course.
“You were amazing, baby,” he whispers in my ear.
My father steps up to me with tears in his eyes. “I’m so proud of you, cara.”
“Grazie, Papa,” I tell him. “I just wish Mamma could’ve seen me.”
“She did see you. I know she did.”
I nod as he holds me once more. A loud voice announces, “Okay, Mr. Orsini, my turn.”
My best friend, Luciana Gibbons, is standing behind my father. Next to her is her boyfriend, Tomas Novotny.
“That was incredible, Alli!” she says. “Thanks to you, I’m a total mess!” I laugh as she blows her nose and wipes her eyes. I watch as Tomas places a hand on her shoulder. It makes me smile in wonder how resistant Lucy was to dating Tomas, but now she swoons over him like a schoolgirl.
“You were vonderful,” Tomas says to me in his thick Czech accent. “Very good.”
“Thank you, Tomas.”
The rest of the audience, mostly faculty, comes over to congratulate me. When Signora Pavoni, my mentor, approaches me, she isn’t alone.
“Brava, Allegra! I would like to introduce you to one of my dearest friends, Ginevra Ventura.”
My mouth drops. I can’t believe my eyes. Ginevra Ventura is one of the last true divas of the opera world. She’s known for her passionate temperament and her famous string of lovers that ranges from film stars to royal princes. Her nickname is appropriate—“La Diva.”
She is everything I imagine her to be from her album covers. Her gray eyes contrast against the jet-black of her hair with a widow’s peak in the front. She is wearing a black pantsuit and a matching cashmere shawl covering her shoulders. A red ostrich Kelly bag is hanging from her elbow.
She takes both of my hands in hers before she speaks to me. “Signorina Orsini, thank you for your performance. I was very impressed by your voice. You are very talented. We will speak on Monday morning. Lunedi, sì?” she asks, looking back at Signora Pavoni.
My professor nods. “You made me very proud today, Allegra. Would you stop by my office then, perhaps around eleven?”
“Of course. I’ll be there. Grazie mille,” I reply, my curiosity piqued, wondering what my professor and La Diva are planning to tell me.
I keep staring at the two women as they walk away, not even noticing Davison returning to claim me.
He wraps his arms around me from the back, placing his head on my shoulder. “What was that about?”
“Do you know who that was?” I ask incredulously.
“Are you kidding? My mother would’ve totally fangirled over La Diva if she’d been here.”
“I think my father is filling the fanboy role quite well in her place,” I observe, looking over at Papa talking to her, holding his hand over his heart, probably telling her how much he and Mamma loved listening to her albums.
“What did they say to you?”
“Not much. They want me to meet them in Signora Pavoni’s office on Monday.”
“So basically, you won’t be able to focus on anything until then,” he whispers into my ear, instantly arousing me.
“Oh yeah, I’ll be totally useless,” I joke.
“Hmm. We’ll see about that, baby. You ready to head to Le Bistro for dinner? The sooner we get there, the sooner we finish and then head back to my place for a private celebration.”
I turn around in his arms, giving him a quick kiss. “I love how you think, Berkeley.”
* * *
Davison
Allegra’s head is nestled on my shoulder as Charles drives us home from dinner at Le Bistro. We’re slightly buzzed from the champagne that the owner and my godfather, Elias Crawford, sent over to our table to congratulate one of his employees on her successful graduation. Seeing Allegra so happy, laughing and chatting with her father, Luciana, and Tomas, was worth every cent I spent on dinner. After her kidnapping, when I thought I’d lost my love forever, there is no price I won’t pay to make sure she is always protected and taken care of, safe and happy with that beautiful smile on her face.
I watch as Charles pulls in front of my building. I look down at Allegra’s peaceful expression.
“You awake, baby?” I whisper.
“Mmm-hmmm,” she murmurs. “Just resting my eyes. Are we home?”
“Yes.”
“Home.” I love the sound of that word coming from her mouth. Hopefully, it won’t be long until it actually becomes a reality—sharing the same home with her. I have plans for us.
She waits for me to open the car door for her, something that’s become part of our routine. I clamp my arm around her shoulders and don’t let go until we’re inside my apartment.
I take off her coat and mine, putting them away in the hall closet. When I turn back around, she grabs my tie and pulls me to her, her lips slamming over mine. Her tongue invades my mouth, and I suck on it, feeding on its sweetness. Her hands run through my hair, bringing me in tighter.
When she pulls away, I groan in frustration.
“Fuck me, Davison,” she commands.
That’s all I need to hear. I sweep her up into my arms, carrying her to my bedroom. She doesn’t say a word, and neither do I. We both want the same thing—me inside her.
Once we’re in my bedroom, we work on each other’s clothes, quickly taking turns as she undoes my tie and my shirt buttons, and I unzip her dress and pull the bobby pins out of her hair, letting it fall around her face. Both of us are now fully naked.
I roam my eyes over her luscious body.
Fuck. She is the most gorgeous creature I’ve ever seen. And she is mine. All mine.
I pick her up and walk with her body wrapped around mine to the bed, where I lay her down and fall on top of her.
She quickly coils her legs around my waist, her hands squeezing my ass.
“Hard, baby,” she begs me. “Fuck me hard. I want you now.”
I grunt in agreement because I’m too damn overcome with emotion. I’m dying to taste her pussy and suck on her gorgeous tits, but right now, more than anything, I need that connection with her, to feel my cock sheathed inside her.
I slide my dick into her pussy, which is already soaked.
“Oh God, baby, you’re always ready for me, aren’t you?” I moan. “You feel so good. So fucking wet.”
I start thrusting inside her, and she quickly picks up my rhythm. She links my hands with hers, holding me in place. We are amazing together, always in sync with each other. And when we come together, it’s fucking priceless.
Allegra’s body is a work of art. So soft, with her sumptuous curves. I love watching her when I piston her with my cock, the way her eyes shut tightly, her lush mouth forming Os with each thrust, that angelic voice of hers that yells my name when she finally comes.
She’s getting closer as her muscles tighten, going rigid, grinding the heels of her feet into my lower back. I’m impervious to the pain because it just turns me on even more, knowing I can do this to her, bring her this much pleasure with my body.
“That’s it, my love. You’re so fucking beautiful. Come for me now.”
Her entire body shudders as her orgasm sweeps over her, yelling my name. I can feel her milking my cock harder and harder until
I explode inside her, my entire body shaking from the release.
I collapse next to her, immediately reaching for her and wrapping myself around her, our bodies both slick with sweat.
Her cocoa-brown eyes open, searing into mine. I love looking into them after I make her come, completely softened. And her full lips swollen from kissing me.
“Mmmm. Thank you, Harvard,” she murmurs, her head resting on my chest. “I know you probably wanted to do other stuff first.”
My baby never ceases to amaze me. She knows me so damn well, and I know her.
“Hey, I was just following orders. But don’t worry. It was good for me too.”
“Was it? I couldn’t tell,” she smirks.
“Funny girlfriend.”
“Davison, tonight…” She pauses.
“Yeah?”
“It meant so much to me that you were there.”
“Where else would I have been?” I tell her, astonished that she’d even think I wouldn’t have been there for her.
She roams her right hand over my chest. “It’s just…tonight was so important, and seeing you there in the front row—”
“Center.”
“Yes, center,” she says with a lift in her voice. “You are everything to me, and I can’t imagine not—”
“Stop, Allegra. Don’t even think anything like that.”
I hate it when she thinks like that. But after everything she’s been through, I’m not surprised she’s still afraid that something could happen to us.
“But you didn’t even know what I was going to say,” she counters.
“Doesn’t matter. I’m here with you, in my bed, in my home, and that’s all that matters. Oh, except for one thing.”
“What?” she asks nervously.
“I love you.”
She lifts up her gorgeous face to look into my eyes. “I love you too.”
I kiss her gently on the lips as I tighten my hold on her.
Nothing will ever keep us apart, baby. I promise.
