He slipped a finger inside her, intending to make her moan. Her knees buckled as she cried out, her body clutching at him greedily as she shuddered and shuddered.
Dio, she’d reached her peak.
Just like that.
The wonder of it staggered him. He held her up when she would have dropped, stood and lifted her onto the ledge when the tremors subsided. She was so wild and beautiful in her abandon, leaning back on her arms, her breasts thrust into the air. Another moment and he would free himself, would thrust into her and—
Her eyes were closed, tears slipping down her cheeks. He stilled in the act of unsnapping the leathers. He ached to touch her again, to take her over the edge and show her how beautiful it could be between them. But for the first time ever, he stared at a woman and found himself uncertain.
Had he hurt her? But no, she’d gotten pleasure, he knew she had. Maybe he’d gone too fast, drove her relentlessly to the point of surrender and now she regretted it.
Or was it something deeper? Had he pushed her too far when he’d asked her to tell him about herself? Had he forced her to reveal too much of her soul?
Yes, he knew many things about her—but he felt as if he knew nothing. Facts on an investigator’s report weren’t the same as whispered confidences.
And then it hit him. The idea was so ridiculous he almost rejected it out of hand. But, per Dio, he wanted her to love him. His entire body stilled as he absorbed the idea, examining it from all angles. He wanted her to love him. He wanted one person in this world to look at him with the kind of loving adoration that his brother had. It was the only feeling of belonging he’d ever had, and he missed it. Perhaps that’s why he’d brought her here today. It was an effort to merge the two very different halves of his life.
Was he that transparent, that desperate?
Nico drew in a breath, closed his eyes. He needed time to think. The rain had stopped, and the sharp smell of the sea filled his nostrils. He would take her home, give her time to recover, give them both time to regroup. He couldn’t push her now, not like this. She deserved better.
“Liliana,” he said, reaching for her shirt and jacket and laying them across her. His penis throbbed in protest at what he was about to do. “Put these on and we will go.”
Her eyes glistened as she sat up. “W-why? You haven’t—”
“Shh.” He dropped beside her, her taste still on his lips, his body screaming for release. “The storm is over. We need to go before we’re missed.”
A tear spilled over her cheek and he caught it before she could scrub it away. “I don’t understand,” she whispered.
“It is best this way, cara.”
The hurt shining in her eyes bewildered him. Wasn’t he doing the right thing? He shoved away from her and refastened his pants. Behind him, he could hear her dressing.
A moment later, she was passing him, grabbing her helmet off the motorcycle and waiting for him to push it out to the beach. He picked up his jacket and crossed to the bike.
“Why do you always back away?” she demanded. The other side of passion was anger—and she looked like a pint-sized Amazon, eyes flashing, cheeks flushed, hands on hips.
Always? He’d stopped twice, both times against his will. And he was damn sure paying for it with the way his body ached. “Now is not the right time,” he told her. “It’s not you.”
She dragged in a laugh that ended brokenly. “It’s not you, it’s me. I’ve heard that before, Nico. Usually, it happens when some high school boy wants to break up with you because he’s heard that the girl down the road is an easy lay.”
Nico kicked the stand from the Ducati and blinked at her. She was angry with him when he was being considerate of her? When he wasn’t falling on her like an animal? Frustration crashed into him. “What the hell is an easy lay?”
Her chin quivered. “A moment ago, I’d have said it was me.”
It took him a second to process the English idiom, but then he understood. “Lily—”
“Don’t say anything to me right now, Nico. It won’t help.”
She pushed past him and slipped out of the cave. He stood there, blinking after her for a long moment. Then he wheeled the bike into the open and waited for her to join him before he revved the engine and shot up the beach.
Chapter Thirteen
They rode back to the house in silence, humiliation a drum beat in Lily’s veins. Nico had proven his mastery over her, had made her desperate for him, and then walked away as if she were as easy to dismiss as an annoying fly. He gave her an orgasm, certainly, but how embarrassing was it to fall apart under his expert attention and then have him zip his pants and tell her they had to leave? It was as if he’d done something as mundane as tuned up the motorcycle instead of rocked her world.
And why had she said anything about high school boyfriends? God, how pitiful and revealing was that? Before she’d gone to New Orleans and met Nico, her longtime boyfriend—the one she’d thought she might marry someday—had broken up with her because she wouldn’t sleep with him. She’d always believed that if she gave away her virginity, she’d somehow become like her mother. So, she’d guarded it fiercely—until Jason dumped her and she’d met Nico a few short months later. There hadn’t seemed any point in it anymore, plus she’d wanted to know what she was missing.
Quite a lot, it had turned out. But not enough that she’d sought out other men after Nico. Deep down she’d always felt that it wouldn’t be the same with anyone else.
She was regretting that feeling right now. Somewhat.
When they arrived back at the house, Lily jumped off the motorcycle and ran up to her suite. She climbed into the shower, turned the water up as hot as she could stand it, and tried to scrub the feel of Nico’s lips and tongue from her body.
It didn’t work. Nothing worked. She only wanted more.
Heaven help her.
She stood beneath the spray, thinking about everything that’d happened. She couldn’t figure Nico out. One minute he was hot and vibrant and on the edge of control. He’d wanted her. Desperately, she’d thought.
But the next minute he was cool and collected and so in control she’d wanted to scream. It wasn’t fair, not when she couldn’t seem to find her balance around him no matter how hard she tried. Just when she thought she had it all figured out, he did something to shake her up.
And whoa, he’d certainly shaken her up in that cave. She couldn’t erase the image of him kneeling before her, his mouth between her legs, waves of sheer bliss thundering through her like the surf pounding the shore outside.
She’d expected him to join her on that ledge, to slide his cock into her body and ease the incredible ache she’d still had.
Except he’d lied when he told her he’d planned to do as many things to her as he could get away with. Or maybe he just enjoyed manipulating her. She wasn’t sure which. But the undeniable truth was that he didn’t want her as much as he’d claimed he did. He wanted Princess Antonella perhaps—or maybe one of his sleek mistresses. He did not want a low-born American girl who was more mutt than pedigree.
But why would he go that far if he didn’t want her? Why give her pleasure and then stop? She’d had her hand wrapped around his thick length. He had been aroused. That wasn’t fake.
She didn’t understand him at all. She wasn’t sure she ever would.
Lily turned off the water, then toweled off and put on a pair of soft jersey leggings and a silk top. She went to Danny’s room and found him with Gisela, playing with his plastic race cars. Lily joined them and the rest of the day passed uneventfully.
Much later, she lay in bed and stared at the ceiling for what seemed like hours. It was quiet in the house and Lily felt more alone than she had in a long time. When sleep refused to come, she decided to go check on Danny. She’d wanted to keep him in her room, as she’d done since he’d been born, but she had to admit it was time he had his own room.
But if she could just sit in the dark and list
en to her baby breathing and making his little sleep noises, she’d find her center of balance again. She wouldn’t feel so lost and out of her element.
Lily slipped into her robe and made her way to the hall. Nico’s room was beside hers, but there was no light coming from beneath his door. She hadn’t seen him at dinner, or since they’d returned from their ride. She’d heard him once, sitting in his office with the door ajar, speaking to someone in rapid Italian. She hadn’t dared to intrude though a part of her had wanted to confront him again. Ask him what he was playing at and tell him she wasn’t going to be used or manipulated. She might have had to marry him for Danny’s sake, but that didn’t mean she had to give up her self-respect.
Lily shook her head as she padded down the hall on silent feet. When she entered Danny’s room, she drew up short. An ochre nightlight burned against one wall, casting a soft glow on the room—and illuminating the man who lay on the chaise with his son on his chest.
Against her will, Lily’s heart knotted.
Man and boy slept soundly, despite the little gasp that had escaped her when she’d seen them together. Nico had a protective arm over Danny, anchoring him in place. The sight brought her both joy and pain—joy that they had each other and pain that her baby now had someone else besides her.
She hesitated on the edge of the threshold, uncertain whether to go or stay. Would Nico’s hold on Danny eventually relax enough that he might fall to the floor? Or did Nico have the situation well in hand?
Lily bit her lip, warring with herself so intently that she didn’t notice Nico’s eyes flutter open. When she looked at his handsome face again, he was staring back at her. Her heart turned over in her chest.
He was a beautiful sight, masculine and strong, and yet tender enough to hold a sleeping baby.
Wasn’t that what every woman wanted? A strong man who was tender with a child?
Even better, a strong prince who was tender with a child.
Stop it, Lily.
Carefully, Nico shifted Danny and sat up. She rushed forward to help, but he shook his head and she crashed to a halt, her fingers twitching with the urge to assist regardless. He managed to rise and lay Danny back into the crib. Her little boy curled into a ball, his arms wrapped around the blue plush dinosaur he’d fallen in love with. His old teddy bear sat in one corner of the bed if he needed it.
Lily joined Nico beside the crib, reassuring herself that Danny was indeed asleep. Then the two of them crept from the room. When they’d closed the door softly behind them, Lily asked, “Was he awake when you went in?”
“I heard him crying.” Nico ran a hand through his hair. “It took a long time for him to sleep.”
Lily’s heart lodged in her throat. “Danny was crying? Why didn’t you call me? Where was Gisela?”
“Gisela is feeling unwell, cara. I told her to go back to bed.”
“You should have called me.”
“Why? What could you have done differently?”
Nothing probably. Lily bit her lip. “I’m his mother,” she said defensively.
“I am aware of this.” His eyes sparkled with the grin he shot her way.
When he used humor on her, she wanted to melt into a sticky puddle. She crossed her arms, trying to shore up her defenses. She absolutely would not think of how amazing his mouth felt on the most sensitive part of her.
“Perhaps I should go back, stay with him—”
“No.”
Lily gaped at her husband. “What do you mean, no? You can’t order me around like I’m the hired help. I’m his mother, and if I want to spend the night watching over my son, I will.”
He took a step closer, his large form crowding her in the darkened hall. She refused to step backward, though her pulse kicked up. He smelled like citrus and spice, with the faintest hint of an ocean-scented breeze. To her dismay, she wanted to lick him like a lollipop.
“There is no need, Lily. He’s asleep. It’s simply an excuse to get away from me.”
“That’s not true.” Except it was.
“You still want me, and you don’t like it.”
She lifted her chin. Infuriating man. “You really are full of yourself, aren’t you?”
“I know when a woman is—how do you say?—turned on. You, Liliana, are very much so.”
“You’re kidding yourself if you think so,” she said coolly. “You had your chance, Nico. You turned it down.”
Her words sounded brave, but she was very afraid there was a hint of longing in them that he hadn’t missed.
He tilted his head, let his gaze slide down her body and back up again. The perusal was slow, thorough, and her blood pressure spiked at the heated look in his eyes. But she’d experienced that look before, hadn’t she? And it hadn’t mattered one damn bit.
She stared back at him with all the iciness she could muster. She hoped it was enough but her hammering heart told her it probably wasn’t.
His smile was wolfish. “Very good, cara. You will make a fine princess yet.”
“Don’t mock me, Nico.”
“I would not dream of it, mi principessa.”
For a moment she thought—or was it hoped? Feared?—he was about to kiss her.
His expression changed, seemed troubled for a moment. But then it passed. “I forgot to mention we are returning to Castello del Bianco in the morning. You must be ready by eight.”
Just like that, he’d changed direction again. Fury burned through her. “I’m not doing this,” she vowed fiercely. “I’m not living the rest of my life taking orders and jumping to your tune. Is this how you would have treated Antonella? How you would have treated anyone but me?”
“Keep your voice down before you wake Daniele.”
How dare he insinuate she didn’t care about her baby’s welfare? Lily shoved him as hard as she could. Which didn’t amount to much since he only moved back a single step. The next second he wrapped his hands around her wrists. Then he pushed her against the wall, trapping her arms above her head.
For a moment they only breathed, staring at each other with heated gazes. Nico’s head dipped toward her. At the last moment, Lily managed to turn away. She pressed her cheek to the wall and held her breath.
Rejected him the way he’d rejected her earlier.
He nibbled her earlobe, his warm breath tickling her skin. Causing goosebumps to rise along her spine.
Lily’s eyes closed as a current of need rocketed through her, settling in her core. She bit back the moan that tried to escape, but she was pretty sure it wasn’t before he heard a fraction of it.
“Dio, you are fiery. And I’ve been too careful with you,” he said, his voice a low rumble that settled into her bones. “I erred on the side of caution when I should have done no such thing.”
He transferred her wrists to one hand, then used the other to slide beneath her robe and cup her breast. “Perhaps I should take you to bed and keep you beneath me for the rest of the night.”
“You talk a fine game,” Lily managed, her heart drumming as her nipple pebbled at his touch. “But we both know you won’t do it. You don’t seem to have any staying power.”
She’d thought he would be angry at her insult, but a laugh rumbled in his chest. “Now that,” he said, “is where you are wrong.”
“Then why do you keep stopping before you begin? Maybe you have a premature issue or something and you don’t want me to know you can’t keep it up long enough to—”
His bark of laughter startled her. The next instant she was swept into his arms and he was striding down the hall. He kicked his way into the nearest room. She realized it was his as he set her down and ripped his dark T-shirt over his head.
As he advanced on her, naked chest gleaming in the soft lamplight, she scrambled backward, torn between resisting and helping. A dark line of hair arrowed down toward faded jeans which rested just below his hipbones and showcased the hard muscles of his abdomen. He was a spoiled prince and yet he looked like a demi-god, all bronz
e and delicious with a sculpted body, tousled hair, and bedroom eyes.
Sexy.
That was the word that popped into her head as he reached for her. So incredibly sexy.
“You’re not going to force me,” she declared. “You wouldn’t do such a thing—”
“I might,” he said, unknotting the belt of her robe, “but I doubt it’s necessary.”
“No matter what you think, you aren’t irresistible, Nico.”
The robe fell from her shoulders. He grabbed the hem of her favorite sleep shirt after taking a second to grin at the cartoon cat on the front. His expression grew serious. Hot.
“I might have believed you had I not tasted your desire earlier. Are you wet for me now too, Lily?”
Before she could formulate an answer, the shirt disappeared, and he was pushing her backward onto the buttery-soft leather couch in the sitting area. He followed her down, his naked chest against her skin, the rigid bulge in his jeans riding against her silk panties.
And she realized with a start that she hadn’t yet tried to resist. Lily closed her eyes, swallowing hard against her doubts and insecurities. “Stop. I don’t want this.”
She didn’t sound very convincing.
“You are a poor liar, Liliana.” His head dropped, and then his teeth were scraping her jaw, his big hands spanning her hips, lifting her against his erection.
Lily bit back a moan. What was wrong with her? How could she let him do this to her? She’d trusted him earlier, trusted that he wanted her like she wanted him—and he’d made a fool of her. He’d made her come apart at the seams and then backed away and got dressed like it was nothing. To her it was so much more than nothing.
She wasn’t sophisticated like he was. She wasn’t worldly. She was simple and trusting, even when she didn’t want to be. And he would do the same thing again if she let him. He took pleasure in tormenting her for some reason. Maybe because she’d kept Danny from him.
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