by Nana Prah
She snorted. “I’m sure there are better things to do with your day.”
“Than wait on you hand and foot? Doubtful.”
“I’m a very bad patient.”
He sat in the chair he’d drawn close to the bed. “Maybe you’ve never had the right nurse.”
She shut her mouth. Why try to get rid of him when all she wanted was for him to stay? So she relaxed into the bed, hoping her smile wasn’t as broad as it felt.
* * *
Dante had been in stitches all morning as Lanelle unleashed her sense of humor with stories about her brothers and experiences growing up in a boarding school. Of course, she had to wipe away a few tears when he told her some of the more amusing experiences in his repertoire.
She sat without wincing. “I feel much better. A warm bath might be in order.”
Only one part of his body stirred at the thought of Lanelle naked and luxuriating in the bathtub. And then the blood returned to the head containing his cerebrum and he stood. “I’ll prepare one for you.”
“I’m not an invalid.”
“Of this I am well aware, but you are my special patient for the day. Your wish is my command.”
A sly grin lit her face. “Be careful what you offer, Mr. Sanderson. You never know what I’ll ask of you.”
My heart, my life, my future. It’s all yours. “Point taken. How about your wish within reason?”
Lanelle stood. “Now, that sounds more like the flooring tycoon I’ve come to know.”
He couldn’t recall running a bath for a woman before. From the movies and television shows he’d watched on occasion, he knew bath salts and bubbles were in order. He read the directions on the bottles the hotel provided and poured them into the running water. The scents of lavender and vanilla hit his nostrils.
As difficult as he’d found it to not tuck her into his side while she lay in bed, she’d be irresistible after this soak. When the water had filled the tub to a suitable level, he left the bathroom and announced, “Your bath is ready. I even turned the jets on.” He gazed at her, wanting her more by the moment. “Need any help?” He winked to let her know he was joking, and yet a serious tinge edged his voice. “Undressing perhaps?”
He didn’t miss the way she licked her lips as if the idea held a great deal of appeal. At least that’s how he chose to interpret it. “I...” She cleared her throat. “I can handle it on my own.” She picked up the clothing she must have collected while he was running the water and getting lost in the imagery of her slick body in the tub.
Her hobbled walk wasn’t even half as sexy as normal and yet he couldn’t stop watching until she disappeared behind the door. A grip, boy. Get one. “I’ve got some work to do in my room. I’ll be back in about thirty minutes.”
“Okay.”
Damn, how he wished she had invited him to join her.
* * *
With her muscles relaxed after a glorious soak in the tub, Lanelle hesitated to return into her room. The hunger she’d witnessed in Dante’s eyes as he’d half joked about undressing her made her consider the offer. All she’d wanted was his hands roaming over her body.
She squared her shoulders and opened the bathroom door to find the room empty. At least now she no longer walked as if she’d spent hours astride a horse. She giggled as she sat on the chair Dante had spent the morning in. Toshia would laugh her own behind off about this.
A knock on the door had her standing again. This time, all pain was forgotten as she anticipated seeing Dante. He’d left her side only a short time ago, and she already missed him. Maybe if he weren’t so caring and entertaining, she wouldn’t be falling—
She halted the thought. When she opened the door and her breath hitched at the sight of him, she knew she wouldn’t be able to sit in her room with him without engaging in a sneak attack of his delicious kisses, and maybe more. “What time is the cooking class?”
He blinked at her abrupt question and then looked down at his watch. “It starts at one.” He eyed her with suspicion. “Are you feeling up to going?”
Lanelle couldn’t stay holed up with him a minute longer. A quick glance at the wall clock told her it was twelve. “Is the place far? Do you think we can make it in time?” Then she remembered how efficient he could be. “Did you cancel the reservation?”
“No. Yes. And no.”
“Good. Let me get my purse, and we can be on our way.”
“As your nurse, I don’t think this is a good idea.”
As a hormone-driven woman who needs to be in a public place while with you, it’s a brilliant one. “I’m fine now. The rest, painkillers and bath did me a world of good.” So what if he didn’t believe her? They were going. “Plus, learning how to make fresh pasta is something I never knew I wanted to learn how to do until you mentioned it.”
“Fine.” Then he pointed a warning finger in her direction. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Lanelle rolled her eyes Vanessa-style, then pushed him out the door to experience another aspect of Italy with the man who’d dug himself deeper under her skin.
Chapter 20
“This place is paradise. Look how clear the water is.” Lanelle walked into the warm yet refreshing ocean as they left the family she’d come to love lounging on the pristine beach. Lifting her hand, she allowed water to slip through her fingers. She’d been to Trinidad once with her parents and remembered the water as a brilliant blue. The Mediterranean surpassed the Atlantic’s beauty in both color and transparency. The spectacular aqua blue amazed her. “I think the whole family is enjoying Sicily. Great change in plans, Dante.” They’d come to the beach as soon as they’d landed that afternoon.
“Thanks.”
As she walked into the water up to her thighs, she could feel his eyes on her. In her younger years she would’ve worn a bikini, but her growing love of fine cuisine encouraged a one-piece, even though she knew she’d still look good in a two-piece. “I could’ve done with a bit more pasta making in Rome. It was so delicious.” Their date yesterday had been fun and educational. Watching Dante cook had ratcheted him up on the sexiness meter, though she could’ve sworn he’d already reached the maximum level.
“So I noticed, when you ate two plates of your homemade linguine for dinner. You could always come back with me to create other kinds. Or attend the Vatican tour you keep moaning about missing.”
Her gaze flickered to him. Was he joking? Her nipples puckered at the sight of his bare, muscular chest, dark and smooth; she longed to touch him. Run her tongue over every inch of his body. With haste, she moved farther into the water and dived in. The short swim should take care of the heat being near him had stoked.
What the heck is wrong with me? She couldn’t be with him. He hadn’t attempted to kiss her again, even though they’d spent the last day in Rome together. His restraint said it all. He’d made his decision to not accept a woman who couldn’t bear him children, and she’d respect it. At least her mind would. Her heart and body were having trouble keeping up.
When she couldn’t hold her breath any longer, she tentatively brought her feet down, anticipating she’d have to tread water. Her feet hit sand, so she stood. The water reached midchest.
Her confusion must’ve shown because Dante said, “We’re far out but still on the continental shelf. Wait, sorry. Sicily is an island. It’s called an insular shelf. It doesn’t get deep until we’re farther out.” He waved his hand to indicate they’d have to swim a long distance.
“Oh.” Isn’t he an earth science genius? Of course he would be. He made his money through nature. A scan of the area revealed that none of the few beachgoers had ventured out this far. She looked out into the endless horizon. Did the sea have an end? Everything had one, didn’t it?
She squirmed under his intense stare. “Do you think you’ll
ever marry again?”
Lanelle’s mouth opened and closed twice in a row. Before she could tell him it was none of his business, she released her own question. “Do you plan to hate women who come from rich families for the rest of your life?”
He hissed in a breath as his jaw clenched. “What gave you that idea?”
She narrowed her eyes at him as she glided her hand through the water. “The comment you made about Eliana Astacio.”
He crossed his arms over his still-appealing chest. “The shoddy workmanship she allowed in the NICU made me angry.”
“No. There was something personal to it.” She stepped toward him and touched his biceps. She was hurt when he shook her off and sliced through the water. Tenacity had always been her style, so she followed him.
When he surfaced, she once again eased her feet down to feel for the sandy bottom. The water reached her armpits. “I’m sorry I pried. You asked me a personal question, so I thought I’d give it back to you.” Does it matter that I’ve been curious about why you hate people of my social standing ever since our second date?
“Back in college, I got engaged to a woman from old money. It turns out she was slumming it with me when we were on campus and dating someone from her circle while apart during the breaks.”
“She was an idiot.”
His brows wrinkled together. “Was she? I had nothing at the time. What could I have offered her?”
“Your compassion, sense of humor, intelligence, drive and your love should’ve been the only things that mattered.” At least it would for me.
“It didn’t. All I know, not just from the experience with my ex, but from business dealings with some of them, too, is that they look down on those of us who have made our riches off the sweat of our brows.”
“All of them?”
She held her breath as he considered the question. He’d worked with her father and he would never treat anyone as second-class.
“No, not all, but a lot.”
She smiled at his honesty. “Glad to hear.”
A splash of water hit her in the face, and she reciprocated with her own. A brief splashing war dispelled the tension until he asked, “What about you?”
She shrugged. “I’ve never really thought about remarrying.”
“Because of the risk of having children again?”
Instead of anger, misery settled into her chest. They could’ve had children if Conrad had been willing to compromise. “That, and because men aren’t reliable.”
“Don’t you mean your ex wasn’t reliable?”
Lanelle stared at him, wondering how he’d take the truth about her identity. “No. Men. When they find out something isn’t what they thought it would be or there are glitches that ensure the situation doesn’t go the way they want, they take off.”
Expecting a battle-of-the-sexes discussion, she relaxed her shoulders when he asked, “Have you dated anyone since you divorced?”
“A few guys casually. Nothing serious.”
“Good.”
Her heart beat triple time at the tender expression on his face. She walked farther into the water to see if the depth would increase. Only by an inch or so. A few short weeks ago, she would’ve kept walking in order to get away from the temptation he’d become. His hand on her shoulder didn’t frighten her. This revelation alone scared the crap out of her, but she didn’t shrug away from his touch. Neither did she sweep his leg, slamming him into the water.
She grabbed his hand and interlaced his with hers. Not trusting their luck that the water wouldn’t suddenly become deep and suck them under, she turned to head back toward the shore.
The warmth of Dante’s touch sent ripples of need through her, settling at her center. What would it be like to make love to him? She’d never know. Funny how this didn’t stop her from wanting to be around him all the time. She should let go of his hand, but only the sudden presence of a shark in the water could make it happen.
He stopped her and reached out with his free hand. Before he made contact with her cheek, he looked into her eyes. “May I?”
She nodded.
Her stomach flipped as he released her hair from its band and ran his fingers through it. “It’s so soft.”
Her hand landed in his afro, then slid to the shell of his perfect ear. His eyes became hooded.
They lunged toward each other with lips meeting in a wet, openmouthed crush. Hungry desire replaced all thought as their tongues caressed. The kiss became endless, the yearning elevated.
Bodies flush, his arousal pressed into her belly. Her hands roamed down the planes of his chest. Just as hard as she remembered. He groaned when her fingers rubbed against his peaked nipples.
Grabbing his shoulders, she found the buoyancy of the water made it easy to leap up and wrap her legs around him. All thoughts became superfluous but one. Get closer.
He wrenched his mouth free. She needed more. The salt water assailed her taste buds as she slid her tongue down his neck and sucked. With a slight loosening of her legs, she modified her position so his erection hit the apex of her thighs. She flung her head back at the pleasure.
His hands held her hips in place as she ground against him. Sliding a hand between them, he shifted her bathing suit and rubbed a thumb over her throbbing clit, making her feel so good. Her breaths came out in short spurts. How many years had it been since she’d been touched like this? Never. The intensity was unprecedented.
It wouldn’t take much to have him inside her where she needed him. Of its own volition, her hand reached into his shorts.
At the sound of his moan, reality slapped her in the face. What am I doing?
As if he’d realized the same thing, he removed his hands from her as she released her legs from around him, her feet landing in the silky sand. The lack of contact left her bereft.
Panting, they stepped away from each other. The draw between them remained, yet dampened.
He dunked his head under the water. Good idea. She did the same, and when she returned to the surface he’d swum a few feet ahead. They’d been so close to having sex on a public beach. Granted, no one could see them from this distance without binoculars, but still.
She flung her hair behind her as she emerged, wiping water off her face. No condom. She would’ve done it without one and regretted it for months to come. What if she’d gotten pregnant? No, she couldn’t bear the heartbreak of another lost baby. Allowing that to happen would be foolhardy. And her parents would never claim a fool as their child.
She dived in again, this time propelling herself away from the lure of Dante toward the shore.
* * *
Dante struggled to catch up with Lanelle as her powerful strokes kept her ahead. Hopefully, by the time he reached the beach, his desire and hard-on would be squelched.
What should I say when we meet up? Nothing came to mind. Apologizing was out of the question because he held no remorse. If they’d had a condom handy, she would’ve been deep in the throes of her orgasm by now. Never had the need to be sheathed inside a woman overtaken him so hard he’d come within a touch of overriding his one and only rule when he had sex.
A casual affair would assuage the passion flaring between them. Not a viable option. At least not for him. He needed her in his life.
Pausing midstroke, Dante flipped onto his back, relaxing his body as the sea encased him. If only making decisions could be as easy as floating. The question of what to do about Lanelle pounded into his head as the small waves lapped over him. Did he want to forgo having children by natural means?
He had to get tested. Today. If he ended up having Rh-negative blood, then he could provide her with all the children she wanted. But being positive would mean that if they tried to get pregnant there’d be a great risk of Lanelle’s body attacking the baby...their baby.
Dante opened his eyes to find the brilliant sky sprinkled with a few white fluffy clouds. Releasing himself from the water, he stood with caution as he got his bearings. Scanning the shore, he observed his family where they’d left them. Not surprised that Lanelle wasn’t among them, he headed their way to tell them he’d take a quick trip to town.
He’d figure out a solution. His future depended on it.
Chapter 21
Lanelle found it difficult to look at Dante. Not due to any sort of discomfiture, but the deep pools of his eyes had a way of luring her in. Okay, so his smoking-hot body and confident gorgeousness contributed, too. And to think those soft, full lips had been on hers. Her shoulders gave an involuntary shimmy at the seductive memory.
Dante had attempted to talk to her after their water incident, but she’d kept it brisk, and she hadn’t seen him for the rest of the afternoon. Her cheeks puffed out as she exhaled. How could she have let things get so far? Losing herself to him as if he’d become her sole purpose for existing. Never had she experienced such a barrage of sensations.
Just thinking about the water lapping against them as they—whew. Reaching up, she wiped a trickle of sweat off her face.
What she wouldn’t give to do it again. This time with a condom showing up out of thin air so they could complete the act.
Snap out of it. Making love to him would be akin to handing over her emotional well-being. She refused to take the risk. He’d break her heart when he inevitably left her to find someone willing to have his children.
After Conrad had walked out, she’d gone to see her doctor about a tubal ligation. Clipping her fallopian tubes would guarantee that she’d never get pregnant and go through the same torturous pain she’d experienced with the loss of her babies. After her doctor’s extensive counseling, she’d opted out. She’d been unable to ignore the irreversibility of the procedure when she’d hesitated at the doctor’s question: “What if this feeling of doom passes, as it often does, and you want to try for children?”
Thinking about having a child who had Dante’s dark skin and sharp features made Lanelle smile as she added a short afro to it. For once the thought of getting pregnant didn’t cause her lungs to squeeze tight, leaving her gasping for breath.
