“Where are we going for lunch?”
“Ferroni’s. It is a casual Italian food restaurant and the food is absolutely delicious.”
Talía nodded. “Not to mention it is close by.”
They made their way to the restaurant. It was close, only two blocks away from the hotel. The wonderful aroma of the food assailed her nose the instant they entered. They were seated quickly, and she decided on the eggplant parmigiana, something that seemed as if it would be filling and scrumptious. The food came out swiftly, and she realized the women ate at the restaurant regularly.
She enjoyed her food as well as the company of the four women. It was nice to sit down and have lunch with nice women again. She liked having companions who she could relate to.
“So you are from the States?”
She looked up at Sophia and nodded. Sophia was the quietest of the quad, but she made her presence known when needed.
“Yes, I am. Boulder City, Nevada.”
Talía smiled. “How long have you lived there?”
“All of my life.”
Daníella took a bite of her food before smiling. “So what brings you all the way to Rome by yourself?”
She wasn’t sure what Antonio told any of them, but she felt as if she could be honest with the four women.
“Actually, I was supposed to be here on my honeymoon.”
The expressions of astonishment that appeared on their faces told her they didn’t know a lot, if anything, about her situation. So she launched into the story of the horrific events that played out and led to her being in Rome by herself. When she finished, their expressions were a mixture of surprise, anger and sympathy.
Amalía reached over and patted her hand reassuringly. “Well, we had no idea, but you made the right decision.”
Daníella nodded in agreement. “He sounds like a loser.”
She gave the four women a nod. Quincy was definitely a loser. “He is, and I’m glad to be rid of him.”
Sophia gave her a sympathetic look. “Still, I’m sure it sucks to lose a best friend.”
Amalía rolled her eyes and scoffed at the statement. “She couldn’t have been much of a good friend. Otherwise, she would have kept her hands off your man.”
Daníella and Talía nodded. Tierra smiled at her lunch companions.
“The thing is, I was upset at first, but the more I think about it, the more I realize neither of them are worth it.”
Sophia gave her a sly look. “Although I am sure spending time with Antonio helps the situation.”
Tierra smiled, but she began to blush.
Daníella only made the situation worse. “Yes, I have heard the two of you are setting the hotel ablaze.”
Tierra shrugged, not really minding the women teasing her. She was really enjoying their companionship.
“So how serious are things between you and Antonio?”
She had to pause at Talia’s question because things were definitely becoming more than casual between Antonio and her. Finally, she answered the question truthfully. “I don’t know. I can at least say we are friends. I also like him. Can it go beyond that?” She shrugged. “I don’t know. I live in Nevada and Antonio lives here. It would be very difficult to have a relationship with so much distance between us.”
Amalía asked the next difficult question. “But do you think you could make it work if it came down to it?”
It was a tough question for her to answer because she really didn’t know. Tierra shook her head. “I don’t know.”
She watched a momentary flash of pain appear on Daníella’s face.
“Well, I can tell you from personal experience that if the two of you want to be together, go for it. My biggest regret in life is walking away from the man I loved.”
Amalía snorted in a very unladylike manner. “Yeah, well, it’s because you were in love with a brick wall that didn’t give you more of a choice.”
Tierra had the inclination that even though Daníella spoke of love in the past tense, the love she felt wasn’t. Before she could express her opinion, Amalía asked her another question.
“The real issue is if it comes down to it, do you think my brother is a man worth fighting for?”
Tierra couldn’t answer the query aloud. She averted her gaze, hoping her expression didn’t give her away. A quick glance upward told her she hadn’t fooled them. All of the women gave her knowing expressions before returning their attention to their food while Tierra was left to ponder how she could walk away from Antonio. The connection she felt to him in the short amount of time she’d known him frightened her. One thing she knew for sure was it would be hard to do, and it scared the hell out of her.
Chapter 10
Tierra was in trouble and she knew it. Six days into her trip, Antonio showed her so many things her head reeled at trying to take it all in. More importantly, she also knew she was falling for him. A risky thing for her to do. Unfortunately, she already suffered one broken heart—enough to last her a lifetime. Now she sat out on the balcony, waiting for Antonio to get out of the shower so she could get in and try to clear her head. Above anything else, she needed to get rid of all the thoughts currently racing through it before her brain exploded.
She thought about the sights she seen over the last three days as well as the people she met. The tour to the Mouth of Truth had been interesting and morbid at the same time. The history behind it all intrigued her. To know that there’d been a person inside of the mouth with a knife or a scorpion and that they were the judge of what was truth and what wasn’t intrigued and mortified her.
In spite of that, sticking her hand inside the mouth seemed like the tourist type of thing to do, until Sophia asked her if she were falling for Antonio right before she had. Knowing the answer to question could be disastrous, Tierra quickly removed her hand before telling the women she would try out the Mouth of Truth some other time. They simply laughed at her and made their way back to the hotel. By the time they arrived, dinnertime was upon them, and Antonio had been waiting anxiously for them, or rather her. He looked extremely tired but swept her up into his arms planting a kiss on her that made her forget her name. Before she could say goodbye to her companions for the day, Antonio swept her through the lobby, up to the room, and in the shower before she could blink. After some steamy foreplay, he took her to bed, where they stayed until the next morning.
They awoke late the next morning, enjoyed breakfast, then he took her to the Gallería Borghese, a beautiful museum. Federico Barocci’s painting of Aeneas fleeing the burning city of Troy held her attention for a long time. He finally managed to pull her away and lead her to the main floor devoted to sculptures and Roman antiquities.
Before they left the hotel, Antonio informed her a trip through the museum took most people two hours. It took them four. Antonio showed extreme patience with her and even took the time to discuss some of Bernini’s sculptures with her. He even gave her some background on the three she’d been most intrigued by.
Yesterday they spent the entire day in bed making love between naps. When they awoke this morning, he informed her he wanted her to spend a few days at his place. She knew she should have said no. She agreed, and he began trying to convince her to take a shower with him. She knew if she gave in to him they wouldn’t leave the hotel.
After a few firm no’s, he retreated to the bathroom by himself. She took the time to pack enough clothes for the next four days before heading out onto the balcony. She still stood there now, waiting for Antonio to get out of the shower and trying to calm her nerves. Unfortunately, the calming effect the view should have on her wasn’t working, and she knew why. She pulled back from Antonio some or she was going to be in trouble.
“What’s wrong, cara?”
She jumped in surprise at the sound of Antonio’s voice. Yes, the man moved quietly on his feet, but she should have heard him coming in her direction. The fact that she hadn’t let her know she was definitely in trouble. Shaking her hea
d at the handsome man standing before her, she tried to smile and did a decent job, but his look of concern didn’t go away.
“It’s nothing, Antonio.”
He held his hand out to her, his expression telling her he didn’t believe her. She took it, and he pulled her back into the room with him. She didn’t realize until then he was only clad in a towel. She lowered her eyes to the distraction, but he resisted her by putting a finger under her chin and tilting it upward so she looked into his eyes. It wasn’t a better alternative.
“Tell me what has you so sad, cara.”
She sighed heavily at his question. One thing she learned about him was he could be persistent.
“Just thinking about how hard it is going to be to say goodbye to you.”
She saw a glimpse of pain flash through his eyes before it disappeared. “Let’s not think about it right now, cara. Let’s enjoy the time we have together right now.”
She nodded. She would try her best not to think about what it would be like without him around. Yet, how could she not think about the inevitable? Antonio gave her a little assistance as he lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers. The man’s kisses were lethal and should probably be outlawed, but only after she had her fill. She leaned into him, and he deepened the kiss before drawing back, desire heavy in his eyes and the smile on his lips sensuous.
“As much as I would love to continue this, cara, I would hate it if the shower I just took was in vain.”
She laughed before stepping away from him and headed toward the bathroom. There was no doubt in her mind how serious he was. If she wanted to stick to today’s plans, she needed to put some distance between them, or there was no telling the trouble either of them could get into.
* * * *
He looked at her with amusement, watching her walk away before going over to where his clothes lay. To be truthful, he wouldn’t mind getting sweaty with her, but she seemed to have a lot on her mind, and he knew it wasn’t the right time. The last thing he wanted was to put Tierra in more of a confused state. The bathroom door closed, bringing him out of his own thoughts. He needed to get dressed quickly. If he were still undressed by the time she came out of the bathroom, they would be in trouble.
As much as he respected that she needed her space, the sight of her body always tempted him, especially with her only clad in her underwear. Her panties of choice always varied between a thong or boy cut briefs, both of which put a lot of emphasis on her perfectly rounded bottom. The woman had a dynamite body, one made for loving and caressing. He’d been surprised to know he was the first, the only man, to bring her to orgasm. He liked watching her find the ultimate pleasure and knowing he was the reason behind it. He started to get aroused just thinking about it. Reaching for his underwear, he began to get dressed. He needed to think about non-stimulating thoughts.
Unfortunately, one came to mind—how hard it would be to allow Tierra to leave when her two week vacation ended. As selfish as it sounded, he hoped she would stay with him, but he knew he was asking her for a lot. She would have to give up everything to stay with him. The most shocking thing was his willingness to give up his life in Rome for her. Yes, he would miss his family, and, yes, he would miss the hotel, but having Tierra with him every day would make up for it. Plus, he could travel back to Rome as much as he wanted or needed to. It would probably be easier for him to do the relocating, but deep down he wanted to stay in Rome. He wouldn’t know what to do with himself not being at the hotel every day.
He had to work on finding more ways to convince her to continue their relationship beyond two weeks. In the beginning, he felt his family might prove to be a deterrent to Tierra, but now it might not be the case. She fit in with his family like she’d always been a part of it. They were even going to dinner at his parents’ home again tonight, but right now he was anxious to get her to his place. He wanted to see what she thought of it, especially since it might be where they lived if his plan went the way he wanted it to. He pulled his shirt over his head just as the bathroom door opened. The sweet, flowery scent of her body wash assailed his nose, and he smiled. A moment later, she appeared, looking refreshed.
“Did you have a good shower?”
She nodded as she walked over to the bed where her clothes lay. He knew he only had a few moments before she dropped the towel and began getting dressed.
The homage he paid to her body was starting to pay off a little too much now. Where she’d been shy about revealing her body to him, now she would undress in front of him without hesitation. Just as he expected, she dropped the towel. He had two options. Stand there and drool over her or gather up the rest of his stuff. As good as the first idea sounded, he needed to get a move on. He busied himself with gathering up the rest of his clothes. When he turned around, he almost swallowed his tongue. She was bent over with the khaki shorts stretched tightly across her firm, round bottom. The pink racerback tank top she had on rose upward, revealing the smooth skin at the small of her back. When she straightened, he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Fortunately, she distracted him by speaking.
“What do we have planned for the day?”
He placed the last article of clothing in his bag, then zipped it up, his thoughts still on the sight of her body. Fighting the temptation to kiss her was difficult.
“Nothing, really. By the time we get to my place and get unpacked, it will leave us with just enough time for me to give you a tour and you to call your parents before we have to leave for dinner.”
He watched her slide her feet into her shoes. “Well, I’m ready if you are.”
He picked up her bags as well as his own, then opened the door to the room. “After you, cara.”
They made their way to the parking lot. A short time later, he maneuvered the vehicle out onto the streets of Rome. Several moments later, they pulled up in front of his home.
She smiled as she looked around. “Your home is very lovely.”
He placed a brief kiss on her lips. “I am glad you think so. Now let me show you the inside.”
He led the way up the walkway to his home, and when he opened the door, her mouth fell open.
“Antonio, this is beautiful.”
“Thank you, cara. Give me a moment to put these in the bedroom, then I can give you a tour before we unpack.”
She nodded, and he closed the front door before he headed up the stairs. A few moments later, he returned.
“Are you ready for your tour?”
She nodded, and he took her hand and lead her though his home. He loved his home. He watched as she ran her hands along the furniture in his family room.
“I like the way you have decorated.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t do this myself.”
She turned to look at him with knowing eyes. “Probably not with your own hands, but you definitely let the designer know exactly what you wanted. Your home speaks of your taste.”
He just stared at her silently, wondering how she read him so well. From the beginning, he knew Tierra was a very intuitive person, but he was starting to find out just how much. Instead of responding, he continued on with the tour, showing her every aspect of his home. He ended the tour in his bedroom. He stared at her, unable to hide his surprise when Tierra let go of his hand and made a mad dash for his bed. The jump she made to get onto it could have made some high jumpers jealous. He couldn’t help but smile as she began to roll around on his satin sheets. Folding his arms across his chest, he arched an amused brow in her direction.
“Are you okay, cara?”
Somehow she managed to nod and keep rolling at the same time. A moment later, she stopped moving looking over at him, an expression of pure happiness of her face.
“Sorry. I have always wanted to know what it felt like to lay on satin sheets.”
His smile widened. “And do you know how they feel now?”
He watched as her expression changed, becoming filled with desire. “Now I want to know what it feels
like to make love on them.”
Antonio’s body began to harden as her words registered. He moved toward the bed slowly, holding his hands out to her. She took them, and he tugged her toward him, allowing her to glide over the sheets. His lips came down on hers briefly, and she melted into him. When he drew back, she moaned with disappointment.
“We will save this for later, because if I join you in bed, your family won’t hear from you, and my family won’t see us for dinner tonight.”
She shivered, but he wasn’t surprised. He knew his voice was full of promise.
When he released her from his embrace, it was with great reluctance, but he knew they wouldn’t make it out of his home if he kept touching her.
“Now, Tierra. If you want, you can go to my study and use the phone there.”
She nodded, and he assisted her off the bed then led her to his study. He showed her how to use the phone, then gave her a quick kiss before leaving the room.
* * * *
Tierra watched as Antonio left the room, giving her complete privacy. She dialed parents’ number. Her mother answered on the third ring.
“Hi, Mama.”
“Hi, baby. How are you?”
She smiled at the joy in her mother’s voice. “I’m fine, Mama. How are you and Daddy?”
Her mother laughed. “We’re good.”
“And Hayden?”
Her mother paused, causing her stomach to dip. “He’s fine. A little grumpier than usual, but he is okay.”
Tierra closed her eyes in relief. The last thing she wanted to hear was her brother might not be okay.
“That’s good, Mama.”
She felt Antonio’s hand on her shoulder. He must have returned and heard the concern in her voice. His look of worry touched her. She smiled to let him know everything was okay before motioning for him to join her. He pulled up a chair and eased his long frame into it. She smiled when he reached for her feet and slipped her shoes off. He had a thing about rubbing her feet, not that she minded because it relaxed her. She turned her attention back to the phone as she realized her mother asked her a question and she hadn’t heard it.
Propositioning the Rich Italian Page 9
