“Once you’ve heard the story behind it, yes. I saw you try it on and how perfectly it fit so I bought it.” He snapped the lid shut with a chuckle when Vina turned her head away, refusing to look at the detestable ring. “I planned on taking it to a jeweler as soon as I could sneak away for a few hours, but when Rico told me he was going to ask Stefana to marry him and needed my help, everything seemed to fall into place.”
“Have you been drinking?” she eyed him suspiciously. “I can’t make heads or tails out of what you just said.”
“I promise it will all make sense in a few minutes. You see, Rico wanted to surprise Stefana with an engagement ring, but he was worried she wouldn’t like what he picked out. Together, we came up with the perfect solution. I asked Stefana to help me choose a ring for you, knowing full well no woman can resist trying on the one she would choose for herself.”
“Very clever,” Vina said dryly, “but I still don’t see what that has to do with me or that…that hideous ring.”
“Vina…I didn’t buy the ring for you to wear. I bought it so I could get your ring size without having to ask you. I may have tricked Stefana into picking out her own ring, but I wasn’t being dishonest when I told her I was buying one for you.”
“Oh, Travis, how can you ever forgive me? It must have been humiliating to let Stefana think you were still going to buy me a ring while I was busy taking in the sights of Venice with one of her brothers. I’m so sorry for being such a stubborn idiot and ruining all your lovely plans.”
“What makes you think you ruined them?” Travis tossed the box onto the coffee table beside them and slipped his hand inside his jacket pocket, producing a second box of similar size. “I love you, Vina, with all my heart and soul. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but not just as a friend and lover. More than anything in this world, I want to be your husband.”
Vina shook her head, certain she’d only heard what she wanted to hear and not what he’d actually said. “Did you…I mean, I thought you said you wanted to be my…my…”
“Husband,” Travis said with a grin. “Yes, sweetheart, that’s what I said. I want to marry you, Vina. And in time, be the father of our children.” He opened the box and extracted a ring. Taking her hand, Travis slipped it on her finger, his eyes dancing with amusement when Vina gasped at the size of the exquisite pear shaped diamond. “So, what do you say? You think you can commit to a lifetime of being Mrs. Travis Malone?”
She didn’t have to think about it. Vina threw her arms around his neck, laughing and crying at the same time. She didn’t remember giving him an answer, but she must have, because she suddenly found herself being swept up in his arms and smothered with frantic kisses.
“What are you doing?” she asked when he carried her out of the living room.
“What I should have done years ago,” he said gruffly, “claiming what is mine.”
“Neanderthal,” she murmured, too happy to even pretend she was appalled by such a chauvinistic remark. Maybe she would bring it up later and chastise him for it, but for now…for now, Vina was content to let Travis claim what his.
***
Vina woke slowly, her lips curving into a complacent smile. Her head was nestled on Travis’ shoulder, his arm a steel band that kept her body pressed so close to his, a breath of air couldn’t have wheedled its way between them. Her hand rested over his heart, the steady beat matching the slumberous rhythm of her own heart. They were a part of each other now, bound together by love and the intimacy of expressing that love with their bodies.
Last night had been…glorious. Deliciously decadent. Immensely satisfying. A million other things she couldn’t even begin to describe. Travis was so intensely masculine, he took her breath away. Vina had been mesmerized by every well-toned muscle, his chiseled abs, the hard planes and angles that defined the difference between his body and hers. She loved touching him, loved the way it made him quiver and the soft moans that told her Travis was enjoying the things she did to him.
She’d been afraid at first; her inexperience causing her to question whether she was doing it right, if she was pleasing him as much as he was pleasing her. But Travis seemed to understand, or maybe he guessed from her hesitancy that she’d never been with a man before. He’d taken his time; kissing and caressing, stroking her skin as if it was made of fragile, fine-bone china, gently stoking the fire inside of her until it became a raging inferno she couldn’t have controlled if she tried.
He told her how much he loved her, that he’d always loved her and couldn’t imagine a life without her in it. And in her heart, Vina knew it was the same for her, even if she hadn’t recognized it until Travis opened her eyes. The silly games they’d played with each other, the insecurities, the masked emotions…none of those things would ever come into play again.
Vina closed her eyes, breathing in his heady scent. It made her feel giddy just thinking of sleeping with Travis each night, waking up to his amorous kisses each morning, spending every day for the rest of her life with him. Sharing everything. Finding a nice piece of land, building a home…their home, making babies together. It was all so exciting, she could barely contain the happy laughter that struggled to escape.
And last night was only the beginning.
She’d felt small and feminine in Travis’ arms as he carried her to the bedroom where he’d kissed her for quite some time before lowering her feet to the ground. His eyes swept over her, as hot and hungry as his kisses had been. He told her to turn around, and Vina had shivered with anticipation when he began to loosen the tie that laced the material along the length of her spine.
Warm hands cupped her shoulders, and an even warmer kiss was planted on the back of her neck. He guided the spaghetti straps down her arms, taking the corset-like top down with them. The gown slithered over her hips, falling in graceful folds to pool around her feet. He’d held her hand while she stepped out of it, then leaned down to scoop it up and toss it on the chair.
“Turn around,” Travis ordered, his deep, sexy voice making the muscles in her abdomen clench.
Vina squeezed her eyes shut, acutely aware of her bare breasts and the thin layer of lace that could scarcely be called underwear. She’d worn black, silk thigh high hose to match her panties and still had on the killer rose-red high heels she’d eyed dubiously before deciding her sore ankle could survive one night. Would Travis be pleased with what he saw? Dragging in a deep breath, Vina did a slow pivot until she was facing him.
“Holy mother of God,” he’d rasped before hauling her into his arms and devouring her mouth.
He let loose of her just long enough to hastily dispense with his own clothes, flashing an arrogant grin at her when Vina inhaled sharply at the sight of him naked. Her body trembled with unbridled desire, as did his, as they fell back against the mattress in a tangle of arms and legs and hot desire. Just as Vina reached the point where she was certain spontaneous combustion was inevitable, Travis drew his head back.
“You are the love of my life,” he said in a breathless whisper. “I want to savor every moment of this night.”
And then he’d proceeded to work her into a mindless stupor with a slow hand and a talent for discovering every erogenous zone on her tingling body. It seemed to go on forever, while Vina was helpless to do anything except respond with thrashing limbs and primal cries of pleasure as Travis skillfully extracted one explosive climax after another.
“Enough…enough…” she finally managed to croak out. Spearing her fingers through his hair, she brought his mouth down onto hers. “Now,” she whispered against his lips, “I want you now, Travis.”
His breathing was stilted as he levered himself over her and gently kneed her thighs apart. Vina was barely conscious of breathing at all. With a guttural moan, he entered her slowly, easing into her moist heat with a gentleness that brought tears to her eyes. She experienced a moment of pain as her inner muscles stretched to accommodate him, but it was quickly swept away by the euphoria t
hat engulfed her. Travis filled her so completely she couldn’t tell where his flesh ended and hers began.
They were one, moving in unison, soaring to the clouds together, rising higher and higher until the intense pleasure bordered on pain. Vina clung to his broad shoulders, writhing beneath him and gasping for air as each heavy thrust drove him in deeper and deeper. She could feel the climax building inside, felt the heat of it pooling deep in her abdomen, so close and yet so frustratingly illusive.
“Let go, sweetheart,” was all Travis said, and Vina had shattered into a million pieces.
Afterwards, they lay in each other’s arms, too exhausted both physically and emotionally to do or say anything. Sometime just before dawn, she’d been roused from a blissfully deep sleep by so*ft, feathery kisses that became increasingly urgent as the passion between them reignited. Travis made love to her again, and they quickly drifted off to sleep just as they’d done before. Except this time Vina had a dream.
“Travis, are you awake?”
“Hmmm,” he answered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“Do you believe dreams can come true?”
“I know they do.”
His confident answer was accompanied by a fierce hug. Vina smiled. The fact that she was here in his arms was proof enough. Tilting her head back, she returned the tender kiss he gave her with a lightness of heart she hadn’t felt in a very, very long time.
“I dreamed we were married,” she told him, “and that I’d just given birth to our first child.”
“A good dream; one I’ll make sure comes true for both of us. Was it a boy or girl?”
“A boy.” Butterflies twirled in her stomach when she recalled how wonderful it felt to hold her baby…their baby. “A beautiful, dark-haired boy, who looked just like his father. I was sitting up in the hospital with the baby in my arms and you standing beside me. My sisters were gathered around the bed and they each had a man next to them. I couldn’t see who the men were, but I knew my sisters had found the love they’d been looking for.”
“I’m sure they have,” Travis said.
“You really think so?”
“Absolutely. After all, your parents knew what they were doing when they paired us up, didn’t they?”
Vina’s brows drew together. “What do you mean? I thought they chose you because we were such good friends and they trusted you to watch over me.”
After a few moments of silence, Travis told her about meeting with her parents to discuss their Will. “They knew I was in love with you and hoped I would do something about it. I guess setting it up so we would spend a month in the most romantic city in the world was their way of providing the opportunity we needed to see we belong together.”
“I never knew my parents were such devious schemers! They were right about us, of course, but I have my doubts about how sound their judgment was in choosing men for my sisters.”
“What makes you say that?”
“For one thing, they’ve paired Victoriana up with Sheldon. Don’t get me wrong, Sheldon is a very nice man but he’s no match for someone as headstrong as she is. The choices they made for my other sisters are just as bad. I’m going to be heartbroken if things don’t work out for them like they did for us.”
“Oh, no you don’t,” Travis admonished. “We have three weeks left in Venice and you are not going to spend them worrying about your sisters.”
Vina knew he was right. Regardless of what was happening in the lives of her sisters, there was nothing to be gained by tying herself in knots because of something she had no control over. Which was easier said than done…unless she found a way to keep her mind occupied, that is. Splaying her fingers over his corded chest gave her some deliciously wicked ideas on how that could be accomplished.
“Travis…I was just thinking…” her hand glided over his belly, “it would be a tremendous help if I was distracted by other…activities.”
“That’s a good idea, and I know just where to start.”
Vina tilted her head back. “You do?” she said with wide-eyed innocence as a slow burn began to build in her most intimate places.
“Sure. After breakfast we can go to the pageant…La Festa Delle Marie, take in some of the sights, and then have an early dinner at the Marco Polo Ballroom. I heard the Moon Masquerade is a lot of fun, or we could go to La Fenice Opera Theatre if you prefer.”
Vina tried not to let her disappointment show. True, painting the town would provide a distraction, but not the kind she’d been hoping for. Acid churned in her stomach as the first whisper of doubt began to creep in.
Didn’t he want to be alone with her? Making love with Travis had been…spectacular…euphoric…and unquestionably the single most pleasurable experience in her life. Maybe it wasn’t the same for him. She’d seen some of the beautiful women he’d been with; femme fatales who obviously knew now to please a man. Maybe she simply hadn’t lived up to his expectations. Maybe he regretted…
“I know that look,” Travis cut into her troubled thoughts. “Whenever you don’t like my suggestion, you get this little crease on your forehead.” He traced the line with his finger, trailing it down the side of her cheek. “Then you mull it over for a few minutes to decide if it’s worth fussing about.”
“I do not fuss,” she said with an indignant huff.
Travis laughed; a deep, sexy sound that curled her toes and touched her in places she was desperately attempting to ignore at the moment. It was an exercise in futility, of course. It simply wasn’t possible to keep her hormones from working themselves into a frenzy when she was so acutely conscious of what they’d spent half the night doing. Well, she wasn’t about to keep quiet about her feelings and allow them to fall into the same miscommunication trap that had nearly destroyed their relationship before.
“I don’t want to do any of those things,” she blurted out. “I don’t want to leave the suite at all. As a matter of fact, I don’t even want to get out of bed!”
“Thank God,” Travis sighed. He threw back the covers and rolled over, pinning Vina beneath him. “We can order room service later…”
“Much later.”
“Promise me something, sweetheart. Promise the masks will stay off and that we’ll never hide our feelings from each other again.”
Vina laced her arms around his neck. “I think I can safely say I’ve had my fill of masquerades.”
“Speaking of masquerades; I don’t think either of us enjoyed the Ball last night. I’m sorry I spoiled it for you,” he said solemnly.
“You can’t take all the blame. I did a pretty good job of ruining it for myself. The Andollina’s must think I’m nuttier than a fruit cake.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. Max understood what was going on. I’m sure he explained it to the others, assuming they didn’t figure it out on their own.”
“Travis…you know nothing happened between Max and I, don’t you? When you saw us together at the pool, he was only trying to comfort me. He asked if you knew I was in love with you and I fell to pieces on the poor man.”
“I know. Max told Stefana what happened and she told me.” He kissed her softly on the lips. “Enough talk for now. I want to make love to you again.”
“Just one more question, I promise. Then you can have your wicked way with me. Just before we left, you and Max exchanged a few words in Italian. The curiosity is killing me.”
Travis chuckled. “If you must know, Miss Curious, he asked me if I was in love with you.”
“Wh-what did you tell him?”
The first morning’s rays were just beginning to streak across the room, but even in the dim light, Vina could see the answer reflected in his eyes before he’d even spoken a word.
“The truth,” Travis replied softly. “I love you, Vina. I always have and I always will.”
***
They spent the better part of the day in bed; talking and laughing, making plans for the future, and ultimately making love. They only left the bedroom w
hen nature called and once in the early evening to take a shower together. Meals were ordered up from room service and eaten outside on the bedroom balcony so they could enjoy the breathtaking view. It was the only time they got dressed, if you could consider donning robes and nothing else as being dressed.
That night as she was drifting in that shadowed land somewhere between being asleep and fully awake, Vina thought about the lists she and her sisters had made; each of them identifying the qualities they felt were imperative for the perfect man to possess.
Drop dead gorgeous, she’d jotted down. Killer smile, great kisser, passionate lover. The rugged, outdoors type; someone who knew how to enjoy the simple things in life. Strong and intensely male, but who wasn’t afraid to show he had a heart. She’d known exactly what she wanted in a man, and now it made her wonder. Deep down inside, had she known she was listing all the things she already knew existed in one man? Vina smothered a giggle. She might as well have written Travis’ name at the top of the page!
VINA IN VENICE (THE 5 SISTERS) Page 20
