Roman gave into his selfish side then. He couldn’t let her labor through such intense reactions by herself, afterall. He yanked the black sleep pants just past his ass and then deprived her of his tongue. He replaced it with the lengthy, rigid proof of his arousal. Imani purred his name in response. The sound alone had him ready to fill her with his seed. Admirable restraint had him tugging back the urge. He wanted to lose control inside her as much as he wanted to prolong the pleasure of her sexual muscles gripping and releasing his cock after every thrust he gave her.
His restraint didn’t hold for long once Imani threw her arms above her head. The move beckoned his eyes and mouth to her chest. He enjoyed just shy of a dozen slow pulls on her licorice dark nipples. The buds were erect, pouting at the center of generous breasts. The image she cast was beyond hypnotic as she lay writhing, arching, moaning for him and surrounded by the tall, fragrant grass of the hillside.
He was spilling into her then, his breathing harsh, loud when he collapsed against her and spent the final heavy doses of his release. Instead of settling in for another round of relaxation, Roman forced himself up while infrequently brushing his mouth along the flawless blackberry expanse of Imani’s ribcage and abdomen. He fixed his sleep pants, covered Imani with her robe and eased an arm beneath her knees, the other behind her back and got to his feet, taking her up with him in one effortlessly fluid move.
Imani, feeling beautifully loved and secure, gathered her braids over one shoulder and pressed a kiss to Roman’s neck. “Are we coming back out later?” she asked.
“In the morning,” he said.
“What do we do in the meantime?”
“When we’re inside, I’ll show you,” he said close to her ear.
Imani turned the tables and sucked his lobe in response.
“Ah hell...”
She drew back, the quiet rage in his words letting her know they weren’t spoken out of pleasure. Imani saw the menace in his stare and followed it toward the house. A man waved in the distance.
“News from America,” Roman said.
Absently, Imani began to massage the nape of his neck. “Maybe it’s not bad news this time.”
Roman kissed her temple. “One day, you’ll have to tell me your secret for staying so positive.”
***
“No! No it can’t-can’t be! Both? Both of them? Gone...”
“Yes Athena, we tried, we tried so hard to save them,” Bianca Marsala’s voice was low, almost monotone through the phone line. “Franco is beside himself with grief. He’s making arrangements for-”
“No! No don’t-don’t do that I-I’m on my way.”
“We don’t mind,” Bianca said in a voice that matched the authority in Athena’s tone. “She was a beautiful girl, a joy to have in our home. Once we...lost the baby, we still kept working to save her. She’d lost too much blood.”
Athena leaned heavily against her dresser. “I see. I still have to come.”
“Of course.”
“Bia? Thank you.”
“Goodbye Athena.”
The connection died and Athena surveyed the receiver with uneasy eyes. She fumbled to replace it on the cradle of the princess phone. Dazedly, she crossed the bedroom to her side of the sumptuous closet she shared with her husband. She had just located the white leather satchel she was looking for, when Liam called to her.
“Ciao amore mio,” she greeted him absently. “I’m going to have to cancel our lunch meeting. Apologies, I-there’s a business matter I need to-”
“It’ll have to wait, Athena.”
She looked his way then, the urge to smile fleeing when she saw his face. Something in the dark, beckoning depths called to a part of her basest instincts. The dismal awareness was joined by a chill kissing her spine and her heightened instincts told her she didn’t want to know why business would have to wait.
“I really do need to go,” she made no attempt to move. The bag hung limp in her hand.
“Thea-”
“No.” Maternal instincts honed by millions of years of human evolution took hold in a hidden corner of Athena Tesano’s psyche.
For every step Liam took toward her, she retreated an equal number. Then, her legs stopped working altogether and she could only stand in place. The bag slid from her loose grasp when he took her arms in a steadying hold.
Hand rising to her mouth then, she shook her head like a stubborn child. Her violet eyes were wide with panic and simmering grief. She lowered her hands, resting them at the base of her throat. She gulped suddenly and spat out a ragged sigh.
“It’s Roman! It’s Roman, isn’t it?! What happened to my baby over there? Tell me, Liam!” Lashes fluttering rapidly, she sighed once more. “He shouldn’t have gone off to that savage-”
“It’s not Roman, Thea.”
Athena staggered back. Liam, fearing she might fall, took her more firmly by the elbows. He sat her down facing her on the four poster canopy and kissed her temple.
“This is about the boys,” she shuddered.
“Yes, bella. Stone-”
“No!”
“They found him this morning in his office-”
“Stop!” Athena leapt from the bed, scowling at Liam with disbelieving eyes. “Why are you saying this?”
“He’s dead, Thea.”
