I finish drinking the prosecco and signal for the waiter to bring me another one. I would prefer something much stronger, but I don’t think they have whiskey here.
“How about you?” she asks.
“Nothing as exciting.”
Chiara furrows her eyebrows, and I realize my answer came across a bit standoffish.
I reach across the table and curl my fingers around her hand. “This has been one of the best weekends I’ve had in a long time. I’m glad the rental company screwed up.”
She drops her gaze and stares at our joined hands for a couple of beats in silence. When she finally looks up, I notice her eyes are brighter than before while her lips pull into a tight smile.
“This has been a great weekend for me too. I’m sad it’s almost over.”
“We still have tonight.”
Chiara raises her glass. “To tonight.”
10
Chiara
I’ve gone and done it. I have fallen in love with Alistair in less than twenty-four hours. That must be a world record. And the worst part is I don’t know anything about him, so the swirling feeling inside my chest defies logic.
After we dive into a delicious homemade lasagna, we stroll back to our hotel along the river that flows through the heart of Florence, stopping to perch on the wall of one of the bridges along with locals to watch the sun go down. This all feels like a dream, but I know eventually I’ll have to wake up.
The room he got is more opulent than I could have imagined, and it makes me wonder what he does for a living to be able to afford such luxury. It doesn’t really matter to me though. I can testify that money means nothing, and it most certainly can’t buy anyone happiness. You just have to look closely at my miserable family to see that.
I sit on the edge of the bed, and suddenly I don’t know what to do. I’m afraid if he pays attention, he’ll read the yearning in my eyes.
Alistair stops a little away from me, and he seems as unsure as I am. Does he also feel the shift in the air?
Impossible.
The hunger in his gaze is undeniable, and my body reacts accordingly. My heart is drumming so loudly inside my chest, it seems it wants to take flight. Heat pools between my legs just from thinking about what’s to come.
Slowly, Alistair unbuttons his shirt without taking his eyes off me. The jeans go next. I remain frozen. Watching him strip is damn sexy and a little frightening too. I feel so out of my depth.
I swallow hard when he stands in front of me in all his naked glory. He’s Adonis personified. His abs look Photoshopped. I know they aren’t though. I’ve felt the hard ridges of his muscles under my fingers; I’ve tasted their raw power.
Slowly, Alistair crosses the room, dropping to his knees in front of me. Placing his warm hands on my thighs, he makes lazy circles over my skin with his fingertips. I forget how to breathe.
“Chiara,” he says almost reverently before he pushes my dress up my legs, the fabric bunching up around my waist.
When his face gets closer to my pussy and his warm breath fans over the sensitive skin, I almost climax right then and there. Without removing my underwear, he rubs his nose over my clit, the friction too good to describe. I thread my fingers through his hair, grabbing at the strands.
“Alistair….”
“What, Goldilocks?”
“If you keep at it, I’m going to come.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.” He darts his tongue out, sweeping over my nub in one languid stroke.
A whimper escapes my lips, and Alistair laughs.
“I love the sounds you make.”
I know he didn’t mean anything by it, but I still tense up upon hearing the word “love.” Alistair must have sensed it because he stops to look at me.
“Is everything okay?” he asks.
Not wanting him to see the angst in my eyes, I pull the dress over my head, tossing it to the side before getting rid of the bra. My plan works, and his gaze quickly drops to my chest. Like a kid presented with a buffet of candy, he reaches out to the girls with eager hands, kneading them before playing with my tight nipples. He pushes my body gently onto the massive bed and leans over me, bringing one nipple to his hot mouth while his hand plays with the other.
I don’t know how long he spends lavishing my breasts with attention, but when he finally brings his face level to mine, I’m so close to the edge, one simple nudge will be enough to send me spiraling over.
He must have read the raw need in my gaze because he quickly jumps off the bed to retrieve a condom from the box on the nightstand. I’ve never seen a guy put protection on so fast in my life. Before I know it, Alistair is back between my legs. He brings one of them over his shoulder, rubbing the head of his cock against my entrance.
“Just a warning, Goldi. I might not be gentle,” he says gruffly.
“Good. Don’t.”
He enters me with a swift move, and I get lost in oblivion.
Alistair and I have sex three times before he collapses next to me, dead to the world. I, on the other hand, can’t fall asleep at all and decide to get out of bed just before sunrise. I pick up my clothes and put them on as quietly as I can, not wanting to wake him.
Once fully dressed, I take a moment to stare at Alistair’s sleeping form, committing every detail of his body to memory—the wide shoulders corded with muscles and the sexy ass that I made sure to scratch a little last night. But most importantly, I pay close attention to his face, partially hidden in the manner he’s sleeping, on his belly with one arm folded under his pillow. His expression is peaceful and vulnerable at the same time.
