CHAPTER 8
Kate had barely sat down again at the dining room table and caught her breath, when she heard the front door close and Enrico come into the room. He took his seat and glanced at her plate. It remained almost untouched.
“Are you not hungry?”
“I am.” She took a hasty forkful of the now-cold risotto. “I was just waiting for you.” She paused, then asked, “Is everything all right with your cousin? I heard raised voices.”
“From here?”
She flushed. Stupid! She shouldn’t have mentioned it. There was no way she could ask questions about what she’d heard.
“We must have been louder than I thought,” he said. “It is nothing. Just a disagreement on a business matter.” He studied her carefully. “Are you unwell? You look feverish.”
Kate cursed her red cheeks. “I’m okay, really.” Though she really wasn’t. Could she trust this man? Had he lied about everything?
He rose from his seat and walked over to her. Placing one of his hands on his own forehead, he extended his other hand toward hers to check her temperature. “May I?”
She nodded, feeling foolish. Really, would a Mafia don give a crap if she had a fever? She felt his cool palm press against her forehead. He frowned. “You seem a little warm.”
“I’m fine. No shivers, no stomachache. Just a little headache.”
His hand dropped from her forehead to caress her cheek, his fingers skimming over the bruises Vince had left. Then his thumb traced over her swollen lip, his face darkening. “I could kill him for this.”
Kate felt a jolt. Did he mean that? He looked so grave. She didn’t want him to do something foolish; he’d already taken enough risks for her. “I’m okay. Just a little beat up. I’ll be fine in a few days.”
He crouched down beside her and took her hands in his, resting them in her lap. “I am sorry I was not there earlier, to spare you this pain.” His hands squeezed hers. “I will protect you from now on. I swear it. You will never be unsafe again.”
Kate’s throat constricted painfully and tears threatened to spill down her cheeks again. Jesus, how did he know just what to say? This man who looked at her with such tender eyes couldn’t possibly be a mobster. Certainly her faulty Italian was to blame for what she thought she’d overheard.
Enrico leaned forward, one of his hands going to the back of her chair, the other releasing her hand and cupping her knee. He was now just inches from her, his eyes darkening with care, with… desire. Kate inhaled in surprise, her body suddenly on alert. He smelled sharply masculine, like citrus and pine trees mixed together, a hint of something that was all him underneath. He was too close, much too deliciously close. Her heart hammered out of control. She should stop this. She was still married, even if her husband had tried to kill her.
Enrico let go of her knee and placed his fingers under her chin, tilting her mouth to meet his. Kate stiffened, but after his lips touched hers, she relaxed. She did want this. After all that had happened today, she needed a distraction. And Enrico qualified as a big distraction. As well as a big “fuck you” to Vince. After all, why should she feel any loyalty to a man who wanted her dead? A man who’d called her a whore?
And so what if Enrico was thinking about marrying someone else? All the better. She had no intention of staying here, with him. She wanted out of Dodge, as soon as possible.
And, since Vince already thought she was fucking Enrico, why not do it for real? Enrico was certainly handsome enough. Drop dead, as her cousin Terri would say. But she wasn’t planning to marry Enrico or have a future with him, or—
Enrico pulled back from the kiss. “Was it that bad?”
“No, no.” She blushed.
“But you did not enjoy it.” He sat back on his heels. “I promised I would not push you, and yet I have done so. I apologize.”
She put a finger on his lips. “Stop.” Placing her hands on his cheeks, she urged him toward her. “Let’s try that again, shall we?”
This time she forced herself to stop thinking, forced herself only to feel, only to hear. The satiny brush of his lips across hers, the touch of his hands on her face, his fingers tracing her cheekbones. The groan low in his throat when she opened her mouth to his, when she let their tongues touch. He groaned again, the sound more urgent when she opened her mouth wider, her tongue swirling around his.
He pulled her up from the chair, his large hands gliding down to her ass, cupping the cheeks and crushing her to him greedily. When she felt the bulge of his erection against her belly, a warm tingle ran through her, zinging down between her legs. She rubbed against him.
My God, he was an amazing kisser. And if she wasn’t mistaken, his body was going to be amazing too. He was all hard slabs of muscle and sinew, granite next to her softness. She ran her hands across his wide shoulders and down his back, unable to resist squeezing his ass. It was hard enough to bounce a quarter off. Jesus. This was going to be out of this world—
He broke the kiss, both of them breathing fast. She looked up at him, confused. Why was he stopping?
“Are you certain you want this?” he asked. “A lot has happened—”
“I’m sure. Very sure.”
His lips curved into a slow smile. “Then we need some place more private, yes?”
She grinned up at him in answer, letting him lead her down the hall. When they reached the staircase, he swung her up in his arms, making her laugh. “Put me down! You’ll kill yourself carrying me up there.”
“I do not think so.” He mounted the steps with ease. “I take good care of myself.”
“So you do,” she said when he put her down at the top. He was barely breathing harder. Good God, what a man. If only Vince could see her now. She wished she were taping this. Then he would see her with Enrico, then he would know how much she was enjoying herself. Then he would know she didn’t love him anymore. Not one bit.
Enrico shut the door to his room behind them, a hush falling over the enclosed space. He hadn’t bothered with the lights; enough moonlight came in through the open curtains to bathe the room in a silvery glow. Dio, she was beautiful. And she was his. Finally his.
He could scarcely believe she’d agreed to this, that she was letting him have her. But she’d said she was sure. Very sure. And the way her mouth moved under his, the way she’d pulled him to her, the way she’d ground her hips against his, they all said she was sure too. He hoped she wouldn’t regret this later. He knew he wouldn’t.
He placed his hands on her shoulders, kissing her again. Madonna, he could kiss her all day. She had a wonderful mouth, her lips plump and inviting. He could feel the swelling in her lower lip from Andretti’s slap. Andretti would pay for that. He slid his tongue over the lump, tasting her, soothing the hurt. She whimpered. Was she in pain? He hesitated, then she melted against him. No, not in pain, not at all.
He kissed down her neck, gratified by her soft exhales, her little moans, her sharp intake of breath when his lips touched the base of her throat next to her collarbone. She clutched him to her, her hips grinding against his, her high round breasts pressing into his chest. He had to touch her, had to get her out of these damn clothes. He started to unbutton her blouse, but she brushed his clumsy hands away and worked on the tiny little buttons herself. “Take your shirt off.” Her voice was a husky whisper.
“Brilliant idea.” He watched her face as he took off his shirt and gathered from her widened eyes that she liked what she saw.
Enrico was as magnificent as she’d guessed. Flat, firm pecs lightly dusted with dark hair, a tight six pack of abs that bunched as he moved, his obliques making a perfect V of his narrow waist. Damn. He definitely worked out. A lot.
Kate pulled her shirt off. He closed the distance between them, his big hands cupping her breasts, pressing against the peaks of her nipples through the lace of the black bra. He palmed her breasts for a while, then his fingers circled in until he was tweaking and pinching her stiff little nubs, sending shivers down her body. He undid the front clasp of her bra and hungrily mouthed her nipples, sucking on them, softly at first, then tugging on them with his teeth.
The combination of pleasure and pain turned her legs to rubber and made her moan. She sagged against him, but he didn’t stop the torture until she pushed him away. She was so wet her panties must be soaked through. My God, Vince had never evoked such a reaction in her. He’d always been so rushed, so rough. How could she feel so damn good, just from a man’s mouth on her breasts? A thrill ran through her as she thought about what Enrico’s mouth could do lower on her body. That was something else Vince hurried through.
As if he read her mind, Enrico dropped to his knees in front of her and unzipped her skirt, letting it fall around her ankles. She stepped out of it, kicking off her pumps, and he ran his hands up her legs, his fingers skimming along the sensitive skin of her inner thighs, his touch teasing. He grabbed her buttocks, supporting her as his tongue and lips traced circles across her belly, his tongue darting occasionally under the top edge of her panties. Lower, lower, she thought, opening her legs a little. He laughed against her skin, and spread his large hands across her bottom, squeezing lightly, his fingers toying with the crack of her ass through the thin satiny cloth of her black panties.
“Oh for God’s sake,” she finally hissed. “Will you just—”
“Do this?” he asked, slipping a finger under the edge of her panties and stroking it up along her cleft, making her knees buckle at the touch.
“Yes.” She breathed the word, spreading her legs wider.
He laughed again and pushed her toward the bed. When she reached it, she fell back, opening wide for him. He mouthed her pussy through the fabric for a few moments, then peeled her panties down, slipping them off her legs and kissing along her inner thighs as he did so.
He breathed in the scent of her arousal, his cock twitching. He loved the spicy musk of her. Blowing on the short curling hairs of her pussy, he enjoyed how she squirmed and panted, how she spread her legs wider for him, soundlessly begging for his mouth. He lowered his lips to her right leg, licking a path along her inner thigh that made her moan. When he came to her pussy, he parted the lips so he could reach her clit, sliding his tongue across the little nub, back and forth, delicately at first, then rougher when she pressed up to meet him. “Don’t stop,” she moaned. He loved her little pants, her helplessness, her greediness for the pleasure he wanted to give her.
He reached down between his legs and palmed himself, feeling how stiff he was through his trousers, trying to give himself a little relief. If only he had known he was going to end up with her tonight, he’d have taken the edge off that morning in the shower. It was taking all his control to go slow. He didn’t want to rush this. Not at all.
He lazily ran his tongue up and down the length of her, dipping it inside her pussy, and when she moaned even louder at that, he slipped first one, then two fingers in her. “Yes, yes, fuck me with your fingers,” she gasped, raising her hips, her hands clenching the sheets. There it was again, that wicked, sexy word he’d never heard her say before today. Fuck. The rawness of her language heightened his own need. He flicked his tongue across her clit, then settled in with firmer strokes as her breathing sped up. He slid his fingers in and out of her, faster now, deeper, harder, until her moans were practically sobs. He listened to her sounds, concentrating. He wanted her to come. Hard.
Kate bucked with her climax, feeling as if her whole body had seized with pleasure. She had never felt such delicious, prolonged, unmitigated bliss, had never had a release that shuddered through the whole core of her body. She caught her breath and collapsed back against the bed, breathing as if she’d been running. She heard a rustling of cloth, then Enrico climbed up onto the bed beside her. He was totally naked, pressed up against her side, the hard length of his cock making her curious. She sat up on her elbows and looked down. Oh. My. His cock matched the rest of him. Magnificent.
Biting her lower lip, she touched him. He moaned when her hand closed around him, and he thrust into the circle of her fingers. “I cannot take much of this,” he panted. “It has been a long time.”
She gave him a naughty smile. “Just a taste then,” she said, and scooted down the bed so she could take him in her mouth. She loved the velvety skin covering his cock, the way it slid up and down over the steel beneath. She wanted to feel him inside her mouth, wanted to please him the way he’d pleased her. Wanted him at her mercy, as she’d just been at his.
Enrico hissed when she touched him with her mouth, a sound somewhere between surprise and pleasure. He could hardly believe this was happening; he’d never had a woman do that before. He’d seen it done in videos, of course, but Toni had felt the act was sinful; she couldn’t bring herself to do it, and he’d felt bad for pressing her. When Fiammetta had learned of his interest, she’d tried to use it as a bargaining chip, promising him such a pleasure after they were married. As if that would have changed his mind.
But now that he was experiencing this wonder, maybe it would have, if Fiammetta had given him a preview. No, that wasn’t true. The wonderful part wasn’t the act itself; it was the idea that Kate cared about his enjoyment as much as he cared about hers. Perhaps even, she enjoyed it as well. Was it possible?
Letting go of such thoughts, he surrendered himself to pure sensation, wanting to remember every second. The feel of Kate’s tongue was heavenly. She swirled it around the head of his cock, then flattened it and stroked it up and down the vein that ran in a ridge along the underside of the shaft. When she hit the sensitive spot just under the head, he nearly came. She pulled back for a second, then he felt her warm breath above the tip. He looked down, and the sight of his cock disappearing between her lips was entirely too much. He wanted her to keep going, wanted to savor the experience, but it was proving overwhelming in his current state. He had to have her. Now. If he waited, it would be too late. He pulled out of her mouth, and she gave him a puzzled look. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Not at all. But I am not going to last much longer.” He reached down and tugged her up, flipping her under him with a quick movement. Using his knee, he parted her thighs, then he grabbed her left leg and pushed it up in the air so he could get in deep on the first thrust. His weeping cock had just touched her entrance, he was just about to push in, when he remembered. “Do we need anything?” he asked, looking up at her, hoping the answer was no. He didn’t want to stop.
She hesitated at the question, abruptly thrust back into the real world by his concern. Was this really such a good idea? Maybe they should stop.
She stared at him for a second. There was such warmth, such tenderness on his face, she had to close her eyes. Had Vince ever looked at her that way? In the beginning maybe. They’d been happy once, hadn’t they? Tears gathered behind her eyelids. Enrico must have seen what was happening to her, because he lowered her leg and eased off her. She opened her eyes and seized his arm. “No.”
“Are you sure?”
She looked away for a moment. Memories of Vince intruded again. Their first date. The first time he kissed her. When he proposed. Then the menace on his face when he hit her in the office, when he pulled out the switchblade.
Her time with Vince was over. Done. There was no going back.
“Kate?”
Turning her head, she met his gaze. “Make me forget,” she whispered.
He stroked the side of her face, his fingers lingering over her cheekbone, then sliding down to her lips. “We should stop.”
Her throat closed up. His voice was so soft, so gentle, yet tinged with wistfulness. His tone told her that he wanted her but that doing right by her was more important to him.
Vince had never put her first. Ever.
She pulled Enrico close, kissing him. “No. I’m not letting him take over my life.”
Enrico cupped her cheeks in his hands, searching her face. “You are angry. Perhaps you are not thinking clearly.”
She put her hands over his, making her voice fierce. “I’m thinking more clearly than I have in a long time. I rationalized too much of his behavior. I let him make the decisions. I let him control my life. I’m not letting him ruin this too.”
He raised his brows. “You are certain?”
“As death and taxes.”
He smiled, then his lips descended on hers. The kiss was demanding, and she let out a low sound, which he echoed with a groan. He pushed her down on the bed, his mouth on her breasts, one hand between her legs, his stiff cock pressing into her thigh. He suckled her breasts for a few moments, then kissed up her neck. He stopped, breathing in her ear. “Do we need a condom?” he asked, his voice thick with urgency.
Since she’d managed to take her birth control pill that morning, she should be okay, at least until she could get more. His cock nudged at her thigh and she reached down between them to stroke it. “It’s okay. Don’t worry.”
“Grazie a Dio.” He parted her legs, then surged forward, burying his cock inside her. Gasping, she moved underneath him, widening her legs, forcing herself to relax so she could accommodate him. He felt so damn good inside her, stretching her, filling her up. She clenched her internal muscles experimentally, flexing herself around him, and he let out a loud groan. “That feels wonderful,” he panted. “But you must stop or I will not last.”
“As you wish.” She smiled, pleased that she could torture him a bit too.
He rose up on his knees, pushing her legs up toward her chest, almost bending her double as he started thrusting in and out, long vigorous strokes. Good God, he was in even deeper, if that was possible. His cock stroked something delightful inside her, again and again.
He did his best to hold off, listening to her breathing, trying to gauge how close she was. Dio, she felt good. So tight, so wet. So hot around him, clutching his cock like a fist. With a groan, he forced himself to concentrate. He wanted her to come again before he did.
After a time, her breathing turned more ragged, and soon she was keening, the noise getting higher and higher. When her cries peaked, a warm gush bathed his cock, and that throaty sound, that extra wetness, was all it took to send him over the edge right after her. He continued thrusting until his cock stopped pulsing, until she caught her breath and her quivers subsided.
Collapsing next to her on the bed, he inhaled deeply, trying to slow down his breathing. He rolled over to look at her. She nestled up against him, still breathing fast. “That was amazing,” she said.
He kissed her lightly. “So were you.” He lay back, putting his arm around her, pulling her close. Would it be mad to ask her to stay with him once this mess was settled?
Of course it would be. She was still married. And he was all but promised to Delfina.
On top of that, Kate didn’t know who he actually was. And if she did, how would she ever accept him? And then there were the Andrettis, circling them like jackals.
If he hadn’t already lost his head, he was about to.