Seven
“When you said you got a babysitter and were taking me out today, I kind of imagined things going differently.”
Luca laughed at Claire and pulled the Land Rover into the dim parking lot of the marina. It was just before sunrise, and the sky was a dusky gray with a hint of pink on the horizon. “What were you expecting?”
“I don’t know. A spa day? Maybe a nice dinner or walking around town shopping. At the very least, leaving the house after the sun had risen.”
“We may still do all that. We’ve got all day.”
Claire glanced at her watch and nodded. “We certainly do.” She looked out at the boats in the marina with a curious expression. “Are we getting on a boat?”
“Maybe.” Luca parked the car and got out. When he opened the door to let Claire out, her frown was pinching her brows together. “Okay, yes. We’re going out on a boat. You really don’t like surprises, do you?”
“It’s not that I don’t like them, per se, I’m just not used to them. At least not good ones.”
“I’m going to change that.” Luca took her hand and led her to the dock. There, waiting for them, was a small crew on a catamaran.
“Good morning, Mr. Moretti. Are you ready to go see some whales today?”
Claire’s eyes were wide as she took the sailor’s hand and climbed onto the deck of the ship. “We’re going whale watching?”
“That’s where I’m going,” the captain said. “Since you’re on my ship, that means you are, too. We’re about to head out into some of the best and most diverse waters for marine life. If all goes well, we should see humpbacks, fin whales, a couple species of dolphins and, maybe if we’re lucky, a right whale. It feels like a lucky morning.”
Luca watched as the captain joined his crew in readying the ship for departure. “Have you ever done something like this before?” he asked Claire.
“No,” she said as she looked out at the gray waters. “I’m really excited, though. Are we waiting for some other passengers?”
Luca shook his head and turned back to watch the crew untie the mooring and start the engines. “No, it’s only going to be us this morning. I reserved it just for you and me.”
Her eyes widened with surprise. “Just for us?” She looked around the ship. “That’s crazy.”
“I told you,” Luca explained, “that I wanted to take you out today so you could relax and enjoy yourself. Yes, I could take you to dinner or to a day spa, but I wanted to do something different.”
As the boat started to pull out of the marina, one of the crew brought them a flannel blanket. “Have a seat on the bench up front for the best views. Wrap up and I’ll bring out some coffee and fresh baked cinnamon rolls.”
They took their seats, and Luca wrapped the blanket around them. He put his arm around Claire’s shoulders and pulled her to his side. She snuggled happily against him, resting her head on his shoulder. It was amazingly easy to be here with her like this. She seemed to fit perfectly in the crook beneath his arm, as if she was meant to be there.
Taking a deep breath, he drew in the salty scent of the air as it mingled with Claire’s fragrance. Luca leaned in closer, pressing his lips into the crown of her head with a sigh. Combined with the gentle rocking of the ship, it was incredibly soothing.
After about ten minutes of quietly cutting through the calm seas, the crewman brought them coffee and warm, gooey cinnamon rolls. They ate quietly as they watched the sea around them. They were just finishing up when one of the crew shouted, “Two o’clock!”
Luca and Claire both stood and turned in the direction he was pointing. The sky was lighter now, burning away the early-morning fog. They could just make out the spray of a whale surfacing in the distance, followed by a dark hump rising out of the water. A few minutes later, they were rewarded with a stunning sight as the humpback whale leaped from the water and crashed back down in a spectacular splash.
Luca tried to focus on the amazing sight, but his gaze kept drifting back to Claire. She was totally immersed in the moment, her lips parted softly in unexpressed awe. This moment was memorable, but more so because she was here with him.
Lifting the blanket, he wrapped it around himself, then Claire, snuggling her back against his chest. She leaned into him, her eyes never leaving the water. They stood like that for nearly an hour, watching a pod of dolphins go by and one whale after the other surface. They didn’t spot an elusive right whale, but they saw a pair of fin whales and a couple more humpbacks. The whales didn’t breach again, but he and Claire were entertained with displays of tail lobbing and slapping of their pectoral fins on the water.
As the ship headed back to the marina, Claire turned in his arms to face him. “That was incredible,” she said. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
“They were amazing, but they weren’t the most beautiful thing I’ve seen.”
Claire snorted at him. “I’m sure being a billionaire has opened doors to plenty of things more beautiful than this, but this is probably as good as it gets for me. Second only to seeing Eva for the first time.”
“My money has nothing to do with it,” Luca argued. “In fact, most of the things I see in my day-to-day life are quite tedious. At least until I met you. You are by far the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
Claire squirmed uncomfortably. “Luca...” she complained, but he wouldn’t let her.
Luca pressed a finger to her lips and shook his head. “No. No arguing with me. I know better what I’ve seen and what I think than you do, thanks.”
Her cheeks flushed pink and her eyes focused on his chest. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m just not used to hearing things like that. It never feels sincere to me.”
“I know, you’ve told me that before, but you need to get used to it because I’m not about to stop. I never say anything I don’t mean, tesorina, so accept a compliment for what it is. If I say you’re beautiful and I desire you above all else, I mean it.”
Her mouth fell open again. Her gray eyes, so much like the water around them, met his. “You desire me?”
“I said it, didn’t I?”
“I know.” Claire bit at her lip, a line of concern forming between her brows. “I just can’t help but wonder if a physical relationship between us is a bad idea.”
“It probably is,” Luca said with a laugh. “I told you I was honest, Claire, not smart.”
* * *
“I don’t know how I’m ever going to adjust to real life again.”
Luca laughed at Claire as he unlocked the door of the house. “How’s that?”
As though he didn’t know what he’d done. “You’ve utterly spoiled me for reality. You take me to this beautiful island and let me spend my days listening to the waves and eating your amazing cooking. There’s no alarm clocks, no bills to pay, no calls to take...”
They stepped into the house, shut the door behind them and slipped out of their coats. The cottage was dark and quiet, so Mia and Eva were already asleep. Luca wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to whisper in her ear. “And what’s wrong with that? You deserve to be spoiled.”
Claire hesitated to respond as the heat of his touch burned through her dress. Her body was pressed provocatively against his. She wasn’t sure if it was the physical contact or his seductive words, but suddenly the chill of the night was gone. A heat built deep inside her, spreading through her veins. She looked up at him, getting lost in his dark eyes.
“And then today...” she continued, pulling away and moving to the staircase.
“I thought you had a good time today,” he said, following her upstairs.
“I had an excellent time today. The cruise and the whales were amazing. Walking around Edgartown and Oak Bluff was so relaxing. And then our meal at the Red Cat was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten.”
Luca reached the top of the stairs and hesitated. An annoyed frown pulled down the corners of his mouth. “Better than my cooking?”
She wasn’t getting caught in that trap. There was no right answer to that question. “They were completely different culinary styles. There’s no comparison and I refuse to try.”
Luca approached her again. This time, when he wrapped his arms around her waist, he held on tight enough for her to not escape so easily. Claire didn’t shy away from his touch. Instead, she let herself melt into his body, each of her soft curves pressing into his hard muscles. She wouldn’t lie to herself and say that it didn’t feel good to be held.
She was beginning to wonder if Jeff had ever held her like this. The simple glide of Luca’s hands over her back had more tenderness, yet more intensity, than any man who had touched her before. She felt sexy and alive with him, valued by him, and she hadn’t felt that way in so long.
His dark eyes focused on her, making her wonder if he knew what she was thinking. His fingertips pressed into the flesh at her hips, leaving no doubt that he wanted her. They’d danced around this whole moment since they’d arrived at the island. Luca had gone out of his way to charm her, to reduce the stressors and barriers in her life that would keep her from enjoying herself. Claire had fought it the whole trip, but she was tired of fighting what she wanted. Now was her moment to indulge.
“Tell me, what is so bad about all of these things I’ve done for you today? Am I not allowed to treat you to a nice time?”
“You can do whatever you like. It’s just hard to have a day like that because I know this isn’t what real life is like. Before too long, I’m going to go back to Brooklyn and cook my own dinner again. There won’t be a beautiful beach out my window, and I won’t wake up to the sound of waves crashing on the rocks.”
“You can have anything you want. You just have to ask, tesorina.”
She wondered what he meant by that. Her mind instantly leaped ahead to a life together, where he’d give her a beach house if that was what she wanted. That, of course, was a ridiculous fantasy brought on by their discussion on the boat and a little too much wine. He wasn’t offering anything but an optimistic point of view. She decided to focus on something else instead, before she embarrassed herself. “Luca, what does tesorina mean?”
He smiled as he looked down at her. “It literally means treasure in Italian, but it’s a term of endearment that is used like we would use sweetheart or honey in English.”
Her breath caught in her throat when she heard the definition of the name he’d called her from their very first day together. “Why do you call me that?”
His brow furrowed. “Because that’s what you are, Claire—both a treasure and the sweetest, most passionate creature I’ve ever met.”
She couldn’t hold back any longer. Those words were a stronger aphrodisiac than any food she could imagine. Lunging forward, she met his lips with her own. She wrapped her arms around his neck to tug him closer to her. Claire felt his hands glide over her rib cage and along her waist. She wanted more. She wanted him to touch her all over.
She pressed her body against his. She could feel the firm ridge of his desire pressing into her belly. Rubbing against it, she drew a low growl from Luca’s throat. Feeling bold, she let her palm graze over his chest, dipping lower to stroke him through his pants.
Luca ripped his mouth from hers, reaching out quickly to grip her wrist and pull her away. “Claire,” he nearly groaned. His whole body tensed as he struggled to keep control. “Don’t. I can’t take it. I want you too badly.”
“Then take me. Please, Luca. I want you to make love to me. I want you to show me what it feels like to be with a man who truly desires me.”
She watched him close his eyes for a moment and draw a deep breath in through his nose. When his eyelids rose, there was a heat in his gaze.
Her hand was trembling as she reached for his. Before she lost her nerve, she turned and walked toward her bedroom. Mia had moved Eva’s playpen into her room tonight, so they had the space all to themselves.
Without turning back to face him, she reached for her dress and started fumbling with the buttons down the front. Claire could feel the heat of Luca’s body at her back, but he didn’t touch her. At least, not yet.
She let the top of the dress slip from her arms to pool at her waist. Luca’s breath was hot on her nape as he moved in closer and pressed a searing kiss on her bare shoulder. The contrast sent a shiver down her spine that met with his fingertips as he gathered the fabric in his hands and pushed it over her hips.
The sundress pooled around her feet, leaving her in nothing but her underthings. Claire held her breath as Luca unlatched her bra and slipped the straps from her shoulders. He let it drop to the floor, immediately covering both breasts with his hands.
Claire gasped and arched her back to press her body closer to his touch. She could feel her nipples tighten and harden as his fingertips stroked over them. He continued to sprinkle kisses across her bare shoulders and neck, the combination of touches building a raging fire in her belly.
“Luca,” she gasped as he rolled the peaks between his fingers. She wasn’t entirely sure what she was begging him for, but she knew he could give it to her.
He responded by gliding his palm across her bare belly to the edge of her panties. She tensed as he moved over the skin that hadn’t quite bounced back from having Eva, but he didn’t seem to notice. Luca was focused on his destination. Without hesitating, his hand slipped beneath the satin and stroked across her sensitive center.
Claire gasped, but his firm grip on her body wouldn’t allow her to squirm away from the intensity of his touch. “Sì, bella,” he cooed in her ear from behind as he moved relentlessly over her slick skin.
She felt her thighs start to tremble beneath her. Claire wasn’t certain how much of this she could take. She might collapse into a puddle right there at his feet. “Not yet,” she whispered between ever more urgent cries.
To her relief and disappointment, he pulled his hand away before it went too far. Instead, he hooked his thumbs around her panties and pulled them down her legs. Now she was completely naked. Thankfully, she wasn’t alone in that. She heard the rustle of fabric behind her and turned in time to see Luca slip out of his shirt.
She reached for his belt and unfastened his pants. Luca stepped out of his remaining clothes and took a step toward Claire until their naked bodies were just barely brushing each other. He cupped her face in his hands and dipped his head to kiss her.
His desire for her was barely restrained as his mouth met hers. This was a kiss that had built up during their time together here. His tongue sought hers, tasting and teasing her with his lips. Claire met his intensity, nipping playfully at his bottom lip. The bite elicited a growl in the back of his throat. He moved his hands to her hips and slowly guided her backward through the room until she fell onto the bed.
Claire crawled across the mattress until she could lie comfortably. Luca followed her, kissing and touching every inch of her as he moved up the length of her body. He paused to hover over her, his erection pressing insistently against her inner thigh. He lowered his head to kiss her again, then stopped.
Looking down at Claire, there was a flash of panic in his eyes. “Please tell me you have a condom with you.”
A condom? Claire froze at the thought. She didn’t have any. She hadn’t used them since before she got married. “I don’t. Don’t you?”
“No, I didn’t exactly plan for this to happen. Hold on,” he said, climbing from the bed and dashing into her bathroom. “Bless you, Gavin,” he shouted before returning to the bed with a foil packet in his hand.
Claire finally let out the breath she’d been holding. Thank goodness. She didn’t want to stop now. Even the slightest hesitation might let reality rush in and ruin the moment. The odds of them conceiving were virtually nil, considering they’d met via a fertility clinic, but that wasn’t the only worry. It had been a long time since she’d dated, but there had been plenty of things to catch then and now.
She dropped her head to the pillow as Luca sheathed himself and returned to his place between her thighs.
“Now, where were we?” he asked with a grin.
Claire reached between them and wrapped her fingers around his length. She pulled him just to the point of penetration and stopped. “Right about there, I think.”
Luca nodded and pressed forward slowly. Claire closed her eyes, absorbing the feeling of having a man inside her after so long. Her muscles tightened around the invasion, making Luca hiss and clench his teeth as he buried himself fully inside her.
He continued moving at a slow and deliberate pace, drawing out the pleasure. Claire had been nervous about doing this after all this time, but that faded away once he touched her. She drew her legs up to cradle his hips between her thighs and let her body rock back and forth with his movements. The feelings he created radiated through her like shock waves of pleasure.
It wasn’t until she opened her eyes again that she realized Luca was watching her. Not just looking at her, but taking in everything. Seeing the pleasure dance across her face seemed to turn him on and make him bolder. He slipped a hand between their bodies and stroked between her thighs. Claire gasped, writhing beneath him as his fingers pushed her closer and closer to the edge. The more near her release came, the more forcefully Luca moved into her, making the climax build inside her even faster.
Luca had some kind of power over her. He seemed to know just how to touch her, just how to coax every sensation from her body in a way that should take a man time to master. All she could do was bite her lip and brace herself for it.
Then it hit her. The dam holding back the pleasurable rush inside her burst and she was swept up in it. “Luca!” she cried out, gripping at the sheets, but they failed to keep her from practically rising up off the bed.
Luca slowed down as Claire collapsed onto the pillows with heavy breaths. She felt as if all her energy had been zapped away, and she didn’t care.
He lowered himself onto his elbows, burying his face in her neck. The stubble of his beard scratched against her skin as he rocked against her and whispered into her ear. “Watching you come undone like that... Sei così bella, Claire,” he said. “Ti voglio così male.”
She had no idea what he said, but the curly, seductive words sounded so wonderful. “Yes,” she replied. “It’s your turn, now.”
Luca nipped gently at her shoulder, then dragged his lips across her throat before kissing her again. His gaze narrowed its focus on her again and one hand planted firmly on the curve of her hip. His fingertips dug into her flesh as he moved harder and faster than ever before. Claire felt every muscle in his body tense and at the last moment, his eyes finally squeezed shut. He roared as he poured into her with one final, powerful thrust.
And then he became unnaturally still in the thrill of the moment. She expected him to collapse or roll away, but he seemed to just freeze in place.
“What’s the matter?”
He swallowed hard, his throat the only set of muscles he allowed to move. “I think the condom has broken.” Luca reached over to the nightstand and picked up the wrapper. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he shouted, tossing it to the floor in anger. “This expired over a year ago.”
In a rush, Luca pulled away and before she could stop him, he disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door. Claire sat awkwardly on the bed, not quite sure what to do. Her first foray into a renewed sex life had suddenly gone off track without warning. She clutched the sheets protectively to her chest, ignoring the pleasurable pangs that still echoed through her body.
Luca came out a few minutes later with a tortured expression pinching his face. “It did break. I’m sorry, Claire. I should’ve looked at the expiration date. I was just so desperate to have you that I didn’t even think to look.”
Claire was pretty sure there’d never been a man so desperate for her that he would forget something like that. She wasn’t about to beat him up over it. There wasn’t much they could do now, anyway. “Don’t worry about it. I mean, I doubt I’ll end up pregnant, if that’s what you’re concerned about. It took me years and a medical intervention the last time. And I’m clean. They did all sorts of testing at the clinic and I haven’t been with anyone since then.”
“I’m not insinuating that you weren’t clean or even worried you’d get pregnant. That would take a miracle.” Luca slipped into the bed beside her and pulled her into his arms. “I’ve just never had one break before, so I’m a little rattled. It’s always been a hard and fast rule of mine to wear one. I’ve never been with a woman without it. I’m sorry.”
Claire nestled into his chest, feeling a little better now that he hadn’t fled the room like the scene of a crime. “You didn’t know it would break. Everything will be fine, I’m sure of it.”
Luca brushed her damp hair from her face and held her close. “You’re probably right. Let’s just put it out of our minds and get some rest. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the store.”
“The store?” Claire questioned.
“To buy a box of new ones. I’ve only just begun to worship this body, tesorina.”