CHAPTER TWELVE
“We can’t do this.” If she made love with Sandro—if she had sex with Sandro—it would change everything. Even if this was supposed to be a casual fling, it would forge a bond of deep intimacy between them and the experience would stay with her for life.
How could it not?
Sandro didn’t respond in words. Instead his lips closed over her hot flesh, his cool tongue flicking over her clitoris until her legs shuddered.
“I said—” Her words faded to a whimper as a movement of his tongue made her hips buck and her body shouted, Yes! Yes. Yes. Yes. She climaxed without him even entering her, as his tongue drove her beyond the point of madness.
She felt her belly quiver with the contractions, but instead of relief she had a sudden fierce urge to feel him deep inside her. She pulled him up by the shoulders, and, eyes opening just long enough to roll on a condom, he entered her swiftly but gently.
The sensation almost unhinged her. She climaxed again as he filled her, pushing gently in as she opened up to embrace him.
What was going on? She’d only had an orgasm twice during sex with Howard. With Sandro she’d had two before he was even fully inside her.
He layered hot kisses on her neck as he started to move, filling her with hot new sensations that shivered to her fingers and toes. Already her heart filled with feelings for this strong, gentle man who’d done so much to transform her lonely Christmas into a festive occasion she’d never forget.
Who’d braved a rising flood for her. Who didn’t even seem mad that she’d broken a vase over his head. He was a unique, warm and intriguing guy.
Who just happened to be a royal prince.
Her third climax swept through her, convulsing her muscles and tightening them around him. She felt him explode inside her, a deep groan peeling from his mouth. “Oddio!”
She wrapped her arms tight around him, holding on to his hard muscle, trying to ground herself in the sweeping sea of sensation and emotion that tossed her.
When they finally caught their breath, he cracked open his eyes. “What were you saying?”
“I have no idea.” She blinked. Of course it was a terrible idea. A huge mistake. A moment she’d live to regret, possibly for the rest of her life.
“What did you say?” she asked, wondering about the strange word he’d uttered.
“I said something?”
“It sounded like Oh-dyo.”
“That’s Italian for I think you just blew several of my sturdier gaskets.” He grinned and kissed her cheekbone.
Sizzling pleasure mingled with regret at the realization that she’d just had the best, most exciting and satisfying sex she was ever likely to enjoy.
With a man she barely knew and whom she would probably never see again.
A recipe for disaster. Especially if you were a sensitive, romantic, wait-for-the-ring type of person whose heart was already smarting and sore from recent devastation.
But that didn’t stop her from doing it again.
And again.
Until the three-pack of condoms from Sandro’s shaving kit was gone and they had to put their underwear back on to act as impromptu chastity belts.
Whining from outside the door reminded her of Lucky, who must have woken from his nap. She managed to summon enough energy to stagger to the door on shaky legs and let him in, then lift him on top of the covers.
“Oh. Lucky, I’m glad you didn’t see what we got up to.” She could barely talk. Her whole body was wrung out and limp from her intense last release.
“Hey, Lucky, welcome in, buddy. This is the best Christmas of my entire life,” rasped Sandro. “And that’s saying something.”
“I can’t believe we haven’t even checked the weather. The ocean waves could be lapping at the windowsills behind these storm shutters for all we know.”
“And right now I wouldn’t notice or care. What time is it, anyway?”
She hunted around for her phone, buried on the floor in a pile of their clothes. “Four-thirty A.M. It sounds like the storm is winding down. The wind isn’t as loud as it was earlier.”
“Either that, or we’re in the eye.”
Serena climbed back into bed with him. There was no sense trying to see outside until dawn. Nothing they could do. What was done was done. She crawled into his arms and rested her head on his broad biceps.
Am I in the eye of this storm? She felt so calm, like all of this was meant to happen. She was meant to be here, in this house, in this man’s arms, on Christmas morning.
Which didn’t make any sense at all.
“Get some sleep.” His soft murmur filled her ear.
Good advice. “Okay.” She needed to get some rest before the sun came up and revealed what kind of devastation had been wrought both on the landscape outside—and in her heart.
“Hey! Anyone in there?” Pounding on the front door downstairs made her sit up and clutch the bedcovers.
She prodded sleeping Sandro. “Someone’s here!”
He leaped out of bed and tugged on his pants, then dived down the stairs before she could even get her pants done up. She pulled her shirt back on and followed him. Two men in florescent safety gear over damp fatigues and waders stood in the doorway. She could see through the open door that though the first few feet of lawn by the door were dry, the water lapped just beyond them.
“They’re here to evacuate us.” Sandro looked up at her.
“Isn’t it a bit late for that?” She didn’t really want to go anywhere. The rain had stopped, though menacing gray clouds still hung low as she approached the door.
“We got everyone out of this stretch of woods two days ago. The entire island is under an evacuation order.” The taller man looked stern.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t arrive until late the day before yesterday. The weather was fine.”
He shook his head. “The roads are under water for miles around. Only way out of here is by boat.” He tipped his had back and scratched wet hair. “And they say there’s snow on the way.”
Can’t we just stay here? She wanted to ask the question but knew better. “I’m sorry we dragged you out here on Christmas day.”
“They saw the car from a surveillance helicopter.”
She peered out the door. Sandro’s car was on the street, submerged halfway up the doors. “Oh. The rental company won’t be too happy about that.” She’d put hers in the garage, where hopefully it was still high and dry.
“Why would anyone leave a car out in a storm when there’s a three-car garage on this house?”
He’s a prince. She wanted to explain but again wisely kept her mouth shut.
Whining at the top of the stairs tugged their attention to Lucky, who didn’t know how to climb down. “And we have a dog,” she said, running to get him. “He has to come with us.”
The second, even surlier man sighed. “Of course he does.”
As the outboard motor cut through dark flood water, past floating timbers and broken branches, Serena held on to Lucky. “But what about my car?”
“You won’t be allowed back to get that until the water recedes. It could be days. Weeks.”
Serena blew out. “I guess I’ll just have to go with the flow.”
Sandro leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. “Literally and figuratively.”
Her heart filled. Despite the chaos and devastation around her, for once she didn’t feel adrift and lost. She felt safe, with Sandro.
“Merry Christmas, Sandro.”
“Merry Christmas to you, too, my beautiful Serena.”
THE END
Read more about Serena and Sandro’s romance in .
The Royal House of Leone Series:
(Darias and Emma)
(Free)
(Sandro and Serena)
(Lina and Amadou)
(Beatriz and Lorenzo)
(Rigo and Bella)
If you’d like to read about Sandro’s friend Zadir Al Kilanjar and his love story, check out his stories (FREE!) and in the Or if you’d like to read about Sandro’s chef friend Louis, his story is in in the series.
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