Propositioning the Rich Italian (9 page)

He nodded. “I will order room service for us while you use the bathroom.”

She disappeared into the bathroom, and he ordered their breakfast. He pushed back the covers as the door opened. As he made his way to the bathroom, he was careful not to get too close. She was pure temptation, and as much as he wanted to drag her back to bed, she needed time to recover.
 
 

* * * *

Tierra nodded, watching him as he climbed out of the bed. A glimpse of his firm backside was all she received as he stepped into his pants, but it was enough. She studied him as he made his way to the bathroom, trying to reel in the naughty thoughts that wanted to surface. Instead, she closed her eyes and tried to relax.

She needed to get her emotions back under control before Antonio rejoined her. Shortly after he closed the door, a knock sounded out. A quick look through the peephole revealed room service arrived. She opened the door, standing aside as the attendant wheeled the cart in the room. The woman moved efficiently, opening the curtain to the balcony and setting breakfast up before disappearing again. When Antonio opened the door, Tierra stood there waiting for him.

“Breakfast is here.”

He smiled.
“Buon
”

She stepped out on the balcony with him close behind. She grinned as he made her sit while he uncovered the plates. Her smile widened at the sight of the pancakes, bacon and sausage on her plate. She moaned in appreciation when he uncovered a plate of fried eggs for her. “What would you like to drink?”

She chose the espresso because she fell in love with it yesterday morning. He poured her a cup and added a few lumps of sugar and cream. Several moments of silence passed as they begin to eat.

“Tell me about your family.”

She gave him a genuine smile because she loved her family. “My parents are wonderful people. They support me even when they don’t completely agree with my choice. I don’t know what I would do without them. My brother, Hayden, is four years older than I am. We used to be close, but lately things have been strained between us.”

Tierra paused to take a sip of espresso. “Not in a bad way. He is just going through a lot right now. Unfortunately, he lost his wife and unborn child.”

Tierra couldn’t keep the note of sadness out of her voice. She loved her brother. He was her best friend. The person she could talk to about anything, at least until recently. Now her brother didn’t do much talking at all, and she missed it. Missed the closeness, his sense of humor.

Not wanting to cloud the day with sad thoughts, she turned her attention back to Antonio. He studied her intently, making her want to fidget, but she refrained.

 
He smiled at her. “You like the coffee, no?”

She looked at him and nodded. “I have never had coffee tasting as exquisite as this.”

He took a sip of his own drink. “I am glad you like it.”
She took the last remaining bite of her pancakes, knowing she shouldn’t. At this rate, she would go back home with an extra five, possibly ten pounds on her if she didn’t slow down.

Unfortunately, Antonio tempted her by placing some of the best tasting food in front of her. She would need more exercise to counter the food she consumed. Her thoughts went to last night. She flushed and took another sip of her espresso before staring deeply into the cup. No way could she look at him now, not without wanting to drag him to the floor of the balcony to have her way with him.

“What are you thinking about,
cara
?”

She knew by the tone of his voice she been busted again. Trying her best not to look him in the eyes, she shook her head.

“Nothing,” she stammered, hating that she couldn’t be dishonest to save her life. She could hear the smile in his voice when he spoke.

“For some reason,
cara
, I don’t believe you.”

He moved closer to her, and she hurriedly sat her cup down. The last thing she needed to do was burn either of them with hot liquid. He reached for her hand, and it chose this inopportune moment to start shaking.

“You seem nervous,
cara
.”

“I am,” she replied

“
Perché
? I would never do anything you don’t want me to.”

She gave him a deadpan look. “That’s what scares me.”

He laughed, and she couldn’t help but smile herself, certain she sounded ridiculous, but it was true. He made her nervous because the things she would consider doing with him could only be defined as bad. When he placed a kiss on the back of her hand, she felt it all the way to her toes. Once again, she was getting into dangerous territory and she knew it.

“What do we have planned for the day?

He gave her a sexy look. “I’m thinking we could spend the day in bed.”

* * * *

Her eyes widened, and he smiled at the deer-in-headlights expression. “After yesterday I figured we could use some rest and relaxation.”

She gave him a look of disbelief. “And just how do you plan on doing that?”

He knew thoughts about last night raced through her mind, but he truly did plan on spending the day in bed undisturbed. It was a great day to take it easy. He wanted her as relaxed as she could be before she met his family tonight. There was no denying how huge of a step this was for him. She would be the first woman he ever considered bringing around his family, the only woman he ever would if he could help it. If he gave his family this one thing, he would be able to find as much incentive as he needed to keep Tierra from walking away from him when their two weeks were over.

“I thought we could lie in bed and relax. Maybe talk about our respective lives.”

Her expression told him she didn’t believe him. He couldn’t blame her. The rude erection he sported since he came out of the bathroom and saw her standing there in his shirt waiting on him couldn’t be more evident. Still, he knew she had to be sore from the gingerly way she sat and stood, and it would be insensitive for him to push himself on her.

He would give her time to recuperate before he showed her that kind of pleasure again. Frankly, it was already a struggle. After having her body wrapped so snuggly around his, it wasn’t something he would forget anytime soon. Still, he had enough self-control to keep his passion under restraint.

Her expression full of indecision when she spoke. “You thought the two of us would lie in bed all day?”

He nodded. “I thought it would be a great idea. As a matter of fact, hang on a second.”

She watched as he stood up and headed back into the room before pulling the sheet off the bed. He made his way back out onto the balcony. She watched with puzzlement as he laid the sheet on a chaise chair in the corner.

He pulled the large umbrella over next to it. When he finished, she saw what he’d done. He’d given them a shaded and very comfortable spot to rest in. When he held out his hand to her, she took another sip of her espresso, then walked over to join him. He lay down first, lifting the corner of the sheet so she could join him. She snuggled closer to him, surprised they were actually getting a cool breeze. The heat could be stifling. She looked up at him as a concerning thought crossed her mind.

“Can anyone else see us?”

He shook his head. “These balconies are designed to look out not in. But that is also the reason why I covered you with the sheet.”

His confidence reassured her, as well as a quick glance around the balcony. She hadn’t noticed it before now, but it was designed for privacy as he said. Laying her head on his chest, she smiled. “This is a very beautiful hotel. It is one of the reasons why I picked it.”

“I am glad you think so, and I am glad you chose it. My mother’s grandparents bought it from the prior owner when it had almost been in ruins. Over the years, they turned it around. My mother, being an only child and my parents wanting to retire in order to be able to enjoy their senior years, threw me and my siblings into the ownership role.”

He paused, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. “With a lot of hard work and dedication, my siblings and I turned the three star hotel into a five star deluxe. Yes, a lot of time and money have been put into the effort, but the return and success we have received because of it is worth it.”

“Do you enjoy what you do?”

He nodded without hesitation. “Yes, I do, but there are times when I realize something is still missing.”

She stared at him with puzzlement, trying to figure out what a man like him could want when it seemed liked he had everything.

“What is missing?”

“Someone to share it with.”

Chapter 8

Tierra took a deep breath as she dialed her parents’ number. She was already nervous over going to meet Antonio’s family. Her mother answered on the third ring.

“Hi, Mama.”

“Hey, baby.
How are you?”

She smiled at the soothing tone of her mother’s voice.
“I’m good, Mama.
How are things there?”

“They are getting better, although Quincy had the nerve to show up here yesterday.”

Tierra shook her head. The man did have some nerve to show up at her parents’ house after leaving her for another woman, especially when that woman had been her best friend.

“Luckily, Hayden left just before his arrival, but I still had to talk your father out of getting his gun.”

She couldn’t help but to laugh. “You probably should have let him.”

“Well, as tempted as I might have been, your father wouldn’t survive in prison.”

She chuckled, knowing her mother had a good point. “Well, I hope you told him to get lost and never come around again.”

“We did, but I don’t think he will listen until you tell him.”

“Well, I will as soon as I come home from vacation.”

Her mother remained silent for a few moments. “Are you having a good time?”

Tierra laughed at the question. She replied without hesitation. “Yes, Mama, I am. I really am.”

Her mother paused, and Tierra could tell she wanted to say something, but her mother refrained.

“That is good, dear. Just promise me you are being careful.”

“I am, Mama, and I will.”

She knew her parents were worried about her being in another country by herself.

“I am going to let you go, but your father wants to speak with you.”

“Okay, Mama. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

She waited as her mother went in search of her father. When her father’s voice came over the line she, felt a twinge of sadness, but quickly pushed it aside, instead choosing to talk to him about her trip in Rome and the things she done so far, leaving out the part about Antonio. Her father was the last person to whom she should mention Antonio. Unfortunately, she became distracted when Antonio walked out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his slim and toned waist.

The rest of her conversation with her father became a blur, and by the time she hung up, her mouth felt dry. Her gaze followed him across the room before she watched him get dressed. She was certain it should be sexier for a person to get undressed, but watching Antonio get dressed quickly changed her mind.

“
Cara
?”

Her eyes met his, which were full of humor. She realized he
’
d spoken to her while she’d been busy drooling over him.

“What did you say?”

His smile widened. “I asked if everything is okay with your parents.”

She nodded. “They’re fine.”

He gave her a knowing look “Are you okay,
cara
?”

She managed to nod before standing up, needing to put distance between them before things got out of hand.

“I’m fine,” she stammered before trying to make her way toward the bathroom. He reached out to stop her, and she felt a jolt of electricity travel up her arm, his smile utterly wicked.

“I don’t believe you,
cara
.”

Sadly, she didn’t believe herself, either. If nothing else, her stammering was a dead giveaway. She looked up as he neared her.

“I think we are going to be late,
cara
.”

Her eyes widened when she grasped the meaning behind his words. She shook her head. There was no way she would be late to his parents’. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out why. She shook her head again, before attempting to pull away from him.

“We can’t be late.”

His gaze became more wicked. “Sure we can,
cara
. My family would understand why we’re late.”

She winced, but luckily the statement killed all thoughts of passion she had. “That would be the problem.”

Antonio’s expression changed to one that could only be described as dangerous. “My family would never disrespect you,
cara,
and if they do, you tell me.”

His expression told her she would never have to take him up on the offer. He brought her out of her musings by placing a kiss on the back of her hand.

“Go get ready,
cara
. What I want to do you right now can wait until after dinner. I definitely wouldn’t want to rush our pleasure.”