Secret Pleasure (13 page)

“What’s all this?” he asked, sitting down on the chair.

“I thought the room needed a little freshening up. Besides, how else am I going to seduce you?” She smiled down at him. He noticed then that she wasn’t wearing her normal dark scrubs. Instead, she wore a light-colored skirt and a cream-colored top. One of her creamy shoulders was exposed as the shirt hung off it in a seductive arch.

“Honey, you don’t even have to try. All I need to do is look at you to want you. Come here.” He took her hand and pulled her down until she sat across his good knee, then he reached up and put his hand into her hair and slowly pulled her down until their lips met softly.

He’d thought about kissing her ever since the last time. Remembering how soft her lips were did little to quench his appetite. She smelled better than the candles that were burning around the room. Her hair was soft in his hands, and he couldn’t help himself from rubbing his fingers across the soft skin under her ear.

She moaned into the kiss and leaned closer to him. He felt her perfect breasts push up against his naked chest, then her hands were on him and he released his own moan. He felt her shiver when he traced the line of her neck with his mouth.

Her hands were pulling the robe off his shoulders. The tie was still tied around his waist, but she had successfully opened the top half to view him. His mind and mouth were busy, running his tongue up and down the column of her neck. She tasted so good, sweet, like honey. He pushed her shirt down and exposed her other shoulder as he continued moving his hands and mouth over her. She leaned back and ran her hands into his hair, holding him to her.

When he pulled her shirt down far enough to expose her, he was very excited to find that it was just her underneath the silky top. Her nipples were already hard, and he couldn’t stop himself from dipping his head and tasting her there.

“I want you so bad,” she whispered into his ear.

“God! Me, too.”

“Dante, I don’t want to hurt you.”

“This damn leg.” He pulled back and thought of the logic of having hot sex with a metal bar just above his knee. Not to mention that his shoulder was still supposed to be in a sling, though he hadn’t put it back on after the shower. He had most of the movement back in it, and only wore the sling when he was walking so he didn’t forget and move it wrong.

“Do you trust me?” She put her hands on his face and looked into his eyes.

He smiled and nodded his head.

“Good, come over to the bed and lay down.”

“You’re the boss.” He stood up and she helped him hop the few feet to the side of his bed. Before he could sit down, she walked over to him, and with her eyes on his, took the tie to his robe and undid it. Then she ran her hands over his stomach, up his chest, and over his shoulders, pulling the robe off as her hands ran down his arms.

He watched her lick her lips and saw her eyes zero in on his arms and chest. When the robe dropped away, her eyes went to his crotch and she licked her lips again.

“Mmmm, I’m going to enjoy this. Sit on the edge of the bed. Be careful with your leg.”

He chuckled. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”

His hands went to her waist as she stepped closer. The skirt was soft and he ran his hands over her hips and rear as she leaned closer and kissed him again. He roamed lower, running his hands over her soft legs and lost himself in the silky, smoothness of her skin.

“Touch me, Dante,” she moaned as her hands ran over his arms and stomach.

He pulled her skirt up until he found that she was bare there, as well. He moaned into her mouth and took the kiss faster and deeper. Then she wrapped her fingers around his length as he found her with his fingers, and they both moaned.

She was hot and slick and he wanted to be inside her quickly. She moaned and leaned her head back, exposing her chest to him. He reached up and pulled her shirt aside, then took her into his mouth again.

He slipped one finger into her and she fisted her hands into his hair. Holding him to her perfect breasts.

“God! I need you, Airlea. Please.”

She pulled back and reached into his night stand, removing a condom. “Let me,” she said when he reached to take it from her.

She opened it and slid it on him slowly, expertly. Then she turned around, and facing away from him, reached back and held him as she slid down on his full length.

He couldn’t think. Couldn’t move. She was tight and felt so good as she slid up and down. He reached around and took hold of her breasts as he kissed the side of her neck. She supported herself on his good knee with one hand and the other covered his hand on her chest.

She moved slowly at first, her hips swaying, and then as her pleasure built, she picked up the pace. He reached around and found her slick heat and played with the tight nub there. She threw her head back and came just before he lost his own control.

He must have fallen back on the bed, because a few minutes later, he felt her lift his bad leg up onto the bed. He opened his eyes and smiled at her.

“I’m normally not this tired after sex.”

“You don’t have to explain anything. I can only imagine how tired you must be now. You’ll build up your strength again.”

“God, I hope so!”

He scooted up on the bed and patted the spot next to him. She shook her head at him and frowned a little.

“No, I need to go and stay in own room.” He watched her straighten her clothes and hair before she walked to the door. “Good night, Dante.”

He watched her go and wondered why he wanted her to stay with him, in his bed, so badly.

“
A
re you sure you’re going to be okay?” his mother asked for the tenth time.

“Mom, I’m almost twenty-eight. I think I can handle a week on my own. Besides, Dad and Airlea are still here; it’s not like you’re leaving me all alone.”

“No, I know that. I just worry about you. You’ve been through a lot in the last few weeks.” When he gave his mother another look that told her she was being ridiculous, she continued, “Okay, fine. I know you’ll be fine. Florentina and I will be back in a week.” It was their annual trip to Venice and the spa, something they’d been doing together for as long as Dante could remember.

He watched as his mother left the room, looking excited. It was the one time of the year the women actually enjoyed spending time together. Usually they tolerated each others company. The weeks leading up to and after their short trip, however, both seemed to be happier than normal.

He supposed it had something to do with pampering themselves, but tried not to think too hard on it. His father actually enjoyed having his sister gone for the short week. She was normally the one running the house, but since his mother’s return, she’d stepped down and had been very quiet about the changes that had been made. Dante knew it was due to his father’s influence.

It was weird, his aunt had always treated her older brother more like he was a king. Like he could do no wrong.

He remembered hearing his father talk about their parents once, Dante’s grandparents. Dante never got to know them since they had died in a fire when he was three. But his father had said that they had been strict and had taught them to always follow the code of the old ways: a man was the head of the house and not to be questioned. He was just happy that his father hadn’t enforced that rule with him.

Actually, the only one who had been strict with him growing up was his aunt. She had even demanded he go to the finest schools. Thinking about it, she was more of a mother figure than his own mother had ever been.

It had been a week since he and Airlea had found some time alone that night. She had worked him physically in other ways since then. She’d forced him to walk everywhere. He’d walked to the garage, and had even walked the short path to the olive grove, which had been a huge challenge. He’d cursed her up and down that day. She had just laughed at him and told him to stop being a baby.

She’d had him start putting weight on his leg, though he could only put fifteen percent of his weight on it. She had him doing leg exercises that not only hurt, but made him look like a girl. Looking down at his leg, he couldn’t really complain. His leg muscle had turned very soft, very quickly after the accident. His left leg had looked skinnier and a different shade than his other leg, but now he could feel it was getting stronger and more defined again. In two days it would officially be one month since his accident, and Airlea said that she had a surprise for him. He didn’t know what it was, but waiting those two days was going to kill him. He was like a child wishing Christmas would come sooner.

Now he was thinking that they had a whole week together without his mother or aunt underfoot. He tried to think of something special to do for her. If he were in the city, and if it wasn’t for his broken leg, he would have rushed out and bought her flowers or jewelry. He’d always been one to dote on the women he dated. He actually enjoyed picking out gifts for them. He especially liked picking out jewelry.

Each woman was like a puzzle, and he saw the hunt for the perfect item as a game. He thought about Airlea. She wore a gold chain around her neck with a charm on it. She also switched between gold and silver earrings. Because of her job, she’d didn’t wear a lot of other jewelry. Then his mind cleared. He already had the perfect gift; he just had to walk down the hallway and open his father’s safe to get it. The question was, how was he going to do that without alerting her?

Since the attack, Airlea had stopped taking walks, and she normally hung around his room most of the day. Once a week, she’d take her laundry downstairs to wash. But she normally did that on Wednesdays. Today was … He looked around and realized he didn’t know what day it was. Flipping open his laptop he saw that it was Wednesday. His luck was holding out. He thought that if he timed it just right, he could make it to the end of the hall and get the item out of the safe before she came back up from the laundry room.

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he used his crutch and made his way down the long, tile hallway. When he made it to his father’s office, he was shocked to see his aunt sitting behind the desk.

“I thought you and Mom had left already.”

“No, we’re leaving in just a few minutes. What are you doing out of bed?”

“I needed to get something out of Dad’s safe. Besides, I’m supposed to be up and about now.” He walked over and leaned heavily on the back of one of his father’s leather chairs. He would never admit it, but he was tired from the short walk.

“What do you need out of your father’s safe?”

He raised his eyebrows and looked at her. She was sitting behind his father’s desk, using his father’s computer like a pro. He hadn’t even realized that she knew how to do anything work-related. She’d never shown interest in the family business before. But he supposed she might have taken part in the business at one point or another. Maybe after his grandparents had died?

“I’m getting Nonna’s watch. The one on the chain.”

“What do you want with it?”

“It was given to me in her will.”

“I know that. I’m asking why you want to take it from the safe now?”

“Oh, I’m giving it to Airlea. I wanted to give her something to show my appreciation for all that she’s done.”

“You will do no such thing!” His aunt stood up and he watched her face turn an almost reddish purple color. “We are paying the girl to do a job; your appreciation is in her check every week.”

“Aunt Florentina, calm down. Nonna left me that watch to do what I want with it. And I want to give it to Airlea.” He watched her storm from the room without another word.

Walking over, he flipped back the bookcase and opened his father’s safe behind the hidden wall. The watch sat in the same silk case and in the same spot it had all his life. Flipping open the lid, he looked at the small silver ball. Reaching in, he picked it up and flipped it open to see the face of the clock. Its simple, yet elegant design showed quality. He wound it and the hands started moving and keeping time, made him smile.

His Nonna had wanted him to have the watch for a reason. She’d left it to him in her will so that he would give it to someone he cared about deeply. Looking down at the small silver disk in his hands, he realized he cared for Airlea more deeply than he’d ever cared for anyone else in his life.

The watch was made for her. It was small and elegant. Its silver chain and small ball shape would easily fit around her neck, so she could keep it tucked under her scrubs. Plus, it was stylish enough to be worn out for the evening. Which gave him another idea. For this one, he’d have to enlist the help of someone else. Just then, his father walked in with his aunt on his heels.

“What’s this all about you taking Nonna’s watch out?”

“Oh, Dad, there you are. Just the man I wanted to see.” Dante ignored his father’s question and the daggers his aunt was shooting at him with her eyes.

She had to step up her game. This was too much! Now he was giving that girl Nonna’s watch. How dare he. She walked out to the car to wait for Kathleen to come out. They were supposed to leave minutes ago, but as always, Kathleen was dragging her heels.

She needed to do something drastic. She had to get the girl out of the house. Maybe while she was gone, she’d do some research into her and see if there was anything useful in her past.

Then she looked over next to the garage and got a wonderful idea. Yes, maybe she would enjoy her week away after all.

Airlea walked back up to her room with her laundry basket in her hands. Her freshly cleaned clothes were neatly folded and stacked in the large white basket. When she passed Dante’s room, she peeked in to check on him and noticed that he was fast asleep.

When she walked into her room, she noticed her silver dress was laid out on the bed with her black heels sitting next to them. She’d forgotten she had packed them. She’d only brought them along in case she had a chance to make it into Rome for dinner one night. There was a folded white paper laying on her dress. Walking over to it, she opened it and read the very masculine handwriting.

You are cordially invited to dinner in the main dining hall tonight at eight pm. –  D

She smiled and fingered the smooth paper. So, he had decided he could make it downstairs for dinner, after all. Well, good. Picking up her silver dress, she held it close to her. She might just enjoy having him all to herself this week.

At five minutes til eight, she walked downstairs, feeling nervous. She didn’t know why, but she did. Trying to shake off her nerves, she stopped at the bottom and took several deep breaths.

For god’s sake, she’d eaten dinner with him for over a month up in his room and hadn’t felt anything. Shaking her head clear, she continued down the hallway to the large dining room.

When she entered, she was shocked to see the room lit in candle light. The large table had been moved and replaced by a smaller round one, which was covered with a white cotton tablecloth. A small bouquet of flowers sat in the middle with two sets of white and silver china place settings. Four taper candles were lit and sitting in the middle. Then she heard the music. It was soft and subtle and flowed through the room. There was a fire going in the large fireplace, which removed the chill from the room. Everything looked cozy and very inviting. The small couch had been moved to sit in front of the fireplace for a warm atmosphere after dinner.