Secret Pleasure (9 page)

“Dante?”

“No, don’t. I’m okay.” He smiled down at her. “Let me, I just want to please you.”

She watched him with her dark eyes as he bent his head and took her nipple into his mouth again, his right hand roaming her body and lightly playing over the lace panties she wore. He rubbed her softly through the light material until he felt the moisture through the lace.

Her hips moved up and down with each stroke of his hand. Her hands fisted in his hair as he kissed his way up her neck and back to her soft lips. Then he pushed the lace of her panties aside and touched her silky skin. Her shoulders jumped off the mattress as she moaned into his mouth. He rubbed her slick, soft skin until finally he dipped one finger into her heat and had her coming in his hands.

When he felt her stop convulsing, he moved his hand up to her chest and rolled her nipple between his fingers. Her eyes opened and he watched her as she ran her hands down his chest and pushed him onto his back. Slowly, with her eyes on him, she pulled his shorts lower until his erection sprang free.

“Mmmm.” She smiled at him, then shocked him as she leaned down and took his entire length into her mouth smoothly, licking him as she moved up and down. He leaned his head back and kept eye contact with her as she pleasured him.

He’d had his share of women in the past, but none had ever been this good at what she was now doing to him. She was using her hands and mouth and he didn’t think he could hold out much longer.

“Let go, Dante, just let go,” she said against his heated skin.

How could he deny her? Why would he want to? Just then lights exploded behind his eyes and his entire body tensed as she pleasured him to completion.

Dante fell asleep immediately, and Airlea couldn’t blame him. She knew that he had overextended his energy that day. They were lucky they hadn’t hurt him. He was halfway laying on his damaged leg and shoulder and she was afraid that if she tried to roll him over, she might wake him, or worse, cause him pain.

She lay there for just a few minutes, watching him sleep. His dark eyelashes and mouth were mesmerizing, and she couldn’t seem to look away. Her eyes traveled over his body and she marveled at how great of shape he was in. She knew some people with major injuries like this let their bodies go. She’d have to add some other exercises into his daily routine. Knowing how much he could handle allowed her to make sure she pushed his limits.

Slowly, she moved to get off the bed and gather her clothes. She’d enjoyed the release—no, she’d needed it. She wasn’t one to ever deny her needs and knowing that they were on the same page as far as not wanting anything more personal allowed for a wonderful outlet. Making sure she turned the lights down, she peeked out the door to make sure no one was in the hallway. It was darker there as she made her way the few steps to her room without incident.

Smiling, she deciding to treat herself even more that night and went into the bathroom to run hot water for a bath.

A
irlea was in a dead sleep when she heard the thud. She jolted from the bed and listened, then her mind registered moaning and she rushed from the room, down the hall, and flew through Dante’s door.

Seeing his bed empty, she ran to the other side and saw him looking up at her through the darkness. Rushing to switch on the nearest lamp, she asked. “Are you okay? What happened?” Seeing him lying face down on the rug, still bare naked, she bent down to help him up.

“Get your hands off him!” She hadn’t heard his aunt move into the room, and she was shocked when her arm was yanked back and she was pushed a few feet away. “I told you to leave him alone, now look what you’ve done. No doubt he’s ripped another stitch out fooling around with you.”

Dante’s eyes were huge as the woman pulled him from the floor. His mouth opened and closed a few times and Airlea watched with some humor as he tried to shield himself with his good hand from his aunt’s view.

“Aunt Florentina, we weren’t doing…”

“You be quiet now, I’ll have my say. This woman is standing in your bedroom in that outfit in the middle of the night and you are not going to lie to me and tell me you weren’t doing anything. I won’t stand here and have you lie to me. No doubt it’s her fault you are on the floor.”

The older woman’s face was red and her voice was so loud that the whole house could probably hear every word. Her long gray hair was tied back in a loose braid and her night coat was zipped up to her chin. Airlea questioned if the woman had ever been pretty or if she’d just quickly gone from a young woman to an old maid. That got her wondering if she’d ever been with a man and what kind of man would have her.

She watched as his aunt helped him sit back down on the side of the bed. He quickly covered himself with the sheet and blanket and was no doubt silently wishing for his bathrobe.

Airlea walked over and took it off the hook and handed it to him, then turned and addressed his aunt. “Miss Cardone, I was in my own room when I heard Dante fall. I got in the room seconds before you did. I assure you, up until a few minutes ago, I was resting peacefully in my own bed.”

“You expect me to believe you? Dante?”

Airlea saw Dante question it. The last time he’d seen her she was lying naked next to him, happily pleased. He turned to his aunt.

“I simply fell while trying to go get a glass of water. For a minute I had forgotten my injuries. That’s all. Besides, my private affairs are none of your concern.” Of course, he made this statement right as his mother and father came rushing into the room. Airlea closed her eyes and took two deep breaths.

“What is going on here? Tina?” Damiano asked, using his nickname for his sister. Airlea wondered if anyone else had ever called her that, but by the look she gave her brother, she wondered how he even got away with calling her that.

“This
nurse
has seduced Dante and because of their rowdy behavior, he has ended up on the floor, hurt. By the looks of him, he’s in a great deal of pain. No doubt she’s forgotten to give him his pain medicine again.” The woman walked into the bathroom and Airlea could hear her hunting around the drawers.

“Dante, are you in pain?” Airlea asked.

“I wasn’t, but that fall jolted my leg some. Do you think it’s all right for me to have another pill yet?”

Airlea looked at her watch and calculated. He’d eaten enough that day and it had been over two days since his last dosage.

“We should be fine.” She walked into the bathroom and wasn’t surprised to see his aunt still hunting through the other drawers. Airlea slipped the gold chain over her neck and unlocked the drawer. She took out one pill, placed the bottle back in the drawer, and locked it. Once she put the chain back over her neck, she walked to the sink and filled up a glass with water, all under the close eye of Florentina. Airlea could feel the woman’s stare burning into her back.

When she walked back into the room, Kathleen was sitting next to her son, checking his bandages. It was almost time to remove them completely and let his incisions breath.

“Here, Kathleen, let me do that.” She walked over and handed Dante his pill and the glass of water. “It’s about time we stopped putting bandages over his incision points anyway.”

She sat and took over the task. “Well, nothing ripped this time. They actually look quite good. No doubt when we get the staples out tomorrow the doctor will be pleased.”

“Well, as long as you’re okay, son, we’re going to head back to bed. Florentina, go back to bed.” Damiano didn’t even look back as he and Kathleen w
a
lked from the room. Florentina followed them quietly. At the door she turned and kept her eyes on Dante.

“Be more careful. I wouldn’t want someone to get hurt.” Then she turned and left, making sure to leave the door wide open.

Airlea looked at Dante. “I really was in my room. I left shortly after…” she nodded her head in silence. “I took a bath and was fast asleep when I heard you hit the floor.”

He reached out and touched her hair, which was still damp from her bath. “I know.” He smiled.

“Then why did you look like you questioned me?” She swatted at his hands. “You got me in trouble with your aunt. Didn’t I tell you she warned me to stay away from you?”

He smiled, “Yes, but I can’t help but defy her. Plus, it was very nice seeing you blush.”

“I did not blush!” She reached up and took the glass from him.

“Yes, you did. I think I’ll have to see you like that more often. Let’s see…” he reached up and scratched his chin. “What else can I do to cause your cheeks to flame?” He reached out and grabbed her and had her lying over his lap then his mouth was on hers. The kiss was fast and potent and she couldn’t help but melt into it, into him. “There it is, your whole face glows when I kiss you.”

She smiled at him. “I like being kissed.” She pulled back and looked at him. His hair was messy and she wanted to climb in bed with him, next to his warm body, but she looked towards the open door and sighed.

He noticed her look and said, “Later.”

“Yes, later. We need to focus on getting you on your feet first.” She got up from his bed and straightened her silk nightgown.

“Have I told you that green is my favorite color?” he said, looking at her.

She looked down and remembered that after her bath she’d put on her silk nightie. She hadn’t even bothered to grab the matching robe before she’d run into his room. She watched as her nipples peaked through the light material. Looking back at him, she saw that he had noticed and a large smile spread on his face.

“Airlea, go lock that door.”

Her mouth went dry at his look. No man had ever made her feel so wanted just by looking at her before. She was standing a few feet away, and felt that if he continued to look at her like that, she would burst into flames on that very spot. Blinking a few times, she started to back up towards the door.

“I – I think I’d better go back to my room, before your aunt comes back.” She turned and left the room. When she made it back to her own room, she leaned against the door and tried to get her breathing under control.

She knew he was in pain still and his mobility was limited, but she couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to be with him. Lying in her bed, she drifted off thinking about what it would be like.

“No! I’m not going to do it.” If he could, he would have stomped his foot.

It was the next day and Airlea wanted him to go down the stairs. His father and two hired hands stood there ready to help.

“Dante, you can do it. You need to get those staples out and you need to go into town to do that.”

“I’m not going to try to make it down those stairs. I’ll send for a doctor to take them out.”

“You’re being childish.” She stood looking down at him as he sat in the bed. His clothes, which she’d helped him dress in earlier, were quickly getting wrinkled. It had taken almost twenty minutes to get his pants and shirt on him, and she knew it would take almost that same amount of time to get them back off at the doctor’s office so the staples could be removed. “I suppose you could use the cane or they could try carrying—”

“No!” He glared at her and, holding onto the nightstand, he stood and held out his hand for her to grab a hold of.

“
Slow down, just go slow.” She watched as Damiano stepped forward and took Dante’s arm, allowing his son to lean on him.

They made their way out the doors and down the stairs. She held her breath as he took the first step, but they found a pattern and made it to the bottom where Kathleen and Florentina were waiting with nervous looks.