VANESSA
I hear the front door slam and jump slightly at the sound. When I turn, Mateo is walking in, his black hair tousled, the sleeves of his white button-down rolled up. He tosses his jacket onto one of the barstools and comes straight for me, cupping my face and pressing a desperate kiss to my lips.
“Well, hello to you,” I murmur.
“Hey,” he says, smiling down at me.
“How was Gino’s?”
“It was fine,” he replies, brushing it off. “But I don’t want to talk about your brother right now.”
Before I can say anything, his hands slide to my hips and turn me toward the counter. He lifts me up until I’m sitting on the cool white marble.
“This dress is killing me,” he says, eyeing my dark green sundress.
I yelp when he hikes it up, the back of my thighs hitting the cold surface. My arms loop around his neck as he steps between my legs, his mouth moving over my neck and shoulders. Heslips the thin straps of my dress down and cups my breasts through the fabric, my nipples tightening instantly under his touch.
He tugs the dress lower, and my breasts spill free. He takes one nipple into his mouth while his hand works the other, making my back arch as I brace myself on the counter behind me.
When he looks up, his eyes are dark with desire, edged with something I can’t quite read. In one swift motion, he pulls off my panties and drops them to the floor. He unbuckles his belt, frees his cock, and pushes into me, stealing the breath from my lungs.
His rhythm is urgent, deep, and I can’t stop myself from moaning his name as he moves inside me.
His gaze locks onto mine, and it reminds me how deeply I’ve fallen for this man. Sometimes he feels so closed off, but in moments like this he’s wide open. The look in his eyes is all love and longing, like he doesn’t want this to end. What we’ve built over the last few weeks goes far beyond sex. We spend more time talking and watching TV than anything else. The sex is incredible, sure, but the way I feel coming home to him makes everything else even better.
His voice pulls me out of my haze. “I really do love this dress on you,” he murmurs.
I giggle. “You do, huh?”
“God, yes.”
His thrusts quicken, and I feel us both tipping over the edge, coming apart together in the same breath. He pulls out and grabs a washcloth from one of the kitchen drawers, handing it to me. I clean myself up and slide off the counter.
“Even though that was insanely hot,” I say, “something obviously happened at Gino’s, didn’t it?”
“Yeah,” he admits, “but I don’t want to talk about it yet.”
“Yet?” I study his face. “Mateo, what’s going on?”“I just don’t want you to be mad at me for something I can’t control.”
“This has something to do with that deal, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.” He steps closer and gently backs me against the counter, kissing my forehead. “It’s not something I want to do, but someone has to. As the attorney, it makes sense for me to go.”
“Go where?” I ask softly, my hands sliding around his waist.
“Italy.”
“Italy?” I blink. “I thought you were joking yesterday. I wasn’t expecting it to be you.” I let go of him, the disappointment hitting harder than I expect.
He cups my face, his thumbs brushing my cheeks. “I know. I’m hoping I won’t be gone long.”
“How long?”
“We’re still figuring that out, but probably at least a few weeks.”
“Weeks?”
“Yeah. I’m hoping for one, but that’s not realistic.”
