I scream as a powerful wave of pleasure washes over me. My body quivers in the aftershocks as Gabriele continues to fuck me until he, too, reaches his climax. He pulls out of me and a moment later his warm seed splatters across my back. He collapses on top of me, his weight pressing me into the stairs.
I lie there listening to his harsh breathing for a moment, before I buck my hips, urging him to move.
He does so immediately. For a moment he sits on the stair next to me. He doesn't look at me.
"Do you feel better now?" I ask him.
"No." His voice is quiet.
"No." I struggle to my feet and pick up my dress which was crushed beneath me. "Neither do I."
With that I walk away, my dignity intact, but my heart breaking into a thousand tiny pieces. I don’t know what Adriano told him, what pain he’s nursing in that study but I know, for a brief moment, he let me close enough to feel it. That’s enough. For now.
EIGHTEEN
Gabriele
Katya emerges from her bathroom, wrapped in a white fluffy towel, and shrieks when she sees me on the bed. She's largely stayed out of my way since I fucked her on the stairs yesterday. I regret how carelessly I took her but I won't apologize.
We provoked each other and neither of us walked away feeling good about our encounter.
"Did I frighten you?" I ask.
"Yes, it's not every day I walk into my room and find a man on my bed."
"I would hope not." I aim for levity.
Katya cocks her head to the side and studies me carefully. "You're dressed differently." It's not something I'd expected to conceal from her. I am indeed dressed in an outfit I wouldn't normally wear. With practicality in mind, I'm wearing black cargo pants, a black long-sleeved t-shirt and combat boots.
"Where are you going?" There's a note of suspicion in her voice. I have no doubt she's worked out exactly where I'd be going dressed like this.
"We got a tip-off about Orlov. He and Andretti are at a farmhouse just outside of Frascati."
She purses her lips. "A farmhouse? You mean a house surrounded by open fields? That sort of farmhouse."
I understand where her concern is coming from. It wouldn't usually be the ideal location for an ambush.
Katya shakes her head. "No. You'll be too exposed. They'll see you coming a mile away."
The corner of my mouth lifts. "I forgot how clever my wife is."
The compliment doesn't land. She huffs out a breath. "You don't have to be Einstein to see this is a bad idea."
"It will be fine, dolcezza. We're going in the back of a truck. They're expecting a delivery of guns to use against us. They'll get the shock of their lives."
Katya rests her hands on her hips, still not convinced. "How big is this truck?"
"Big enough."
"To hold how many men?"
"A half dozen."
"And they have how many men?"
"Our intelligence suggests two dozen."
Her eyes narrow as she considers that.
