His eyelids lowered. ‘I like everything about you, top-of-head to tip-of-toe.Amore mio, sei bellissima.’ Then he reached for her and eased her close against his body, giving her time to rebuff him. When she didn’t, he touched his mouth to hers with tiny, tingling kisses. With a murmur, she leant into it, stroking his mouth with her tongue tip until he groaned and parted his lips in invitation.
The kiss felt like a promise. A new beginning.
She pressed her breasts against him, enjoying his growl against her mouth. Instantly, his erection was hard against her as they nibbled jawlines and nuzzled necks. His stubble rasped against her skin. His fingers dug into her buttocks as if straining to be ever closer. His muscles bunched and he lifted her onto the kitchen counter, sending a stray fork clattering to the floor. He touched and stroked her, pressing his hips between her open legs as if he could enter her through their clothes if he tried hard enough.
‘Not here, in the kitchen,’ he murmured, his breathing hot and fast.
She nodded, blinking. Her breathing was choppy, as if she’d run too far and was out of training. Maybe she was.
Tenderly, he stroked her hair back from her face. ‘Are you sure you want...?’
Again, more emphatically, she nodded, lightheaded with wanting. ‘I’m sure.’ Her voice emerged huskily. ‘If you are.’
‘Oh,I’msure!’ He answered as if her question was ludicrous. Then he surged against her to kiss her again, long and slow and searching, before gently lifting her down from the counter and leading her up the short hall to his bedroom. She’d seen it when Sheenagh had shown her around the villetta. Then, as Leo hadn’t unpacked, the room had been unlived in, white bedcovers assmooth and cool as icing. Now, the pillows were dented, a book lying face down on the sheets. A comfortably worn brown wallet sat on the bedside along with a laptop.
He reached out a long arm and closed the window blind, then turned to her, searching her face one more time as if checking for a change of mind. Then he eased down the straps of her dress so he could set his scalding lips on her skin, kissing and licking her shoulders, moving on to her throat, flicking his tongue into her cleavage with a groan. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, partly for balance, but also to enjoy the strength of him.
When he found her dress wouldn’t slip further down, she breathed, ‘Zip.’
‘Mm.’ Mouth travelling on to a spot at the crook of her neck that lanced hot desire through her body, he felt for the fastener that began between her shoulder blades and slipped it down with a softzzzto the small of her back. The fabric fell away to reveal her breasts in their pearly white bra, and he paused. ‘Bellissima.’ The dress drifted down her body, setting her skin afire where it touched.
She lifted her hands to his chest, stroking, acquainting herself with the broader, more mature version of the body she’d once known so well, sliding her hands into his T-shirt to stroke his skin, hearing his breath catch as he snatched the top over his head out of the way. His eyes closed to slits as she smoothed her palms over him, around to his back, his muscles quivering as she tongued his nipple.
‘Jade.’ He gasped, a note of hopelessness in his voice. ‘I want this to last for ever but...’
She laughed as he made short work of the rest of their clothes and pulled her down onto the cool bedsheets, where they explored with mouth and hands until she thought she’d cry if he wasn’t inside her soon. Finally, he pulled a condom from the bedside drawer and she was happy she didn’t have to call a haltfor the conversation about responsibility. She’d only slept with one man since Edoardo and wasn’t currently on the pill.
But her mind emptied as he began to edge inside her and a tidal wave of lust drowned out pragmatic thoughts. She surged up to pull him into her body. Joy and heat combined to whirl her off to a place where only the man inside her mattered.
Chapter Sixteen
On Monday morning, Jade awoke in her own bed feeling renewed and re-energised. Things had changed between her and Leo. On her side it was probably more than lust, but instead of worrying about whether he’d stay and what it would mean if he did, she chose to acknowledge only hope.
She’d taken a taxi home after midnight and fallen into bed with the delicious, heavy-limbed languor that follows hot, awesome sex. But, as she rolled out of bed to face another day, it was as if orgasm hormones had not only wiped out stress, but had made her mind sharp and capable. The changes in her life might be out of her control, but she could prepare to meet them.
Whizzing through a shower and then putting up her hair, she planned how to untangle her knotted life. Today would almost certainly be Vittoria’s last at Pensione Three Sisters, but Jade would not cry over that again. OK, she probably would, but not today. Today she’d be happy that her friends were opening fabulous new chapters of their lives, and invite Vittoria and Carlotta to dinner to say thank you for their long service and their love. Gran-like, she’d celebrate what they’d had rather than grieve its loss.
She hurried into the catering kitchen and tied her apron over her black dress. After breakfast, she’d register two vacancieswith the employment agency. Or maybe three, so they had cover in reserve – she was still undecided. Soon the pensione would enter new ownership and should do so on a proper footing. This summer, she hadn’t found a moment even to swim in the lake or take the ferry somewhere. What little leisure she’d grabbed had been snatched hours in busy days.
Vittoria and Carlotta arrived, wearing matching apprehensive expressions. ‘Buongiorno.’ Jade issued the dinner invitation she’d planned.
‘Perhaps in a couple of weeks? Angelo and I must pack this evening.’ Vittoria gave Jade yet another consoling hug.
Carlotta took her turn in the hug-queue. ‘Ludovica’s mamma wants to speak to us.’
Jade maintained her cheery smile, though deflated that her invitation had met no enthusiasm. ‘I sprang that on you, without thinking how busy you’d be. We’ll do it before Vittoria leaves Como altogether.’ Soon she was scrambling eggs and making coffee.
Later, in the office, she completed a submission form on a job-search site and then paid the fee. She emailed the temp agency in case they had an experienced worker available short term, but might as well have searched the breakfast pastries for diamonds. From tomorrow, Leo would come to Pensione Three Sisters to help, but it was a tricky time for him. He wouldn’t remain in his bank-induced limbo for ever and at any moment might have to deal with what eventuated.
For a minute, she stared out of the window at the people milling past. A week ago, she’d watched Geneva Gallo pass on the other side of the glass after she’d asked Jade for a job. Though she’d clearly been down-at-heel and down on her luck, Jade reared back from the idea that Geneva might be the temporary worker the pensione needed. So what had made her advertise for two employees, not three?
Gran and Nonno were the only blood relations to whom she’d ever owed anything.
But now she’d met her birth mother and half-sisters... However she felt about them, they existed. Facts of her life. Humans, with feelings, needs and wants. Shared blood. Slowly, she reached for her phone and navigated to theJoey’s kidsgroup. Do you know your travel plans yet? she asked.
Erin answered first, probably at a computer, rather than inside an animal costume as Rosalie might be.
I have to work till Sunday August 30th. It’s a public holiday Monday 31st so thought I might try to fly that day, if Mary the solicitor can arrange things for that week, and it suits you. Any good for you, Rosalie?
