Chapter Two
CHAPTER TWO
E DO B ENEDETTI HELD his breath as the incomparable, utterly unexpected Phoebe gazed up at him with heat simmering in her eyes. Not an English rose, but a snowdrop—an arctic blonde, so fair she’d be burned in minutes. Gorgeous, with her long limbs and not entirely frosty exterior, but totally out of place in this—his—part of the world.
‘All right, then,’ she breathed. ‘Tell me.’
‘Tell?’ Primal lust beat out primal caution and he moved closer. ‘Or show?’
Her teeth pressed on her lower lip and his tension surged to scorching. He’d felt terrible for colliding with her. How he’d managed to remain upright, he still didn’t know, but he’d been felled completely in another way by the woman he’d unintentionally sent sprawling. One look and he’d wanted her. One meal in her company and he wanted her even more. He released her wrists to unclasp his helmet, then hers. He dropped them both to the ground then gently cupped her face, because along with the desire he felt an equally strong level of protectiveness towards her.
It was crazy. It was also irresistible.
‘You wanted to touch my face?’ She sounded amused but her breathing was choppy and colour stained her pale skin.
‘To start.’ Honestly, he couldn’t look at her for long enough.
He knew her real wounds weren’t from their collision today but he didn’t want to pry—or prey —on whatever the cause of the shadow in her eyes was. Maybe they were both a little broken.
For him there’d be no fixing, certainly no forgiveness possible. He didn’t know why he’d even mentioned guilt. He lived a perfectly happy, shallow life ignoring his personal history as best he could. It was the only way he could live with himself at all. He couldn’t change the past: couldn’t bring back his brother, couldn’t be anyone other than his stunted self—so he kept his distance from relationships. He’d fudged another truth with her easily enough—she hadn’t realised the vineyard was his. She thought he worked there and he’d not explained because this was nothing more than a moment.
Sex. When had he had it last? Was it that long ago? He couldn’t remember. Didn’t care. He just wanted to get near to her and he’d come tantalisingly close to kissing her too many times already. It had almost killed him when he’d checked she’d not hurt her head. Her long, blonde hair had slipped like silk through his fingers while she’d stared at him with those big eyes—azure and clear, like the water of the Mediterranean’s best hidden beach. Her pouty, rose-coloured full lips had parted in tempting invitation. It had taken everything in him not to kiss her then. It was taking everything not to kiss her now. But she’d taken a bad spill and that was his fault and he needed to know she was sure.
He smoothed his thumbs along her jawline, unable to resist the caress, to feel her beauty, not just see it. Her skin gleamed like porcelain but it felt soft and warm, stunning . And now he just wanted to touch more— taste all.
She was unbearably fine-featured with her feline eyes, full, wide mouth, high cheekbones and dainty—delectable—ears. He ached to nuzzle those, to tease her with a nip of her petite earlobe before whispering all the things he’d do to her. He’d make her slender frame tremble, make her long limbs quake around him, make that pretty mouth part again but this time on a scream. He could, he knew he could. Because he could feel her trembling already.
‘Where are we?’ she muttered but didn’t take her focus off him. ‘Not at the cottage.’
‘You weren’t watching? I just took you on a scenic tour of the area.’
Then he’d circled back to this private spot on the estate because he’d not been able to let her go yet. Not when he’d felt her hold on him—her caresses. Edo wasn’t a worthy man. He was selfish. And he wanted this moment to last.
‘I had my eyes closed,’ she whispered.
‘You were scared? I wasn’t going fast.’
Her breathing quickened. ‘I wasn’t scared.’
Her luminosity intensified and he felt the warmth blooming beneath her lusciously cool surface. ‘You closed your eyes to focus on something else?’
She smiled and his pulse soared to meet her fire. Yes, she’d liked holding him on that ride, and he’d definitely liked her pressing that close—he wanted her closer still. But while there was clarity in her eyes now, he could go only so far. He couldn’t take total advantage of her shaken state.
Holding her gaze, he bent closer. She didn’t pull back, in fact she leaned in, her eyes alight with desire. Smiling, he gently caught her lips with his. Hers clung. In a heartbeat he tightened his grip, needing to be nearer still. He heard her soft moan and the last of his restraint unravelled. Gentle flared to passionate. Driven to touch her, taste her, please her, he dropped his hands to her body, hungrily exploring the soft curves hidden by her dress. He heard her gasp of longing, felt her hungry licks and hauled her closer—
His beautiful snowdrop didn’t melt. She combusted .
He inwardly cursed. He should have done this back at the estate where he could’ve taken her to a bed. But he could give her pleasure here—because that was all that mattered now. Hearing her moan, feeling her melt, holding her while she shook in bliss—
‘I’ll take care of you,’ he growled.
Somehow he promised her that, when he never promised anyone anything. But the spark had been there from the first. Now it exploded and now he could control nothing. He kissed her hungrily. Breath mingled as did moans, muttered half words of want. Her tongue delved, duelling with his. Hot. Willing. His arousal spiked. With increasing urgency, he kissed his way across her high cheekbone, down to her delicate earlobe where he gently pressed his teeth into the tiny treasure—insanely gratified when she groaned.
‘You like that? You want more?’
He nipped down her long neck, laved the fine collarbones beneath while she ran her hands over his head, holding him to her. Not that she needed to. He couldn’t tear himself from her heat if someone held a gun to his head. She’d gone from polite and restrained to wild and abandoned and he was here for it. He wanted her naked. Wanted her long legs wrapped tight around his waist while he pushed deep into her. He wanted her hot and soft and strong body around his. He didn’t want to just be closer, but to bury himself completely in her.
‘Yes.’ She arched against him, sighing, her body like fire.
The absolute surrender in her eyes crushed him. Breathless, he unfastened the first few buttons of her dress so he could feast his eyes—his fingers, his mouth—on the pale curve of her breasts. Her straining nipples needed his attention and he gladly gave it. Her sighs were like music, the rock of her hips a command.
He grasped her waist and slid her to the edge of the seat. Her dress was long and he rucked it up to get his hand on her thigh. He growled at the satiny feel of her skin and slid his palm higher, finding the edge of her panties, flicking to get beneath. Her moans rose in pitch and volume as he nibbled and licked her breast and let his fingers circle her sensitive nub before invading her slippery heat. She was wet and hot and it wasn’t enough. He wanted her wetter. Wilder. He wanted deeper. Wanted to see her, taste her, inhale everything about her in the moment she shattered—
‘Edo!’
So quick. So intense. The orgasm wracked her body. Her throaty cry was the sexiest thing he’d ever heard. Satisfaction thrummed through him in a spurt almost powerful enough to trigger his own release. He inhaled sharply, gasping to retain self-control while holding her steady.
‘Edo…’ She collapsed against his chest. ‘Oh… my …’
He spread his legs wider for balance and stroked her hair, trying to calm them both. He cursed his lack of preparation. The flush on her skin and the way she clutched his shirt almost destroyed the last little resolve he had but he wasn’t risking her. He would keep them both out of trouble. He cradled her, listening as her breathing slowed. Then she pushed on his chest and when he looked into her eyes, he knew he was in trouble anyway.
Because she didn’t look dazed. She looked alert, stunning, determined. The sensuality emanating from her actually weakened his knees. ‘Edo—’
‘Come on,’ he interrupted.
He couldn’t hear what she had to say because he couldn’t deny what he knew she was about to ask.
* * *
This was absolute madness, but Phoebe didn’t care. She was with a gorgeous guy who’d just given her the most intense orgasm of her life—and the fastest—so she didn’t complain about him lifting her into his arms this time. No, she wrapped her legs around his waist—tightly—and heard him groan. Yes . She quivered with another aftershock, her body heating again as her core pressed against him as he walked. She wriggled, pressing closer to his magnificent ridge. He’d just made her feel incredible and she would return the favour. She needed to touch him the way she’d been dreaming of from the moment she’d set eyes on him. She ran her palm over his head, feeling the tickle of his short hair and pressed her face into his neck and rocked again.
‘Phoebe,’ A husky growl and he swore. ‘Stop, look where we are.’
She stilled and looked around, momentarily worried they weren’t alone. He’d taken only a few paces into the trees and now they were in a small clearing. It was lush, verdant, private—a picture-pretty mini-meadow with a clear pond in the centre.
‘This is beautiful ,’ she breathed, delighted. It was shaded and quiet and she was so hot, she would happily lie with him here in the long grass.
‘Uh-huh.’ He inhaled deeply before setting her down and stepping back to pull his shirt off.
But then he took another step back.
‘Where are you going?’ She couldn’t stop herself following after him, stunned to see his magnificent chest again—all that tanned, muscular perfection. But why was he literally distancing himself from her when she knew exactly how ready he was—extremely hot. Extremely hard.
‘I have to cool off,’ he muttered.
She slipped her hands back around his waist.
‘No.’
He grabbed her arms, looking both pained and fierce. ‘Phoebe, we can’t, I don’t have anything with me.’
She frowned, confused.
He grimaced. ‘I mean protection.’
‘Oh . ’ She’d not even thought about that. She’d just been driven to experience everything with him, but she wasn’t on birth control and didn’t have any condoms. Hell, she’d never actually bought any of those…
‘What?’ His gaze narrowed as she went completely still.
‘Elodie and Bethan,’ she muttered.
‘Who?’
‘They threw it at me before I went through the departure gate.’
‘Threw what?’
She’d shoved it into her bag because she’d not wanted to hold it through the security check and had forgotten about it. Was it still there? ‘A present.’
Her cross-body bag still rested on her lower back. She pulled it round and rummaged deep, smothering her reckless giggle. Bethan had told her to have a holiday fling, but not marry him on a whim, like she had. But there was no danger of that here. Phoebe would never marry again and Edo definitely had a ‘no commitment’ vibe. She finally got hold of their gift, and never had she loved her friends more. She glanced up, checking for his reaction.
He’d frozen, staring slack-jawed at the box of condoms she now held in her hand. ‘You’ve not opened it?’ he asked hoarsely. ‘That’s a real shame.’
‘Right?’ She bit her lip. ‘Especially because I go home tomorrow.’
‘Are you sure?’ he muttered huskily. ‘You really did have a knock—’
‘It really wasn’t that bad.’ And she’d never been as sure of anything. She wanted this one moment—of togetherness, of nothing but enjoyment with no guilt and no expectation. He’d made her feel indescribably good and she wanted more, wanted him to have it too. And maybe she was just projecting but she sensed he was as lonely as she. Which was madness, because he was stunning and would surely never be short of women wanting his company.
But truly, the only mistake here would be not indulging in this with him. Why shouldn’t she pursue this moment of pleasure? Hell, it would probably never happen again because she’d never felt physical desire like this. Not as instantly or as intensely and she honestly didn’t really feel like this was a choice anyway — this was essential. Feeling anything to such an extreme would ordinarily worry her, but there would be no permanent ramifications from this…and besides, she simply couldn’t resist. ‘Stop assuming you know what’s best for me.’
His dark brown eyes bored into her. There was a moment—who knew how long—where they stayed like statues before with a blink, the spell was broken. He stepped forward the same time as she so they collided again. Hard. It was heaven. Hands grabbed, mouths pressed. They slammed together, broke apart for a breath, only to slam again, grappling to get rid of clothes while retaining as much contact as possible. Impatient. Hungry. Hot.
‘Hurry.’ She stumbled out of her dress with an uncoordinated shimmy while trying to keep running her hands over his chest and discover every one of those beautifully defined muscles.
‘Your ankle—’
‘I don’t give a damn about my ankle.’
He huffed a laugh but lifted her again, only to lower her to the soft grass a second later. She pulled him down with her and caught his mouth with hers. It was everything—having him above her, pressing her into the summer scented dell.
He kissed her everywhere, drowning her in temptation and sensation. She shivered and arched, surrendering completely to the passion he roused in her. His growls emboldened her, lending her strength, speed, confidence— liberty . She drank in his curving long muscles. They bunched. Strained. She ran her tongue along the vein popping from his heated blood and smiled at his groan. She worked the zipper of his jeans and shoved them down, pressing her fingers into his tight buttocks, pushing him closer. He grunted ferally and pulled back with a sharp movement. She watched as he tore the box of condoms with his teeth, watched his hands shake as he rolled one on before dropping back to where she writhed impatiently, hot and so, so ready.
‘Don’t slow down. Definitely don’t stop,’ she muttered.
He stared back with that passionate intensity, his body heavy and insistent and heavenly. ‘I couldn’t if I—’
‘Oh!’ She arched as he pushed inside her with a powerful thrust. ‘ Oh! ’
He was big and strong and filled her so completely that to her astonishment she came hard. It was everything . She clutched and curled around him, shuddering in pleasure.
‘Phoebe…’ He groaned, bracing but still thrust deep, anchoring her until her ecstatic trembling eased. ‘You feel really good.’
‘You make me feel amazing,’ she gasped, somehow rolling from that orgasm straight onto the precipice of another.
She’d felt nothing like this. Ever . It was quicksilver and effervescence—rare and ephemeral and she just had to ride the wave before it disappeared. There was no control now. No more words. Only movement and sensation—hot and fierce and free. He rolled his hips and thrust into her—filling her—over and over and she hovered on that delightful— agonising —precipice for mere seconds.
She entwined her legs and arms around him, holding as tightly as she could. Instinctively matching his rhythm, she squeezed—clutching him inside—refusing to release. He muttered in her ear—hot guttural praise and gravelly filth that made her moan even louder. She gasped as he thrust—relentless and demanding—until a mere breath later tumbled back into that starburst and oblivion with a wild scream.
She had no idea how long it was before she fluttered back to full consciousness. The scents of summer and sex, of heat and peppery wild herbs, perfumed the air. It was mid-afternoon—the warmest part of the day—and she was blanketed by his big body and slicked in sweat. She’d never been as hot in her life. Never as satisfied.
He lifted away from her and rolled onto his side. ‘Thank God they gave you a three-pack.’ His groan was husky and rueful. ‘That was over far too quickly.’
Um… Did he think? Because she had zero complaints. She was absolutely humming. ‘I had no idea…’ she mumbled, too dazed to realise what she was giving away.
‘No?’ He looked into her eyes and his smile slowly broadened. He reached out and lightly ran his fingertips back and forth across her stomach.
‘Mmm…’ She would let him keep that smug look. He deserved it. She was so blissed out.
‘No idea what?’
She sighed. Whispered. ‘That it could be that good.’
He kissed her—slow and gentle—but she quivered again anyway. Only then he smiled. ‘I’m going to have a swim. Are you going to join me?’’
She nodded but couldn’t resist just watching for a moment first. It was insane how beautiful he was, how quickly she got hot around him. He stepped into the water, curved his arms and dived. Great, now she was even hotter. She scrambled to her feet. Not in her wildest dreams had she imagined she’d have sex and go skinny-dipping with a handsome stranger in an Italian woodland but there was no stopping her now.
She splashed in quickly and dove, gasping in outrage as she emerged from the cold water.
‘You have to move,’ he called with amusement.
She wriggled all her limbs and yes, the temperature eased. She giggled and swam to the other side, stretched out and floated on her back, watching the sunlight pierce through the trees. It was so lush. So perfect. Definitely heaven.
‘Phoebe. You’ll burn if you stay in the sun too long.’
She turned and saw him standing on the bank watching her. Droplets of water cascaded from his skin. It was like nature had bejewelled him but seriously, wasted effort. He needed nothing more to draw her attention. She swam closer. He watched—clearly and unashamedly aroused and definitely the most stunning thing she’d ever seen. The wry smile on his face deepened as she picked her way out of the pond while not breaking her fascinated study of him. Yes, she’d shed every inhibition ever.
‘You must be tired from carrying me everywhere,’ she murmured. ‘Maybe you should lie down.’
He stepped back to the flattened space where their clothes had been flung and complied with a knowing smile. She knew he was only indulging her bossiness when really, he was the one seducing her all over again. He stretched out and she straddled him—splaying her thighs over his—and played. She adored touching him and did so—everywhere. It was utterly intimate and decadent and looking into his eyes, she’d never felt as wanted in all her life.
He purred, whispered, his pleasure beyond evident. And she teased—taking her time with the condom, making him swear until she laughed and then he took over—lifting her with impossible strength. Their eyes meshed as their bodies melded again. She quaked and slammed her hands on his chest to steady herself. He filled her to the edge of ecstasy and gave her the boldness to explore him even more, to find his weak points, make him lose everything, the way she did.
She feasted on his beauty, on his strength and stamina. Riding him was the most sensual experience of her life. She felt invincible. Beautiful. Powerful. She’d not known sex could be so liberating or so fundamentally good for the soul. This was connection at a cellular level—all freedom and joy. He let her set the pace, met her with that intense ferocity, teased her back until she arched, shuddering in delight, not even knowing she was moaning… falling . His arms swept around her, pulling her to him, holding her safe and close as she shattered.
* * *
‘Phoebe …’ His voice permeated her dream and his warm hands rubbed her upper arms. ‘You’re getting cold.’
Not when she was curved into his heat like this. She didn’t want to move, didn’t want to wake. But she lifted her head, met the hunger in his eyes, knew hers reflected the same.
‘It would be a shame not to use the last one, don’t you think?’ he whispered.
‘If you think you’re up to it?’ she murmured.
He chuckled. ‘You know I’m already up.’
She liked his smile—liked making him smile. Liked making him shudder more. ‘Yes.’
She really did.
He trailed his fingertips all over her with the slowest, languorous, most complete of caresses. He was heart-achingly tender—knowing she was over-sensitive, gently kissing where her skin was reddened from the rougher exertions of earlier. They moaned, barely moved as they reconnected, going searingly slow. She didn’t want it to end. Ever. It seemed he felt the same. But in the end, all too soon, there was no stopping the runaway train that was their lust. She clung, closing her eyes against the tears, and let herself go one last time.
‘Are you okay?’ he asked as they dressed. ‘You’re very quiet.’
She put her fingers on his lips. ‘Words will spoil it,’ she whispered.
‘Spoil?’
‘It was perfect. Just perfect.’
Far too perfect. And she could fall for him far too easily, so it was a good thing she was leaving. A good thing she didn’t even know his last name. Her attraction was all the feel-good hormones flooding her body from the three times they’d just been intimate. That kind of sexual endurance was totally new to her. Actually, day-time sex was new too. As was sex with a stranger. As were orgasms as well, to be completely honest.
* * *
She shamelessly hugged close to him as he drove her right up to the door of the little cottage. But then she moved. Quickly.
‘Thank you.’ She slipped off the back of the moped and handed him the helmet.
‘Am I allowed to speak now?’
‘No.’
He gripped the handles tightly and storminess rose in his eyes—he was more serious than she’d seen him all afternoon. She kissed him the second his mouth opened. Quick, fiery, final .
‘I’m not sorry you ran into me,’ she whispered.
‘Phoebe—’
‘And for the record,’ her heart hammered as she hurriedly stepped back, ‘You didn’t let me down.’