Chapter Eight
CHAPTER EIGHT
Addie came downstairs a short time later to find Vic in the main sitting room, talking to someone on the phone in Italian.
He was pacing the floor and frowning as if the conversation was a difficult one.
He glanced at Addie and grimaced and then finished the call soon after.
He slipped his phone in his pocket and smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
‘Is Katerina down for the night?’ he asked.
‘Yes, sound asleep.’ Addie said. ‘Is Lucia about? I was going to see if I could help her with dinner.’
‘I sent her home a few minutes ago. She wasn’t feeling well.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that. I hope she’s okay.’
He pushed one of his hands through his hair in a distracted manner. ‘I think your observation was right—she’s too old to keep up with Katerina. But hopefully Marcus and Isabella will be back within twenty-four hours.’
Addie perched on the arm of one of the sofas, studying his tense expression. ‘We can manage by ourselves until they get back. Katerina is completely at ease with both of us and only asks for her parents now and again. I think it helped when she saw them on the video call earlier.’
‘Yes, Marcus told me he’d called. I just hope there aren’t any further delays.’
Addie rose from the sofa arm and smoothed her hands down the front of her linen pants. ‘Was that a work call? You sounded a bit stressed.’
‘No, it was my mother.’
‘Is everything all right?’
He gave a shrug. ‘According to her, everything is fine, but I can’t help feeling she’s not telling me everything about her relationship with my stepfather.’
‘Perhaps she doesn’t want to lose face by proving you right about him after all this time?’
Vic appeared to take on board her speculation, frowning as if deep in thought. ‘Who knows? We’re not particularly close these days.’
‘When did you last see her? Alone, I mean, without your stepfather there?’
He rubbed at his face with one of his hands and released a sigh. ‘I really can’t remember. Years probably.’
‘Maybe you could ask her to lunch or something when your stepfather is at work?’
He picked up a marble paperweight and turned it over in his hands. ‘I’ll give it a go, but she doesn’t do much without him knowing about it.’ He put the paperweight down again and looked at Addie. ‘When was the last time you had lunch with your mother?’
Addie rolled her eyes like marbles. ‘Arrgh. Sharing a meal with my mother is a form of mental torture. She tells me the calorie value of every single morsel I eat, or she tells me she thinks I’ve put on weight, or my skin needs a special type of anti-aging facial—the list goes on. It’s excruciating.’
‘You do realise all of that comes from her own insecurity?’
Addie frowned. ‘Insecure? She’s the most confident person I’ve ever met.’
‘People who are secure in themselves don’t need to pull other people down. You probably threaten her with your natural beauty. I’d bet it takes her hours with a makeup artist and hair stylist to look as good as she does. You don’t have to do anything to look gorgeous.’
Addie could feel herself glowing from his compliment. He thought her gorgeous? Naturally beautiful? She had spent her entire life feeling ugly and inadequate and yet Vic Jacobetti was telling her she was beautiful. ‘I don’t know about that…’
Vic gave a crooked smile. ‘And you look even more beautiful when you blush.’
Addie could feel her face blushing all the more and quickly changed the subject. ‘I—I guess you’re keen to get back to work.’
‘Yes, you are too, I imagine.’
‘I miss it, but I’ve really enjoyed being here,’ Addie said. ‘I know most people wouldn’t describe looking after a toddler as a holiday, but I can’t remember the last time I had a proper holiday, so it’s been fun. And this place is so beautiful.’
Vic came over to where she was standing, his gaze hooded, his expression now inscrutable. ‘So, it’s not been too much of a trial stuck here with me?’
She moistened her lips, not sure how to read his mood. ‘I think you’ve helped me come out of myself. Not just with the lovely clothes you bought me but…other things too…’
He lifted her chin with the tip of his finger, locking his gaze on hers. ‘What other things?’ His voice was a low, deep burr of sound that sent tingles down her spine.
Addie disguised a swallow. ‘Giving me compliments and…other things.’
His gaze drifted to her mouth, lingering there for a pulsing moment before coming back to mesh with her gaze.
‘It was just a kiss, cara .’ His thumb idly stroked her chin sending scorching heat straight to her core.
His touch was electrifying, mesmerising, tantalising and she didn’t know how to resist it.
She didn’t want to resist it. She ached for him and wondered if he felt the same.
She found herself leaning into his caress, wanting more, needing more.
‘Was it?’ Her voice was not much more than a whisper.
He stroked his thumb across the curve of her cheek, his eyes still locked on hers. ‘I think it would be dangerous to take things any further than we already have.’
Addie frowned. ‘Dangerous? How so?’
He gave a wry smile and tilted her face upwards, his mouth only inches from hers. ‘I think you know why.’
‘I’m not going to fall in love with you from just a kiss or two.’
‘But we both want more than that, don’t we, sì ?
’ He bent his head a little lower and pressed his lips to hers, igniting a spark of passion she couldn’t control if she tried.
It was a combustible reaction of male flesh on female flesh, hot, searing, irresistible.
His tongue slipped between her lips and danced with hers in an erotic tangle that triggered molten heat in her core.
Her lower body was on fire, aflame with need that begged to be assuaged.
His kiss deepened even further, a low, deep groan sounding at the back of his throat, and he grasped her closer to the pounding heat of his body, leaving her in no doubt of his need of her.
It thrilled her to feel the potent rise of his male arousal, the raw evidence of his lust exciting her beyond measure.
‘You want me?’ Addie said, against his lips.
Vic kissed the side of her mouth, his dark stubble tickling her smooth skin. ‘I told myself this wasn’t going to happen. It complicates things too much.’
‘It’s only complicated if we allow to be,’ Addie said, leaning into his hard frame, relishing the strength of his arms around her.
‘We can’t allow any feelings to get in the way. If we do this, it’s casual, no strings. That’s the only reason I’d agree to it.’
‘I’m not going to fall in love with you, Vic,’ Addie said with far more confidence than she felt.
Her crush had gone from seven to eight, who knew what it would go to if he made love to her?
It was a risk she was more than prepared to take.
If she didn’t make love with him, she might never find anyone else she felt comfortable enough with to do the deed.
Kissing him had shown her how wonderful he made her feel, how respectful and gentle he was with her.
Why wouldn’t she want him to be her first lover?
He was the perfect candidate—the only candidate she wanted to give herself to.
Vic held her from him, his hands on her upper arms in a gentle hold. ‘I think we should take things slowly. We’ll have dinner and then see after that if we both still want to do this.’
How could he think of food at a time like this?
All she could think of was the hunger growling in her body.
But she realised he was giving her space and time to change her mind and she couldn’t help loving him for it.
Loving him? The thought slipped into her mind like a flashing light.
Love? She had a crush on him, that’s all.
A silly little infatuation because she was so limited in her experience with dating men.
How could she have fallen in love with him?
Or was she just grateful for the attention he had given her, the compliments and kisses and deep conversations that had meant so much to her?
They sat down to the dinner Lucia had left for them a few minutes later.
Addie tried to focus on the delicious beef cheek ragout, but her appetite was for Vic and Vic alone.
She managed a few mouthfuls, watching him from time to time, wondering if he was feeling the same level of anticipation she was feeling at what might happen after dinner.
‘You’re not hungry?’ Vic said at one point, fork halfway to his mouth.
Addie put her own knife and fork down. ‘I’m worried you’re going to change your mind about…us…you know…getting it on.’ She cringed at how gauche she sounded.
Vic put his fork down and reached for one of her hands, holding it in the gentle grasp of his warm fingers, his dark brown gaze meshed with hers.
‘I should change my mind. I shouldn’t be even thinking about making love to you, but I’ve thought of little else since I kissed you.
But I don’t want to pressure you in any way.
It’s your choice. It’s a far bigger step for you to take than it is for me. ’
Addie twisted her lips in a rueful smile. ‘I guess I’m just another casual lover to you.’
His brows moved closer together over his eyes and he gave her hand a firm squeeze or reassurance. ‘No, you could never be that. But I will always be your first lover. That’s a big deal, especially since you’re an adult who has waited for so long to get to this point.’