Chapter Seven #2
It was what she’d tried to do too, throwing herself into her new life. She withdrew her hand, ignoring the frisson of longing as her fingers slid from his.
‘So, no talk of families.’ His mouth curled at the corner.
Even that hint of a smile made something unfurl inside her, like a flower opening to the sun.
She leaned in, needing to be closer. ‘What shall we discuss, Stella? The weather? Or something truly important, like what you’d like to do for dinner?
Shall we go to a restaurant or eat here? ’
A restaurant would be safer. Being alone with Gio felt incredibly intimate.
She didn’t fear he’d overstep a boundary, but that she would. Watching the play of light across his features and experiencing the impact of his smile made her feel more vibrantly alive.
Did he know how she felt? She wasn’t very experienced with men, something that had worked to her disadvantage in the past. But meeting his questioning look, Stella saw only good humour. He had no hidden agenda.
That was one of the things she admired about Gio. He was honest.
‘Let’s eat in. The kitchen’s very well stocked.’
His slow grin was a reward in itself. ‘Exactly what I was thinking. After all that work I fancy relaxing, maybe having a swim.’
‘Why don’t you? I’ll organise a meal while you swim.’
‘So you cook as well?’
‘As well as work? A woman has to eat. Besides, I enjoy it.’
Cooking with her mother had been one of her favourite things. Her father’s housekeeper hadn’t encouraged her to be in the kitchen but as soon as Stella moved out she’d taken pleasure in catering for herself and expanding her skills.
‘That sounds perfect.’
He picked up the wine bottle and gestured to her glass. Stella hadn’t even noticed it was empty. The delicious wine had gone down so easily. She nodded and held the glass out, watching him serve her then himself.
‘But with one adjustment,’ he added. ‘Let’s prepare the meal together. I wouldn’t relax, thinking of you slaving in the kitchen alone. There’s no rush. We can watch the sunset then swim in the pool.’
Stella’s gaze settled on the extravagant infinity pool seemingly suspended above the ocean. She imagined being with Gio in the warm, silky water and excitement ran through her veins like a trail of bubbles.
‘That works for me. I haven’t tried it yet. I swam in the cove.’
Something glinted in his eyes, as if he read her eagerness and knew the real reason for it. But then he tilted his head as he raised his glass and she realised it had only been a stray gleam from the setting sun.
* * *
Stella didn’t want the evening to end. They’d watched the light display as the sun went down, marvelling as the sky turned deep indigo then black, scattered with stars. Though there was a town a little further down the coast it had felt as if they were the only people on the planet.
They’d talked easily, as they had in Rome, like old friends. Her earlier hesitancy had disintegrated and it seemed the easiest thing in the world to be with Gio. She loved the sound of his deep laugh and the way he listened to her instead of rushing to monopolise any conversation.
They’d swum and it had been every bit as intimate as she’d imagined.
Whether it was the night, or the company, or the wine, she was aware of Gio at the most visceral level.
When he passed her, swimming laps, the water surged, stroking her like a caress, and her body responded with a deep-seated thrill.
Her nipples hardened and it wasn’t from cold. Goosebumps rose on her bare skin, and low in her body she felt a twisting ache, a hunger for something more tangible than the phantom brush of water displaced by Gio’s honed body.
She couldn’t remain unmoved by the sight of his leanly muscled frame, naked but for a pair of black swim shorts. He might be a successful businessman but his body showed he took time out to keep fit.
Now after dinner, sitting under the vine-covered pergola, in the soft ambience from tiny lights threaded through the greenery, she felt sheer happiness.
‘What are you smiling about, Stella?’
His voice had an intriguingly rough edge as he said her name. She felt it abrade her skin beneath the gauzy coverup she’d put over her bikini.
‘I was thinking how blissful it is here. Not just beautiful and luxurious but private. No stress, no expectations. It’s like stepping out of time.’
Though despite the peace, she hadn’t got closer to resolving her problems. Instead she’d spent her time daydreaming about her companion.
She saw him watching her, felt him weighing her words, and the intensity of his stare.
In Rome he’d kissed her and she’d felt his desire. What held him back now? She wished she knew what he was thinking.
‘You sound like a woman who hasn’t had a break for a long time.’
Stella lifted one shoulder. Her old school friend Ginevra had accused her of being a workaholic, of not taking time for herself. ‘Maybe you’re right.’
‘How long since you’ve had a vacation? It feels to me like this isn’t so much a holiday as a chance to regroup.’
She frowned. Gio understood so much about her, even things she hadn’t explained in detail. She wasn’t used to people taking time to learn her the way this man did. It was unsettling and at the same time thrilling.
‘I don’t remember.’
School trips didn’t count and since she’d begun working full-time, any trips were work-related.
‘You know the saying about all work and no play?’
Gleaming eyes snared hers and her pulse pounded. ‘You’re accusing me of being dull?’
His gruff laughter belied the idea, but almost instantly his expression sobered. ‘Far from it.’ He leaned in, near enough that her skin prickled in awareness. ‘I’ve never known a more intriguing woman.’
Yet he didn’t look particularly pleased. Intent, yes, but frowning too.
Maybe he prefers women who aren’t ‘intriguing’. Maybe he appreciates women who say what they want without second thoughts.
She imagined him with gorgeous sophisticates who flirted easily and had scintillating banter. Who wouldn’t think twice about declaring their interest in a man.
Stella had never been such a woman. She’d grown up serious and cautious, scoping situations for pitfalls. Always thinking before she acted.
The few times she’d been tempted to believe in a man’s apparent interest she’d discovered it wasn’t really about her.
Was that why she’d actually been considering her father’s monstrous suggestion—to marry a stranger to further her career and cement her place in the family? Had she become so used to letting her father dictate her life?
There are times when you just have to jump. When you have to trust your instinct and go with it.
Stella’s chair ground back across the flagstones as she shot to her feet. Her pulse thudded, hard as a hammer against her ribs, but as she looked into Gio’s face an unexpected calm fell over her.
She knew what she wanted, had known from the first. She’d wasted days telling herself it wouldn’t be sensible to act on her feelings, though nothing she’d ever felt had been as undeniably right as this.
She moved around the table, Gio twisting sideways in his seat to face her.
He wore a dark shirt over swim shorts and his hair was tousled where he’d towel-dried it then run his fingers through it.
Stella wanted him with every atom of her being.
She stopped when her legs touched his knees. Instantly he sat straighter, knees opening, and she stepped between his legs. It was delicious and something rose, pure and powerful inside her.
The half-hidden lights cast intriguing shadows as he tilted his head up, holding her gaze. Silver eyes gleamed with a fervour that seemed to reflect her need.
Suddenly it was easy to be impulsive. ‘I’m attracted to you, Gio. I want you.’
For two heartbeats he didn’t respond but she sensed, knew this was mutual.
Then his hands were on her hips, hot through the filmy material of her beach coverup.
They drew her down to sit on his solid thigh before moving, one arm wrapping around her back and the other lifting her legs over both his.
His cradling embrace reminded her of the disparity in their sizes and made her feel… cherished.
‘At last.’ His breath brushed her lips. ‘You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this.’
Stella planted her palms on his collarbone, insinuating them beneath his shirt, dragging open a couple of buttons in the process. His flesh was steamy and silky, with a tease of crisp chest hair tickling the base of her palms.
‘You needn’t have waited. You could have made the first move.’ Though she was glad she had.
He shook his head. ‘It was tempting, but I needed to be absolutely sure what you wanted. It had to be your choice.’
Tenderness rose, along with the now urgent thrum of desire.
Sitting on his lap, she couldn’t mistake the solid weight of his erection against her hip.
It felt improbably long but instead of feeling nervous, she shifted eagerly on his lap.
She mightn’t have gone past heavy petting before but she knew only Gio, deep inside her, could ease the ache gnawing at her.
Stella leaned in, brushing her lips across the base of his throat, kissing her way to his pounding pulse then up his neck. She paused at his ear, gently nipping his lobe and feeling her hunger deepen as his breath hitched and he shifted abruptly beneath her.
‘That’s very gentlemanly of you, Gio. But just so we’re clear, can we have sex now?’