Chapter 46
Chapter Forty-Six
Flora
Had I heard him correctly? I had changed my outfit at the last minute, changed from a taupe dress and nude lipstick to a black, lace covered dress so had gone from nude to red lips, otherwise I would have been the one to have greeted Maurizio at the door rather than Maddie.
My sister had assured me that she would be nice, but I knew she had reservations about what was going on with Sophie, so her idea of being nice might be different to my own.
Now I was on the threshold to the room and he had said ‘I love Flora’.
They both turned and I was unsure who looked most shocked by the revelation.
“You love me?” I asked, needing some kind of confirmation that I hadn’t imagined his three words, although I knew I hadn’t.
“Not how I was planning on telling you.” He frowned. “I had no plan, but you shouldn’t have overheard it that way.”
“You love me?” I repeated, apparently unable to get past this point.
“I do.” He moved towards me and taking my hands in his, he leaned down as if preparing to kiss me, but simply held my gaze. “I love you.”
My grin spread as his lips edged ever closer. “I love you, too.” My eyelids fluttered, preparing to close as my lips parted, awaiting his kiss and then the sound of Maddie, Maddie who I had forgotten was there, interrupted.
“No! Not only do I not need to see this, but she is wearing red lipstick and kissing is guaranteed to smudge, so either go on your date and save it for later or I’ll go on a date and you two can continue without me.”
With a slight flush and a pant of breathlessness, I looked at Maurizio, deferring to him and for a second he looked conflicted, but it was brief. “We’re going to dinner, so thanks for the offer, Maddie, I think, but we’ll leave you to your evening.”
She nodded and smiled across at me as Maurizio took my hand and led me to the door to take us outdoors.
“Oh, and Maddie, it seems to be a good thing you didn’t cut my balls off.”
They both laughed and I gained an insight into their conversation that I had missed.
“Just remember that offer has no expiry date.”
“Noted,” replied Maurizio before adding, “Don’t wait up, I’m keeping her for the whole night.”
“Then I’ll make my own entertainment.”
We drove in relative silence, but it was comfortable, our earlier declarations of love out in the open with no uneasiness about them.
Briefly, I wondered what that would mean for our relationship and the children, the children and Sophie, but for now, I settled on enjoying this time, his love and the contentment I felt.
My phone buzzed and continued to vibrate in my hand multiple times before I was able to see the screen.
It appeared that I was in a group chat with my sister, Ash, Carrie and Bea and the group was named Flora and Maurizio sitting in a tree.
I laughed loudly before reading any of the messages and then my screen was filled with references to our love, our almost kiss and oblivion to my sister’s presence.
Judging by the sheer number of messages I hadn’t been alerted to and the recent update that I had been added to the group by Maddie, my friends had been brought up to speed by my sister and were now sending GIFs, memes, comments and rude emojis.
“Is tesoro mio okay?” Maurizio asked, reaching across and squeezing my knee.
“Very okay, thank you, but Maddie has been speaking to the girls and Ash about us, about tonight.” I was nervous that he might be angry about this turn of events and us, him becoming the subject of gossip.
“I can only imagine the height of the lascivious nature of the messages.”
“Sorry, I didn’t know she would do this.”
Another squeeze of my knee was the first response. “I can’t say I am surprised and so long as they don’t add the local school governors, parish council or WI, it’s all good.”
We both laughed and then Maurizio turned serious again.
“Or my mother, she has absolutely no place in a group chat . . .” he peeped at my screen, “titled Flora and Maurizio sitting in a tree.” He laughed, rich, deep, and throaty. “How old are they all? Although I believe the next line of that particular ditty involves k-i-s-s-i-n-g.”
“Apparently not with red lipstick.”
We were pulling into a curb side parking space and I was certain the temperature had gone up because I was beginning to overheat as Maurizio undid both of our seatbelts and moved in, so close that I could smell him, almost taste him. God, how I wanted to taste him.
“Your mouth, my cock and that red lipstick will be intimately acquainted before tonight is over.”
I swallowed hard and if I was hot before, I was sweltering now.
His hand inched up from my knee and a quirk of his brows confirmed he had found the tops of my rarely worn stockings.
He said nothing as his fingers continued to travel until they paused at the barrier of my lace underwear that was already damp.
Pushing the fabric aside, he allowed a finger to trace a path along my length.
A deep hiss left my clenched lips while a broad smile spread across Maurizio’s face as his finger moved back and forth a couple of times before he paused at my core.
His eyes fixed on mine that were probably wide and expectant, and then he slid inside me, my muscles clenching and holding his finger.
“Maurizio, shit, please.”
“My dolcezza is an exhibitionist, uh?”
In that second, I couldn’t have cared less if anyone was watching us. His dirty words and touch, together with his heated gaze, were all I was aware of. In that moment I would have happily spread myself bare for him right there in the car.
The circling of his finger saw me sliding my hands through his hair, attempting to pull him close enough to kiss.
“No kissing,” he told me. “Your lipstick.”
“I don’t care.”
He laughed, possibly at my desperation rather than the words themselves. “No kissing until later, but I’ll happily make you come, on one condition.”
“Anything.”
He laughed again but this was quickly followed by his finger beginning to move. “Call my name as you come.”
That was an easy ask, especially as he studied my face.
His thumb moved as far as my clit that he circled while his finger continued to thrust. Clutching his shoulders, I knew this was going to be quick and intense.
Another stroke of my clit and a thrust of his finger followed and then another and then with his nose touching mine, I came.
My fingers flexed and clawed his shoulders I was gripping as a pool of moisture left my body and coated his hand that remained in my underwear as he stroked and coaxed every last ounce of pleasure from me, all while I called his name over and over until it was more of a chant.
“You are fucking beautiful,” he said, withdrawing his hand and moving back into his seat. “Never seen anything more beautiful.” He seemed to muse as he raised his hand and proceeded to suck my arousal from his digits.
I said nothing but stared, my jaw slack, my eyes focused on the movement of his mouth.
“The food here is supposed to be out of this world, but it is going to pale when compared to the taste of you, Flora.”
I flushed. How ridiculous that it should be those words that caused me to blush rather than what had just happened.
“Let’s eat, and then, when we get home, let’s eat.” With a grin and a wink, Maurizio was out of the car and circling the vehicle until my door opened with the offer of a hand.
Dinner was difficult, not because of the food, that was great, possibly the most delicious food I had ever tasted.
Nor the company, Maurizio was always good company and tonight was no exception, we’d laughed and shared stories from our childhoods, our likes and dislikes in movies and music.
Somehow we’d ended up disagreeing on a couple of things that had been thrown up, resulting in me agreeing to watch Top Gun and him agreeing to a screening of Love Actually.
Musically we had now agreed to attending concerts by Pink and The Rolling Stones.
No, the difficulty of dinner was my discomfort, and by discomfort, I meant just how turned on I was, so much that I spent most of the evening fidgeting and possibly squirming.
Every movement resulted in a knowing smirk and slightly wicked glint in his eye.
By the time dessert arrived, I considered using the spoon to slide the whole thing from the plate and into my mouth in one quick movement. I resisted, just.
“I was going to book us a hotel room tonight, for privacy.”
He might as well have thrown a bucket of icy water over me.
I was no longer hot and bothered, instead I was irritated by his suggestion and the inference of his words.
A hotel room meaning not his bedroom and privacy meaning out of sight and sound of Sophie, or at least that’s what I took it to mean.
Before I could speak or get up and leave or indeed throw something at or over him, he continued.
“However, I changed my mind because although I wanted privacy and some time alone for us, I didn’t want you to feel as though I was hiding you away or even wonder if I was abusing the technical position I hold as your employer.”
“I see.” I felt foolish for jumping to conclusions.
“Because neither of those would be true. I love you.”
My face splitting grin could not be mistaken at the reminder of his feelings for me. “And I love you.”
“Yes, you do, which means when we get home tonight, I fully intend to fuck you until you scream my name. I would say until you wake the neighbours, but the house is detached and it’s chilly out so the windows are likely to be closed.”
In reality, him speaking about fucking me until I screamed meant it wouldn’t be quite so chilly after all, if the heat rushing through my body was anything to go by.
“I am deadly serious and by the time I am finished with you, mine might be the only name you’re sure of.”
Shit! I swallowed hard and the fluttering in my tummy, my disordered swirling thoughts and the ache between my legs that showed no sign of abating no matter how tightly I squeezed them together suggested that my own name would be a very dim and distant memory come morning.
“Should I get the bill?”
“Yes. Now.”
The summoning of the waiter coincided with his chuckle.