Chapter Ten #2
Leo and Angelica were relatively restrained in their choice of clothes compared to some of the guests in full medieval-style costume with elaborate masks to match.
Leo wore a classic black tuxedo, and the stunning gold dress fitted Angelica like a dream. The matching mask sat over her eyes and she quite liked not being instantly recognisable.
Wait staff moved through the crowd with glasses of sparkling wine and canapés.
‘I see someone who I need to speak to, on the other side of the room.’ Leo was taking Angelica’s hand and leading her through the crowd.
She noticed that he seemed far more comfortable in crowds now.
And, as they approached the person he wanted to talk to, he let her hand go.
He introduced them and Angelica smiled politely but she soon found that Leo was engrossed in his conversation. He didn’t need her any more.
Whatever advantage she might have brought to him in his initial phase of relaunching his business, it was well and truly expired now. And soon he would realise that and waste no time in casting her off. Albeit, salving his conscience by helping her with her charity project.
Angelica felt a pang. That wasn’t fair—she was sure that Leo meant it when he said he was interested in the charity, but suddenly Angelica wasn’t so sure if she wanted to have any involvement with his company, potentially having to deal with him, or see him.
But could she now jeopardise work on the charity just to make things easier for herself?
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to exclude you.’
Angelica blinked out of her spiralling thoughts to see that Leo’s acquaintance had moved on. She shook her head. ‘It’s fine. I know these things are networking opportunities.’
‘Maybe you’ll be back here hosting a charity event of your own soon?’
You. Not we. Another death knell. Angelica smiled. ‘Maybe.’
‘Dance with me.’
Angelica felt like pulling free and leaving, getting into a water-taxi and going straight to the airport.
A decisive clean break. But Leo was holding her hand and the surroundings were seductive enough to believe that maybe the world outside wasn’t waiting for her to start over again.
Just yet. Would one more night be so selfish?
‘OK.’
Leo led the way through the crowd to where couples were dancing to a mellow jazz band.
He swung Angelica into his arms and she hated the way she fitted so easily.
Like coming home. No. Coming home would be when she bought a place near to where her mother and brother lived in Madrid.
She would set herself up there, and continue to work until the charity became more solid.
And then she would worry about fundraising.
‘Where are you?’ he asked.
Angelica swallowed the emotions threatening to strangle her and forced a smile. ‘Nowhere, sorry.’
Leo stopped dancing. ‘Do you want to go?’
‘But we just got here. Don’t you have more people to meet?’
Leo shrugged. ‘Not especially. Everyone knows I’m back now.’
‘I’m really pleased for you, Leo.’ Those damned emotions were rising again.
‘Come on, let’s go.’
Angelica let him lead her out, grateful for the chance to get herself back under control, and hopefully stay that way for a few more hours. One more night.
They were in a water-taxi on the Grand Canal within minutes. The night air was crisp and cool and Angelica huddled into her faux-fur wrap. Leo put his arm around her and pulled her into his side, and guiltily, storing up every little moment, Angelica revelled in it.
Far too soon they were back at the palazzo housing Leo’s apartment. They walked up the jetty and Angelica’s dress swirled around her legs in the breeze.
When they were back in the apartment, Leo pulled off his bow tie and opened a top button. ‘Would you like a nightcap?’
Angelica never really drank much but for once she fancied something. ‘Sure, maybe a little watered-down whiskey?’
Leo raised a brow. ‘Going straight for the hard stuff?’
‘Why not?’ she said lightly, shucking off the faux fur and pulling off the mask, laying them on a nearby chair.
Leo came back with two glasses and handed her one. He’d taken off his mask too. They clinked glasses and Angelica took a sip. She wandered over to the windows that looked out onto the canal and opened them, standing out on the small balcony.
Water taxis caused waves down below and a couple of gondolas meandered in their wake, couples ensconced in the back, snuggled into one another. Just as she and Leo had been. How many of these couples were on the verge of ending? She felt incredibly melancholic for a moment.
From behind her Leo said, ‘Angel…’
She turned around and Leo was across the room. He put down his glass and said, ‘Come here.’
A spurt of rebelliousness made her say, ‘Please.’
His mouth quirked. ‘Please.’
It was as if an invisible wire connected them. She was no more capable of disobeying his command than she was of denying herself breath. She lifted one foot at a time and picked off the high-heels sandals and dropped them to the floor.
As she walked towards him she reached behind her and found the zip, pulling it down. The dress loosened around her chest and when she got to within a couple of feet of Leo she pulled the small cap sleeves off her shoulders and down her arms, and then the front of the dress, revealing her breasts.
She watched his eyes widen and flare as she tugged the dress over her hips and down her legs, stepping out of the mound of gold silk and lace.
Now she wore only her underpants. She reached up to her hair and pulled out the pin holding it in place so it fell down around her shoulders, almost touching her breasts.
She felt something very primal about coming to stand before him like this.
As if she was presenting herself for his final delectation.
She hadn’t told him that she knew this was the last time they’d ever be together.
Her conscience pricked but she pushed it down.
They didn’t owe each other anything after tonight.
Leo stepped forward and thrust his hands into her hair, tipping her face up to his. ‘You are…everything,’ he breathed.
Angelica smiled tremulously. ‘Kiss me, Leo.’
He did, covering her mouth with his and sending her thoughts scattering. Good. She didn’t want to think any more, she wanted to indulge in this night and savour every second.
Leo picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.
Under the shaft of moonlight shining through the window, he stripped off his own clothes until he was naked.
Angelica ogled him shamelessly, coming up on one elbow, her gaze travelling over his chest, abdominals, to his narrow waist and to where the thrusting power of him made her mouth water.
‘Lie back.’
She did, and he hooked his fingers into her underwear and pulled it down and off. Leo put his hands on her legs and smoothed his way up, to her thighs and higher, pushing her legs apart as he did, exposing her to his dark golden gaze.
He came down on his knees on the floor at the end of the bed and then he proceeded to press his mouth against the inside of her legs as he came closer and closer to the juncture where her legs met.
Angelica’s hands were clutching at the sheets, trying to find something to hold onto as Leo’s warm breath against her sensitive skin made her skin break into goosebumps.
He pushed her legs even further apart and Angelica’s breath came fast and shallow. She felt utterly exposed and yet unconcerned. She could feel the delicious abrasion of Leo’s stubble against her inner thigh.
And then his mouth was there. On her. His tongue exploring her with a thoroughness that made her back arch off the bed.
He reached up a hand as if to soothe her, passing over her midriff and finding a breast, squeezing the firm flesh and trapping a nipple between two fingers and squeezing, causing a sharp burst of pleasure to arrow all the way down to his wicked tongue.
The man was remorseless, ignoring Angelica’s breathless pleas for mercy, until she felt herself tightening all over, hovering on the precipice before hurtling over the edge into wave after wave of pleasure so intense, she tried to put her legs together, but Leo wouldn’t let her, keeping his mouth on her until she was spent and silent, breathing as if she’d just done a marathon.
She hadn’t even realised her hands were in his hair and she was gripping his head. She took them away. ‘I’m sorry…’
He came up over her body, grinning. ‘Don’t be.’
Angelica’s heart spasmed. He looked so much younger and carefree. She scowled at him. ‘You’re evil.’
‘I know, and I fully intend to be a lot more evil.’
Angelica reached for his shoulders and somehow, gathering strength into her jelly limbs, she pushed him so that he fell onto his back on the bed. She pressed him down and said, ‘Not so fast.’
Leo was unperturbed. He put his arms behind his head, reminding her of how he’d gained her trust by letting her restrain him. Another heart spasm. She should have known to trust him from the start…but then they wouldn’t have had all of this…
She started pressing kisses to his chest, finding the flat disc of a nipple and teasing it with her tongue.
She put a hand on his lower belly, feeling the muscles contract, and explored further, circling his erection with one hand as she made her way down and down until he was now rigid with tension.
Taking her time, she let her hand explore his stiff flesh, feeling how the skin slipped up and down over the shaft, and then, when she could see perspiration on his brow, she bent forward and put her mouth around him.
Madre de Dio…he was going to die right here on this bed.
And he knew if he did he would die happy.
Angelica was a sorceress, taking him to a place he’d never been before, because he usually didn’t like lovers performing oral sex on him—until Angelica, that was.
He’d always felt too exposed. But the first time she’d done it to him, back when they’d first got together, it had been so innocent and obvious that she hadn’t known what she was doing that he’d given into the temptation, and now… he’d created a monster.
She was as merciless as he had just been, pushing him over the edge before he could stop himself, taking all of him, and then sliding back up his body, with those soft curves, and a smile like the Cheshire Cat.
Leo hauled her up all the way. They were glued together. He cupped her bottom and then gave one cheek a playful slap. ‘You’ll pay for that.’
‘Promises, promises.’
She put her head down, into the place where his shoulder met his neck, her breath feathering over his skin. A feeling of intense peace washed over Leo, the kind of peace he’d never thought he’d experience again.
He ran his hand lazily up and down Angelica’s back, letting himself recover, and then he heard a gentle snore and smiled, letting that sense of peace lull him into joining her.