Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
A sweet thrill pulsed through Scarlett as she followed Antonio who was carrying Bella into the house. It wasn’t just because of the tender kiss they’d just shared, but it was also the sight of his firm ass in the khakis he was wearing. His backside was so perfect. She was tempted to reach out and grab his butt cheeks with both hands, then squeeze.
Ha! That wouldn’t be weird at all, would it? Who knows, maybe before the trip ended, she’d get to do just that.
Then a thought came to her, she pulled out her cell phone and snapped a few pictures. Not just of his backside, but of Antonio and Bella. She loved how peacefully her daughter slept in his arms, her head resting on his broad shoulder. Scarlett had brought one of her cameras and planned to take plenty more pictures while they were there.
When Antonio picked her and Bella up from home that morning, Scarlett had made a decision. Whatever developed between them this weekend, she was going with it. No overthinking. No second guessing. No letting fear control her. Antonio was too good of a man to not see where this could go.
“All right, here we are,” he said as he opened the door to his vacation house and ushered her in.
Scarlett gasped. “Oh, wow. Antonio, this is gorgeous.”
The living room and dining area made up the open floor plan, but it was the view beyond the kitchen that caught her attention. A patio door and a wall of windows overlooked a swimming pool and beautiful backyard.
“I’m glad you think so. Come in and make yourself comfortable. I’ll lay Bella down in her room, then go back for our luggage.”
Her room . Those two words warmed Scarlett from the inside out. Knowing Antonio had designated a room for her daughter might seem small to some, but it meant everything to Scarlett. Bella adored him, and Scarlett loved that Antonio felt the same about her.
She had always wanted her child to grow up with a loving father like she and Mahogany had. Her dad was the best man Scarlett knew, and if Bella could have that…
Whoa. “Just slow your roll, woman,” she told herself before her imagination got the best of her.
Yes, Antonio was going to make a wonderful father, but Scarlett didn’t want to get ahead of herself. This was new for all of them, and she wanted each one of them to enjoy the journey without any expectations. Antonio made them both happy, and she hoped they brought him some joy too. For now, that was enough.
Instead of dwelling on their relationship, Scarlett shrugged out of her jacket and laid it across the back of an overstuffed floral chair. Everything was different here from his home in Cincinnati, but just as warm and inviting. The walls and furniture were white with various shades of blue and yellow accents throughout the open space.
Scarlett strolled into the kitchen, which wasn’t as big as the one in his other home, but it was just as nice and functional. The stainless steel and black appliances gleamed against the pale-yellow walls.
As she approached the patio door and looked outside, she already knew where she’d be spending most of her time. Tall cypress trees along the wood fence provided privacy and framed the perimeter of the yard. The kidney-shaped swimming pool with lighting along the inside edge was definitely the focal point. Well, that and the gurgling waterfall in the far corner.
Her gaze took in the partially covered patio made up of stamped concrete. The stainless-steel outdoor kitchen sat perpendicular to the house, and the table for six, along with cushioned lounge chairs, took up the rest of the space.
“What do you think?”
Scarlett yelped, swung around, and almost slammed into Antonio. “Oh my God, you scared me,” she said, her hand on her chest to keep her heart from leaping out.
“Sorry. I thought you heard me come back in.” He opened the sliding glass door, and Scarlett realized what she thought was a wall, was accordion glass doors.
“Okay, now I’m really impressed. Talk about indoor-outdoor living. Antonio, this is spectacular.”
“Thanks, it took me, my dad, and Ben years to get the place just right, and I like the way everything turned out. The house isn’t huge but let me show you the rest of it.”
Holding her hand, he took her through the place, explaining what parts were renovated. Which sounded like most of it. She loved the choices they made, and the more she saw, the more she fell in love with his space.
He took her to the guest room where she’d be staying, and it was perfect—like a classy hotel suite. The queen-size bedroom set took up most of the space, but there was a cute reading nook near the window. She also had her own bathroom.
When they reached the room that Bella was in, Scarlett fell a little harder for Antonio. Knowing how much Bella loved pink, there were various shades of it everywhere. He had even managed to add a hanging canopy over the full-size bed. The room was too girly for it to have already been like this. She knew he had done it especially for his Baby Doll , as he liked to call Bella.
Her child was going to be thrilled when she woke up. There were even stuffed animals strategically placed around the room, and one on the bed next to her.
“Antonio, I don’t know how to thank you for all you’ve done for me and for Bella. It was enough that you traveled with us, carried our bags, and you’re letting us stay with you. When did you even have time to arrange this?”
“The day after you invited me on the trip. I wanted to make sure you two were comfortable here. So, I had the house cleaned, stocked with food, and I might’ve gone a little overboard where Bella is concerned. I hope she’ll be happy with the room. Jayden on the other hand will probably be pissed when he visits. This is normally the room he stays in.” Antonio shrugged and flashed Scarlett a sexy grin, rewarding her with a peek at his adorable dimples.
They backed out of the room with him still holding her hand. When she invited him on the trip, she had no idea what to expect. She just thought it would be fun to have him come along and hang out so they could get to know each other better. So far, the visit was exceeding her expectations.
“Thanks for everything you’ve done,” she said and squeezed his hand.
“It’s my pleasure. I love having you here.”
The lust radiating in his dark orbs sent warmth rushing through her body. Their attraction to one another was definitely on the rise, and Scarlett was curious about whether he’d make a move on her.
Did he want to kiss her, touch her, and explore her body as much as she wanted to do to him? She wasn’t sure, but if his heated gaze was any indication, he was thinking along those lines.
“Show me your room,” she said, her voice low and seductive, though that hadn’t been her intent.
His eyebrows shot up in surprise, but then a slow smile crept across his sensual lips. “Right this way.”
As they headed in that direction, giddiness bubbled inside of Scarlett, and she almost laughed out loud at herself. She felt like a kid on Christmas morning, anxious to see what presents Santa had in store for her. She was acting as if getting a tour of his bedroom was code for rendezvous, kissing, and hot, sweaty sex. When in fact, Antonio probably only planned to walk her around the space and point out the changes that he’d made since buying the house.
They moved slower than necessary with each other, unsure of how to proceed or even if they wanted to. Considering how she’d kept him at a distance the last few months, Scarlett might have to make the first move.
They reached the master bedroom at the end of the hallway, and she stepped into it and glanced around. Like the rest of the house, the bedroom was bright and airy, and it gave her that warm, cuddly feeling like a cashmere sweater on a chilly day. The room was double the size of the other two, with large, dark masculine furniture that contrasted with the brightly painted walls but together it worked.
When she turned back to Antonio, he was standing with his shoulder propped against a nearby wall and his muscular arms folded across his chest. He watched her intently, and his smoldering gaze only added to his sexiness.
The man was just too fine. He seemed so cool and comfortable in his skin, and he was tempting as hell.
Scarlett approached him, her gaze volleying between his eyes and his mouth. She was never bold when it came to asking for what she wanted from a man, but this man was different. With Antonio, she felt comfortable, and she knew he would never deny her anything.
“Remember when you said I can kiss you anytime?” she said as she stood before him.
Antonio straightened. “I remember.”
He slid his arm around her waist and crushed her against his hard body. His touch ignited like liquid fire against the bare skin between the band of her sports bra and the waistband of her pants.
Goodness , this man had her all twisted up inside—in a good way. She loved that, though he came across as a little grumpy and introverted, he definitely wasn’t shy.
Scarlett gasped and her pulse accelerated when he suddenly turned her and backed her against the bedroom door. She hadn’t even noticed it was closed, and the moment his mouth covered hers, she didn’t care about anything but him.
Her arms went around his neck as his tongue snaked between her lips, and fireworks exploded through her brain. Antonio kissed her with a hunger that she hadn’t experienced with him before, and she loved this strong, take-charge side of him.
Yeah, this was what she wanted—his mouth on hers and his hands squeezing her ass.
Pleasure radiated through Scarlett’s veins, sending shock waves to every cell in her body. With each lap of his tongue, her senses reeled, short-circuiting her brain as she felt his erection pressed against her lower body.
“Tony,” Scarlett moaned, realizing she had shortened his name. She wasn’t thinking straight as her desire for him surged.
Antonio growled and ripped his mouth from hers. Before Scarlett could form her next thought, he gripped the back of her thighs and lifted her off the floor. She gasped and held on tightly.
“I promised myself that I would go slow and get to know everything about you,” he said, “but you’re too damn sexy.”
Their mouths met again. Teeth gnashing, tongues tangling, and their groans mingled and pierced the quietness of the bedroom. With her legs wrapped around his waist, Scarlett felt no shame in grinding against him. She was already wet for him. The sensualness of his mouth on her body and how good he felt between her thighs was almost too much.
If only their clothes weren’t in the way. She wanted Antonio bad enough to beg for him to take her. Right then. Right there.
“Scarlett,” he growled under his breath, frustration in that one word as he pressed harder against her.
His mouth went to her neck, and her eyes slammed shut as the back of her head brushed against the door. He kissed, sucked, and ravished her neck while the pulsing ache between her thighs grew more intense.
“Tony, I—”
“I know, baby,” Antonio murmured against her skin, his breaths coming in short spurts.
He lifted his head and held her against the door with one arm.
The man was hella strong. With his other hand he pushed up her sports bra, and her breasts spilled free. Antonio wasted no time latching on to one of her nipples, and a shock wave of need shot straight to her core.
“ Oh, my goodness. Ohh ,” she whimpered. “More. I need more.”
His tongue teased her mercilessly as he swirled the tip around her sensitive nipple before gently biting down. Scarlett moaned at the delicious pain. When he was done with that one, he went to the other, inflicting the same sweet torture.
Still grinding against him, she needed to be closer. She wanted to feel him. Not just chest to chest, but everywhere else. Her response to the way he kissed her, touched her, groaned her name, was so intense it wouldn’t take much for her to come.
“Okay, okay, okay,” she panted, arching into him as he feasted on her breasts. “I—”
“Mommy,” Bella’s small voice could be heard in the distance, but Scarlett tried to block it out.
She needed Antonio to keep going. She wanted more. She needed more. But then she heard Bella again, and apparently Antonio did too. He froze.
Noooooo! Her brain screamed.
Just when things were heating up, they’d been dosed with a big hunk of reality. Scarlett wanted Antonio so bad, she hated to admit it had slipped her mind that Bella was in the house.
How could she forget that? How could she forget about her number one priority?
She was sex starved. That had to be the reason she’d temporarily forgotten about her baby.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been intimate with a man, but Antonio wasn’t just any man. He was the first man in a long time to tempt her in every way possible. Yet, Bella had to come first.
Still breathing hard, Scarlett dropped her forehead to Antonio’s shoulder and whimpered as he slowly lowered her to her feet. He made quick work of pulling her bra back into place.
“I’m sorry,” he said, panting near her ear. “I didn’t mean to go at you like this. I—”
“Stop,” Scarlett said, holding his face between her hands. “Don’t apologize because I want this as much as you do.”
Antonio smiled.
“But having a child—”
“I know. I get it.” He gave her a quick peck on the lips. “We’ll pick this up again… soon.”
“I’m holding you to that.”
“Why don’t you check on Bella, and once I pull myself together, I’ll make lunch. Unless you prefer to cook.”
“Umm, we’ll enjoy your cooking more than we’ll enjoy mine. Let’s just say I wouldn’t burn down the house, but I can’t cook as well as Mahogany.”
“Ahh, gotcha. Sounds like I’ll be the chef in this relationship.” And before she could mentally play around with the word relationship , he said, “And yes, what we’re building is a relationship .”
Scarlett smiled up at him and nodded as she fumbled with the doorknob behind her.
Yep, they were definitely on the same page. In the meantime, she needed to get her libido back in check, and after that make-out session, it wouldn’t be easy.