Chapter Twenty-One Ella
Chapter Twenty-One
Ella
We’re back at the hotel in no time. The tug-of-war between my mind and body is still raging. One cautions. The other demands satisfaction.
Tiero lets go of me and steps out of the car first. While he rounds the SUV to open my door, I draw in a slow breath, trying to steady my nerves.
Calm the hell down.
He reaches for my hand to help me out. The hunger in his eyes when they lock with mine makes my stomach clench.
As we walk into the hotel, Tiero rests his hand at the small of my back, sending waves of delicious want through me.
The gesture is possessive, a silent warning to anyone who might get ideas. A claiming of sorts. But there’s hardly anybody around, and the few people we pass barely glance our way.
“Would you like to have a nightcap at the hotel bar?” Tiero asks, leaning in closer, his breath feathering over my skin.
Decision time.
I don’t want to say goodnight yet. His presence is too intoxicating. For now, my unruly body is winning the war.
He leads us to the hotel terrace. It overlooks the moonlit, silver-shimmering sea. The sight steals my breath… or at least that’s what I tell myself when my lungs struggle to cooperate.
Tiero leaves to get our drinks while I step up to the railing. I tilt my face toward the star-filled sky, searching for something steady to quiet my ever-galloping heart.
Glancing around, I notice only one other couple on the terrace, seated at the far end and deep in conversation.
Santino and another security guard station themselves by the door after sweeping the area. As always, they look like they mean business. There’s nothing friendly about them.
Tiero returns with a glass of scotch for himself and champagne for me. As he hands it over, our fingers brush, and a sharp pulse of electricity shoots through me.
“Thank you,” I whisper, my voice hoarse as I take a careful sip.
His gaze drops to my lips and stays there.
His eyes are scorching, and an inferno builds inside me. I’ve never had a man look at me like this. The pure, potent desire makes it hard to swallow.
The butterflies in my stomach multiply, tumbling wildly while my chest rises and falls in uneven breaths.
Tiero takes my glass and sets both our drinks on a nearby table, never breaking eye contact. The lump in my throat thickens, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.
He steps closer, curls his hands around my waist, and draws me slowly against him until I’m flush with his body. My face tilts up to meet his gaze. His eyes have darkened to near black.
As if of their own accord, my hands settle on his biceps. I remember the first time I ogled him, how badly I’d wanted to touch those muscled arms. And oh, I was right. They feel incredible. Solid strength beneath the soft fabric of his shirt.
His muscles twitch under my fingertips, subtle contractions that travel straight through me, making my fingers tingle.
His head lowers slowly, deliberately, giving me time to step back… if I want to.
But I don’t.
I want his lips on mine.
Like the day we met, the world narrows to just us. Time slows.
I wait. And wait.
Finally, his lips brush mine.
Soft. Barely there. A feather-light tease.
This feels so right.
Every reservation I clung to dissolves as I exhale, carried away on the night breeze. When I inhale again, there’s only him. Only want.
His hands slide to cradle my face, holding me as if I’m something precious.
He draws me closer, and my thoughts scatter. My hands move to his neck, one slipping into his hair, gripping gently.
Our kiss deepens.
It’s familiar and new all at once.
His lips are soft, yet firm. Controlled.
I lose myself in sensation. His tongue traces the seam of my mouth, asking. I part for him with a quiet sound, and he slips inside.
The hum beneath my skin ignites into something sharper when his tongue finds mine. Tentative at first. Then slower. Deeper. A measured, sensual rhythm.
I melt into it, surrendering to the slow dance he sets, our hearts beating wildly in counterpoint.
Heat floods my body, racing outward, settling low and heavy between my thighs.
My hands slide down his back, feeling muscle flex beneath my palms. His arms tighten around me as the kiss turns hungry.
I want more.
His lips on my skin. His hands everywhere. His voice low in my ear.
Pleasure pulses through me. Dampness gathers between my legs, the lace of my panties suddenly too rough, too confining against my overheated skin.
A tremor shivers through me when his unmistakable erection presses against my abdomen.
I did that.
I did that to him.
A sharp, intoxicating surge of power floods my veins. I’m not sure anymore who’s seducing whom.
His lips leave mine and trail along my jaw, down to my neck. His hands still hold me captive.
Oh my, this man knows how to seduce.
And that realization jolts me.
It’s like cold water down my spine.
What am I doing?
The small voice in my head chooses this moment to remind me of the inevitable heartache.
I can’t do this.
No matter how good it feels.
With effort that costs me more than I want to admit, I pull back.
My knees wobble, and Tiero steadies me.
Reality slams back into place.
And just like that, my reservations return.
I clear my throat and look away, trying to gather my wits.
Pretending to smooth imaginary wrinkles from my dress, I mutter, “Umm… it’s gotten late. I should get going.”
My body screams at me. You fool. What are you doing? That was magical. Go back.
I ignore her.
“Grazie, Tiero. I had a wonderful evening,” I say, injecting as much composure as I can manage.
“So did I, princess,” he replies, his voice so husky I barely recognize it.
The sound alone reignites the ache deep inside me. I need to leave. Pronto. Or I’ll do something I know I won’t regret tonight but definitely will in the morning.
Tiero slips his hands into his jeans pockets as if to stop himself from reaching for me again. Still, he leans in and presses a kiss to my cheek. Almost chaste.
“Until later today, my beautiful Ella,” he whispers near my ear.
The intensity in his eyes burns straight through me. I look away.
It’s too much.
My resolve is already cracked. He has breached the fortress and split it open. I need mortar. Fast.
We say goodnight without lingering touches. Mostly because I flee the terrace.
I hurry into the hotel on unsteady legs. When I reach my room and close the door behind me, I sag against it, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. I take slow, deliberate breaths, willing it to calm.
Jeez.
That kiss.
I’ve never been kissed like that before. Never felt so consumed. Or starving for more.
He’s ruined me for other men.
With a kiss.
Damn him.
And damn me for not being stronger.
I cross to the bed and belly flop onto it. Rolling onto my back, I stare at the ceiling.
Wait a second.
Did he say he would see me later today? We made no plans. Surely he has to work.
Does he intend to take me out again?
Undoubtedly he wants another chance to seduce me.
How long can I keep my walls standing before he tears them down completely?
Sticking to my principles is getting harder by the day.
Come what may, I’m having dinner with Rhia and Zoe tonight. Just us. This is a girls’ trip. No man gets to intrude on that. Not even one who kisses like Gualtiero De Marco.
My lips tingle at the memory. It feels as if his mouth is still on mine, his breath still warm against my skin.
“Argh,” I groan into the empty room.
The fire he started is still burning. I need relief. Urgently.
I strip off my clothes and head to the bathroom, turning on the shower. Cool water cascades over my overheated skin. My hands glide slowly over my well-primed body, my fingers and imagination taking over until the fiery blaze is put out.
But even when the tension finally ebbs, it does not disappear completely.
The embers still glow.