Chapter 5

“Christ!” Pulling his hand back, he ducked it beneath the cold water from the tap and waited for the stinging sensation to fade before turning off the water.

He was making a mess of everything. The chicken scallopini was a success and looked succulent. With a lot of help from his aunt who had patiently stayed up to guide him through, he had finished preparing the dish.

He had bought a bottle of Vino da tavola (A table red wine) to go with the meal. The risotto was also finished, but he was wondering if it was as creamy as it should be. It could not be helped now, because he was running late.

On his way back from the market, he had received a call from his uncle about some board meeting or the other and his swinging by the office had ended up with him spending almost the entire day.

Then his father called and demanded to see him. Something about his will and the signing of documents that he would have rather not have done. It was a reminder that he was inheriting a legacy he did not want.

It had put him in a bad mod which had further escalated when he had an argument with the old man. It had led to his pressure hiking up and the nurse intervening and ordering him to leave and return when he was calm.

He had to rush home to start preparing the meal and set the table. He had also forgotten about fresh flowers. His mother would be horrified if a vase of flowers were not in the center of the table.

And the tablecloth had to be snowy white. He had to get off the highway that led from his dad’s place to his apartment and stopped at a florist shop to pick up some yellow and white roses. Red would have been too obvious and inappropriate.

And the kitchen was a damn mess. A frantic glance at the clock showed that he had fifteen minutes to clean up and take a shower.

“Damn it all to hell.” He muttered. Who could he get on this short notice to come and do the cleaning for him? No one.

He should have listened to his uncle and hired a housekeeper. He was not lazy or entitled, expecting people to pick up after him, but at the same time he had grown up with servants doing his every bidding. What the hell was he thinking?

Hissing out a breath, he made a mental note to take his uncle up on his offer to find someone to do the cleaning. With that part of it resolved, he resigned himself to stacking the dishes into the dishwasher and cleaning off the counter.

With five minutes to spare, he dashed upstairs and took a quick shower. Pulling down clothing at random, he donned a pair of khaki pants and a black silk sweater. Running his fingers through his damp unruly hair, he slid his feet into a pair of dockers and hurried downstairs.

He was hoping she would be tardy, but that was shot to hell. At precisely eight thirty, he saw her on the camera, just before she rang the bell.

Pressing the button, he opened the downstairs doors and had the front door ajar for her to enter.

“Hey.” He was completely speechless as he stood there staring at her. She had obviously gone home to shower and change. The black dress was molded to her slender curves, the V-cut giving him glimpses of her cleavage.

Tearing his eyes away from that part of her that was making his mouth water, he studied her face and felt the reaction in his loins as her lips captured his attention.

“Am I allowed to come in?”

The amusement in her sultry voice had the color rushing to his face. Stepping back, he waited until she had stepped past him before securing the door.

“Let me take your jacket.”

She shrugged it off and handed it to him.

“You must be in upper management.”

“Pardon?” Her perfume was distracting him and the presence of her inside his apartment was making him crazy.

“Your apartment and the exclusive neighborhood.”

“Part of the package.” He evaded smoothly. “Shall we?”

She followed him, turning her head this way and that to stare at the silk patterned walls.

“You just moved in?”

“A week ago.” He led her into the formal dining room with its elegant mahogany table and chairs and a cozy fireplace tucked into one corner of the large room.

The room was scanty and mostly devoid of furnishings, but what was there seemed to her untrained eyes to be of the most excellent quality. There was a sideboard, a liquor cabinet and a long low sofa facing the floor to ceiling window.

“Need any help?”

He had pulled out her chair and was heading out.

“I just need to grab the meal and come back out. You may pour the wine; I already popped the cork.”

Sadie pushed back her chair and rose to get it done. He was obviously wealthy; she decided as she poured the rich burgundy into two glasses. His clothes were of superior quality, and she had been astounded by the area.

The houses or apartments were distanced from each other. She and her mother lived in a nice area after the fire when they were relocated, but their neighbors were extremely near to them. The houses were only a few feet apart.

It was certainly not the case here. This was a very moneyed area and a lot of it.

He came back with the bowls and placed them in the middle of the table, before going back to get the salad.

“All done?”

He nodded and accepted the glass of wine from her with a murmur of thanks.

“I never asked if you liked Italian?”

“Who doesn’t?”

His smile warmed her heart and sent tingles along her flesh.

“That’s what I said to myself.” Picking up his utensils, he started eating.

“I had to call my aunt to get some pointers. Let me know what you think.” He nodded to the chicken.

“You called your aunt in Italy?”

“Hmm. So?”

She tasted the chicken, and her eyes widened. “It’s… What is it?”

“Chicken Scallopini.” He grinned at her dazed expression and felt the pride and relief swelling inside his chest. “And from your expression, I see my labors were not in vain.”

“You went to all this trouble for me? Why aren’t you married?”

He laughed. Suddenly the tension was lifted, and he felt an easy camaraderie settling in. He was right about her. He had noticed from the very beginning that there was no sense of coyness or pretense where she was concerned. He loved that, it made him desire her even more, if that was at all possible.

“Would you believe that you are the first woman I have ever cooked for?”

Her tapered brows lifted as she continued eating the delicious meal.

“Why don’t I believe you?”

“Now you are wounding me. I am being honest.”

She looked at him curiously. “Why me?”

“I happen to like you a lot and wanted to show off my culinary skills.” He gestured with his fork. “Now the cleaning up part is going to be a challenge.”

“You mean you left everything on the counter?”

“I almost did.’ He admitted ruefully. “I hate doing dishes.”

“Surprisingly, I love doing it. So, when we are finished here, just point me to where the mess is, and I will restore everything as if by magic.”

“I couldn’t. You are my guest.” He protested.

“I am going to have to insist.” she said firmly. “Call it payment for the delicious meal. You said you called your aunt.”

“I did. She is a lovely woman who did not mind being put out in the least.”

“What did you tell her?” She asked him curiously.

“That I am cooking for a beautiful young woman, and I wanted everything to be perfect.”

“What did she say to that?”

“She wanted to know if you were good enough for me.” The minute he said the words, he wanted to bite off his tongue and from the expression on her face, he knew he was jumping ahead.

“I am sorry…”

“What did you say to that?” She asked softly, dark brown eyes holding his captive.

His heart took a slow dive inside his chest and took a while to settle. He had expected her to be offended, but she was engaging with him.

He went still as he continued to stare at her and felt the warmth seeping into his skin. “I told her it’s probably the other way around.

That I might not be good enough for you.”

They stared deeply into each other’s eyes and for a minute, the air appeared to stand still. He was about to say something else, when she reached for her glass and brought it to her mouth.

He resumed eating and was amazed that he could get the food past the blockage in his throat.

“You love her!” Sadie finally broke the silence that had stretched on for some time.

“Pardon?”

“Your aunt. You love her.”

A smile touched his lips and had her pulse leaping. The man was decidedly lethal.

“I do. She is a beautiful soul. She is my mother’s only sibling, and they were remarkably close. When I went to Italy, she welcomed me with open arms.”

“How long did you stay?”

“Five years. I left just after my mother’s funeral.”

Her expression was soft and sympathetic. “You were that badly affected.”

“I loved her.”

“And your dad?”

He picked up his wine glass and wondered if he should be getting off this topic.

“What about him?” He asked casually.

“Was he as devastated as you were?”

Gary shrugged. “I suppose he loved her in his own way.”

“You don’t get along with him,” she intuited.

“Something like that. More wine?”

She looked at her glass, surprised to see she was almost finished. “I had better not, I am driving.”

He almost suggested she spend the night but managed to refrain from voicing his desperate wish.

“It’s not exactly potent.”

“I have a light head.”

“Good to know.” He murmured casually, his eyes wandering over her exquisite features. “I am curious about something.”

“You want to know my political affiliation,” she teased.

“I would rather not. It might just force me to end this date prematurely.” His expression sobered and became intense. “Why are you single?”

She fiddled with the delicate stem of the glass and made him wonder if she was going to respond.

“I had a bad break up.”

He found himself tensing. “Are you open about telling me what went wrong?”

She lifted her head to look at him and made a stunning discovery. She was going to sleep with him. The thought of it reverberated inside her head and made her dizzy. She was attracted to a complete stranger, a man she just met and suddenly she did not want to wait. She wanted to experience him, to feel his long, lean, muscles against her flesh.

“I…“ She had to clear his throat before resuming. “He cheated on me.”

“Is he a moron?” His astounded expression sent the fire charging into her system.

“I asked myself the same thing.” She fiddled with her fork, and he waited for her to continue. “We knew each other from my neighborhood. I usually go on a run very early in the morning and I would see him doing the same. Very soon, we started working out together and then we became a couple.

I had no idea how and when things evolved, but they did, and we started seeing each other. He is a lawyer, and we were both busy people, so dates were broken, but we understood that it could not be helped.” Picking up her glass, she took a contemplative sip while he watched her.

“One Thanksgiving we had made plans to go out of town. I had it all arranged. Mom said she would stay in the store, and he said he would take the time off. Two nights before we were supposed to leave, I decided to surprise him at his place.” She grimaced. “That was a very bad idea.”

“He was with someone.”

She nodded. “I had a key and let myself in. I thought he wasn’t in at first, but his car was parked in front of the garage. I went into his bedroom, just pushed the door open and I saw them. They were both naked and going at it as if their lives depended on the outcome.”

“What did you do?”

“I just stood there unable to believe my eyes. He told me loved me and would like nothing more than to spend his life with me. I started into the room, ready to create a big old scene, when something stopped me.

I decided it was not worth it, that I was not going to be one of those women who refuse to let go when it was glaringly obvious the man did not think you were enough for him.

He looked up then and saw me and the expression on his face was priceless. I did not wait for him to put on his clothes, I just ran and got into my vehicle. He came over later and tried to explain that it just happened.

The woman was his secretary, and he said she came over to help him with a case and things started. He never expected me, and I should have called. I told him to go to hell and lose my number. He tried several times, but finally got the picture. The bastard caused me to choose a different route for my run and that really pissed me off.”

The tightness around his chest eased off and he felt light. If she was bemoaning the inconvenience of having to choose another direction to get her exercise, she was not in love with the son of a bitch, and that was going to make things easier for him. It was not going to take long for him to erase the man from her thoughts. He would see to it.

“How long ago did it happen?” He asked softly.

“A year.”

“Good to know you are completely over him.”

“I would not say completely.”

“I believe you are. Finished?”

She looked at her plate. “I suppose I am.”

“There is dessert.”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell you that you baked.”

“If I had known going the extra mile would impress you, I would have labored more around the stove.” He grinned at her. “But I took the easy way out and bought something at the pastry place. It’s spumoni ice cream cake and you are going to love it.”

She did and accused him of trying to fatten her up. He had also made coffee and added creamer to hers. They had taken the dessert into the lovely and spacious living room where a fire was burning in the fireplace.

The décor was purely masculine, the two tone gold and brown colors of the butter soft sofa, echoing the silk draperies at the windows. He was seated across from her, long legs stretched out as he sipped his coffee and regaled her with stories of his life in Italy.

“Wine country.” He murmured. “Mostly red. There are many wine shops, as they call it, to choose from and the view is spectacular. It sits on top of a hill, surrounded by many vineyards. There is quite a lot to see there.” He studied his coffee before looking at her. “Have you ever been to Italy?”

She shook her head, no. “I have been to the UK, London, specifically and Paris. But the trip was never extended past that. I suppose you are well traveled?”

“Somewhat.” He did not want to get into the fact that he had traveled the world. He wanted to stay away from the subject of his resources for now. “I would love for us to take a trip to Italy.”

Her dark brown eyes stayed steady on his face for a few seconds before staring into the fire.

“I have never done anything like this before and when I told my mother where we were having dinner, she was surprised.” She swung her gaze back around. “But not as surprised as I was to realize that I was in fact doing it.”

He kept his eyes on hers. “You mean coming to a man’s place?”

She nodded. “One I only just met.”

His eyes swept over her face and lingered on her lips. “Are you afraid of me?”

“No.” She laughed shakily and felt her insides crumbling. “Quite the opposite.”

“Good. I am glad.”

She put aside her cup as he uncoiled his long length from the sofa and came towards her.

“I told myself that I would make this casual. We would just have dinner, and I would usher you to the door.” He drew her up and she stood there, a few inches from his body heat.

“And?” She could not believe it was her voice. She sounded breathless and unlike her usual self.

His hands lifted to cup her face. “If you have a problem with where this is going, the time to speak up is now.”

“Where is it going?” She could hardly get the air from her lungs and her knees were like water.

“To my bedroom.” He whispered. His head descended slowly as he waited for her to protest that this was happening too fast. It was and he really should give them both some time, but his body was not allowing it. The desire pumping through him was making him dizzy, it was certainly driving him over the wall.

When she did not protest or tell him to leave her alone, he took it to mean that she did not object and he felt relief surging through him like a life-giving force.

His eyes swept over her face with an intensity that was well matched by her. Using the pad of his thumb, he barely touched the lush bottom lip, pressing down on the flesh until he felt her start.

“I have wanted to touch you since the very moment I laid eyes on you.” His voice was rough, tender with emotions. “Did you know that?”

She could not speak, her throat was thick, her entire body feverish with need. If she didn’t feel his lips on hers, she was going to die. It was that simple. Or that complicated.

“No.” Her voice was whisper soft and sent thrills running all over his body.

“I turned around and saw you and was floored. I want you so badly, I can feel it in my pores. I had every intention of keeping my promise to just have dinner, but…” His voice tailed off as he replaced his fingers with his lips. She had noticed his lips from the first day he walked into her shop and had felt something simmering inside her.

The touch of them, cemented what she had suspected. He was lethal. He was barely brushing them across hers, but already sensations were rocketing throughout her body. Her hands crept up to grasp his thick wrists, fingers digging into the skin.

He just needed that physical contact to move further.

Using the tip of his tongue, he parted the seams of her lips and caressed the flesh slowly, erotically, his tongue barely moving across her lips. His hands were lovingly cupping her face, and he was careful to place inches between them.

He was fully aroused, his shaft roughly rubbing against the material of his trousers. But in some detached and rational part of his brain warned him to slow down. He did not want to overwhelm her.

But when she opened her mouth and he delved into the honeyed sweetness, objectivity went flying out the window. She was sweet, seductively sexy and he wanted her more than he had ever wanted to draw breath. The savage need for her frightened him so much that he heard himself whimpering.

She was the one who moved towards him. When her breasts brushed against the material of his sweater, he felt moisture popping up on his forehead and pooling under his arms.

With a low feral groan, he plunged his tongue inside her mouth, swallowing her gasp. The kiss took on a potency that rocked their very existence.

His hands fell away, only so that he could move them over her slender shoulders and down her back where he clasped her against his straining body. He felt when she trembled and hoped to God that it was not from revulsion or fright.

Just as he was about to sweep her into his arms and carry her upstairs, his phone rang.