Destino (17 page)

“I can’t take anymore,” she cried out.

“You can, let me give you more.”

Mira pushed hard against the pleasure consuming her and grabbed his hand once more. “No. No please...”

“I need to touch you. Like this.” Two fingers slipped out and slowly rubbed up and down her slit before he gave her clitoris a gentle pinch.

“Move your hand,
please
.”

“I don’t know if I can, Bella. I’m not a man who retreats. Maybe we should find a compromise?”

She swallowed her nervous chuckle and tried to give him a serious face. But with him touching her the way he was, a shy smile kept forming over her lips. “Compromise?” her voice croaked, and she found it hard to not move her hips in response when a finger slipped in again, knuckle deep. He nipped her bottom lip and lowered his face to rub his strong jaw across her cheek.

“What is it… the compromise?” she nearly gasped.

“I’ll replace my fingers with my tongue,” he said against her ear. Mira’s heart pounded out of control. The prospects of his lips and tongue down below sent such a thrill through her she couldn’t help but smile her consent.

Giovanni forced her feet apart with his. He rubbed her long and slow before withdrawing his hand from her sex. He gathered both sides of her skirt into his hands slowly drawing the wet fabric up. She felt the coolness brush up her thighs then her center.

“Hold it for me,” he ordered.

She blinked. “Huh?”

Giovanni smirked. “The skirt.”

He forced the fabric into her clenched palms and she was unable to resist his command. Like a good girl she hiked her skirt even higher to her hips. Their eyes never left each other as he lowered to his knees. The man was so tall she still felt as if he were standing. Of course the promise in his wink made her heart flutter.

The exchange was broken when Giovanni’s focus returned to what she so brazenly exposed to him. His gaze lowered to the neatly trimmed hairs over her shaven mound. She wasn’t vain, but even she admired how evenly brown and hairless her legs were. She worked out often, and ran daily to alleviate stress. Today, in this moment, she felt appreciated for her efforts.

With careful but firm hands he stroked both palms up over the curves of her thighs to her hips and reached around to cup both halves of her ass. A gentle squeeze made her exhale with anticipation. Without consciously agreeing she widened her legs for him and dropped her head back to the door. Mira squeezed her lids tightly shut. Of course, sensibility had left the room. She felt no need to follow her golden rules. Thou shalt never let a man give her oral or other pleasures with his tongue on a first date. Thou shalt never secretly wish he then bend her over and give her even more.

God help me…

A man of his word, he did what he intended. Fingers gently parted her sex and his tongue teased the engorged knot from its hiding place. He began with long sensual swirls from below her folds, piercing her opening with his tongue then sweeping up across her clit. Tender kisses came next, followed by a slick and slow lick. Quivers worked their way up her thighs and belly. The tip of his tongue flicked the rigid knot, feathering it with soft lashes and her hips gyrated. Mira bit down on the inside of her jaw to keep from crying out. When his face pressed in to devour her she lost all strength in her legs. He explored, licked, and tasted her. His firm moist lips tugged on her clit with a sharp pinch that was soon soothed by the way he flattened his tongue and ran it up and down between her folds. As if understanding or sensing her weakness his hand went up to press against her abdomen and keep her pinned to the door. She aided by lifting her left leg and throwing it over his shoulder.

Mercy…

Her legs trembled and she neared climax. Soon Giovanni’s tongue play became her waking fantasy. From the way his tongue plunged deep into her pussy, to the sexy swirls of her hips that aided and gave further access, the flood of pleasure quickly hurled her toward an orgasm. God help her but his tongue sought pleasure points no man had discovered. Ever so slowly he began the delicious torture again, and she sank deeper into madness. Her head dropped back and she smiled the biggest grin she’d ever worn. Her body shook all over with glorious tremors. It left her wet with a fiery hot ache in her core. 

As she reached the peak of her climax, her mouth gaped in a silent cry of submission. He allowed her release, taking every drop of her essence before he kissed her below once more and rose to capture her lips with his. The strong hardness of his lips and the salty taste of their forbidden passion felt as if her brain spun in her skull like a spinning top. Delicious. She held to him, nearly ready for anything, begging with her racing heart that he do her. Demanding lips caressed hers with a promise for more and then stopped. Giovanni pressed his forehead to hers while they both struggled for a breath. He groaned deep in his throat and squeezed his eyes tightly shut, before he released her, but not before his middle finger slid between her folds and tickled her clitoris to remind her of how perilously close they’d come to exploring the depths of passion now stirring between them.

Stunned, Mira searched his face for an explanation. He stepped back and kept his hands raised as if she had drawn a gun on him. Confused and a bit embarrassed she fled the room. Fast. She headed to hers and closed the door locking it. Mira heaved down several quick breaths. Second time was a charm, third time and she’d strike out for sure. Here she was lecturing on quick and easy sex with Fabiana, and she had gone to the man’s room.

“My bracelet!” She realized she dropped it sometime during the kiss. “No! No! No!”

The knock to the door startled her. Exhaling she composed herself and opened the door. He filled the space before her with his arm raised, his hand braced on the top of the doorframe. He leaned forward and looked into her eyes.

“You dropped something.” He opened his palm. The bracelet was in the center of it. She accepted her treasured item. “The next time you come to me, I won’t let you go so easily.”

She smiled. He winked and turned and went back to his room. Mira closed the door shaking her head. “Next time, huh?”

****

Giovanni showered. Not that it was necessary, but the woman had left him with such an unyielding hard-on he needed the cool jets for relief. He shouldn’t have seized her when she came into his room. Like a frightened bunny she leapt from his arms and hurried away when all he wanted to hear was that she felt his passion for her. Hell, what did she expect? Showing up in his room barefoot, bottomless, eyes wide and lovely, with a mouth like hers, the moment he discovered she was weak for him he lost all control. He was only a man after all. And the taste of her? Never tasted anything sweeter.

His day had been filled with a few surprises. The first kiss she gave him took his breath away, but the second set his blood to boiling. A sly smile split his face at the thought of her rebellion. He hadn’t expected it to end with her falling into the pond. And the joy in her pretty brown eyes when she told him that her precious items were returned to her made him the hero. He missed the soft vulnerability that could be found in the arms of a headstrong woman.

Of course she had the perfect body for a man like him, supple in all the right spots. The kind of curves that would be a comfort to him when chaos returned to his life, and he knew it was coming soon. Territory wars were brewing with the expansion of tourism in southern Italy. He needed the alliance with Calderone to stay ahead of his enemies.

He joined Dominic and Carlo on the open terrace that wrapped around the side of the villa and caught the cool breeze from the Lario, which was the lake. The men finished lunch and awaited his arrival. Most in his family preferred to dine in the sun. Dominic and Carlo pummeled him at once with business matters, while his mind kept flashing to thoughts of his and Mira’s brief time together. Every time he heard movement his heart thundered in his chest. He could feel the ache return to his groin and extend through his semi-erection. She did not reappear, and after an hour of hoping, he shifted his attention to the men who needed him.

“Did you hear me? Catalina has called. She wants to talk to you.”

“Handle her.” Giovanni ordered Dominic as he swirled the cubes in his glass. “Who found the purse?”

Dominic frowned but Carlo answered. “Renaldo made a few calls. It was with Maximo’s men. He had it brought in this morning.”

“Well done.” Giovanni downed a shot of his malt and swallowed an ice cube. He needed something to cool him off. The doors to the villa opened and in drifted the soft giggles of a woman. He glanced up as Lorenzo strolled inside with his arm draped over the redhead. Both of them had wet hair and deep flushed looks. It appeared that his cousin had done much better in his pursuits.

“This looks serious,” Fabiana smiled at the men. “Is Mira upstairs?”

Giovanni nodded.

She rose on her toes and kissed Lorenzo. “I’ll go find her. See you for a late lunch. Okay?”

Lorenzo nodded and let her go. Giovanni noticed how his cousin kept his eyes trained on her hips. “Woman is a firecracker. You have no idea.” Lorenzo whistled. Carlo snickered but Dominic cut his eyes away in disgust.

“How are things?” Lorenzo asked.

Dominic rose. “I’m heading back home, to see to Catalina.”

Lorenzo nodded. “You do that little one. I’ll handle business with Giovanni. That is until Flavio returns.”

Dominic glared. Lorenzo never missed a moment to point out that Flavio was consigliere and their young surrogate cousin was just a stand in. Giovanni waited for the tension to pass. He didn’t need to speak. The men gave each other a nod of reprieve and parted. Carlo rose next. He walked over and slapped Lorenzo on the back. Grabbing his neck, he whispered in his ear. Lorenzo roared with laughter. Carlo sauntered out.

“You don’t look to be pleased.” Lorenzo tossed Giovanni’s way.

“I have a lot on my mind.”

“And the designer? She was supposed to give you some relief. How was she?”

“Watch your fucking mouth. Don’t speak of her in that way.”

Lorenzo’s brows shot up. “
Scusi.
Guess she’s made an impression on you.”

Giovanni headed to the bar to refresh his drink.

“Are you falling for that designer?” Lorenzo pressed.

“What?”

“This is a first. You usually don’t visit Bellagio for long. On my way in, I saw the boys. Looks like you might be here for a few more days.”

“I have business in Bellagio thanks to you. The
caberineri
have dispatched two inspectors. They’ve asked to see me directly.”

“Of course.” Lorenzo grumbled with forced restraint. “What are your plans for afterward?”

“Afterward?”

“Our guests?” Lorenzo’s gaze switched to the ceiling to emphasize his meaning.

“Aww, Mira. She and I have unfinished business. A private matter.”

“The favor she owes for the building you want in Napoli? Still negotiating?”

“I don’t negotiate, you know that.” He’d forgotten her rebuke of his offer. Fuck he’d buy her four buildings if she’d let him run his hand up under her skirt just once more. “She’s unlike any other woman I’ve met since my return to Italia. I find her interesting.” He turned from the bar and sipped his drink, locking gazes with Lorenzo from over the top of the glass.

“You do know she could never fit in your world. A fling is the best you could hope for.”

“What about her friend? You two look pretty cozy.” He returned to his seat and plopped down.

“Fabiana? Don’t let the red hair fool you. She’s Italian. A hot little sex kitten. I can’t get enough of the pussy, now that she’s finally given me a taste. But I’m not a man to settle down. She understands this. You, however, cousin, well let’s just say we see things differently when it comes to women.”

Giovanni chuckled. “No shit.”

“That friend of hers, I’m not too sure about. She’s a bit jumpy. A bit of a
donna
. Imagine molding her into a Battaglia wife?”

“I don’t want a woman to be molded into anything. And I don’t want a wife.”

“You have Catalina back in Sorrento being molded into the perfect bride.”

“Different. And you know it.” Giovanni said his throat dry and his patience short. Lorenzo looked poised to counter and the phone rang. Both of their eyes switched to it. Giovanni observed him while he took the call. There was a short exchange and then he asked the caller to allow him to ring him back.

“Something I should know?” Giovanni asked.

“No. It’s my gift for Fabiana. An artist I’ve commissioned to do her portrait.”

“Thought she wasn’t worth the effort?”

Lorenzo gave a thin-lipped smile. Giovanni narrowed his gaze on his cousin. He could tell when he wasn’t truthful. In that moment he knew he was lying.

“You said the
carabineri
have come. Is it one of our friends?”

Giovanni didn’t bother to answer.

“Should I attend the meeting? It was my restaurant, and Francesco
was
my partner.”

“I owned the damn place, and they know it. I’ll handle it.” After another long swig of his whiskey he slammed the glass on the bar. “I’ll leave now. Send Bella my regrets. Maybe I can join you all for dinner.”