Chasing forever, p.13
Chasing Forever, page 13
“Oh. You didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”
“It’s no trouble. It’ll make more sense when we get there.” I pull into Marco’s driveway, which conveniently masks the sole reason we’re here tonight. After I input the code, the garage door lifts, and we step inside.
“Hey, Luca,” Matteo, another cousin and Marco’s chef, greets me.
“Hi, Matteo.”
“Willa, this is my cousin.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Willa. Luca, where have you been hiding her?”
“Cugino, we talked about this when I asked you to cook.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. Your meals will be ready in fifteen minutes.”
I take her hand and lead Willa out onto the expansive deck that faces the Nubble Lighthouse. It’s majestic and set across a rocky channel, high on a hill. The waves are crashing onto the jagged rocks. It’s peaceful, especially in the evening when the area isn’t crawling with tourists.
She’s stunned silent for a few moments. “Wow! It’s beautiful.”
“She is.”
Willa turns to face me. “Thank you… for the compliment and bringing me here.”
“You’re welcome.” I slide her in front of me and wrap my arms around her from behind. It’s impossible for me to resist lowering my lips to the elegant curve of her neck. Goose bumps erupt across her skin. I kiss and nip along her exposed skin to the shell of her ear. “I’m glad you agreed to a proper date.”
“Me too.” She turns in my arms and rises on her toes to kiss me softly.
Matteo clears his throat behind us. “Your dinner is ready to be served. I set the plates and wine on the island.”
“Thanks.”
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Willa. Talk to you soon, Luca. I’ll see myself out.”
“Thanks. Good night,” I reply without releasing my hold on Willa.
Matteo closes the French doors and leaves us on the deck.
“Hungry?” I ask her.
“Starving. I never got a lunch break today.” I kiss her forehead and lead her inside to grab our plates and wine.
“Was it super busy? I didn’t hear any major dispatch codes on the radio today.”
“No, Stacey went out on maternity leave earlier than planned. I covered her patients and mine. Helen, my manager, will have the staffing levels fixed by next week.”
“Inside or outside?” I ask.
“Outside.”
Whatever she wants is fine with me. It’s warmer tonight than it has been in recent days. We sit on the bench at the table side by side facing the lighthouse. Our dinner consists of pasta with grilled chicken, pancetta, and peas in a light cream sauce.
“This is amazing, Luca. Matteo has serious skills.”
“I’ll be sure to tell him you enjoyed your dinner.”
“It isn’t the only reason.” She turns to look at me as I look toward her.
“No?”
“The company is pretty spectacular too.”
“I agree with you.” I lean forward and kiss her deeply. I don’t care if my food is ice-cold. We’re completely alone with gorgeous scenery. Turning to face her, I straddle the bench and pull her thighs over mine.
She bites down on her lower lip.
“What are you thinking?” I’m curious what her response will be.
“I was remembering last night right before Tabi arrived.”
“What else?” The look on her face tells me it isn’t everything.
“I wonder what would have happened if she wasn’t coming over.”
“I considered it myself, all day today.” My arousal increases when I pull her closer. Now thinking about her curves against mine last night against the door has me fully erect and lowering her to the bench. “What are you worried about?”
“I’m not a sex-on-the-first-date kind of girl. With you, this doesn’t feel like a first date, even though it’s the first one I let you label.”
“You’re not. You’re a forever kind of girl.” I watch her resolve crumble right before my eyes. Yes, I feel it too.
“Luca, I want you now. Right now.” She slides her fingers up my abs. The heat of her hands pushes me to the edge, making me consider ways to take her right here and now as she requests.
“As much as I want you, we aren’t going to be together for the first time here.” Here isn’t even close to what she deserves.
“You really are all you seem to be, aren’t you?” Her words are quiet and raspy.
“If you mean studly and gentlemanly at the same time, yes.”
A genuine smile graces her face as I lift her back up. I press a kiss to her lips before moving to clear the table. We clean our dishes and put them away. It takes a lot longer than it should, considering we paw at one another the entire time. If we don’t get out of here soon, I’m going to lay her out on Marco’s granite island. My ingrained gentlemen be damned.
I open the drawer freezer and pull out the dessert I planned for tonight.
“What are you up to over there?” she asks, her tone intrigued.
“You’ll find out later. I’m bagging our dessert. Stay there. I don’t want to ruin the surprise.”
She turns away, offering me a tempting view of her luscious ass. I can’t wait to dig my fingers into the flare of her hips sans clothing. I close the freezer, round the island, intertwine my hand into hers, and lead her back to my car.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Willa
Luca is truly all he claims to be. He listens when I talk. It’s rare. The moment he finishes buckling his seat belt, I set my hand on his thigh. He looks in my direction but says nothing. While he drives, I draw my hand up and down his thigh, inching ever closer to his hard length with each pass.
“You’re killing me, gorgeous.” His knuckles are turning white from his grip on the steering wheel.
“Whatever do you mean?” My question comes out sweet, syrupy, and full of feigned innocence. Despite his small protest, I continue sliding my fingertips along his leg. This time I drag a single fingernail up his length through his jeans.
“Willa.”
My name sounds strangled falling from his lips. What seems like an eternity later, he pulls into his driveway. Shoving the shifter into park, he hurries around the car and opens my door. After grabbing our dessert from the back seat, he takes my hand and jogs to his front door. As soon as the door closes, he hurries into the kitchen and right back to me.
He pulls me against him and molds his mouth to mine. Sweet mercy! This man knows how to kiss me into oblivion. I drag my fingertips down his back. The feel of his body under my fingers is perfection. I tug his shirt over his head and memorize him bare chested in front of me. The divots of his carved abs and up to the hard planes of his pecs drive me insane. Every stupidly sculpted inch of him makes heat pool between my thighs. As I pull his lips back to mine, he draws me against him and walks toward the hall. Breaking our kiss, he lifts my burgundy sweater over my head and tosses it to the floor.
“This peek of lace has been driving me crazy since you got here earlier.”
“Why?”
“The little hint makes me wonder what your lingerie looks like.”
“You should find out.” The set I chose is deep burgundy like my sweater.
A hunger flashes in his eyes as he tears the cami over my head. He takes a moment to stare at me. I’ve never felt so desired and cherished at the same time. After he takes everything in, he drags a finger along the scalloped edge before he lowers his mouth to the swell of my breasts while unclasping my bra from the back. Sliding it between us, it falls to the floor. He wraps one arm around my waist, lifting me into his arms. The feel of his bare, hard chest against mine is heavenly.
“All of your skin is so soft,” he murmurs, stepping into his bedroom. “Are you sure about this?” His eyes gaze straight into mine while he sets my feet on the floor.
“About you, about us?” I’m terrified of my feelings and possibly losing him senselessly.
His eyes widen.
“Yes. Are you?”
“I’ve never been more sure about anyone ever before.” His words make my chest tighten.
At the same time, we both wiggle out of our jeans and set them aside.
“It’s just wrong to be so hot,” I mumble.
“Speak for yourself. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever had the pleasure to kiss.”
“Luca.”
His fingers grazing the front of my thighs send electricity through my entire body. Once he reaches the edge of my panties, he draws his hands back down again.
“Luca, that feels—”
“You wait, gorgeous. It’s only going to get better.” He peels my thong down my legs. Placing hungry kisses up my legs, inching closer and closer to my heated core. His hands bracket my hips, and he guides me to sit on the edge of his bed. Kneeling on the plush area rug, Luca’s tongue glides up my inner thigh. He ghosts over my center and follows the same path on the other side. In anticipation of his mouth on my core, I grip the bedding tightly.
My imagination is nowhere near the bliss of Luca’s tongue savoring me. The first flick of his tongue flat over my folds is almost enough to send me over the edge. Holy hell! I forgot how much better orgasms feel when you aren’t doing it yourself. My entire body tightens as he feasts on me. My body coils tighter and tighter until I yell out his name as my body shakes with pleasure.
While I regain my breath, Luca presses a kiss to my tattoo before nipping and sucking his way up my stomach, over my breasts, to my mouth. Lifting my hand from the bed, I surround his shaft. His eyes snap open.
“If you don’t stop, this won’t last very long.” His words come out strained.
I release him and push up to the center of his bed. I beckon him closer before retaking him in my hand. Widening my legs, I guide him to my entrance. He reaches for the night table.
“I want you bare. I have an IUD, and I haven’t been with anyone in too long.”
As the tip grazes my hot core, he says, “Are you sure? There’s no turning back if we do this.”
“I can’t go back even if we don’t.” I inhale sharply, anticipating how this will feel and how I’ll never be the same.
With my words, he slides into my channel slowly inch by inch. Containing the gasp from my lips is impossible. Once he’s fully seated, he lowers onto his forearms but doesn’t move, giving me time to adjust to him. I lift onto my elbows to kiss him deeply. When I lower down to the bed, his eyes close briefly.
When he opens his eyes again, he says, “You feel so good wrapped tightly around me.”
“You buried deep inside me is indescribable.”
I hook my leg around his back, opening even more, urging Luca to move. When he does, my entire world shifts. There’s only us. The passion and heat have been building since we first met. Luca thrusts deeper into me over and over, each time deeper than the last. Inexplicably, I feel him lengthen even more.
“Sweetheart, I’m not going to last much longer,” he whispers, as if I can outlast him.
“Neither am I.”
My body contracts and convulses around him. Luca follows me over the cliff of bliss, exploding inside me. He carefully lowers himself on top of me before turning us onto our sides, my head resting on top of his arm, our legs tangled, and his other hand drawing lines on my hip.
I lift my gaze to his eyes but find them closed. “That was… we—"
“I don’t have any words either.” He leans forward, wetting my lips with his tongue before kissing me more deeply than ever before. I’ve fallen for this gorgeous man, head over heels with no hope of recovery.
About an hour later, we untangle ourselves from one another. While I clean up a bit, Luca lets the dogs out. I grab a hoodie from his dresser and join him in the kitchen.
“Why on earth did you cover up?”
This man’s words make me blush. “I’m not a walk-around-the-house-nude type of person. Plus, my shirt is out here.” I let the dogs back inside. They curl up together near the island.
A pout materializes on his face.
“Don’t pout. I’ll take it off in your bedroom.”
“Deal. Dessert?” He sets a nondescript white bag on the island and grabs two spoons. Taking my hand in his and the bag in the other, he leads me back to his bedroom. As promised, I strip off his hoodie and climb into his bed.
“What did you choose?” I’m intrigued what’s in the bag.
When he doesn’t answer right away, I set my hand on his forearm. Whatever he’s thinking, it’s deep. He’ll tell me when he’s ready. “We’re going to settle our first disagreement.”
“We haven’t had a disagreement, Luca. Not one of consequence anyway.”
“I beg to differ. Dunne’s is by far superior ice cream. I got a few different flavors to prove to you I’m right.” He sets the bag on the floor, climbs in beside me, kissing the ball of my shoulder.
I shake my head. “Okay, babe. Prove me wrong.”
Luca pulls out four flavors: chocolate extreme, Maine blueberry, peanut butter, and cookies and cream.
“How did you decide on these flavors?”
“You told me your favorite was peanut butter cookies and cream, so I got both plus my favorite Maine blueberry. The chocolate extreme is Emilia’s favorite.
I take the spoon and dig into the peanut butter first. The second it hits my tongue, my taste buds sing. Damn it! He’s right, and I have to fess up. Before I do, I scoop out a taste of the Maine blueberry. He’s right about this one too.
“Try this one.” His words interrupt my inner concession speech preparation. He slides the spoon with chocolate extreme between my lips. I can’t help myself this time, I close my eyes and groan.
“What do you get if you’re right?” I ask, hoping to delay admitting defeat.
“There wasn’t a wager. Only a friendly difference of opinion. What are you willing to give me since I sense victory?”
“Hmmmm.” I take the spoon from his hand, dip it into the slightly melted peanut butter ice cream, and drag it along his chest. I straddle him, grip my hair in one hand, and lick the ice cream from every valley and dip on his chest and abs.
“My turn.” Luca drops a spoonful of ice cream into the hollow of my collarbone. He watches it melt on my skin as he threads his fingers into my hair. When he tugs to expose more of my neck, I can’t stifle a moan. “You like that?”
“Didn’t know until this moment.”
Luca tugs a little tighter and then laps up the ice cream drips traveling down between my breasts to my stomach. I shiver when his tongue circles my navel.
“That too?”
All I can do is nod. When he’s content all the ice cream has been removed with his tongue, Luca releases my hair, drawing my mouth to his. I kiss him once before impaling myself on his long, hard shaft. His lips on my skin made me ache to feel him inside me again.
He’s silent until I start to lift off him. I bear down, taking him deeper than before. He shouts my name while marking my hips with his fingers. I lower, resting my hands on his chest, changing the angle as I take him inside me again and again.
“Baby, don’t stop.”
My inner walls clench as he hits a spot no man has ever found before. I shudder around him and milk each burst that explodes inside me. I collapse onto his chest, resting my head over his heart. I have no words to sum up what is racing through my heart and body right now.
After our breathing slows, I lift my head to look at Luca and start to move off him.
“Not yet.” His arms tighten around me.
I’m not sure what I expected to see other than a sated guy. Instead, I see emotions flaring in his eyes. Words he likely won’t share, at least not yet. Hell, I haven’t either. Choosing to share myself with him was a huge decision for me, same for him.
“Why don’t you step into the shower while I clean this up? I’ll join you in a little bit,” he suggests.
“Sure I can’t help you clean up?”
“Yes. I’ll be right there.” He presses a kiss to my forehead and taps my ass as I turn away from him.
I look over my shoulder and smile. The master bathroom is a masterpiece. The shower is a glass enclosure with floor-to-ceiling white Carrara title to match the floor. I turn the knob, wait for the hot water, and step inside.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Luca
As she steps into the bathroom, I gather the dishes, spoons, and the sheets from my bed. My gorgeous woman just rocked me to my marrow. Choosing me wasn’t an easy choice for her. I’m grateful she’s willing to take the chance on us.
I set the spoons in the sink and the remainder of the ice cream in the freezer, hoping it will still be good tomorrow, and turn on the washing machine right off the kitchen. In the hall closet, I grab towels and fresh sheets. Hurriedly, I remake the bed before joining her.
She’s leaning against the tile with the water pelting her back when I step into the bathroom.
“Mind if I join you?” I ask.
“I don’t mind at all.”
Stepping inside, I steal the hot water from her. The heat soothes my muscles. Once I finish washing, she wraps her arms around me. You would think my body wouldn’t respond to her considering it’s been less than a half hour since I experienced one of the best orgasms in my life. Her body plastered against me, completely naked, and I’m fully erect and ready to go again.
Now I’ve had her, I’ll never be the same. Not true, I knew the moment her lips touched mine for the first time. She’s my future. Now, we need to get there… together.
I shut off the water, step out, and open a towel for her.
“Thanks.” She dries herself and steps to the side, but she doesn’t leave the bathroom.
Something is bothering her. “Willa, please tell me.”
“I’m not sure what to do right now.”
“What do you want to do?” I can only hope she wants to curl up with me in my bed until morning.
“I want… to stay.”
“Do you think I want something different? I want to be with you as much as possible. I did before tonight. Let’s get some sleep, gorgeous.” I grab her towel and hang it over the door. I slide my hand over hers and lead her into my bed. I nestle her body into mine, kiss the nape of her neck, and close my eyes.
