Sharleen couldn’t hide the smile that overwhelmed her lips. Forgetting the pain of her past, she entwined her fingers with his and giggled when he nipped at her earlobe.
“There’s a common misconception that all men care about is sleeping with as many women as possible, but it’s not true. At least not for me,” he said. “I haven’t had sex in years, and it suited me fine until I met you. Now it’s all I can think about.”
Sharleen was stunned, but she wore a blank expression on her face. Deciding to put all of her years of high school drama club to good use, she gasped and made her eyes big. “You’ve been celibate for years? How is that possible? I see the way other women look at you. They drool all over themselves!”
They laughed and held each other close, tighter than ever before. Nothing compared to being in his arms, to having his support.
“This isn’t about sex. This is about us building a life together, and I want it all. Marriage, kids, family vacations to Disney World and romantic getaways to Monte Carlo.”
Emilio spoke in a serious tone, but his gaze was filled with fire and desire. Sharleen ached for him, longed to be in his bed. She wanted him so bad she couldn’t think of anything but making love to him. The problem was, Sharleen didn’t know what to do. Should I take charge? Would he like that? Will I?
“You’re not a one-in-a-million kind of girl, Sharleen. You’re a once-in-a-lifetime kind of woman, and I’m ready to commit to you, mind, body and soul.”
His words were obviously something he’d given serious thought to. Love flowed through her body, but she couldn’t bring herself to say those three magic words. Sharleen felt as if she were dreaming, and she pinched herself to prove she was awake.
“I have one small request...”
I knew this was too good to be true!
“I’m tired of seeing you all covered up. Promise me you’ll wear dresses and shorts and skirts from now on, and colors other than gray and black.”
“I can’t. I don’t want anyone to see my scars.”
“Everyone has something about themselves that they don’t like. Even yours truly.” Emilio pointed a finger at his temple. “Look, I’m cross-eyed!”
Sharleen burst out laughing and playfully swatted him on the shoulder. “Liar!”
“Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s the triumph over it,” he said quietly. “Sharleen, put the past behind you and pursue your destiny with every fiber of your being.”
Her mouth ajar, she stared at Emilio in stunned silence. Gathering herself, she gave him an incredulous look. “I can’t believe it. You read Mrs. Fontaine’s new book. But how? It was only released three days ago.”
“I had no choice. You threatened to stop cooking for me if I didn’t read it, and I can’t live without your seafood gumbo!” Emilio cupped her chin in his hands and brushed his nose against hers, causing her to giggle. “I want you to wear the red Dior dress tonight. It was made for a woman with your curves, and the moment I saw it in the store window I thought of you.”
You did? No way! That’s so sweet!
“I want your outward appearance to reflect your inner beauty, so your Martha Stewart cardigans just aren’t going to cut it anymore.”
“But what if people stare at me?”
“Of course they’re going to stare. You’re a vibrant, exotic beauty. They can’t help themselves.” He kissed her softly on the lips. “And neither can I.”
Chapter 15
“Oh, my gosh, look at the crowd!” Sharleen leaned forward in her seat and pointed through the back window of the limousine. The vehicle crawled to a stop at the entrance of the Miami Convention Center, but Emilio instructed the chauffeur to drive around to the rear of the building. Hundreds of fans, decked out in World Series Racing caps, T-shirts and leather bomber jackets were chanting his name. Their excitement consumed the air. “What a turnout. This is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
“This is nothing compared to the Exotic Car Show in Barcelona. Ten thousand raucous fans show up every year, and they party in the streets until dawn!”
“Will you be traveling more now that you’re Ferrari’s spokesman?”
Emilio nodded. “I have to do TV and radio interviews and photo shoots, and I’ll be required to attend industry events all over the world, especially in my native Italy.”
“I love traveling, and I’ve always dreamed of going overseas, but I couldn’t imagine spending fourteen hours on an airplane. That sounds like torture.”