Luca looked at her with dark eyes that reflected a pain he'd always hidden from her before. There was a vulnerability there that she never expected to see in the eyes of her confident CEO. She hated that he had been through such horrible things, but she was happy to finally feel the last walls coming down between them. He deserved to be happy.
And more than anything, she wanted him to be happy with her. Her defenses were coming down as quickly as his own. Before she could stop herself, she leaned into him, capturing his face in her hands before she pressed her lips to his.
The emotional current running through each of them connected with a spark of a desire. Luca's hands pulled her closer, his hungry mouth eager to pick up where they'd left off a few minutes ago. This time, Claire wasn't about to stop him. She eased into his touch, craving the feel of him against her.
It didn't take long for the throbbing ache of need to build inside her. Claire had been content enough to go without a man for months and months, but Luca had opened Pandora's box. She wanted him. Now.
Pulling on his shirt, Claire slipped down to the rug and brought Luca with her. Their lips never parted as they slid to the floor. Luca's heavy body covered hers, the weight of it making her feel secure, somehow. She had been drifting through life since Jeff died, but here and now, she finally had an anchor to keep her steady.
"Make love to me, Luca," she whispered against his lips. "Let me show you that you're everything a woman needs."
Her words lit a fire in him, and she was happy to receive the results of it. His hands slid over her body, pulling at her cotton dress and exposing the length of her leg beneath it. He continued pushing the fabric up until it bunched around her waist.
He sat up then, abandoning her lips at last so she could pull his shirt over his head and toss it away. Her hands immediately moved to his chest, rubbing over the hard muscles. She let the smooth crescents of her fingernails drag over the ridges of his six-pack, leaving tiny half moon imprints just above the waistline of his jeans. Before she could unbutton his fly, Luca moved out of her reach.
He traveled slowly down her body, leaving a trail of kisses across her bare skin. He pushed the straps of her dress off her shoulders and tugged at the neckline until her breasts spilled over the top. His mouth teased and tasted her, sucking hard at her puckered nipples until Claire cried out and buried her fingers in the thick waves of his hair.
The tiny fire he'd ignited in her had grown to a steady burn. She ached for him, tugging him close even as his touch was so intense that she was tempted to pull away. As the kisses moved across her stomach and he nipped at the quivering muscles of her inner thigh, she felt the need gnawing inside her with no release in sight.
With nimble fingers, Luca removed her panties. Claire sighed in relief, thinking she would finally have him, but she was wrong. His jeans were still firmly in place as he pressed her thighs apart. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized what he was doing.
"Luca?" she gasped.
He paused, looking up at her from between her thighs. "Yes, tesorina?"
"What are you...you're not...?" She couldn't even ask the question. Claire was embarrassed to admit that this was something she'd never experienced before. Jeff had felt it was unhygienic, although he never seemed concerned when he wanted her to satisfy him.
Luca narrowed his gaze at her just as her cheeks starting flaming with embarrassment. "What's the matter? Haven't you been pleasured like this before?"
She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. Claire heard only a low rumble of anger in Luca's throat.
"I see your bastard of a husband failed in yet another aspect of your marriage. I intend to rectify that right now."
Claire was torn. It seemed like an incredibly intimate thing. She wasn't certain if she was ready for something like that. "I don't know, Luca. I'm not sure I-"
Without warning, Luca's tongue flicked across her aching flesh and stole her protest. A bolt of pleasure like she'd never experienced before shot through her body. "Luca!" She gasped and arched her back off the plush living-room rug.
He waited until the muscles in her body relaxed again, then he stroked ever so slowly across her with his tongue. Claire bit at her lip to keep from shouting too loudly and waking up Eva. It was difficult, especially when Luca encircled the outside of her thighs with his arms, pressed his palms against her inner thighs and opened her even wider to him.
The sensations of the intimate caress made it easier to forget how awkward all this seemed. The touch of his silky tongue on her most sensitive parts brought her close to an intense climax far faster than she ever anticipated. She wiggled and writhed beneath him, feeling it building inside of her, yet being virtually helpless to do anything about it.
Luca eased up on her for a moment, then he pressed her knees back until they were pushed against her chest. She caught her legs behind each knee to hold them there. At least that gave her something to grasp at when he returned to her, this time with his hands free.
With renewed fervor, he devoured her. Claire could only chant "yes, yes" as he drove her closer and closer to the edge. At the perfect moment, he slipped a finger inside her and she was done. The most intense orgasm she'd ever experienced exploded. Tiny sparks of pleasure danced through her whole body as her muscles quivered and tightened.
Luca retreated, but Claire barely had the energy to open her eyes. She managed to do it just in time to see his jeans pile onto the floor and an empty condom wrapper follow it. He'd kept his promise and went to the store, even with his family's unexpected arrival.
"Keep your legs right there," he whispered as he returned to her.
Her overstimulated nerves lit up as he slowly pressed his length into her. With her legs back, he reached farther, deeper than she ever could've imagined possible. When he was finished, her knees were resting on his shoulders. She could barely catch her breath, but she didn't care. This is what she'd wanted, more than anything. She wanted to be one with him in a way she'd never been with anyone else.
Luca murmured soft words in Italian against the sensitive skin of her inner knee as he thrust into her again. Each movement was so slow, so deliberate, so tortuous, as though he didn't want it to end. She didn't want it to end, either.
Claire opened her eyes and watched his face as he moved so she would always remember this moment. His brows were drawn together in concentration, as though he were preparing an amazing dish in the kitchen, as if this were the most important task he'd ever completed. He made her feel that way, too-as though she was a priority in his life. She'd never had that before. She didn't want to let that go. Not at the end of this trip. Not after the judge's ruling. Not ever.
Because she was in love with him.
After what happened with Jeff, she told herself she wouldn't make the mistake of falling in love again. You couldn't trust someone enough not to take your heart and soul and crush it. Claire refused to give someone that much power over her again, and yet here she was. It might not be the smart thing to do, and it might bring her nothing but heartache before it was through, but there was no fighting it any longer.
Claire could feel it down in her bones, down in her core. Even as another release built up inside of her, she knew the sensation couldn't begin to touch the feeling of love that was warming her heart.
"Yes!" she gasped over and over as she felt both of them tense with anticipation.
Yes, she was close to oblivion. Yes, he was doing everything right. Yes, she wanted him to lose himself in her. Yes, this was better than she could've ever dreamed. Yes, she wanted to be with him back in New York. Yes, she loved Luca with everything she was and everything she had.
Yes to it all. He needed only ask the question and she was his forever.
Ten
It felt strange to be back in New York. Despite Luca's assurances that he wanted their relationship to continue beyond their time at the beach, Claire was anxious stepping back onto the concrete of her home turf. Her stomach was constantly fluttering like butterflies had invaded. If she thought about it too long, she hovered on the verge of nausea. She wasn't quite sure what she was afraid of.
That was a lie. She knew exactly what she was afraid of-losing Luca. It was the risk she'd taken when she gave in to her feelings for him. Manhattan didn't have the cozy charm of the island. Would they really be able to hold this relationship together among the honking cabs, demanding jobs and hectic schedules of real life?