Page 20

20

ADELINA

L ast night was incredible.

Sex with someone I hate isn’t meant to feel that good, is it?

Reclaiming that part of myself after the attack was incredible, and I slept through the night without a single nightmare. Waking the next morning, my thoughts instantly turned to Raffaele and the prospect of more.

Will he give me more?

Or was that a one-time thing? Even entertaining the idea might not be the wisest decision, but all through breakfast and my lengthy morning shower, my thoughts linger on Raffaele. He was kind and attentive, drawing pleasure out of me that I didn’t even know existed. Having pleasured myself with my own hand, the last person I slept with was Carlos, but he was a very different kind of lover.

He required the lights off, missionary position, and finished very quickly. I thought that was the norm.

Raffaele proves differently. Not only did he ensure I orgasmed before we even fucked, but the angle at which he penetrated me sparked alive pleasure sensors I didn’t even know existed inside me. It was like magic. Despite the warmth of the shower, my skin throbs and tingles with every lingering kiss and graze of teeth he left on my body. Even my pussy aches slightly as I walk and dress in a light pink sundress and contemplate my plans for the day.

Contemplation that’s consistently interrupted by thoughts of Raffaele’s handsome face and sexy body. His rippling muscles were mouthwatering to touch, his kisses firm but tender, and his cock filled every inch of me and then some.

Was it so good because it was a hate fuck, if that even counts?

Do I even hate him?

Warring thoughts conflict in my mind, followed by a rush of sadness as my first instinct is to talk this out with Marie. But she isn’t here anymore.

I know what she would say, and I play it out in my head as I lather lotion across my dewy skin.

She’d ask me why I hate him. If I could tell her the truth, I’d tell her about his reputation for killing and slaughtering anyone who even looks at him wrong. That part is undeniable, yet it wars with this new side of him I’ve seen since arriving here. The cold killer of New York City hardly feels like the same man getting his hands dirty in the vineyard. I’d tell her about Carlos and the cold-blooded murder that took him from me.

As my thoughts turn to Carlos, one thing becomes abundantly clear.

How I felt for Carlos doesn’t hold a candle to the feelings swirling inside me about Raffaele.

Carlos was kind and sweet. Sometimes, he seemed uninterested and put it down to tiredness, but he was a good man, as far as I knew. I liked how he kissed me and looked at me like I was priceless. My father thought we were a perfect match.

But it’s different with Raffaele. When I think about him, my heart races slightly and I get oddly breathless. I want to ask him dumb questions just to hear him talk again. I want him to look at me constantly because when he does, he looks at me like it’s the first time he’s seen me in decades and he’s eternally grateful for one last glimpse. I want his hands on my skin, sending those enticing electrical pulses through my body like it’s trying to tune in with him. I want to see him smile and hear his laugh.

I want him to call me sweetheart and nudge my chin with his knuckles to steal a kiss.

I never felt any of this with Carlos.

Am I simply lusting over Raffaele?

Or did I not have as strong feelings for Carlos as I thought I did? Did I like him because I was so used to following the expectations?

Maybe I didn’t even know what love really was until now.

Now, Raffaele is capturing my heart and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do about it.

By the time I finish moisturizing my skin, the Italian heat has dried my hair. Stepping away from the dresser, I walk out onto the balcony that stretches toward the glistening swimming pool. Water splashes and waves surge as the man himself, Raffaele, swings his arms and makes it to the edge of the pool. He turns quickly and kicks off against the tiles, swimming another length as I watch.

I hate him.

No, I don’t .

He saved my life. He’s caring for me in ways I didn’t even know you could care for another person. Even last night when he fucked me and I made him keep his distance, he didn’t complain once. I know if I told him that having someone over me like that was triggering, he would understand, but oddly enough, I don’t feel like I have to tell him.

It’s like he already knows.

Raffaele swims to the edge of the pool once more, then plants his hands on the edge and hauls himself out of the water. Droplets cascade down over his golden muscles as he stands to his full height and drags one hand through his hair. The tight blue fabric of his swim shorts clings to every mouthwatering angle and I admire all of it.

Then Raffaele turns and looks right at me up on the balcony.

Heat pulses through my body as I’m caught staring at him, and the urge to hurry away rises briefly.

But I don’t.

I stare back.

He shakes his head free of excess water and places one hand on his chiseled hip. His chest heaves with deep breaths and then he presses his lips together.

A surge of boldness takes over me. I lift one hand to my shoulder and nudge the spaghetti strap away from my neck. The strap drifts down my arm, and the fabric of my dress catches on the swell of my bare breast.

Who can wear underwear in this heat?

I do the same with the other strap, and the dress falls from my shoulders in the next breath. After lingering for a second, the fabric falls off my body and pools at my ankles. I stand on the balcony, completely naked, as Raffaele gazes up from below.

He licks his lips and his eyes glaze over with lust.

Excitement floods through me as I run down the stairs, and Raffaele is there to greet me when I sprint outside toward the pool. I don’t think of anything beyond the immediate desire to be in his arms. I leap toward him, and he catches me as if I’m weightless. Our mouths clash together in a passionate kiss while he cuddles me tightly against him and spins me around.

His body is cooler than mine thanks to the water, but it heats up quickly underneath my wandering hands. My entire body throbs with need. An ache forms low in my core as Raffaele lavishes attention on my neck and bare shoulder, then he places me down on the sun lounger. Instead of crawling over me, he settles on the lounger beside me and pulls my body against his, my back to his chest.

Tilting my head back against his shoulder, we kiss deeply. His cock rises to attention amusingly fast, pressing against the back of my thigh while he cuddles me in his arms and skims his hands over my bare abdomen.

“You smell amazing,” he murmurs against my lips, lightly catching the swell of my lower lip between his teeth.

“Just showered,” I murmur. “But I have no idea what was in that body wash.”

“Whatever it was, it’s divine.” He kisses me again, hungrier, and I give myself over to him. There’s strength and control in his touch as he shifts against me, freeing his cock from the confines of his swimming shorts and sliding it between my thighs with a gasp. But there’s tenderness too. While firm, everything he does is followed by a kiss and a caress, like he’s showing my body that there’s nothing to be afraid of.

Showing me that I’m safe with him.

I last only a few thrusts of his throbbing cock sliding between my thighs before I’m breathlessly begging for him to do something about how turned on I am.

One of his arms curls around me from underneath and clasps my jaw, tilting my head fully back so he can kiss me upside down just as he presses his long, thick, hot cock deep inside me. His other hand rubs along my thigh as he presses deeper and deeper, and just as I break the kiss for some air, his hand slides right between my thighs and brushes against my clit.

Moaning becomes more important than air. Tangled together like nets, he rocks into me with powerful, deep thrusts. Each thrust is met with continuous attention to my clit that sends sparks and waves of pleasure all through my body. I can’t focus on any one thing—my clit throbs with need while my core aches as his cock presses so deep inside me that it’s like he’s a part of me.

He kisses me deeply. Each press of his lips and sensual swipe of his tongue tosses me deeper and deeper into an intensely relaxed state in his arms. I become like putty, following the rock of his thrusts with an empty, blissful mind.

Nothing matters but the pleasure coursing through our bodies.

We come together within moments of one another. My eyes roll back and my body tenses up as warm tingles stretch from the top of my head to the tips of my curled toes, and Raffaele drives himself deep inside me right where he belongs.

It’s perfect.

While the twitching and waves of pleasure slowly dissipate, Raffaele doesn’t pull out of me even as his cock softens inside me. He keeps me in his arms, cuddled against his chest and grinding slowly against me while kissing just below my ear.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs.

“Mmhmm,” I moan softly. “You’re only saying that because your dick is still inside me.”

“No,” he replies softly. “I like learning what makes you tick.”

My head rests back against his arm, and I tilt my torso enough so I can gaze up at him. “Like what?”

“Like everything.” His dark eyes gaze down at me and he smiles softly. “I want to know every detail that makes you come apart like this.”

“Oh, really?” I laugh gently. “What if I don’t even know?”

Raffaele moans suddenly and his forehead drops to rest briefly against my cheek. “Your pussy grips me so tight when you laugh.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be silly.” He lifts his head. “Why would you apologize for that?”

“I don’t know. Sort of felt like I should.”

“Never apologize.” He kisses my temple. “But if you don’t know what you like, I will help you.”

“How?”

“Because I know what I like.”

That piques my curiosity and it surges up through my pleasure-addled mind. “Such as?”

“Well, I’ve just learned I like it when you laugh and I’m inside you. But outside of that, I have varied tastes.”

“That’s vague, thank you.”

“I like toys. I like giving pleasure. I like being able to control every detail. I also know you would look absolutely gorgeous wrapped up in silk rope. Gold to match your hair. I want to know what noises you would make if I tied you up and forced you to come again… and again… and again.” He kisses me sweetly each time. “I love going down on a woman and I love anal, and you have a gorgeous ass.”

My heart skips a beat. “I… I’ve never tried.”

“That’s okay.” Raffaele smiles again. “From the way you just clenched around me, you’re not against it?”

“I don’t know,” I reply honestly, studying his face. “Toys and other things, rope and the like. I’ve never…” I shake my head. “My sex life has never been that exciting.”

“Well then, I know what I’m going to do for the rest of this trip.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m going to find out every single thing you and your body like.”