His eyes darkened as he looked at her. ‘You are the sexiest woman—’
‘You’ve seen today?’ she teased, sure that Gregorio had been with women a lot sexier than her.
He tilted his head as he studied her. ‘Why do you do that? Is it your way of pushing me away?’
She gave a splutter of laughter at the ridiculousness of that statement when they were both naked. ‘Do I look as if I’m pushing you away?’
Gregorio didn’t return her smile. ‘We both have pasts, Lia. I can no more take mine away than you can. But there is just the two of us here. Now. Together.’ He lay down on t
he bed beside her, his hand cupping her cheek as he turned her face towards him. ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Lia, and you are the most beautiful woman it has been my privilege to make love to.’
Her cheeks heated, although at the same time she still felt sceptical. ‘I think we’re both agreed that it’s best if we don’t talk.’
‘Because you do not believe me?’
‘Gregorio—’
‘It is okay.’ His thumb caressed her full bottom lip. ‘I have every intention of showing you how beautiful you are to me.’
And if that was Gregorio’s intention then that was exactly what he did as he made love to her tenderly, appreciatively, savagely. Squeezing and caressing her breasts as he drove her wild with his lips and tongue, driving Lia over the edge of release time and time again. Until she was so sensitised that his lightest touch inflamed her senses and she crashed into another orgasm.
And still she hungered for more. More of Gregorio’s lovemaking. More of him.
‘I need to be inside you now,’ he finally rasped, his hair tousled from where Lia had grabbed hold of its darkness at the height of her pleasure.
‘Please...’ She arched up, needing to be filled, needing to have Gregorio inside her as much as he wanted to be there.
Lia’s unease returned during the time it took him to open the foil packet he had taken from the bedside drawer and roll the condom on with an expertise that indicated he had done it many times before.
Gregorio frowned slightly, obviously seeing the uncertainty flickering across Lia’s face. ‘I realise this is not in the least romantic, but it is my responsibility to protect you.’
There was no arguing with that comment. None that made any sense in the circumstances, anyway.
And Lia totally forgot about that moment of unease as Gregorio knelt between her thighs and slowly, erotically, eased himself into her. Stretching her, filling her, as if they were two parts of a whole, finally joined together.
‘That feels so good,’ Gregorio groaned as he lay down on top of her, taking his weight on his elbows and claiming her mouth with his as he slowly began to thrust inside her. ‘You feel so good, Lia.’
Lia groaned as Gregorio’s movement sent off tiny explosions inside her, wrapping her legs about his waist and pulling him in deeper still. Their breathing became loud and ragged and those thrusts became less co-ordinated as the pleasure built, higher and higher.
Gregorio broke the kiss to groan, his body tense. ‘Come with me, bella. Now!’ he rasped, and he began to pulse inside her, taking Lia with him in an orgasm so strong and intense she screamed out her pleasure.
CHAPTER NINE
‘LUNCH HAS ARRIVED.’
Lunch? A glance at her wristwatch told her it was almost five o’clock in the afternoon, and Lia didn’t want to move out of the warm comfort of the bed where she and Gregorio had spent the whole afternoon making love. They had left the bed only once, to take the shower they had forgone earlier. Gregorio had made love to her again against the shower wall once they had soaped, washed and caressed each other all over. The third time had been just a few minutes ago.
Every part of Lia ached, but it was a pleasurable ache. An ache that came from knowing Gregorio’s possession so intimately, so many times in such a short time.
Which was surprising, because Lia hadn’t thought a man could recover sexually so quickly. David certainly hadn’t...
‘Whatever you are thinking about has put a frown on your brow,’ Gregorio reproved as he crossed the room to stand beside the bed, wearing a towel knotted loosely around his hips.
Probably so that he could open the door when Room Service delivered their late lunch, Lia realised.
‘It was nothing of any importance.’ And it wasn’t. None of it. David. Their less than satisfying relationship. Their broken engagement. My lucky escape—that seemed more appropriate. ‘I’m too comfortable to get out of bed.’ She gave Gregorio a satiated smile.
His smile was indulgent. ‘Would you like me to bring the food to you in here?’