Page 154 of Ricardo

"For what?" I ask, genuinely confused.

"For...this," she says, gesturing vaguely at the mess we've made. "I made a mess of your car."

I can't help but laugh.

"A car can be cleaned," I say, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I am the one who is sorry."

She sighs and snuggles deeper into me. "For what?" she asks sleepily.

"For not making it to dinner," I explain. "You got ready, you put on the dress, made yourself all beautiful—not that you aren't usually—and I..."

"Got distracted?" she asks, a teasing note in her voice.

"Completely derailed," I correct.

"It's my fault," she says, pulling back to look at me. "I'm the one who practically attacked you in the car."

I smile. "I seem to recall encouraging that attack."

"I don't think you had much of a choice," she says, a smug look on her face.

I raise an eyebrow. "Oh? And why is that?"

"Because I looked too good in this dress," she says, smoothing her hands over the green silk. "It was your own fault for picking it out."

I laugh. "You're right. It was a tactical error on my part."

She grins. "I'll say. Now we're going to be late for dinner and I'm all..."

She trails off, looking down at herself. Her dress is bunched around her waist, her thighs are covered with our combined fluids, and her hair is a mess.

"Beautiful?" I suggest.

She rolls her eyes, but she's smiling.

"Ruined," she says.

"Nonsense," I say, my hand sliding down her thigh, feeling the dampness there. "You are just right."

I lean in and kiss her, a slow, deep kiss that's full of tenderness.

When we pull away, she looks dazed.

“I'm just saying I don't think we're going to make dinner at all.”

I laugh. "No, cara. No, we're not. I don't think any amount of cleaning is going to help us now."

Her cheeks heat at those words. At the memory of how exactly she had promised to clean me up in the throes of passion.

I lean in to kiss her again, my tongue tracing the seam of her lips.

“Would you like to go home instead?”

She nods. “Yes, please.”

I pick up the intercom and speak in Italian. “Alfonso, a change of plans. Please take us to my residence."

"Signor," comes the response.