Page 48 of Unveiled As The Italian's Bride
He set himself the pleasurable task of exploring every inch of her body with his hands, fingers and mouth.
On an unbelievable high, Dante delayed what his body longed to do. He parted her slick opening and dipped his tongue to swirl it around the sensitive bud of her clitoris, and she squirmed against him, angling her body to take full advantage of what he was doing.
When he finally tore open the little packet and sheathed himself with a shaky hand, he was no longer a man in control of his body. He entered her with one long, hard and supremely satisfying thrust. Through a haze of soaring sensation, and even as her own body took flight with his, he was aware of her brief flinch and the sharp little exclamation that accompanied it. But all that was lost in a tide of utter satisfaction and he came with a long shudder, rearing up and swearing with pleasure under his breath, feeling her own body arching up to match his.
Dante fell back, spent. He couldn’t remember a more satisfying experience but, then again, ithadbeen a while. He’d never been a guy who lived at the behest of his libido. The last time he had slept with a woman had been over three months ago.
‘What was that all about?’ He flipped onto his side to look at her and manoeuvred her so that she was facing him. He brushed back her hair, enjoying the silky length sifting through his fingers, and patiently waited for her to answer. ‘And don’t try and pretend that you don’t know what I’m talking about.’
‘I told you I wasn’t experienced,’ Kate mumbled as colour climbed into her cheeks.
‘That’s a little different from being a virgin, wouldn’t you agree?’ Dante questioned gently. ‘Why didn’t you warn me?’
‘Because I didn’t want you to get cold feet,’ Kate blurted out. ‘You...you’re so experienced, Dante. I knew that if I said anything you’d be turned off.’
‘Are you mad, woman?’
‘I don’t expect you fancy yourself a teacher when it comes to sex.’ Kate was lost in defence of her decision, unaware of the soft stroking of her arm or the sudden stirring of his arousal against her belly. ‘I expect your days of that are long gone and I was just so... I...’
‘You were so hot for me that the thought of me retreating before I could satisfy you was too much to bear?’
‘Something like that. Maybe. Yes. I guess...’
‘I’ve never slept with a virgin before. Kate, in all your years travelling with your parents, growing up in a liberal environment, how is it that you never became involved with a guy?’
‘Mum and Dad might have led an unconventional life,’ she returned honestly, ‘but it was never a case of “anything goes”.I guess it’s a bit like Antonio. He might have travelled around and chosen adventure over duty but look at where we are now... In his soul, he’s as conventional as my parents. He was happy enough to let you get on with things but, the minute he thought he was facing his own mortality, all those traditional traits in him came out and he couldn’t face the thought of you not settling down.’
‘Touché,’Dante acknowledged thoughtfully.
‘But, aside from that, it was difficult. Difficult hanging onto friends and difficult experimenting with boys.’ She smiled and grimaced at the same time.
‘And here we are,’ Dante murmured with a lusty, satisfied smile. ‘And believe me when I tell you, you being a virgin? Not a problem.’
Why did that feel so good?he asked himself.So oddly good but also...so oddly dangerous.
Because she was soft and romantic, with no hard edges to protect her from people like him—tough guys with no illusions, cynical on the subject of love.
Drifting this way and that, replete and foolishly contented, Dante pulled himself up short and reminded himself that fun often came at a price. The last thing he needed was for her to find out down the line that the price was too steep to pay. Her reasons for doing this were hard-headed, but that wasn’ther.
No illusions—that had been the deal. Was there any need to remind her? How often did she have to have it confirmed that love was not in his repertoire?
Why over-egg the pudding? Too much thinking about precautionary measures would be self-defeating.
‘In fact,’ he ground out, ‘it’s so much not a problem that I’m already getting hard for you in record-breaking time.’
‘Me too.’ Kate sighed and curled into him, nudging her thigh between his legs, already heady for an encore, but he smiled, kissed the tip of her nose and edged back.
‘Not yet.’ He cupped the nape of her neck. ‘Too soon to have me in you again...but, if you like, I can think of many ways to pleasure you without penetration. Would you care to sample what’s on offer?’ He swept his hand over her breast and oh, so gently, stroked her nipple. She moved closer, her heat melding and matching his.
‘Yes, Dante. I rather think I would.’
CHAPTER NINE
DANTELOOKEDAThis wife-to-be with brooding intensity. This was a sight he never failed to enjoy and, ever since they had made love, he had been enjoying it solidly for three weeks.
She was getting dressed. The way she moved, with such grace, never failed to arouse him and that was something he had only just about got used to. He was a man who was easily bored, and that was something he no longer bothered to question, but he wasn’t bored now, not nearly.
‘You should come back to bed,’ he drawled, propping himself on one elbow and looking at her with intense interest. He patted the mattress and watched as she ignored him, searching for clothes which had been scattered in haste on the ground.
