Valerio pressed his forehead against her temple. ‘Dio, that image...you touching yourself... But right now I’m the one in control.’ He continued to move his fingers in slow circles as he spoke softly in her ear. ‘You’re going to relax and come for me...right here. I won’t stop until you do.’
Dani felt a breathless laugh in her throat at the thought that this arrogant man believed he could simply will her to orgasm. But, God, she loved it. This artful combination of being commanded and cared for so thoroughly...it was almost too much for her to take. Her body seemed to relax just with his sensual presence.
She shook wildly at the lazy thrust and curl of his touch, feeling the pressure within her rise once again. This time she didn’t fight it, and she listened helplessly as he whispered all the things he planned to do to her, letting his words add fuel to the fire that was already burning in her, wildly out of control.
When the wave of pleasure finally reached an earth-shattering climax, she could do nothing but hold on to him as the waves took her again and again. The intensity of the orgasm was too much, and she buried her face against his shoulder, his name falling from her lips like a prayer. Still he kept it going, only slowing down as she shook and fell slowly back to earth.
‘I think I’ve proved your theory incorrect.’
Valerio bit his lower lip as he took in the rosy flush of Dani’s cheeks and the delicious pout of her lips.
‘I can’t even think straight.’ She smiled, half hiding her face against his shoulder.
‘I don’t plan to stop until you’ve lost the ability to speak.’
He fought the edge of his control as he took her by the hand and guided her back inside the villa, stopping to light two of the lamps on the bedroom wall. Letting go of her hand, he sat on the edge of the bed, looking up to take in the beautiful silhouette of the woman in front of him.
This was a bad idea—she had said it herself. But he no longer remembered any of the reasons why. Nothing mattered any more other than having her body under his and taking the entire night to explore every inch of her silky caramel skin.
She stepped towards him, dropping the towel from the tight clutch of her hands, baring her body to him. Dio, he had never seen anything as erotic as the sight of her blushing. Her hands flexed as though she wanted to cover her breasts, then dropped slowly down to her sides.
He remembered her words from before—her belief that she was somehow less feminine because of her size and her competitive streak. Less desirable because she was so unlike most of the women in her social circles. She had no idea how much she had tortured him with this delectable body for years...sitting across a boardroom table in her smart skirts, commanding the room with her brilliance.
This powerful woman actually doubted her beauty. Doubted herself in the bedroom because of some unqualified idiot in her past.
He bit his lower lip, anger and desire making his pulse pound in his veins. He would make it his personal mission to ensure she never doubted a single thing about herself again.
‘Come here,’ he rasped, gripping her hips and guiding her to straddle his lap.
Her breasts were the perfect size for his hands. He took his time, trailing his lips and tongue across one delicate dusky nipple before moving to pay equal attention to its twin. The soft moans that escaped her throat made him so hard it took all his willpower not to just do away with the idea of going slowly. The thought of burying himself inside her made him feel primal...on the verge of losing his mind completely.
But if this kind of sensual control and skill was all he had to offer her, then he was damn sure that he would prove his worth. He thrust out his hips, his erection straining against the front of his towel. Dani gasped, her eyes darkening as she followed his rhythm, grinding against him. She moved like a dancer, her hips rolling effortlessly in time with his. Dio, it felt so right, having her against him.
Then she stopped her movements, bracing one hand against his chest. ‘Lie back.’
‘I was wondering when you would start fighting me,’ he breathed, following her command without question.
He lay back on the bed, raising both arms over his head in a display of submission. He watched as she positioned herself at his knees, untying his towel and pulling it away inch by agonising inch. She worked slowly, deliberately drawing out her movements as she bared him. Her hair brushed over the skin of his thighs and abdomen as she ran one finger down past his navel. His manhood pulsed, straining towards her touch.
‘I’ve never done this before, either,’ she admitted huskily, meeting his gaze with no embarrassment, just trust. ‘Tell me if I’m doing it wrong.’
‘Tesoro, I don’t think you realise how effortlessly sensual you are...’
He breathed the words as she freed him and ran her fingers over his hard length. He closed his eyes for a moment as the tip of her tongue moved against him in slow exploration as she figured it out for herself. Opening his eyes against a wave of pleasure, he looked down to see her taking him all the way past her full lips, his girth disappearing into the molten heat of her mouth.
There was no way he would withstand this kind of pleasure for very long without bringing things to a very abrupt ending.
He thought about it as he watched her take him, and he imagined letting her bring him to release right here. The image sent an electric pulse up his spine, but he sat up, cupping her cheek with one hand and drawing her up along his body until she lay flush against him.
‘I wasn’t finished.’ She smiled that slightly awkward smile he had come to recognise as a sign of nerves.
‘I promise to have you in that exact position again before tonight is over, but right now it’s taking all my control not to end this before we’ve even begun.’
Her eyes widened with understanding, a smug smile spreading across her lips as she lowered herself down to kiss him. Valerio took advantage of her position, pulling her close before rolling them over on the soft pillows so that she lay in the cage of his arms.
‘My turn.’
He moved down the sun-darkened valley of her breasts, following the path of her ribcage until he reached the gentle curve of her stomach. She writhed with every touch against her skin, her honest reaction to his kisses sending him back to the brink of release once again.
‘Tell me what you’re thinking about,’ he growled against the silky skin of her upper thigh. And then with both hands he spread her legs wide, settling his shoulders between them.
‘I’ve...fantasised about you doing this...’
Her words came quietly from above him, spurring him on as he dropped featherlight kisses against the neatly trimmed downy curls that covered her. God, but she was perfect here too. She writhed, moving her hips against his mouth, begging him to stop his sensual torture.
He barely touched her for a few moments more, then surprised her by spreading her wide and moving his tongue directly against her in one slow stroke. She went wild, a sharp curse escaping her lips.
‘Are you going to come for me again?’ he murmured huskily against her skin.
‘I can’t...’ she breathed, her head moving against the pillow with each stroke. ‘Oh, God, stop—it’s too much.’
He paused, only to have her hands grip his hair, as if begging him to keep going. Valerio smiled against her as he continued to stroke, again and again, keeping a smooth, firm rhythm. But the power he felt in bringing her to this point of madness was too much—he needed to have her soon.
She gasped in shock, beginning to approach another climax under his tongue, and he wasted no time in moving over her, spreading her legs wide and looking into her eyes as he entered her in one hard, urgent thrust.
He needed to be inside her as she came apart more than he needed to breathe. The time for taking it slow had passed, and he had burned out every last scrap of his control. He felt her inner muscles continue to tighten around
him, heard her breaths coming in short gasps as she met the strength of his thrusts. She pulled his face down to her own, crushing her mouth against his so sweetly as her climax hit. And Valerio felt his own pleasure reach an unbearable peak, felt fire spreading up his spine and consuming him. He closed his eyes, pressing his forehead to hers as he came apart, joining her in mindless oblivion.
Dani stared out at the hazy darkness of the moonlit night spilling in through the open terrace doors. Valerio’s gentle snores sounded in the bed behind her. He had fallen asleep after another round of intense, earth-shattering sex. But she lay awake, wondering what would happen once he woke up and properly talked about what they’d just done.
She was afraid to move, as his arm was draped over her, pulling her tight to his chest. And something within her ached at the wonderful feeling of being in the cradle of his strong arms, even knowing it was only temporary.
She sighed. If she could just stay in this bed for ever she might imagine that things had deepened between them. If they never had to leave this magical island they wouldn’t have to confront the reality that they shared a company together. That this was an arrangement, not a love match. That, while he was apparently attracted to her on a physical level, he would probably never feel even a fraction of what she felt for him.
She paused. What exactly was it that she felt for him?
Frowning, Dani slipped gently free of his embrace. Sitting on the side of the bed, she looked down at the strong profile of the man who was soon to be her husband. The engagement ring on her finger felt heavier than ever, its cool metal shining in the light of the moon.
She had agreed to live with him, share her life with him and trust him to keep her safe from the unseen danger that was closing in. But what were they to one another without this arrangement? Would he ever have fallen into bed with her if he hadn’t been facing possible years of celibacy as her convenient husband?
Cradling her face in her hands, she breathed deep and tried to calm the anxiety within her. She was about to marry him—she couldn’t have this many complicated feelings warring within her. She was falling into dangerous waters and it was clear she would be the only one hurt when it eventually came to an end.
She needed to keep her feet firmly on land—starting right now. Sleeping together in one bed seemed a step beyond sharing the occasional romp in the sheets, so surely leaving now would be a firm message to show she wasn’t getting the wrong idea from what they’d done?
She stood up, pulling the comforter from the edge of the bed, and walked to the door, turning back just once more to look down at Valerio’s sleeping form. She could do this—she could have what she wanted of him and still keep herself above water.
She went into her room and stepped straight into a hot shower, feeling the spray hit muscles that she hadn’t used in years. She lathered soap across her skin, feeling her body tighten at the sensation, imagining it was Valerio’s hands touching her, caressing her...
God, she’d had him three times and already she was fantasising about the next time.
Resting her forehead against the cool tiles, she breathed in deeply, calming her racing heartbeat. She sent up a silent prayer that she wasn’t in completely over her head. They could mix a little pleasure into their arrangement and not risk ruining everything, couldn’t they?
Before she could finish that thought, the shower door slid open and Valerio’s broad naked form appeared through the steam as if in slow motion. The man was built like a prize fighter, and the shadow on his jawline made him look rough and dangerous. He didn’t speak—just pulled her into his arms and kissed her as though he were a drowning man and she was his first gasp of air.
His hands tangled in her wet hair as the spray of hot water cascaded over them both. Framing her face in his hands, he looked down into her eyes, a wicked smile on his sinfully full lips. ‘You left before I was done with you.’
‘I’m just... I have no idea what this means. Us being together. I needed some space to think.’ She met his eyes, feeling her heart still beating so hard she thought it might explode from her chest. ‘What are we doing?’
‘I have no idea, but I can’t seem to stop.’
Dani felt her mind go blank as Valerio moved closer, kissing her worries away. There was comfort in knowing that he was just as powerless against this insane lust. She would worry about the consequences tomorrow. Tonight she would just live in the moment. In this perfect moment with him, with the steam of the water surrounding them, slickening their skin as the heat rose even higher.
He stopped for a moment, his eyes serious as he looked deeply into hers. ‘How on earth did you ever think you were bad at this?’
Dani felt a blush creep up her cheeks. ‘Um...let’s just say when it comes to sex, it’s the one area where I’ve never been an overachiever.’
He pressed the length of his erection against her, leaning down to nip gently at the sensitive skin of her collarbone. ‘I strongly disagree, Miss Avelar. You’re a natural.’
‘Well, you’re the first guy to ever get me to...to finish the race.’
He bit his lip, and something deep and dark glittered in his eyes. ‘Look at me. And if some idiot in your past told you it was a race, then he was playing the wrong sport.’
He dropped down onto his knees before her, framing her thighs with his strong hands. She shivered as his lips touched her upper thigh and began to kiss inwards.
‘You should have been given more than a thousand orgasms by now. You’ve been robbed of years of pleasure,’ he growled. ‘I plan to set that right.’
Dani closed her eyes, trying to remain upright as he kept his promise again and again.
CHAPTER NINE
DANI AWOKE TO the sun streaming through the terrace doors and the glorious scent of coffee teasing her nostrils from somewhere in the distance. She sat up, momentarily disorientated as she looked around at her unfamiliar surroundings. It felt like a dream that she’d spent half the night experiencing the kind of orgasms and intense sexual chemistry she’d only ever read about in the books she’d devoured in her college dormitory. She’d never believed it could ever be for her.
Every encounter with Kitt, her ex, had been prearranged—no surprises. Even down to the type of underwear she had worn. Comparing her ex to Valerio now, after last night, was like looking at discount price wine after drinking a vintage reserve Chianti. It left a sour taste in her mouth and she knew she was worth more. But of course Valerio wasn’t truly hers. He was just acting the part.
She quickly shut off her ridiculous thoughts with a bracing shower, throwing on her silk robe while she applied various beauty products and let her curls air-dry. She’d promised not to do any work, but nabbed her phone from the nightstand, telling herself she would just take five minutes to check the most important emails.
Twenty minutes later she was engrossed in a text conversation with an insanely curious Hermione when Valerio appeared beside her and snatched the device from her fingers.
‘I was in the middle of reading something,’ she squeaked, jumping up to grab the phone back—only to have him hold it further out of reach.
‘You are technically on vacation, Miss Avelar.’ He tilted his head to one side, lazily looking down over her scantily clad body. ‘I’m demanding that you actually take the day off.’
‘I can’t just switch off like that. There are things I need to check on with the new plans...things that need my attention even while I’m relaxing.’
‘So you don’t trust the relevant teams to perform their jobs?’
She huffed out a breath, knowing he was right. She was checking on them for the simple reason that she wanted to. She couldn’t let go of the relentless force telling her to keep on top of everything, to make sure nothing was missed.
‘Well, since you can’t control yourself, I’m cutting you off.’ He smirked, tucking her phone into his b
ack pocket. ‘If you want this back, you’re gonna have to work for it.’
She felt heat creep up her spine at his words, her nipples instantly peaking at the suggestion he’d created in her mind.
He raised a brow at her, evidently noticing her physical reaction. Suddenly shy, she closed her robe a little tighter and turned around in a pretence of opening up her small case and organising her clothes. When she looked back, a shadow had crossed his features, but he quickly disguised it with an easy smile.
‘Get dressed quickly. We leave in fifteen minutes.’
‘Leave...for where?’
She froze in the middle of selecting a T-shirt. His eyes twinkled with the kind of mischief she hadn’t seen on his face in years. He was up to something, and it made her both nervous and strangely excited.
‘We’re going on an adventure. I plan to make a pirate of you yet.’
Valerio was stubbornly silent as he waited for her at the end of the wooden deck, and only gestured for her to follow him down the rocky steps in the cliff face towards the tiny bay below. He carried a small bag over his shoulder and stopped occasionally to help her down as the steps began to grow steep.
He tried and failed not to be distracted by how carefree she looked in simple knee-length capris and a tank top. She hadn’t got a scrap of make-up on and her curls were tied back from her face with a colourful silk scarf she’d found in one of the kitchen drawers.
He’d been unsure of what she was thinking from the moment they’d spoken that morning, so he was glad he’d arranged today’s trip before the events of last night.
It sounded so simple...calling it ‘the events’. As if it was a small blip they could just forget about and move on from. But maybe that was what she wanted?
The thought caught him unaware, making him almost miss his footing on the steps.
She’d been skittish around him all morning—maybe she was having second thoughts? Surely if that was the case he should be relieved. And yet the thought of her drawing a line under whatever this was before he was ready made something tighten in his gut.
The Vows He Must Keep (Mills & Boon Modern) (The Avelar Family Scandals, Book 1) Page 12