by Mya Black
“But touching you is for you and for me,” she pleaded as his hands roamed down her thighs and back up, whispering over the soft hairs of her mound. ”Alessandro,” she called to him softly.
“Yes, my love,” he answered, and his tongue left a cool wet trail up the inside of her thigh and slipped inside her slick heat. Even his tongue was gentle as it coaxed her towards her a climax so long and powerful, she’d passed out for a moment. When she came to, those big brown eyes shone down on her with love and affection.
“You’re here.”
“You sound surprised.”
“I thought you were just a dream.”
“No, sweetheart, you’re the dream. My dream.” He plunged deep inside her on the sweetest words she’d ever heard. They soothed her soul the way his body soothed hers. The long slow strokes he favored were used over and over again, until they were both sweating and panting and crying out. Her hand rested over his hammering heart and she’d never felt closer as they floated up into the heavens together. It was only them and their love keeping them bound in the atmosphere. And, it was his strength that guided them slowly back to earth.
She woke to sweat slicked sheets, tears in her eyes, and a blaring alarm clock.
Sometimes, life was just so unfair. So what else is new, the snarky voice that recently took up residence in her cynical heart asked.
***
Two weeks after he left for Seattle, Alessandro returned to Los Angeles. His business there was still unsettled, but he felt better about it, and now, he couldn’t wait to see Eve. He stopped home and showered after the short flight, picking up an overnight bag, flowers, and wine for their sweet reunion.
He was so giddy about seeing her again, he’d driven his Tesla and gave Cal the night off. He wouldn’t be beholden to anyone’s clock but his own. His plan was to spend the next two days in bed and then get to the bottom of whatever was bothering her. He was surprising his woman with a night of good greasy Chinese takeout, vintage wine, and as much sex as her magnificent little body could handle.
Skipping up the stairs, he knocked gently and waited. She didn’t answer, so he used his key and entered the unusually dark house. “Eve,” he called out, taking note of the magazines cluttered on the counter and the layer of dust that covered everything. “Eve, where are you?” Then he heard it, a quiet sobbing coming from the back of the house. Sitting down his bags he jogged to the bathroom and found Eve with red rimmed eyes and sobbing, hugging the toilet.
“Alessandro,” she cried. “Hospital,” she forced out before passing out on the floor.
The next few hours were the most stressful of Alessandro’s life. Seeing Eve passed out on her bathroom floor shaved about a decade off his life. Holding her still body for long moments while he figured out what to do – call an ambulance or rush her to the hospital himself – shaved off a few more years. Ultimately, he decided to get her there himself. He didn’t want something awful to happen while the ambulance battled traffic.
Once he reached the hospital, the emergency doctors had swept her away and out of sight. Here in the hospital, his billions meant nothing. They wouldn’t get him the answers he needed. They wouldn’t get him in the room with Eve. All they had gotten him was a stack of papers asking for information he didn’t know. “Carla!” He needed to get in touch with her best friend. Eve would want her here, and she could probably fill out the information the hospital required.
An hour later, Alessandro spotted the determined walk and bounce of black curls that made Carla unique. “Alessandro! There you are, thank God. What happened?”
He gave her brief rundown of how he’d found her and the condition she’d been in. “And, that’s all I know. They won’t tell me anything because I’m not family.”
She shook her head and mumbled something about idiotic men. “You could have told them she was your fiancé, but I guess that’d be too close to actual commitment, right?” Carla turned away and went to the nurse’s desk. She talked quietly with the woman with long gray braids down her back, the same woman who wouldn’t give him the time of day. She walked back and took the clipboard from him. “She’s fine. They’re running tests right now, but they think she’s dehydrated.”
Alessandro took in the tense set of Carla’s shoulders and he knew there was more she was holding back. “And,” he prompted, annoyance weighed heavy in that one word.
She sighed heavily and looked at him. “And, they won’t know more until they can do more tests, which they can’t do without these forms.” She held his gaze a moment before returning to the paperwork and Alessandro got the feeling Carla found him lacking in some way.
“What’s the problem, Carla?” He was tired of her side looks and snide remarks.
“I’m just curious what, after two weeks of radio silence, were you even doing at Eve’s place?”
“Is that the story she’s been telling? I’ve called. Constantly. It seems that whenever I call, she’s mysteriously unavailable and I’m forced to talk to her voicemail.”
“Well, it sure made things easy for you, didn’t it?”
Before Alessandro could respond, a nurse approached. “Carla Macklin?”
“That’s me,” she stood, casting one last dirty look Alessandro’s way.
“Eve would like to see you now. She’s a little dehydrated, but we’re going to keep her here for at least another day. Follow me, please.”
Carla cast a pitying look at Alessandro. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back with an update and I’ll let her know you’re here.”
He frowned. “You will? Why?”
She smiled at him. “I’m disgusted with you because you hurt my friend, but if she didn’t care about you, there’s no way you could hurt her. Got it?”
Strangely, he did. “Got it.”
Chapter Eight
Eve spent most of her first night in the hospital pretending to sleep so the nurses would leave her alone. How anyone was supposed to sleep in a hospital was beyond her. Every hour, someone came in to poke her, prod her, and ask her how she was feeling. She was feeling like a tired dehydrated mess, but saying that would be rude.
So when a nurse came in, she’d close her eyes and feign sleep, answering the questions in a groggy way to appease them. Finally, daybreak arrived and she could sit up and stare at the wall just below the TV. “How are we doing today?” a plump nurse with kind eyes asked.
“I’ve been better.” Even to her own ears, her voice sounded depressed and tired.
“I’m sure that’s true, dear, but there’s a handsome man threatening to buy the hospital and fire everybody if he can’t see you,” she said with a smile. “So, are you going to help an old woman keep her job?” Her smile softened her defensive stance with her hands on her hips.
Alessandro. “I suppose I owe you for keeping me alive,” she deadpanned and sighed. “Let him in.”
The nurse sighed. “Poor you. Young and gorgeous with a fine young man who cares about you. Life must be tough.”
If only she knew, thought Eve with a bitter smile. “He’s only here because he came to my house to break up with me and I was deathly ill.” She turned her head away from the door.
“If that’s what you need to tell yourself, honey.” With that, the nurse exited the room and Alessandro quickly entered.
“What’s wrong, Eve? Tell me. I need to know.” He wrapped his arms tightly around her body, his head buried in her midsection. “Are you okay?” He patted her shoulders and arms looking for injuries and looked in her eyes, cupping her face. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“I’m fine.” Looking at his handsome face brought tears to her eyes. She would miss him and those fathomless dark brown eyes, now shining with concern and affection. “You didn’t have to stay.”
His brows crinkled in confusion and his eyes sparked with anger. “I didn’t have to stay? Where the hell else would I be when my girlfriend is sick to death in the hospital?”
Her breath caught at the sincere look
in his eyes. No, he couldn’t mean it. He’d been gone for two weeks, allegedly at work. “It’s okay, Alessandro. You don’t have to say this because I’m in the hospital. I know you were coming by to end things with us.”
He stared deep into her eyes for a short moment and then barked out a laugh. “You crazy damn woman. Why would you think that?” He shook his head. “Do you think I come whistling into the house with an overnight bag when I intend to call it quits?”
She gave him a blank stare because she didn’t know what else to do. His words made sense, but was she reading into it what she wanted to hear? He’d been distant and unavailable for the past two weeks. She hadn’t imagined that. “Why have you been so distant?”
“I’ve just had a lot to deal with. Several projects going at once and problems with nearly all of them.”
She didn’t doubt there were problems, developing large commercial properties came with a lot of complications. But she could also tell by the way he failed to look her right in the eyes that he was still hiding something. “Sure. I’m tired.” She snuggled into the scratchy hospital linens and feigned sleep until she heard him leave. Then she let herself cry.
***
A week had passed since Eve left the hospital and she was no more broken up with Alessandro than she had been before. He still came over every night after work, usually with dinner, and they talked about their days. Her shop was close to completion and ready to open and his Macao deal with smoothed out considerably.
Their nights together were spent watching TV or making love, sometimes a combination of both. Despite her recovery from the severe dehydration, Eve still felt immeasurably tired and rarely up for going out. Alessandro didn’t seem to mind, but she often caught him looking at her with worry in his eyes. Things weren’t back to normal with them, but they were no worse, either. She just tried to enjoy every day she had with him, always preparing herself for heartbreak. Alessandro, it seemed, was content with the exclusive casual dating arrangement they had but never spoke of.
She had accepted that she was in love with him. But she’d already decided she wouldn’t tell him. Couldn’t tell him. Alessandro didn’t want anything serious and he never spoke of their future together beyond a few weeks, so she kept it to herself. Soon enough, their relationship would run its course and she could work on putting the walls back up around her heart.
She would have to break it off soon if he didn’t. She felt increasingly tired lately, couldn’t stay awake most nights past nine or ten, her appetite had taken a nosedive, and in general she felt like crap. She knew what it was. She had watched as her grandmother withered away and died from it, same as two aunts and an uncle. Eve was certain, as she sat in the doctor’s office, that she was about to get news that would change her life. Her stomach clenched as she thought about chemo treatments, wigs, and home health workers. She couldn’t ask Carla to abandon her lucrative real estate business for her and with no other family, she was on her own. A heavy sigh escaped just as Dr. Walcott entered his office.
“How are you today, Eve?” His smile was gentle as he sat behind the desk and folded his hands.
“Still tired every second of the day, Dr. Walcott, so please, just tell me where it is.”
His grey eyebrows furrowed. “Where? Where what is?”
“The cancer,” she answered with resignation.
“Oh dear, you don’t have cancer,” he chuckled and tried to hide it behind the file in his hand.
“I don’t? Oh thank God. You don’t know how happy I am to hear that.” Her smile beamed wide and her eyes were clear. She experienced a burst of energy she hadn’t felt in weeks. “Dr. Walcott, you’ve just made my day.”
His smile was genuine, happy to see such a young and vibrant woman pulsing with life again. He’d been happy to read her results earlier today. “Eve, I do have some news to deliver.” She sobered and her smile dimmed, nodding at him to tell her. “The reason you’re fatigued with no appetite is because you’re pregnant.”
If anything could have knocked her for a loop it was that information. “What? That’s not possible. I can’t be pregnant,” the last part was spoken more to herself than the doctor.
“I’m afraid you are, dear, blood doesn’t lie. I’m assuming this isn’t good news?”
Her gaze wavered, and she didn’t know what kind of news it was. “It’s unexpected. I’ve always been careful, condoms and pills.”
“Ah yes. These things tend to happen. I can explain your options, but at your age I’m sure you’re aware of them.”
She nodded. “Of course.” But she knew it was exactly because of her age that she would have this baby. Keeping it meant telling Alessandro she was pregnant. Well, you wanted to end it. This is a guaranteed relationship ender. “Can you recommend an OB/GYN?”
Dr. Walcott gifted her with a bright smile. “Congratulations, Eve. I’ll have the receptionist set up an appointment for next month.”
Eve stood and waved goodbye before seeing herself out. Now, I have to tell Alessandro. She vowed that she would, but she just wanted one more night with him. One last night before everything turned to shit.
***
“What’s the occasion?” Alessandro asked when he spotted Eve in the kitchen stirring something that smelled like heaven on earth. “And why do you look so fucking ravishing?” He couldn’t take his eyes from the vision she created standing there with an apron covering a lacy rose pink bra and panties that only covered half her ass, she looked over her shoulder and cast him a cheeky glance.
“The occasion is I felt like cooking. The other answer is that I’d hoped to be ravished tonight, of course.”
He growled and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close and kissing her neck. “I can’t wait to ravish you,” he said and inhaled deeply. “I don’t know what smells better, you or the food.”
Her laugh was husky. “You better choose wisely.”
“Mmm, definitely you,” he nuzzled her neck, running his tongue along the long line and nipping her ear.
“That’s better. Now, go get cleaned up and then we’ll eat and I’ll let you ravish me all night long.” She leaned up and took his mouth in a kiss so heated he groaned into her mouth and thrust his hips against her. “Wow. Okay, go now or you’ll make me ruin dinner.”
Reluctantly, he pulled himself away from her and headed to the shower. Twenty minutes later he was clean, dressed in nothing but navy blue boxer briefs, and sitting at the table as Eve served dinner. The apron was gone and the pink lace barely covered anything. This would be a very tense dinner. He poured an Italian Lambrusco for each of them and couldn’t keep his eyes off her toned physique. “Damn, you are stunning, baby.”
Her smile was playful. “What? This old thing?”
He laughed and enjoyed their playful banter all through dinner. Things had felt more normal and relaxed between them over the past week. He thought they’d settled nicely back into an exciting relationship. He craved her body and her mind. He loved her laugh and honestly, he was halfway in love with her already.
The only thing that stopped him from mentioning it was that conversation he’d overheard. Eve was in love with him, but she didn’t want to be. She was worried he would break her heart and he couldn’t honestly say he wouldn’t. Still, he had to wonder at the effort she’d put in tonight. Something was on her mind. “So, how was your day?”
She shrugged with a small smile. “Good. The shop will open next month and the others are doing well.”
Hmm, she was never so tight lipped about her business, typically she was more effusive. Yep, something is definitely going on. “That’s good.”
She nodded, “It is. So,” she ran her finger around the rim of her glass, “do you think it’s time for the ravishing part of the evening?”
He smiled because goddammit, he wanted her more than he wanted his next breath. But he couldn’t ignore the sadness in her eyes or the sick feeling settling in his stomach. “Oh, I think it’s beyond tim
e.” In three short steps, he was upon her and she was tossed over his shoulder, and in a few more steps, she was tossed on the bed and Alessandro was kissing her. “God, I love your mouth.”
Her breath hitched and disappointment set in. Stupid woman, hoping he’d say he loved you before he thrust inside you? Think again. Eve squeezed her eyes closed and pushed the thought away. It didn’t matter that he didn’t love her because she would not allow herself to love him. Liar, her inner voice taunted. Her lips trailed from his mouth to his ear and down his neck. “And, my mouth loves your body.”
The husky tone of her voice had him instantly growing harder. She was so sexy and she didn’t trade on it, which he found even sexier. Kissing his way down, Alessandro stopped to worship the caramel breasts dipped in chocolate. They were sweet and succulent and tasted like a dream. She squirmed under him, gripping his hair to keep him where she needed him most. The noises she was making nearly undid him.
“Alessandro, please.” Her moans sounded like a plea – and they were. A plea for him to take her over the edge, to love her. To never leave her. He obliged her on one count, kissing his way down her stomach and nuzzling the moist hair at her center. “Ah,” she hissed when his cool tongue breached her lips. The slow sweet open mouthed kisses he placed on her drove her insane and writhing under his mouth. On and on the kiss went until Eve felt as though she’d jumped from a plane without a parachute. She floated down, swaying back and forth until she almost touched earth.
But that wasn’t in Alessandro’s plans. He crawled up and slid inside her wet heat. “Ah, Eve. This feels like home.”
His quick thrusts took her right back up and into that plane, but his words shattered her defenses. He pounded in and out, in and out, until she felt herself beginning to fall again. “Alessandro,” she warned as her body began to quiver, squeezing him tighter with every thrust.
“Let go, baby. I’ve got you.” And, he did have her. He held her hips and hammered into her until they were both screaming out their pleasure. He collapsed on top of her, whispering her name. “Eve. My sweet Eve,” he whispered as his breathing returned to normal.