Passionately Ever After

by Metsy Hingle

  She stirred beside him, her hip nudging his shaft, and Steven bit off a groan. It was definitely going to be a long night, he decided, sucking in a breath.

  “Steven?”

  “Yeah?” he managed to get out, still trying to temper his desire.

  “Aren’t you… Aren’t we…”

  She shifted again and this time, he did groan aloud.

  She eased up to her elbow, looked down at him. “Why did you stop? Why didn’t you make love with me?”

  Steven reached up, touched her cheek. “I did make love with you.”

  “No. You made love to me—not with me. There’s a difference. I… There was satisfaction for me, but none for you.”

  “There was a lot of satisfaction for me,” he insisted and meant every word. “Seeing you, knowing that I could give you that was incredibly satisfying.”

  “I don’t see how you can say that when you didn’t… When you didn’t experience what I did.”

  “I experienced it through you. Giving you pleasure is what I wanted.”

  “And that’s enough for you?”

  “Yes,” he told her even though his body swore the word to be a lie. He did want her, but his love for her was greater than his desire, and he refused to put her or their baby at risk to appease his physical hunger. There would be time enough later, after the baby was born and they were living as husband and wife. Because of one thing he was sure—he was not going to go back to Boston without Maria and her promise to be his wife.

  “I see,” she said, her expression falling. “I guess I should have realized that you…that I…” She whooshed out a breath and gave him a self-deprecating smile. “I mean, I could hardly expect you to be overcome with passion when I look like I swallowed a watermelon and my—”

  “Don’t,” Steven fired back, furious with her for believing he had rejected her and with himself for not realizing that she would. “You’re beautiful. And you’re sexy as hell and I want you so badly right now I can hardly breathe.” And to prove his point, he reached for her hand, pressed it against the bulge in his slacks.

  She looked up at him, her brows creased. “Then why did you—? Why didn’t you—”

  “Because I didn’t want to hurt you and I was afraid it might hurt the baby.”

  “Oh, Steven,” she said in a rush and hugged him.

  He wrapped his arms around her, held her against him. “There’ll be lots of other times, Maria. I can wait until after the baby’s born.”

  She eased away from him. “But you don’t have to wait. I mean, it’s all right if we make love. It won’t hurt me or the baby.” When he hesitated, she kissed him and whispered against his mouth, “Make love with me, Steven.”

  Steven hesitated.

  She licked his mouth with her tongue, nipped his bottom lip and repeated, “Make love with me.”

  His body, already tense and aching from exercising restraint, went down for the count. “I’d have to be a saint to refuse. And we both know I’m no saint,” he told her.

  “I don’t want a saint. I want you. Only you.”

  He nearly attacked her mouth, caught himself just in time and forced himself to keep it slow, to keep it easy. Though it cost him, he took his time undressing her slowly, marveling at the changes in her body since the last time he’d seen her naked. Her breasts were fuller, the nipples a deeper rose that pouted and begged for him to taste them, to kiss them. He obliged.

  He sloped his hands down her waist, her hips, and was surprised they remained so small. He kissed the swell of her belly, the inside of her thighs. Moving between her legs, he opened her to his mouth. He tasted her. He explored her. And using his tongue and his teeth, he brought her up, took her over one peak and then another. All the while his own desire sharpened. The blood in his veins ran thick and hot with need. And when he could wait no longer, he stripped off his jeans and boxers and moved between her thighs.

  He braced himself above her, determined not to let her bear any of his weight. “I’ll try to be gentle,” he promised, aware of how small she was despite the pregnancy.

  “I’m not made of glass, Steven. I won’t break.”

  “I know that,” he said. “But we’re going to take this slow and easy.”

  “Slow and easy,” she repeated and closed her fist around him.

  Steven sucked in a breath. His vision blurred and before he realized what was happening, it was Maria pushing him down to the pillows. Maria climbing astride him.

  “Maria, you don’t—” He swore, both excited and alarmed by the look in her eyes. “Easy,” he hissed as she started to lower herself onto his shaft.

  “I know slow and easy,” she repeated his words to him and began to move.

  She kept her word. She took things slow. She took things easy. Rocking back and forth, back and forth, taking him deeper and deeper inside her. Pleasuring herself, pleasuring him with each stroke, with each cant of her hips. Steven filled his hands with her breasts, shaped and molded her hips. What he felt for this woman went beyond lust, beyond desire, he admitted. He loved her with every fiber of his being, with his very soul. Nothing, no one would keep them apart, he vowed.

  Steven arched up to taste her breasts and the movement drove him deeper inside her and nearly drove him over the edge. All the while, Maria continued the slow canting of her hips, pushing him closer and closer to the edge. She leaned all the way forward, sprawling her naked body atop him and spearing her fingers through his hair. Then she kissed him again, assaulting his mouth, and when she tore her lips free, the glint in her eyes stole his breath.

  “You did say slow and easy, right?”

  “Right,” he said, nearly choking out the word. Unable to resist, he swept a hand over her naked body and reveled in the moan that escaped her lips. She was all soft, pale limbs and big dark eyes, a wood nymph come to life. And he had never seen anything more beautiful, he thought.

  She continued to move atop him, gradually increasing the tempo. Then her body tensed. She closed her eyes, tipped back her head and arched her back. “Steven,” she cried out his name on a gasp.

  He gripped her hips, held on to her and lifted his own hips, driving himself up and into her fast. Faster. Faster still. And then the orgasm ripped through her. She trembled, her feminine muscles quivered around him. Steven groaned with the effort it took to hold back his own release and draw out the pleasure for them both.

  “Steven,” she called out, reaching for him as she climaxed again.

  Unable to wait any longer, he followed her over the edge and into the storm. And suddenly, the house went dark.

  Sprawled atop Steven in front of the fireplace, her body flushed with sexual satisfaction, Maria couldn’t work up enough energy to move, let alone to find her clothes and redress. For the moment, all thoughts of Boston and their problems seemed far, far away.

  “Are you all right?”

  “I think so. I’ll let you know as soon as I can move again,” she murmured lazily.

  He chuckled, the sound a deep rumble beneath her ear. “You do realize the power went out, don’t you?”

  “Is that what happened? I thought the world exploded.”

  “You’re very good for my ego, Ms. Barone,” he said, a smile in his voice.

  “You’re ego doesn’t need any boosting, Mr. Conti. You’re the most self-assured person I know.”

  “Maybe in most things,” he said, pressing a kiss to her head. “But not when it comes to you.”

  Moved by his admission, Maria snuggled closer, breathed in his scent. And when he stroked his fingers down her spine, she shivered.

  “Cold?”

  “A little,” she admitted. Now that the heat of their lovemaking was over, she was becoming all too aware of her naked state and the waning fire.

  “Give me a few minutes and I’ll see what I can do to warm you up.”

  Maria smiled against his chest, then slid off of him and onto her side. She glanced around for her clothes, but before she could
retrieve them, Steven had snagged the afghan from the end of the chair. He draped it over her.

  “Better?”

  “Yes. Thanks,” she said and burrowed beneath the coverlet while Steven got up and began dragging on his jeans with the lithe movements of a leopard, all sinew and rippling muscles. Enamored with the sight of him, she couldn’t help hoping that he made good on his promise to warm her up again. Surprised by her thoughts, she looked away as he pulled on his sweater.

  “Stay put,” he told her as he shoved into his boots. He tossed another log onto the fire.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To see about switching over to the generator.”

  “I’ll go with you,” she told him and started to get up.

  Steven immediately knelt beside her, blocking her path. “I’d rather you stayed inside where it’s warm. That way you can warm me up when I get back.”

  Maria flushed and was about to protest when he gave her a deep, toe-curling kiss. Lifting his head, he said, “Think of the baby. You don’t want to risk getting a cold or slipping in the snow, do you? Especially not while we’re stranded here in a blizzard.”

  “I’ve heard this before,” she reminded him.

  “And it’s still true. For now, it’s just the two of us and I want to make sure you’re safe.”

  But it wouldn’t be just the two of them for much longer, Maria thought as she watched Steven head outdoors. Sooner or later, the snow would end. The roads would open up. And the two of them would no longer be isolated from the rest of the world. These idyllic moments and this magical time of pretending that she and Steven were two normal people in love would have to come to an end.

  The end came two mornings later with the ringing of Steven’s cell phone. Although Maria attempted to leave the room to give him some privacy, he motioned for her to stay. But she knew from his expression and the tension in his body that the news wasn’t good. “All right. The roads reopened this morning and my cell phone’s obviously working again. I’ll leave on the next available flight to Boston. In the meantime, keep me informed if you find out anything else.”

  “What is it?” Maria asked. “What’s happened?”

  “That was Ethan Mallory,” he said, referring to the detective the Contis had hired following her family’s accusations of sabotage at Baronessa Gelateria. Mallory was also the same detective who had subsequently been working to locate both Bianca and Derrick following the kidnappings.

  “Has he found your sister and Derrick?”

  “Not yet.” He held Maria at arm’s length, stared into her eyes. “But there’s no longer any question that Derrick is responsible for the arson at Baronessa’s.”

  As much as she hadn’t wanted to believe her own cousin could do such a thing, she’d known that the evidence all pointed to him. “What about the kidnappings? Karen said it was beginning to look like Derrick might have staged the whole thing.”

  “That’s why Ethan called. Your cousin Emily went to see a hypnotist. She’s remembered things and from the information she’s given them, the Feds have been able to link the ransom note back to Derrick.”

  “Poor Emily,” Maria said, her thoughts turning to her cousin. “This must all be so hard on her.”

  “Let’s not forget my sister. Bianca’s the innocent party in all this.”

  Maria flinched, the sharpness in Steven’s tone slapping at her like an icy wind. She hugged her arms about herself. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I wasn’t making light of what’s happened to Bianca. It’s just that as Derrick’s sister, Emily can’t be taking this well. Of course, I can’t even begin to imagine how much worse this all has to be for you and your family.”

  Steven sighed. He rubbed the back of his neck. “This whole thing has been a nightmare for everyone. I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

  “You’re entitled.”

  “No, I’m not,” he insisted. “This isn’t your fault. None of this has anything to do with you.”

  “It has everything to do with me, Steven. Derrick’s my cousin.”

  “Just because you share the same last name doesn’t make you responsible for his actions.”

  “I’m not so sure your family will see the distinction,” she pointed out.

  “You let me worry about my family. In the meantime, I’m going to have to go back to Boston.”

  “Of course,” she said, already missing him and regretting their return to the real world. “I understand.”

  “I don’t want to go back by myself. Come with me.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she told him.

  “Maria,” he began and reached for her.

  Maria stepped away. “Besides, even if I wanted to, I couldn’t go right now and leave Sophia alone. Who would take care of her while Louis and Magdalene are away?”

  “I thought Magdalene told you that Louis’s father was okay now and that they’d be leaving Billings tomorrow or the next day?”

  “Yes, she did,” Maria admitted. Since she had related the earlier conversation to Steven, she could hardly deny it. “But that means they won’t get back here until late tomorrow at the earliest.”

  “Then Sophia will only be alone for a little while. Cats are very self-sufficient, Maria. If we put out plenty of food and water for her, Sophia will do just fine until the Calderones get home.”

  “But they’re depending on me to take care of her for them,” Maria argued. Even though she knew he was right, the prospect of returning to Boston set off an avalanche of nerves. “Louis and Magdalene have been very good to me. I don’t want to let them down.”

  “You wouldn’t be letting them down,” Steven insisted. “I’m sure if we called them and explained what’s happened and that we have to return to Boston, they’ll understand.”

  “I don’t know, Steven.”

  He moved toward her, took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. “Please, Maria, I need you. Come with me.”

  Maria hesitated, overwhelmed by the thought of facing her family, of possibly facing Steven’s family as well. Although she had resigned herself to the fact that she would have to tell her own family the truth, she hadn’t expected it to be so soon. How would they react to the news about her and Steven? About the baby?

  “If you won’t come for me…for us,” he amended, “then come for my sister.”

  “How will my coming to Boston help Bianca?”

  “Because you can talk to Emily. She trusts you. If she knows anything at all about where her brother’s hiding, she’ll tell you.”

  “But you said Emily was cooperating with that detective your family hired and that she’d been to see a hypnotist.”

  “She is cooperating with Ethan, and seeing the hypnotist did help. But not all of the pieces have come together yet and we’re running out of time. Derrick’s already tried to burn down your family’s plant and kidnapped Bianca. There’s no telling what he’ll do next. The man’s not stable, Maria. Surely you realize that.”

  “Yes, I realize it.” And it was the truth. Unlike her relationships with her other cousins, she and Derrick had never been close. She’d long ago chalked it up to Derrick’s penchant for grand schemes to make it big instead of working hard to achieve success. Of course, it hadn’t helped that his twin, Daniel, had been so dynamic and had succeeded in everything he did. Next to Daniel, Derrick had paled in comparison—in both personality and in his achievements. She remembered all too clearly now how he’d become even more bitter when he’d been overlooked for key corporate jobs at Baronessa.

  “Then you also realize that he’s dangerous?”

  Maria recalled the venom in Derrick’s voice when he’d congratulated her on becoming manager of the gelateria and told her that he hoped someday she’d get everything she deserved. A chill raced down Maria’s spine. “Yes,” she said.

  “It won’t be long before he figures out that the Feds have tied the ransom note to him. Once he does, Bianca’s going to be in even greater danger. W
e’ve got to find him and we’ve got to do it soon.” He paused, met her gaze with serious blue eyes. “Please, will you come with me?”

  “All right. I’ll come. On one condition.”

  “What?”

  “You have to promise that you won’t tell anyone about us or the baby until I say so.”

  “All right. But don’t you think it’s going to be difficult to hide your pregnancy from your family?” he pointed out.

  “Except for Emily, I don’t intend to see my family. At least not right away.”

  Steven’s mouth hardened, but he remained silent.

  “I know I have to tell them, Steven. And I will. I promise. But first I want to resolve this mess with Derrick and make sure that Bianca’s okay.”

  Maybe then she’d be able to figure out how she was going to break the news to her family that she loved Steven Conti and was expecting his baby and wanted to marry him. More importantly, she’d have to decide whether to face Lucia Conti and risk the wrath of the Conti curse.

  Nine

  “She’s late,” Steven told Maria later that evening as they waited in her office at Baronessa’s headquarters. “Maybe you should call her again.”

  “She’s only ten minutes late. Don’t worry. Emily will be here.”

  Impatient, Steven prowled about the room. When he glanced at his watch for the third time in as many minutes, he tried not to second-guess his idea to have Maria question her cousin, nor wonder whether it would work. According to Mallory, both he and the Feds had already questioned the woman. And while she’d been helpful, she hadn’t been able to give them anything that would lead them to her brother. No doubt both the detective and the Feds would see his having Maria speak to her cousin as more interference on his part.