“Where was he…before he, ah, left for the train station?”
He cleared his throat and quietly answered. “The suite next door, Signorina.”
Riana felt her knees wobble under her and she leaned against the couch for support. She opened her mouth to ask did he spend the night there, too? but nothing came out.
“Signorina, please don’t cry. I’m sure he had things to attend to and he couldn’t wait for you,” the man pleaded.
Riana brushed her fingers over her wet cheeks. She hadn’t realized she was crying. Why was she crying for a man who’d left her in his bed to occupy another’s?
The suite next door belonged to an Italian celebrity. The stylist and makeup artist Allan had hired had been gossiping about her nonstop when they were readying Riana for dinner.
The stranger stepped into the suite and moved past her. “I’ll just get your luggage.”
She nodded and noticed the relief on his face as he rushed away. She didn’t blame him. It was pathetic to cry over a man who’d only brought her along to keep him company in bed.
Riana lowered herself on to the couch. She needed to sit down for a moment and…and what?
Despite how betrayed she felt, she couldn’t leave. It was her fault Allan despised her and running away would just make her a coward. But she couldn’t bring herself to go after him like some trained dog being fetched by whoever this guy was to be delivered to her master.
“Signorina, I think we should leave now.”
Riana nodded, but she couldn’t bring herself to stand up, not yet. She raised her shaky hands to cover her face. Oh God, he slept with the woman next door!
He sat next to her, placing a napkin on her lap. “Maybe we could wait a while, just ten minutes for you to compose yourself.”
That was all it took for the floodgates to open.
* * * *
Allan sat in the cabin, his work papers spread out in front of him. He’d purposefully began working the moment he settled on the train so when she came in, she wouldn’t bother him. He was still angry with her and he wanted her to know it. But it was useless considering he’d been unable to concentrate on anything but Riana since he abandoned her at the restaurant.
The woman was a sickness and it annoyed him how she filled his every thought when she wasn’t close by; when he couldn’t touch her, kiss her, running his hands over her soft skin as he prepared her body for his possession. The need for her was only worse now that they were angry at each other. He wanted to make love to her and punish her while doing so.
Hold up! Have sex, not make love! Where the hell did that come from?
You only make love to someone you love and he didn’t love her. Did he? The vendor’s words came back to haunt him. What had he seen that Allan hadn’t noticed yet? Riana clearly didn’t notice it either or she would have said something. No, she wouldn’t. She was extremely shy…and yet not so timid to grab his junk to force him to make love—
“Damn it! Sex! We had sex, we didn’t make love!” he said forcefully.
“Signore?”
“What?” Allan barked.
“Signorina Albury has arrived.”
Riana…he felt the twinge in his chest that was now becoming familiar every time he thought of her.
Moments after the coachman had announced her, Riana walked in following the driver who carried their luggage. She went straight for the couch, falling onto it and hugging the pillow to her chest, her face turned away from him.
Was she still mad? “Unbelievable!” he muttered under his breath.
Allan stood up and pulled out a tip for the driver, “Gratzie…” he stopped when he noticed how the man stared at Riana, with pity and longing. Allan stepped before him, blocking his view of Riana. “You can go now!” he barked.
“Si, Signore.” The man scrambled backward.
“You can also leave,” Allan said to the coachman, effectively dismissing him.
When the door closed and it was just the two of them, Allan turned to Riana. She was still curled up on the couch, staring out the window as the train began to move. She didn’t acknowledge him. She just ignored him like he wasn’t even in the same room with him.
Fine! Allan thought going back to the desk to work.
They sat quietly for over an hour, neither of them willing to make the first move. Allan huffed. He had tried to concentrate on his work and put her out of his mind, but it was useless. Having her so close and not being able to touch or kiss her was painfully distracting.
He rubbed his face and raked his hands through his hair with a sigh. Was the entire trip going to be like this? If so, he was better off booking her a flight back home. Why hadn’t he done so already?
He turned to look at her. She hadn’t moved from that spot aside from releasing her hair from the ponytail she had when she walked in. It looked nice, lying straight on her back. But he preferred it in tight curls.
“Do you want to go home?” He was surprised the words came out steady and cold because he felt the exact opposite. He was so afraid she’d say yes. Why? He still didn’t know.
Riana turned to him then, her cheeks wet and her eyes red and swollen. “Why? So you can take your new slut on the rest of my trip?”
Allan shot out of his seat. How did he not notice she had been crying…and what was this about a new slut?
“What are you talking about, Riana, and why are you crying?”
She threw the pillow at him when she sat up straight on the couch. It hit him square on the chest. It didn’t hurt, but it did surprise him.
“What the hell?”
She stood up, pointing an accusing finger in his face. “I stayed up all night crying, scared that something bad had happened to you. I kept imaging you in a car accident, mugged, hurt, dying in a ditch and I wasn’t there to help you. Or kidnapped, for the billions you so cherish and I was pacing the room, waiting for a ransom call wondering who the hell I was going to call to help you because you left me with nothing, not even your bloody cell number!”
Allan felt guilty, watching the torment play on her face. He raised his hand to touch her face. “I’m so—”
She slapped his hand away. “Don’t you dare touch me with the same hands you touched that slut with!” More tears broke free as she cried out, “I was in our suite worrying myself sick while you were next door enjoying yourself in another woman’s arms, you asshole!”
Allan drew her to him forcefully, trapping her hands against his chest. She bucked and fought, trying to get out of his grip but he held on, lifting her off the ground.
Big mistake. She kicked him in the knee making him lose his balance for a moment.
Allan wrapped her hair in his fists and pulled her head back. “Riana, that’s enough!”
She stopped moving but she kept crying. Her fists stopped punching his chest and held his shirt tightly. Allan pressed her head to his chest and held her as she cried. It hurt him just hearing the hurt in her voice, her tears quickly soaking his shirt.
“I swear I don’t have a new slut, nor did I sleep with another woman last night. I was in the suite across from you. I didn’t use the spare room because I wanted to stay pissed at you and that was futile if I was to be so close to you. Either way, it didn’t help much.”
“Why?” Her whisper was muffled against his chest.
Allan chuckled, stroking her hair. “Because I was too sexually frustrated to sleep. So I woke up to work and I’m not sure I did a good job either because I kept picturing your naked body on my desk.”
Riana pulled her face away from his chest to stare up at him. He could see it in her eyes, under her furrowed brows that she didn’t believe him but that only lasted a moment. She smiled up at him before she quickly and shyly hid her face from him making him laugh.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered again.
“No I’m sorry. I should have called—”
She shook her head and looked up at him. “Not about that. I didn’t mean to accuse yo
u of being a vulture last night—”
“You called me a vulture?” he asked laughingly.
Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “In my head I did. It’s just, I’ve been one of those families and…and it just hurt that the man I care about was no different from the one who destroyed my family’s life.”
Warning bells rang in his head. The man I care about? Did she love him? Was that what the vendor noticed, her love for him? God, please no!
Allan chose to ignore that part and address the other. “There are so many people in my line of work that are, but I’m not so cold and heartless.”
She slapped his chest. “Don’t say that! You are not cold and heartless, even a little bit. Just misguided in your career path. But not a vulture.”
Allan threw his head back and laughed.
She pinched him hard, making him flinch. “I’m serious, Allan!”
Alan bit his lips shut to hold back the laugh threatening to bubble out and nodded. No one had ever called him misguided either. He should be offended, but it was too darn funny how she tried to find the good in him after pointing out his faults.
“First you question my integrity then call my career, my family’s seventy year old business mind you, a misguided choice.”
She shrugged. “Just because it is a seventy year old family practice doesn’t mean it’s the right choice. I understand that you might not have had a choice, but had to take the reins from your father, probably because you are the first-born son and he wanted to retire to a tropical island with your mother, which is something a couple their age should do. I mean, they’d given a lot of years to—”
Allan kissed her to shut her up. It was nice to hear her rambling again and ever better to feel her lips against his. But they needed to clear the air before things went back to normal.
He broke the kiss and carried her to the desk. He sat down with her on his lap and opened his laptop. “I want to show you something.”
She draped her arm on his shoulder, her fingers playing with the hair at the base of his neck, “What?”
He turned the laptop to her, pulled her arousing hand away from his neck and placed them on the desk. “Read that.”
She gave him a quick kiss on his lips then turned to the laptop screen. Allan played with her hair as she read, noting her reaction in her body. She was going to feel like a real ass when she was done.
“Oh Allan, I’m such an idiot.” She turned around to facing him, cradling his face in her palms. “I’m so sorry!”
Allan smiled. “See, not so cold and heartless?”
“You are not cold and heartless. I should really have stupid pasted on my forehead. Add this to Steve and Claire—”
“Hey!” Allan barked angrily cutting her off. “You are not stupid and Steve and Claire betraying you is not your fault.”
She shook her head. “They did it right in front of my face and I didn’t notice.”
“Then I must be dumber than you because Theresa and Michael used to fuck right under my nose.”
She scrunched up her nose. “I don’t like that word.”
“What word?”
“The F one,” she responded timidly.
Allan laughed. “Oh, my unicorn!” He grabbed the back of her head and pushed her to him, pressing a hard kiss on her lips.
She pulled away pushing his shoulders. “No wait. I should have let you explain. I shouldn’t have attacked you like I did.” She smiled.
Was that pride he saw in her eyes? Was she proud of him?
He didn’t know why, but he was elated that she was proud of him. Weird. The only person he’d ever cared to make proud was his father and no one else since he decided to leave him. Not until now. He actually cared if he made Riana proud of him. Even more weird.
“You actually have a program that takes care of them and help them look for jobs. That is the most wonderful thing I’ve ever seen a human being do for another.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m really sorry.”
“Well, you can always make it up to me.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
Riana bit her lower lip, her brow raised seductively. She moved from his lap and onto his desk. She pushed everything, his papers and laptop back. She then settled with her legs parted, her ankles touching his knees, placing him in the middle.
“You said something about me naked on your desk?” she said, sensually raising her hands to her shirt.
Allan gulped loudly as he watched her tiny fingers undo the first button and slowly lower to the second.
“Did I give you a strip tease first in your fantasy? Because I think I would.” She released that button and moved on to the next, undoing that.
He could already see the swells of her breasts had emerged and he had to tuck his impatient fingers into his palms to keep from reaching out, ripping her shirt open, and sucking the soft flesh into his mouth.
Another button down.
Allan closed his eyes with a groan. He needed a break or he was going to burst from his pants. This wasn’t his first strip tease so why the hell was he reacting to her like this?
“Open your eyes, Allan.”
Did she just purr? Allan groaned louder tossing his head back. He fought to hold his hands on his lap. He needed to unzip his trousers or the zipper marks would forever be embedded on his dick.
“Allan, open your eyes or I’m going to start without you.”
His head shot up and his eyes opened.
Her lips spread in the sexiest smile before she sucked her lower lip into her mouth. “Good boy.”
Another button down and his heart practically slammed against his ribcage.
Damn! She’s doing this on purpose. She wants to kill me!
The black lace bra was holding her breasts so perfectly he felt his hand ache with jealousy. Allan felt like he was going to start gasping for breath.
“Who are you and what the hell have done to me?”
She shrugged, the action making her shirt slip from her right shoulder. “I don’t know. You just make me feel so…sexy.”
Allan heard his breath hitch when she finally undid the last button and slowly pushed the shirt off her other shoulder. She held her arms behind her as she pulled the shirt out, thrusting her breasts forward.
He was going to die. His balls were going to explode, if his heart didn’t first, and he was going to die from the excitement.
She reached for the button on her jeans and that was the last straw. He couldn’t take anymore.
He stood up, pushed her back onto the desk, and ripped her jeans and panties off. He made quick work of his pants, and entered her with one stroke to the hilt.
She cried out, her back arching off the desk.
“Next time, don’t tease me,” he warned before he pulled out and slammed back into her, moving her up and making her whine. Allan took her hands and placed them at the edge of the table. “Hold onto this,” he ordered. Once she did, he pulled her hips to him, and began pounding hard into her.
Her whimpers grew into cries that kept getting louder and louder with each thrust. She let go on the table and sat up to wrap her arms around his neck. Allan dislodged her hold, pushing her back onto the table and holding her there without breaking his rhythm.
It wasn’t long before she shattered with a piercing scream. She contracted around him, her channel so tight that it pulled his orgasm right out of him. He came with a violent shudder as he shot his seed deep into her womb.
He collapsed onto her limp body, too tired to move, and she was probably too tired to care that he was crushing her. They were both very sated.
Chapter Seven
Riana thought she would die from all the excitement as they hopped onto another train to Naples. Siena, Florence, Bologna, Milan, and Turin had been beyond wonderful. Not forgetting Vatican City, which was amazing. Allan had flown them back to Rome when she’d asked to go there.
Allan had become more attentive, something she never thought possible.
He kissed her a lot more, held and kept touching her all the time. When they toured the cities, he always had his hand clasped around hers, always kissing her hand and hugging it to his chest whenever they stopped to speak to a vendor or other tourists. And the best part was, he hadn’t checked his phone for a hundred times. It sat in hidden pocket, lonely, for once!
Riana thought he was so attentive because he still felt guilty for leaving her alone and making her cry, but she didn’t care. She liked being the object of his attention and was going to relish it before work filled his mind again.
Their suites were now just places to change clothes, take a nap after a long day of touring, and make love during the evenings and better parts of the morning. Allan didn’t give her a minute alone to admire the rooms before he’d pounce on her. And if she weren’t so evasive—pto the point of being chased around the suite—she would have never been able to see the cities of the country she was growing to love. With all the adventures, night dinners, wonderful hotels, designer clothes and shoes—thank you Milan!—how could she not be falling in love with Italy?
The best parts were when Allan took her to these little charming cafés in street corners for breakfast and lunch, and had her order foods she’d never tried before with the few Italian words he’d taught her.
She just had to make sure she didn’t mistakenly use the ones he’d whisper in her ear in bed.
Riana watched Allan as he sat at the desk to catch up on the work he’d ignored for the past two weeks and sighed softly. When he went straight for it the moment they boarded the train at the start of their third week, she knew her exclusivity to all his attention was over.
His complete focus was on his work. The muscles under the sleeve band of his T-shirt—thankfully, he’d stopped wearing suits entirely and stuck to casual, except for dinner—seemed thicker as his fingers moved lightly and swiftly over the keyboard on his laptop.
His hair, no longer held slickly back, hung loose at an ear length around his face. He kept swiping it back in annoyance when it fell over his eyes and his changing expressions gave him the picture of an exasperated child, a rock band teenager, and an impatient adult.
Her Venice Affair (The Albury Affairs) Page 9