* * *
Amber heard a distant knocking, but she was sure she was dreaming, so she continued to sleep. Turning around, she found another comfortable spot and immediately sank back into the darkness. She slept deeper than she had in months.
Dreaming of Nico, she envisioned them out on the lake in a sailing boat. The sun was shining down on them with only a light breeze to break up the warmth and gently push them along the water. Nico was standing at the helm in only a pair of swimming trunks, which was tied low on his narrow hips. His skin was a beautiful shade of brown with a light dusting of hair covering his muscular chest and rippled abs that formed a tempting trail lower down into his suit.
Nico turned and caught her watching him and smiled, stunning her with his handsome face and twinkling eyes. She heard a nagging voice in her head to be careful, that a man like Nico, who could have any woman he wanted wouldn’t really be interested in her for any more than some fun. But no one else was around and he only had eyes for her. For however long he chose to stay, he was hers and she wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anyone or anything else. Amber stood up from where she was seated and walked to him.
He welcomed her into his arms as he slipped an arm around her shoulders and drew her in close. His hand lightly caressed her sun-warmed skin, shooting sparks of desire through her as she looked at him longingly, her yearning no doubt apparent on her face.
Nico studied her for a long moment, his eyes darkening, before he lowered his head and lightly brushed his lips over hers, seeking permission as he kept his eyes focused on hers.
Hooking her arms around his neck, she drew him in for more. That was all he needed as his open mouth hungrily came down on hers as if he’d been dying to kiss her forever. Tracing the outline of her mouth with his tongue, he delved in deeper as Amber met him, thrust for thrust.
Without leaving her mouth, he released his hold on the wheel and lifted her into his arms. She immediately wrapped her legs around him, bringing herself in tight against his instant arousal. The desire was so intense that a moan escaped their joint lips, making Amber unsure if it came from him or her.
Once again, she could hear a distant knocking, but her desire was so strong that her legs fell open and she was just about to touch herself when she distinctively heard his voice.
“Amber.” The word was so softly spoken and seductive…was she dreaming? She heard it again. “Carino…”
She was so close, desperately needing relief when she felt herself being gently shaken on her shoulder. Lazily, she opened her eyes. Freezing in shock, Amber realised she was no longer dreaming. There, sitting on her bed, dressed in a pale blue polo shirt and shorts, was Nico. He looked ridiculously handsome.
Her hands flew to the sheets to cover her exposed breasts as she fiercely coloured, surprise, anger and embarrassment all rolling into one emotion. She scooted up the bed away from him, clutching the sheets and brushed the hair away from her face.
“What’re you doing here?” she finally asked.
“I was trying to wake you to see if you wanted to join me for breakfast…but I see you were otherwise preoccupied.” His gaze darkened with desire as he continued to study her. “Why are you dreaming about me?”
“Who said I was dreaming about you…?” Her voice trailed off as she felt her body burn with heat. It was no use, she was sure it was written all over her face.
“Carino…you were moaning my name.” He leaned in closer, and Amber’s heart rate spiked and pounded. His eyes were filled with lust as he gently stroked her face. Desire was still shooting through her body so Amber jerked her face away, scared of her intense feelings and trying desperately to gain some degree of control over her body.
“Would you please move? And turn around? I need to get up.”
“Are you sure you want that?” He spoke softly, his voice husky as he continued to hover just above her, amused by her disdain. Her hand landed on his chest to keep him from getting closer. He was way too close for comfort and at any minute, Amber felt she would cave in.
“Yes, I’m sure. Now please…” She gestured with her hands for him to turn away.
Nico reluctantly backed away from the bed and Amber grabbed the single sheet around her and almost ran to the bathroom. Once inside, she locked the door and took a deep breath. What the hell was this man doing to her?
She ran her fingers through her tangled hair as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her eyes were bright as she looked at herself and noted her tanned cleavage and flushed face. Slipping the sheet off, she dived into the shower, aware that Nico was a mere few feet away from her on the other side.
Stepping out of the shower, she realised she had left all her clothes outside in her haste to get away from him. She had no choice but to ask him to pass her clothes – either that or walk out with the small towel, which barely covered her bottom. Clearing her throat, she called out for him from behind the door.
“Nico? Would you mind grabbing a dress and er, some, suitable underwear from my bag, please?” She was cringing.
His voice came back to her, which sounded slightly amused.
“Si. Of course.”
She pressed her ear to the door and could hear him fumbling about on the other side. A few moments later, he knocked.
“Open up.” Was it her or did his voice sound slightly strained?
She opened the door a fraction and held out her hand. Nico cleared his throat as he passed her one of her new maxi dresses. She smiled, approving of his choice. It was light blue and the sales assistant had complimented her on it, commenting that it really flattered her eyes.
Next she held out her hand for her bra and panties. Nico took her hand and gently pushed the door open. She stood there with steam billowing in the background as she watched his face, her heart hammering against her ribs as she saw him run his hands over her new nude coloured underwear. Amber blushed a deep crimson as she noted that he had chosen one of her more risqué numbers. The Chantilly lace bra and barely-there G-string was being gently turned over in his hand. Their eyes locked and his look was so galvanising that it sent a tremor through her. She bit her lip as she felt her blood surge from her fingertips to her toes. Without a word, he opened her hand and placed her underwear in it. A strange look passed over his face, but he simply turned around and quietly shut the door behind him.
Amber waited a few moments for her heart rate to return to some sort of normalcy. She quickly dressed and after applying some light make-up, she stepped out of the bathroom.
Nico was sitting on the chair, scrolling through his phone. She had to stop and suck in a breath. The man looked like he had stepped out of the pages of GQ Magazine. Shyly, she cleared her throat to announce her presence and Nico glanced up. His smile was strained as he stood up.
“Ready?”
“Sure…um, thanks for waiting.” She bit her lip and looked out the window. Anywhere, but at him. She was still mortified from him walking in on her this morning just as she was about to pleasure herself, whilst thinking of him.
“No problem. My parents have headed out for breakfast with friends so if you don’t mind, it will just be us and Mia.”
“Of course, sounds great.” Amber was secretly relieved that she wouldn’t have to be alone with him. She definitely needed some space after last night and this morning to process her thoughts and feelings.
Following him, they made their way out of the guesthouse and through the gardens to the main house. The scent of the brightly coloured bougainvillea and jasmine filled her senses and she inhaled deeply, loving the sub-tropical climate and picturesque sights around her.
They walked into the main house and Nico led her up the elegant wooden staircase to the top of the house and out onto the sweeping roof terrace. Amber’s jaw dropped at the stunning panoramic view over the lake and landscape.
“Nico. Wow, this is just incredible,” she gasped as she spun around, grinning at the beautiful sights surrounding her.
Nico stopped to look at her. He flashed her one of his grins, which made her heart pound.
“Come, let me show you around.” He held out his hand, and without thinking, Amber took it. He briefly glanced down at their joined hands, but kept his face impassive as he pointed out the various sights. A few metres away at the seating area, she spotted Mia, who seemed to be deep in conversation on her phone. She waved them over. Before Amber could say anything further, she felt Nico’s arm slip around her waist and draw him towards her. Mia was watching as Nico leaned down to subtly kiss her neck. Amber gasped and bit her lip to prevent a moan escaping. Her skin was on fire. She felt him smirking, realising the effect he was having on her.
“Time to play girlfriend, Carino.”
6
They joined Mia for a leisurely breakfast. The sun was shining, birds were singing in the distance, the lake was calm and peaceful; it was a perfect setting. Amber enjoyed listening to the banter between the brother and sister, loving how natural and relaxed Nico was in his own home. A text message beeped through on Mia’s phone, briefly interrupting the conversation. She gave it a quick glance, grinning at what she was seeing.
“Tutto bene, Mia?”
“Perfetto, Nico!” Her face was radiant. “My design samples will be arriving this afternoon for me to approve. I’ve worked so hard on this collection and I can’t wait to see them.”
An idea seemed to be forming in her head as she knitted her eyebrows together in thought. She grabbed Amber’s hand. “Amber, were you planning on wearing anything really specific to mother’s cocktail party later?”
“Um, no. Yes. Not really. I have a black cocktail dress that I was going to wear…?” She looked enquiringly at Mia, wondering why she was asking.
“Feel free to say no, but I’m dying to see one of the dresses I’ve designed on a model and with your figure, I think it would be perfect on you. Of course, only if you’re comfortable?” Her eyes were sparkling in excitement and Amber couldn’t help but laugh.
“Mia, I really appreciate the gesture, but, I’m hardly model material.” She took a sip of her coffee, smiling.
“Nonsense! Dio Mio, Nico, feel free to jump in and tell her how beautiful she is!”
Amber felt her skin heating up at the compliment and looked away, not wanting to place Nico on the spot. She felt his warm hand slide into hers and she risked a glance at him. His eyes penetrated into her.
“You don’t realise how beautiful you are, do you?” His voice was low and seductive, and Amber felt butterflies in her stomach as they continued to lock eyes with each other. She was unable to pull away; he was fully in control.
“Oh goodness, get a room would you?!” Mia made gagging noises at them, which broke the spell. Nico let go of her hand and pushed his chair back.
“Mia, if you don’t mind looking after Amber for the afternoon, I’ll be back later. Just need to catch up on a few things.” He raised his eyebrow at Amber, seeking her approval.
Both girls responded at the same time.
“Sure.” Amber smiled at Nico as he started to walk away. She was grateful for some girl-time with Mia, but at the same time, she wondered what he would be up to. A strange thought crossed her mind, which she instantly dismissed – what if he was going to visit one of his girlfriends? Mentally she shook her head. She had no right to question his movements as she reminded herself that this was just a business deal. Why then, was her heart pulling towards him so strongly?
Mia scraped back her chair, breaking her thoughts.
“Amber, shall we go and get pampered? I would love to take you to my favourite spa – maybe we can get mani-pedi’s and a massage?”
“Mia, that sounds like heaven. Give me a sec. Let me just go get my purse and I’ll meet you out front in a few minutes.”
Amber dashed to her room, quickly checked her appearance and grabbed her handbag. She made her way to the front of the main house and saw Mia sitting in a red, Z4, with the top down . She smiled as she approached. The car definitely suited her personality to the ground. She was fiddling with the CD player when Amber opened the door.
“Ready?” Mia shouted over the music, having selected her track, which was now blaring through the speakers.
“Yep! Let’s go.” She extracted her sunglasses from her purse and the girls sped off into the town.
* * *
Amber thoroughly enjoyed Mia’s company for the afternoon. She was similar to Beth in many ways and Amber made a promise to herself to keep in touch with her, regardless of what happened between her and Nico. She would love to introduce Mia to both Beth and Jess, their other best friend.
The massages were heavenly and Amber almost fell asleep from how relaxed she felt. Mia opted for bright pink fingers and toes whilst Amber went a bit more understated with a paler colour. Later that afternoon, fully relaxed from their treatments, they decided to get changed in Amber’s room as the party was due to start in a couple of hours. Mia stopped off in the main house to collect her couriered dress samples and then walked over to the guesthouse with the dresses draped over the arms. She knocked lightly and then entered. Amber was just setting up some music on the MP3 player.
“Oh gosh, I love that song!” Mia smiled and danced her way into the room, singing along with the band.
Amber laughed and joined in after a beat. She was having so much fun with Mia, it was like they had known each other for ever. She found out that they had a great deal in common – similar taste in art, the places they liked to frequent in London for after work drinks – it was mystery they hadn’t connected before through mutual contacts.
As the song ended, they flopped onto the bed together, catching their breath after their enthusiastic singing and dancing. Amber turned her head to look at Mia.
“Mia, are you seeing anyone at the moment?” She was sure she must have someone special in her life, but if so, she wondered why he wasn’t here.
She watched Mia’s face fall and then she frowned lightly. “No, I’m not,” she said quietly, looking away. Amber didn’t want to probe any further, but Mia took a deep breath signalling the conversation wasn’t over. Amber waited patiently.
“I’ve been in love with Gino since I was about fourteen.”
“Gino?”
“Yes, my parents are friends with his father. He and Nico went to school together, they’re the same age and are still good friends.”
“And, does Gino know how you feel?” Amber asked gently for it was clear to see how painful the subject was to Mia.
“Yes, he knows. He told me he loved me once.” Her eyes seemed to mist over. “But that we could never be together.”
“What? Why?”
Mia sniffed. “He thinks he isn’t good enough for me. That I deserve better.”
“Oh, Mia. I’m so sorry.” She sat up and hugged her new friend. “Men can be such losers sometime.” She sighed. “Wait until I tell you about my best friend, Beth and her now fiancé, Theo.”
Mia wiped away her tears and walked off the bed to the fully stocked mini-fridge. She pulled out a bottle of chilled white wine, grabbed two glasses from the cabinet to the side and poured the chilled liquid.
“Salute, Amber.” She smiled although her eyes betrayed her sadness. “I’m so happy you and Nico are together.” They clinked their glasses together and took a sip. Amber was overcome with guilt for deceiving her new friend about her non-relationship with Nico and a lump formed in her throat. She thought Mia would be very hurt if she found out the truth, but also decided that since it was Nico who put her in this position in the first place, he should also be the one to break the news.
Mia went over to the dresses and unzipped the garment bags.
“So, what do you think?” She held the dresses up individually and Amber was stunned. They were absolutely beautiful creations. The dresses were cocktail length, cut beautifully and Amber could see how much work had gone into every intricate detail. She ran her hands carefully over them, turning the dresses over.<
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“Wow, Mia, these are amazing! You are incredibly talented.”
“Well, I’ve worked my arse off for the last few years, I hope it’s beginning to pay off.” She laughed lightly. “So will you be my clothes horse for tonight, si?”
Amber looked at the exquisite dresses. “Are you sure? I mean, I would be absolutely honoured to, but…” She trailed off, worried if she would be able to do them justice.
“Fantastico! I’m so happy you’ve agreed.” She clapped her hands excitedly, ignoring Amber’s hesitation.
They spent the next few minutes discussing which dress to showcase and ultimately selected a scarlet coloured one. Apart from being bright, the dress was understated compared to the other two, but it fit her like a glove, giving her curves she never thought she possessed. The front was high, but behind, it dipped down quite low, with loose black chains across the back. From the front, the dress was conservative, but the back transformed it into a very classy and sexy number. Amber felt like a model in it as she spun around for Mia.
Mia looked at her and grinned. “Amber, I knew that was the one. Perfetto, you look stunning.” She folded her arms and slowly walked around her adjusting the dress as she did so. “Will you allow me to do your hair and make-up too? I’d love to pin your hair up with a few loose curls to frame your face. I could bring out the blue in your eyes by giving them a sultry and smoky effect. Is that okay?”
Amber couldn’t help laughing and agreeing. Mia was so excited and animated, speaking with her hands as she walked around her. Impulsively, she grabbed Mia into a hug.
Cherished: Love in London Series 2 Page 4