Wrapping my warm palm and fingers around him, I stroke his hardened shaft slowly from root to tip, and he bucks his hips in response. The moonlight dances off his skin, causing shadows across his chest that match my movement.
Leaning forward, I press the tip of my tongue to the head of his swollen cock and lick. He groans and seals his eyes shut, knowing I’m not going to be rushed. I’ve worshiped his cock before, and unlike some women, I enjoy giving head, especially to Antonio.
I close my lips around the top, circling the crown with my tongue before letting the underside of his shaft slip down. My hands move in unison, working his shaft while I concentrate on hitting every sensitive spot around the tip. He tangles his hands in my hair, pushing my face down and forcing me to take him deeper.
His body convulses as his cock nudges the back of my throat, and I resist the urge to panic as he blocks my airway. Using my free hand, I push his hips back down and tighten my grip around his dick to control the depth. It’s not my first rodeo and men always like to push the limits, but I’ve learned ways to stop them from becoming a little too overeager.
Sucking hard and squeezing tighter, I increase the speed of the strokes, continually flicking the tip of my tongue against the underside of his head. His fingers dive farther into my hair as he moans and shudders against the rock.
“So. Fucking. Good,” he mutters with his eyes still closed.
I peer up his body, taking in the way his lips are parted as he tries to breathe and the unsteady rise and fall of his chest as he nears orgasm. Powerful…that’s how it makes me feel controlling his pleasure and watching him shatter from my touch.
Spurred on by his desire and the need for his orgasm, I suck harder, faster than I had before. His hips buck wildly, driving his cock into my mouth until my fingers stop his forward movement.
His upper body seizes, and I prepare myself as the orgasm crashes over him. I swallow him down easily because, in all honesty, we’ve fucked so many times today, I’m surprised he has anything left. Each time I draw back and my lips graze the head of his cock, his body jolts upward as he gasps. Once his arms fall away and his body goes limp, I release my hold and my mouth from his dick.
His eyes open, and he smiles up at me with a small laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“I used to dream about something like this, but I figured it would never become a reality.”
I wipe the corners of my lips and suck the tip of my fingers into my mouth before I reply. “It’s pretty hard to get a blow job, especially if you come here alone.”
“Come here,” he says, motioning for me to join him before he stuffs his prick back into his pants and zips himself up.
I lie against him, resting my head near his shoulder, and peer up at the starry night sky. “I wish life were always as easy as this.”
“Baby.” His hand sweeps up my back, pulling me closer. “I’ll always be this easy.”
I slap him playfully before leaving my hand against his chest. I sigh, content and happy, as we watch the tiny shining dots move ever so slowly across the darkness.
I want this life. A small part of me has always envied others without such a stressful job. Even after I leave the office, the work follows me home. Heading a major corporation isn’t the usual nine-to-five job, rather a constant dance that’s interrupted a few hours every day by sleep.
I almost want to run away with Antonio and live on his private island, escaping the world and the companies we helped build. The Mercury engine was my gift, the grand accomplishment of my life, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to top it.
Instead of dwelling on what’s waiting for us in Chicago, I look at the stars and watch the beauty as it passes by.
Chapter Fifteen
ANTONIO
“You missed an amazing party,” Enzo says as he sits down at the table across from me.
Lauren and I snuck back into the house just after the last guest left, avoiding any more run-ins with Camilla or any of my mother’s stuffy friends. We lay under the stars for hours, watching as the moon crossed the sky, and we talked and almost fell asleep.
I peer up from my phone and watch him pour himself a cup of coffee before he tops off mine. “I’m sure I’ll regret the decision to escape for many years.”
“Why did Camilla have to come?”
I bury my face in the emails I’ve ignored for days and scroll through the pages that seem to be endless. “She’s always liked the attention.”
“It’s so embarrassing.”
“Good morning,” Flavia says, almost skipping into the kitchen in her cutoff jean shorts and tank top that seems to have become her go-to attire. “How are my two favorite brothers this morning?”
“Good,” I mutter, switching my phone screen off because there’s nothing that can’t wait as long as I’m surrounded by my family.
“What has you so happy today?” Enzo stares at her over the rim of his coffee mug, eyeing her suspiciously.
“I’m off to Amsterdam.”
I growl. I know the pleasures and excesses the most notorious city in the Netherlands has to offer very intimately. It’s like the Vegas of Europe, often a haven for tourists and criminals because of their lax laws when it comes to drugs and prostitution.
“Don’t you think you should go somewhere that offers more…” Enzo rubs his forehead, probably experiencing the same dull ache inside his head as me that can only be caused by a sister.
“Culture,” I finish his sentence for him.
Flavia places her hands on the table and gawks at us. “I know for a fact each of you has been there. Why can’t I go?”
“We’re men.” Enzo puffs out his chest and puts on the full display. “We can protect ourselves.”
Oh God. I cringe and close one eye, bracing myself for whatever may go flying through the air toward Enzo’s head. He did not just go there with Flavia. The girl, really a twenty-three-year-old woman, could probably kick both of our asses with one hand tied behind her back. My mother insisted she take a self-defense class before she turned eighteen.
Enzo and I knew how to throw a punch and even had fancy moves to duck out of the way of a fast flying fist, but neither of us had formal training like Flavia. Enzo never bought into the belief that she could really take down a grown man who was both taller and weighed more than her. But I’d seen it with my own eyes and wasn’t about to test the waters.
Instead of throwing a fit and kicking Enzo’s ass, Flavia rolls her eyes and gags. “It’s amazing you found a woman who would marry you.”
Enzo straightens and runs his fingers underneath his chin in her direction. “Don’t get me wrong. I know Marquita can kick my ass, but we’re talking about you. You’re a bag of bones, little girl. You’re going to get yourself into trouble in Amsterdam.”
“I’m meeting a group of friends there this afternoon. I’ll be safe, don’t worry.”
I don’t ask about her friends. Knowing Flavia, she’d lie about them anyway. I just pray there’s someone bigger than her who has her back because I have a feeling she’s going to find herself partying harder than she expects.
“Just be safe, Flav. Amsterdam can be a dangerous place.”
“Yes, Antonio.” I get the same eye roll as Enzo received, minus the noise, but I said what I needed to, and the rest is up to her.
I finish the last sip of coffee, wishing I could make this trip with Lauren last longer. “I’ll be back in a few weeks. I hope I get to see Marquita next time,” I tell Enzo because she had to stay home with their youngest who was battling a chest cold.
“And you.” I turn my attention toward Flavia. “Be a good girl because the last thing I need is jail time.”
“We’ll leave that up to Stefano.” She winks at me before giggling.
I kiss them both goodbye and head toward the bedroom to get Lauren so we can say goodbye to my mother. When I arrive, she’s sitting on the bed with my mother next to her, speaking in a hushed tone. They�
��re smiling at each other and laugh a few times as they speak. Lauren looks so relaxed and happy that it’s hard to interrupt their moment to whisk her back to the insanity that is our lives.
I knock softly, waiting for their attention before I interrupt. “We have to leave soon.”
My mother stands and touches Lauren on the shoulder before leaning forward and kissing her cheeks. “I look forward to seeing you again, my dear girl.”
“You, too, Mrs. Forte.” Lauren smiles up at her, eyes sparkling in the morning sunlight.
“Mamma, please.”
I freeze, shocked at my mother’s words because although she’s friendly, she didn’t welcome Marquita or Marcus to use that word so quickly.
“Mamma,” Lauren says, and it rolls off her tongue as she embraces my mother in a quick hug, struggling to let her go.
I understand it. It’s always hard for me to say goodbye, but my mother never believed in using guilt to keep us close. She knows I can be here anytime she needs me, no matter where I am in the world. I’d drop everything for her.
My mother glides across the room on her slippers, still in her light pink nightgown that has been her favorite for years. “Be good to this one,” she says as she grabs my face. “Don’t mess it up.” She gives me a stern look, one reminiscent of my childhood.
“Ti amo, Mamma.” I kiss her cheeks and wrap my arms around her, taking in the sweet scent of cake and cookies that seems to follow her around. “We’ll be back soon.”
She stares me right in the eyes before giving me a quick nod and leaving us in peace. When my gaze lands on Lauren, she’s wiping tears from her eyes, and I hope I haven’t made a terrible mistake.
LAUREN
The tears start to flow before she walks out of the room. Antonio’s embracing her, whispering that he loves her, and my heart aches for my own parents. For the first time in decades, I felt like part of a family, and it made me long for something I’d missed no matter how hard I tried to block the sorrow from my mind.
When his mother asked me to call her mamma, I almost lost it. Somehow, I was able to keep my composure until she walked out the door.
Antonio rushes to my side, wrapping his arms around me. “Don’t cry, mi amore.”
I bury my face in his chest, ruining the perfect white dress shirt along with my mascara. “If you break my heart, I’ll kick your ass, Antonio.” My fingers curl into the material near his shoulders as I take a deep breath and try to regain my composure.
He’s laughing at my comment, but I’m dead serious. I’ve fallen in love with his family quicker than I fell in love with him. Losing him would be horrendous, but losing them would be… I can’t even think about it.
I’ve already let myself revel in the fantasy of Christmas and New Year’s surrounded by the Fortes, with their loud voices and flailing arms. Those holidays have always been the hardest for me since my father passed, but this year, I want it to be different. Call me foolish to think so far ahead, but I want the family. I want the Fortes.
He kisses the top of my head, gently peppering my hair with kisses as his hand glides up and down my back in a slow, steady rhythm. “You must love me a lot.”
I glare up at him with my makeup streaming down my splotchy face. “I do, but I love your family too. If you leave me, it’ll be a blow that could make Camilla seem normal.”
Naturally, I’m kidding, poking fun at the crazy ex-girlfriend. I have no room to talk. At least she never abducted him with dreams of a couple’s suicide after tying the knot. That would be me.
He smiles, holding my cheeks in his hands. “You’ve made me a happy man.”
My nose scrunches because it wasn’t the comment I was expecting at the mention of Camilla. “Because you’ve made me emotional and crazy?”
“You love my mother and my family, and there’s nothing more I could ask for. They love you just as much.”
I sit up with his hands still on my face as he gazes into my eyes. “Well, your mother does and Catarina, but the others… I’m not so sure.”
“I’ve known them my entire life. When they don’t like someone, they make it known.”
“I’m sure,” I mumble against his fingers, feeling like my face resembles a guppy fish the way he’s holding my cheeks.
He finally releases his hold on my mascara-stained cheeks. “Now, stop worrying. Let’s get back to Chicago and get the merger finalized so we’re not tied to the city for too long.”
I kiss him softly before disappearing into the bathroom to fix my makeup. But as I stare in the mirror and look myself in the eye, I remember something I muttered not that long ago. I said Chicago would always be my home. With Antonio at my side, I don’t know if that’s even a possibility. His love for my hometown is almost nonexistent, especially the cold, dark winters.
It’s a complication I haven’t put much thought into since I started traveling the world and falling in love with him. He’s made it easy to forget the grittiness of the town I’ve loved my entire life. But could I make the commitment to him that would forever take me away from the place that held so many memories?
For now, the answer is yes.
Chapter Sixteen
LAUREN
Due diligence, integration planning, executive… All terms that have been thrown around for weeks since Antonio and I returned from Italy. At some point, my eyes started to glaze over after the mention of the words for the dozenth time in an afternoon.
I type a new company email while listening to Josh and three other top executives at Interstellar rattle on about the SEC approval status and how we can’t move forward until they’ve given their go-ahead. In my message, I reassure the employees the merger is moving forward as planned and soon they’ll be working for the largest aerospace company in the world, helping us propel humankind further into space than we’ve dared to travel before.
My email starts to sound like something straight out of Star Trek with its futuristic and tech talk that could rival any Trekkie’s vocabulary at the yearly Comic-Con. If nothing else, it’s keeping me busy as they hash out the details for a meeting tomorrow with the team from Cozza.
I resist closing the email with a line from Toy Story, a movie I’ve now memorized thanks to Amalia, Antonio’s niece, playing it repeatedly during our last trip to Lake Como. Amalia insisted I sit with her, watching the silly cartoon as she acted out the scenes in front of the large-screen television with me as a captive audience. I hate to admit it, but I loved every minute of the movie and Amalia’s reenactment.
“Excuse me, gentlemen,” Antonio says before knocking at the door I’d left open, praying someone would interrupt us. “I’m going to steal your boss away from you for a bit.”
I cover the computer and mouth, “Thank you.”
“No, problem, sir.” Josh rises from his chair, flipping his black leather notebook closed. “We were finished anyway.”
They file out of the office and dip their head to Antonio. Somehow, they seem more afraid of him than me even though I’m their boss and will continue to be once we merge.
“Ready for dinner?” Antonio asks, striding into my office in the most beautiful gray suit with white pinstripes.
I lick my lips, wanting a taste of him more than any meal. I turn off the computer after I hit send on the email I typed to waste some time and keep up company morale. “Where are we going tonight?”
He grins as he sits down on the edge of my desk and gazes at my shirt. “It’s a surprise.”
I glance down, realizing I hadn’t closed all the buttons on my blouse after our “lunch meeting” earlier today. My cheeks heat at the thought that half the men I was in contact with today probably now know the color of my bra.
“Shit.” I fumble with the button, trying to get it closed when Antonio covers my hand with his.
“Don’t,” he says, leaning forward and taking another peek. “There’s no need to button up now. Not where we’re going.”
I rise to my feet and stand between h
is legs. “Why, Mr. Forte, are you taking me out for a night of fun?” I blink flirtatiously with a salacious grin.
“Can you handle the excitement?” He brushes the hair that has fallen free from my bun away from my eyes. “You look tired.”
“Smooth. That’s a way of saying I look horrible.”
He shakes his head and grazes my cheek with the pad of his thumb. “No, but I think we need to get away for the weekend and unplug.”
That’s always his answer to everything. He escapes the city at every turn, whisking me away to the furthest reaches of the planet in a quest to show me all the places I’d deprived myself of visiting because of work.
I close my eyes and move into his touch, narrowly avoiding a yawn. “I’d like to stay closer to home this weekend.”
“How about the island? It’s a quick flight.”
The pull of the waves, sand, and sun, plus knowing that Antonio will be wearing very little clothing, make the decision impossibly easy. “That sounds perfect.”
“We’ll leave after dinner and make it to the island before midnight.”
“But it’s Thursday.”
He sighs and shakes his head. “One day, I’ll get you to take a day off without planning it weeks in advance.”
“When the companies are merged and there’s no chance of a problem rocking the boat, I’ll run away with you anytime.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it.”
He knows I can’t take a day off. Every time we go away, I promise we’ll have more days like that without such a long time in between, but I always back out when he begs me to run away. Soon, the merger will be complete, and I can breathe a little easier knowing that everything is in place for the new company to run like a well-oiled machine.
That day will come. But for now, we have the island.
ANTONIO
I’d surprised Lauren and had Tara waiting at her favorite Mexican restaurant just down the street from her penthouse. Lauren says that my family is loud, but Tara gives them a run for their money.
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