Stronger

by Janet Nissenson

  Cara hesitated before replying, not wanting to admit that she simply couldn’t afford yoga classes, or a gym membership, or even a new pair of running shoes. She always hated bringing up the subject of money to Angela, not wanting her boss to think for a minute that she was hinting for a raise or a bonus. As it was, Angela and Nick were both very good to her that way, very generous with quarterly bonuses and such, and Cara didn’t want to sound greedy or ungrateful. So instead of admitting the truth, she simply replied, “Maybe after summer school is done. Right now the course load and homework is more than I can handle. But thanks for the offer.”

  Angela looked at her a bit oddly, as though she suspected her excuse was as flimsy as it had sounded, but tactfully changed the subject. “Any big plans for the weekend? I hope you don’t have to study the whole time.”

  Cara shook her head. “Oh, no. At least not the whole time. I’ve got a date tonight. And tomorrow night as well. Um, same guy, of course. “

  Angela grinned. “Is this the same guy you’ve been seeing these past couple of months?”

  It had actually been more than three months since her first date with Dante, but Cara tactfully didn’t correct her boss. Nor did she blurt out that the guy she’d been seeing was Nick’s closest friend as well as one of his best clients. She and Dante had agreed from the beginning of whatever sort of relationship this could be defined as that they would keep it a closely guarded secret from both sets of co-workers. Cara felt more than a little guilty at telling Angela half-truths on a regular basis, but she also didn’t want to put either her job or her relationship with Dante in potential jeopardy.

  “Yep, same one. Still keeping it low-key,” replied Cara breezily. “Just hanging out when we can make the time. God knows the last thing I have time for right now is a long-term relationship!”

  In truth, if Dante had ever once given her cause to believe that he wanted to take their relationship to a more serious level, she wouldn’t have cared how much time she would have had to devote to it. She would happily forego sleep, eating meals, whatever it took to spend time with him. She would even, if need be, postpone finishing her degree or taking fewer classes at a time.

  But he seemed perfectly content to keep things just the way they were now, and she was so crazy in love with him there was no way she was going to rock the boat and possibly screw things up. So she continued to be grateful for whatever time they spent together, and to never, ever ask for more.

  “Hmm.” Angela looked dubious. “What did you say this guy’s name was again?”

  Cara gulped. “Danny. His name is Danny.”

  That at least wasn’t precisely a lie. Dante had told her once that most of his friends called him either Dan or Danny, rather than use his full name.

  “Except for my grandmother, of course,” he’d chuckled. “She insists on calling all of her family members by their full name. I think she’s the only one who can get away with calling my brother Raffaello. Rafe would go nuts if anyone else tried.”

  And since Cara had frequently heard Nick refer to his friend as Dan, she didn’t want Angela questioning such a coincidence and had chosen to use Danny when discussing him.

  “And he’s a good guy?” queried Angela. “Treats you right, doesn’t try to take advantage of you or anything?”

  “He’s a wonderful guy,” assured Cara. “A real gentleman. The sort of guy you’d never worry about bringing home to meet your parents. That is, if one actually had parents and a home to bring him to.”

  She’d said the words lightly, almost like a joke, but the underlying hurt she felt uttering them must have been obvious. Angela reached across the desk to give her shoulder a comforting little squeeze.

  “I’m sorry,” Angela told her gently. “I mean, God knows I haven’t had the best relationship with my parents over the years, especially my mother, but I was never alone like you are now.”

  Cara was quick to steer the subject in a slightly different direction. “I thought you told me that things had gotten a lot better with your family ever since you brought Nick home to meet them.”

  Angela scowled. “Yeah, he’s definitely the man of the hour, that’s for sure. In fact, sometimes I suspect the only reason my mother invites us down to their place in Carmel so often is so she can show Nick off to the rest of the family. My sisters certainly never dated a former NFL star.”

  “Angel, your sisters are lucky they got any dates at all,” drawled Nick as he strode out of his office, leather laptop case in hand. “One thing’s for sure - you definitely got the good looks in your family.”

  Cara stifled a chuckle, knowing it wasn’t nice to laugh at Nick’s scathing critique of Angela’s two older sisters. Angela glared at him as he flung an arm around her shoulders and planted a kiss on her cheek.

  They really did make a stunning couple, thought Cara dreamily. Both far taller than average - Nick an imposing hulk of a man at six foot six, while Angela herself stood just over six feet in her modest heels. Each had jet black hair, Nick’s cut close to his head while Angela had gradually begun to ditch her former sleek ponytails and tight knots for long, loose waves that fell past her shoulders. They each wore an expensive, impeccably cut suit - Nick’s a navy pinstriped today, while Angela’s sleekly tailored pencil skirt and jacket were of pale gray gabardine. They fit together well, mused Cara, as though they had always meant to be together. And even though Angela had told her on more than one occasion that Nick didn’t believe in marriage, to Cara they seemed happier and more devoted to each other than most married couples she’d had the chance to observe - including her own unhappily wed parents.

  “Don’t your sisters look like you?” inquired Cara.

  Nick answered for Angela, and very emphatically, too. “Hell, no. The two of them are short, out of shape, and going gray fast. They’re also way older than Angela, like fifteen years or so, and if you want my opinion they aren’t aging well. Unlike my Angel here. Once she gains ten more pounds she’ll be perfect.”

  His dark eyes were twinkling with amusement, but even though he was obviously teasing it didn’t prevent Angela from punching him on the arm. However, considering how powerfully built Nick was, it was highly unlikely he felt even a twinge of pain.

  “Well, I guess we ought to head out to dinner then so you can try and fatten me up,” replied Angela sardonically. “Cara, you have a good weekend and don’t spend all of your time studying, okay? And enjoy your date.”

  “Date?” inquired Nick curiously. “You have a new boyfriend, Cara?”

  Cara was quick to deny it. Thankfully, it didn’t appear that Angela had told him anything about “Danny”, because as shrewd as Nick was he just might have figured it out for himself that Danny and Dante were one in the same.

  “Not exactly,” she demurred, striving to keep her tone casual. “Just a guy I go out with from time to time. We’re just good friends is all.”

  Nick gave her a wink. “If you say so, kiddo. But if this so-called friend of yours ever does anything to hurt you, or breaks your heart, you just tell me and I won’t hesitate to kick his ass. Nobody messes with one of my team, got it?”

  “Got it.”

  Cara was oddly touched by Nick’s offer - however crudely made - to defend her honor should it become necessary. But she wondered if his offer would still stand if he learned her date was his closest friend.

  “How are the scampi? I didn’t use too much garlic, did I?”

  Dante brought his fingers to his lips, kissing the air. “They’re delicioso, Cara,” he assured her. “And with just the right amount of garlic. I can’t remember when I’ve had better. But,” he added sternly, “you shouldn’t have spent this much money. I know how much jumbo shrimp cost, and that you’re on a tight budget.”

  Cara shrugged. “I’m guessing this bottle of merlot, plus the pastries you brought for dessert, cost a whole lot more than the shrimp.”

  He gave her a reproachful look. “The dif
ference being that I can afford it while you can’t. I should never have mentioned that I’d been craving scampi with linguine. Next time I’ll make sure I mention meatloaf or beef stew, something more budget friendly.”

  She grinned. “Well, meatloaf might be a little tricky considering I don’t have an stove to bake it in, but I can fix beef stew in a Dutch oven. I’ll make it next week.”

  “Oh. That reminds me.” Dante took a sip of his wine before setting the glass down. The glass was one of a set of six that he’d brought over last month, insisting that he had way too many at his condo and that she’d be doing him a favor by taking these off his hands. Cara had seen right through his excuse, knew that the glasses were likely brand new and certainly expensive, but hadn’t argued with him and accepted them graciously instead.

  “Um, about next weekend,” he began hesitantly. “I won’t be able to come over on Saturday. Or see you on Friday, for that matter. I’ll be out of town for a few days.”

  “Oh. Okay. Thanks for - for letting me know,” she replied, trying with all her might to sound cheerful rather than disappointed. “Are you going on vacation or something?”

  He shook his head, and Cara sensed his reticence in responding. “No. It’s a family thing. A wedding, to be exact. My cousin Brandon is getting married on Saturday, but I’m invited to the bachelor party on Thursday night plus another family dinner on Friday. So it will just be easier to stay at my mom’s for a few nights.”

  “Of course,” she agreed readily, determined that he not realize how dismayed she felt at not being invited to join him. “It sounds like a lot of fun. Where’s the wedding being held at?”

  “Laine - she’s the bride - has an uncle who owns a vineyard in Healdsburg, one of the bigger ones in the area. The ceremony and reception are both being held outdoors. Fortunately there’s a lot of shade trees on the property because it’s supposed to be in the nineties this weekend.”

  “Well, I hope everything turns out perfectly for them,” she declared, then quickly changed the subject, asking Dante his opinion about a paper she had to write for one of her finance classes.

  He seemed greatly relieved to be off the topic of the wedding, and she wondered if it had bothered him even a little that he hadn’t seen fit to bring her along as his guest. Spending the weekend attending a family wedding in the Wine Country with Dante sounded like a dream come true to Cara, better even than a week’s vacation in Hawaii or the Caribbean. She would finally have the chance to meet his family and friends, attend a beautiful outdoor wedding as his date, and…

  As they continued to eat their dinner quietly, a sudden, unpleasant thought filled her with dread. Was it a possibility that Dante was bringing someone else along as his date this weekend? She had never asked if they were exclusive, if he was seeing other women on the days they weren’t together. She honestly didn’t believe that, not really, particularly since he was always such a gentleman, always considerate of her feelings. He wasn’t an immature, selfish jerk like her college hook-ups had been, or even Jack, who’d taken another girl to the prom while Cara had kept watch at her mother’s deathbed.

  But that didn’t mean Dante didn’t know other women - ex-girlfriends, business associates, friends of the family - who would be suitable to bring along as his guest to the wedding. Someone who wasn’t as young and gauche as Cara, who had the right sort of clothes and a better body, and who would be a much better fit all around for a man like Dante. It was almost a given that everyone at the wedding would be there with a guest, and it would look odd if he showed up solo.

  She grew so lost in her thoughts for a few moments that the touch of Dante’s hand on her forearm nearly made her jump out of her chair.

  “Oh, sorry!” she mumbled hastily. “Were you saying something just now?”

  He was regarding her quizzically, a look of concern on his handsome face. “Just asking if you wanted more wine. Are you okay? You looked like you were a million miles away just now.”

  She nodded. “Fine, just fine. I was only daydreaming for a few seconds is all.”

  He grinned teasingly. “Sorry if I was boring you. Maybe you shouldn’t have more wine if you’re going to keep drifting off that way.”

  Cara wrinkled her nose at him and held out her glass. “I promise to give you my undivided attention for the rest of the evening. So may I please have some more wine?”

  “Well, since you asked so nicely, I suppose so,” he joked, topping off her glass before pouring the rest of the bottle into his. “And you always give me your undivided attention, honey. It’s one of the things I like most about you - the way you make me feel like I’m the most interesting guy in the world.”

  She gave his hand a squeeze. “That’s because you are,” she replied easily. “At least, you’re the most interesting guy I’ve ever known.”

  Dante grimaced. “Based on what you’ve told me about some of the losers you dated in the past, I’m not exactly sure if that’s a compliment or not,”

  Cara laughed. “It is. Trust me on that. You are nothing like any of the other guys I’ve ever dated. You’re much smarter for one, more mature, and definitely more sophisticated. You drive a hot car - lots of them, actually - and drink wine that comes with a real cork. And of course there’s your most attractive quality of all.”

  He snickered. “Don’t tell me, let me guess. Hmm, it’s got to be my knack for giving you multiple orgasms in a one hour time frame.”

  She felt her cheeks grow hot, and her panties dampen at the vividly erotic images his seductive words conjured up. “Um, well, that, too. That sort of goes without saying. But your most attractive quality is that you help with the dishes.”

  Cara couldn’t help herself from laughing with glee at the expression of first disbelief, then dismay, and finally amusement that crossed his face. Dante surged to his feet, emptying his wine glass as he did so, and then unexpectedly hauled her off the chair and into his arms. Her pulse rate ratcheted up a few notches the moment she glimpsed the almost stormy look in his dark eyes, and she gulped audibly as he pulled her flush against his muscular body.

  “Honey,” he rasped, “if you think my skills with scrubbing pots and pans and drying dishes are my most attractive qualities, then I must be doing something really wrong. Allow me to change your opinion.”

  He captured her lips in a blistering kiss, his tongue ravishing the inside of her mouth until she was breathless, and maybe even a little dizzy. She’d had one more glass of wine tonight than was usual for her, and was starting to feel the effects. She clamped her hands around his biceps, holding on tight as he continued to kiss her senseless. A little sound that was half-whimper, half-moan escaped her throat as his hands slid to her hips, holding her still as he ground his fully engorged cock against her mound. She was already wet because - well, because he was so gorgeous and hot and sexy that he could arouse her just by being in the same room. And when he set out to deliberately seduce her, she was near-helpless in his arms.

  Dante pushed her up against the wall between the bathroom and the closet, in the exact spot he’d kissed her for the first time. Except this time the front of her body was being crushed against the wall, his much larger, more muscular frame trapping her in place as he continued to rub his dick between her ass cheeks. His lips traced a slow, erotic path from her temple to her cheek, then down to her jaw and finally to the side of her neck. At the same time his hands were roaming all over her body - caressing her back, squeezing her ass, skimming up and down the sides of her ribcage. Her boobs were squished up against the wall, at least until Dante slid one hand under her T-shirt, deftly unhooking her bra and taking possession of the swollen globes.

  “These are Grade-A tits, honey,” he breathed against her ear, his palms fondling her breasts roughly. “Tight, perfect little nipples.” He caught the taut peaks between his thumbs and forefingers, pulling them until they were throbbing in part pain, part pleasure. “Remember when you let me tittie fuck you a f
ew weeks ago?”

  She could only offer up a quick nod and a muffled whimper as he continued to squeeze her boobs and stimulate her nipples. She was so aroused by now, so wet, that she could feel the vaginal fluids dampening her inner thighs. And she knew from past experiences that it would only take the slightest touch of her clitoris to get her off. Cara began to roll her hips and grind her ass against the massive swell of his cock, growing desperate for release.

  But Dante appeared in no real rush to finish this, despite how hard and huge he felt. “I remember it, too, Cara mia,” he whispered seductively. “That was one of the best orgasms of my life - coming all over these big, beautiful tits, then watching this sweet little tongue lick my cock clean.”

  He slipped two fingers inside of her mouth, hissing loudly when she sucked them sensuously. “I’m going to do that again tonight, honey,” he growled. “Slide my cock up between these beauties until I come. Would you like that?”

  She cried out as his hand slid down her softly rounded belly until he was cupping her vulva through her jeans. She was so needy for him, so desperate to come, that she would have agreed to just about anything he asked of her right now.

  “Yes,” she panted, trying desperately to ride his hand to orgasm. “Yes, I like anything you do to me. Everything you do to me.”

  “That’s because you’re so fucking hot, Cara mia,” he purred. “So responsive. I’ll bet if I just keep rubbing you like this that you’ll come. Isn’t that right?”

  She pressed her palms flat against the wall, holding herself upright as her legs began to shake. “Yes. God, yes! Please, please let me come. I need to come so bad.”

  “Shh.” He stroked her hip soothingly. “I’m going to take care of you, honey. I promise. Let’s see how ready you are, hmmm?”