He’d taken care in decorating the rooms, too, and she knew without having to ask that he had chosen most of the furniture and other items himself, instead of hiring a professional to do it for him. There were framed photographs of his family on nearly every surface, and Cara felt instantly at home in these elegant but comfortable environs.
Dante had been true to his word, too, about working from home, making use of the office he’d set up at the condo to call clients, send emails, and even participate in meetings via Skype. He’d tucked her into his enormous king-sized bed, where she could watch TV or read the dozens of e-books he had already loaded onto the brand new tablet computer he’d surprised her with - a “welcome home” gift, he had called it.
And somehow, in between spending the better part of the day at the hospital on Monday, and picking her up the next morning, Dante had found time to do quite a bit of shopping – buying all sorts of pre-prepared foods and snacks, an assortment of toiletries that she might need, and several sets of loungewear and lingerie. And when Mirai had popped in after school to visit with her for awhile, Dante had headed over to Cara’s apartment to pick up her laptop and some other clothes and things she needed.
Mirai, of course, had been completely bowled over by the size and elegance of his condo, insisting to Cara that the place had to be worth well over five million, given its prime location. During Dante’s absence, Mirai had poked around a little, oohing and ahhing over the high quality of nearly everything in the place - from the latest model flat screen TV, to the contents of his wine refrigerator, to the plush towels in each of the three bathrooms.
“He’s loaded,” she’d told Cara rather matter-of-factly. “I mean, really loaded. Probably way more than even my father. You landed yourself a big fish, girl.”
Cara had fidgeted a little on the sectional sofa where she’d insisted on moving after lunch. “I don’t care about how much money he has, Mir,” she’d replied quietly. “If he was as poor as I was, and we had to live in my little apartment and take the bus everywhere, I’d still be as much in love with him.”
Mirai had grinned. “Well, duh. That’s because he’s also a hottie. Like a scorching hot, triple digit hottie. And not only is he gorgeous and hunky, but he’s nice, too. Sure seems like he’s going way out of his way to make everything up to you.”
“Hmm.” Cara had regarded her BFF dubiously. “What happened to the part about telling him to go fuck himself? As I recall, you advised me to do just that about three times a day after he broke up with me.”
“All is forgiven now,” Mirai had said cheerfully. “I mean, you just cannot stay mad at a guy who buys you an entire black and white cake from Whole Foods, now can you? How did he know this was my favorite?”
“He didn’t,” Cara had retorted, watching as Mirai shoved a whole forkful of cake into her mouth. “I’m pretty sure he bought it for me. Luckily it’s a big cake, and there’s no way I can eat the whole thing.”
“Hey, I was starving,” Mirai had protested. “I rushed over here the minute my classes were over with so I could check up on you, and didn’t stop for lunch first.”
“I’m joking, Mir,” she’d assured. “Besides, these pain meds I’m taking tend to make me a little queasy, so I’m not eating much right now. And you’ve done so much for me that even if I gave you a dozen black and white cakes it wouldn’t even begin to repay you. So eat up.”
“Really?” Mirai had brightened. “Were those fresh crab cakes I saw in the fridge? And a container of those Thai noodles I love?”
Cara had laughed, still wondering how her thin as a rail friend could possibly pack away so much food without also packing on the pounds. “Help yourself. Though one usually has the entree before the dessert.”
Mirai had forked off another bite of cake. “No worries. I’m pretty sure I also saw a peach cobbler in there somewhere.”
Over the last day or so, Cara had begun to wean herself off the strong prescription pain meds, not liking the way they made her so sleepy as well as nauseous, and was now using an over the counter product instead. The resulting dizziness from the concussion had more or less gone away, and while the pain in her ribs continued to throb pretty much consistently, it was a duller, more manageable ache now. She was taking fewer naps, and forcing herself to move around the condo at regular intervals, trying to get her strength back. It would probably be a few weeks yet before she could resume her normal exercise routine, but she was determined to remain as mobile as possible until then.
And while Dante watched her like a hawk to make sure she didn’t overdo, he hadn’t stopped her from exploring around the condo at her leisure. She had looked through every cupboard and drawer in his huge, well-equipped kitchen, and was already planning out what she would cook for him once she had recuperated a bit more. The kitchen was every aspiring chef’s dream, and she wondered if he had bought all of the gadgets and tools himself.
He shook his head at the question. “Not everything, no. I made the mistake of taking my grandmother with me to the kitchen supply store when I first moved into this place, and she filled the basket with stuff I didn’t even know existed. I doubt I’ve used even a third of the things we bought. So feel free to experiment to your heart’s content, honey. Maybe you’ll know what to do with a mandoline or a pair of herb scissors. And I swear I have no idea why anyone would ever need an apple slicer. What’s wrong with just using a knife?”
She giggled at the look of disgust on his face. “I promise I’ll actually get use out of all those things. That is, if you’ll ever allow me to lift anything heavier than a soup spoon. And since I’m not taking those prescription painkillers any longer, don’t you think I could have a glass of wine?”
“Hmm. I guess so. Just half, though. Those meds could still be in your system, and you know how sick they made you the first few days.”
He snagged a wine glass for her, the ones Mirai had blithely declared cost at least a hundred bucks apiece, and poured a careful measure of pinot noir inside. Cara took a deep, appreciative sniff of the wine before sipping it slowly.
“Mmm. That’s delicious. But you’re right, I’d better stick to half a glass. After all, not only are you feeding me all of this incredible food, but I haven’t been able to exercise for almost a week. All that weight I worked so hard to lose is going to creep back on awfully fast at this rate,” she lamented.
“Good,” retorted Dante. “You’re too thin right now. And maybe you were right about dropping a few pounds, but you went way overboard, Cara. We need to fatten you up a little.”
“No.” She shook her head stubbornly. “You have no idea how hard I worked to take those pounds off, Dante. And while I don’t intend to lose any more, I’d also like to maintain my current weight. I’m nowhere near being skinny, you know. And my ass is still too big.”
He waggled a finger at her. “Your ass is perfect,” he corrected. “Just like the rest of you. So while I won’t bug you to put weight on, I’d also be ticked off if you lost anymore. After all, the last thing you’ll want to happen when you meet my grandmother next weekend is for her to call you la ragazza magra.”
Cara’s brow knitted together in confusion. “Sorry, my high school Italian is a little rusty. Which I’d better brush up on fast if I’m going to meet your grandmother, by the way. What does that mean - la ragazza magra?”
Dante grinned. “The skinny girl. And in my family, that isn’t considered a compliment. So you’d better eat up, honey.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so terrified in my life, Dante. Even getting mugged two weeks ago wasn’t as scary as this.”
Dante reached across the gearshift to give Cara’s thigh a reassuring squeeze. “Relax, would you? My grandmother might come off as a little intimidating, but she’s not scary. Well, unless she’s angry, of course, and then you’d better find a good hiding place until she calms down. But there’s no reason in the world you have to feel nervous about meeting her, honey. No
nna is going to love you, just like my mom and my sister did when they met you last night.”
He’d intentionally driven them up to Healdsburg last night – a Friday - after work, even though the traffic had been hellacious and the weather unsettled. There was no way he wanted Cara to have to meet all of his family at once, and thought it would be easier on her to at least spend some time with his mother, sister, and brother-in-law first. Jeannie had offered to fix a simple dinner, and invited Talia, Tony, and baby Ariella to join them.
Jeannie had taken one look at Cara before breaking into a wide grin, and wasting no time in giving her an exuberant welcome hug. The two women had taken to each other right away, and Cara had scored immediate points by asking how she could help with the dinner. She’d also found the time somehow between work and classes to bake a French apple pie to bring along for dessert.
Cara hadn’t hesitated for even a minute to jump right into the conversation at the dinner table, and before the salad plates had been cleared away, Dante knew she’d already won his mother and sister over. By the time coffee and dessert had been served, it felt like Cara had been one of the family for years already, instead of just a few hours.
And she’d been nearly delirious with happiness as they’d made their way to the bedroom Dante always used when he visited, her pretty face wreathed in smiles.
“Your mom is so sweet,” Cara had gushed as they got ready for bed. “And hilarious, too. You should have seen the look on your face when I was holding Ariella, and your mom asked if we’d picked out baby names yet. I thought you were going to bust a vein or something!”
Dante had shook his head in disgust. “Yeah, my mother can be a real comedienne at times. But that crack about the baby names is something of a private joke.”
“I figured that. But she was so nice to me, Dante. Your sister and brother-in-law, too. I guess if the rest of your family is the same way, it won’t be so bad tomorrow, right?”
Tomorrow – Saturday - was his Aunt Dolores’ sixty-fifth birthday, and a big party was being held at the family restaurant to celebrate. He’d hesitated initially at throwing Cara to the wolves - figuratively, of course - given that there would be at least a hundred people in attendance between family and friends. But she’d quickly dismissed his doubts, assuring him that she wouldn’t mind in the least.
“The more the merrier!” she’d declared cheerily. “Well, except for your grandmother, maybe. I have this awful feeling that she’s going to hate me, Dante.”
“She is not going to hate you,” he had insisted. “Stop thinking that, okay? Now, I’m not guaranteeing that she’s going to take to you immediately like my mom did - Nonna isn’t exactly known for being warm and fuzzy - but everything will be fine. Trust me, okay?”
“Okay.”
She’d snuggled up against him then, and the feel of her soft, curvy little body had aroused him instantly. Despite Cara’s assurances that she was feeling much better, and that she barely noticed the pain in her ribs any longer, Dante had been wary of any attempts as yet to make love to her. But his ability to resist her had been wearing perilously thin, and when her small hand slid down over his stomach to begin stroking his cock persuasively, he was a total goner.
Cara had gasped as he divested himself of his gray cotton briefs, then just as swiftly yanked her little sleepshirt off over her head. His hands had taken quick possession of her full breasts, groaning aloud at the feel of their heavy weight in his palms. He hadn’t been able to resist running his tongue over each erect nipple, then sucking one areola into his mouth before moving on to the other.
Her hands had tangled in his hair, pulling him closer against her as their legs quickly became intertwined. He’d been so hard that his balls ached, his cock practically begging for release, and he hadn’t especially cared at that point how or where the orgasm he needed so badly would be achieved. The choices were Cara’s hand, mouth, tits, or pussy, and he’d impulsively decided on the latter.
“You’ll need to be on top,” he’d rasped, rolling onto his back and then pulling her astride him. “I know you keep insisting that your ribs feel better, but I’m still afraid of hurting you if I’m on top.”
Cara had bent low over his prone body, her breasts crushed against his chest as she’d kissed him. “You could never, ever hurt me,” she’d murmured. “But we’ll do it your way. Otherwise, I’m afraid you’d feel like you had to hold back.”
He’d gritted his teeth, his hands clutching the bedsheets as she had slowly guided the tip of his throbbing penis inside of her, then even more slowly lowered herself until he was buried to the balls.
His hands had gripped her hips fiercely, holding her in place as she would have otherwise began to ride him. “Stay still for a minute or two, okay?” he’d choked out. “You feel so fucking tight and hot around my dick that I’m afraid I’ll come within about thirty seconds if you move just yet. Just - let me get control of myself.”
She’d complied with his hoarsely uttered request, remaining perfectly still while he took several deep breaths, willing his heart to stop racing. He gazed up at her, studying her nude body for the first time since he’d brought her to live with him last week. Oh, he’d seen her naked, or partially so, during the times he had helped her to dress and undress, or assisted her out of the shower. But he’d grimaced each time he had spied the ugly bruises along her ribcage, as well as the other various scrapes and bruises she sported, and he’d quickly looked away, too overcome with anger at what she’d suffered to see any more.
But now, when she had mostly healed, and the bruising was nearly gone, he looked his fill. She was slimmer, of course, since the last time he’d seen her nude body - her breasts a bit less full, her torso leaner, her belly far flatter. But she was every bit as soft and tempting and womanly as ever, and he couldn’t resist running his hands along her firm thighs, or sliding them back to squeeze her taut buttocks. She’d whimpered impatiently beneath his touch, wanting, needing him as much as he craved her.
His hands at her hips guided her then, coaxing her to ride him with the rhythm he showed her, slowly at first and then becoming faster and faster until he was fucking her frantically, thrusting his cock as deep inside of that sweet, snug pussy as hard as he could. As tight as she felt in this position, she took all of him, took every deep thrust, every powerful rock of his hips, every rasp of his thumb over her clit. She braced her hands on his thighs when she came, the inner walls of her vagina squeezing his cock like a fist with the orgasmic contractions. And seeing the pleasure wash over her face, watching as her eyes closed in reaction and her breathing become uneven, was all he needed to climax, spilling himself inside of her almost violently.
Cara had collapsed weakly onto his chest after that, her lips pressed against his shoulder as he’d soothingly rubbed little circles over her back.
“I didn’t use a condom,” he had mumbled. “First time in my life I forgot. Shit.”
“It’s okay,” she’d assured him sleepily. “My period just ended three days ago, so we should be safe. Unless, of course, you really do want to pick out baby names.”
He’d given her a playful smack on the buttocks. “Smartass,” he’d chided. “And the answer to that question is no. At least, it’s no for right now. I do want kids one of these days, though. You?”
Cara had nodded. “Of course. But again, not right now. So I should probably get myself back on some sort of birth control real soon. I used to take the pill, but it made me gain weight and bloat up so I stopped a couple of years ago.”
“We’ll figure something out,” he’d agreed. “And it would be nice not to have to use condoms for once in my life. It felt pretty fucking amazing to ride you bareback just now.”
She had bit down gently on one of his nipples. “And here I thought I was the one riding you.”
Dante had chuckled. “Figure of speech, Cara mia. But it did feel fantastic, so if you’re willing to take care of the birth control
from now on, I’ll happily toss my supply of Trojans in the trash.”
“It’s a deal.”
She had yawned sleepily then, and even though he could have happily slid back inside her tight little body and lingered there awhile, he’d acknowledged that she was still in recovery mode from her injuries. He had tucked a long strand of her hair behind her ear, and kissed her forehead.
“Get some sleep now, honey,” he’d told her.
“Are you sure?” she had asked in concern, her hand pressing against his chest. “You, um, don’t feel like you’ve, ah, had enough.” She’d given his semi-erect cock a little nudge with her knee.
Dante had stifled a groan, but had been determined to do the gentlemanly thing. “I never have enough when it comes to you,” he’d replied softly. “But I can wait until the morning. After all, given what a jerk I was to you about never spending the night, we’ve also never had wake-up sex.”
“Are you positive that’s safe?” she’d fretted. “And I’m not referring to the birth control thing. I just want to make sure that - well, that your mom won’t be able to hear us, uh, waking up that way.”
He’d laughed in response. “No, she won’t hear us. For one thing, her room is on the opposite end of this floor. And second, when I convinced her to let me have this house remodeled a few years ago, one of the first things I did was to have all the insulation replaced. This room is practically soundproof now.”
“Okay.” Cara had given another huge yawn, satisfied with his answer. “Good night, then. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Cara mia. Rest up, okay? We have a busy day tomorrow.”
She’d nodded, closing her eyes, and was silent for long seconds. But just when he figured she had fallen asleep, she murmured, “Just so we’re clear. If you ever break up with me again, I’m claiming custody of your family.”
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