by Jan Moran
“Are you still not sure about me?”
His openness frightened her. With his father’s intentions exposed, Vincenzo behaved different. Under other circumstances, she would have admired it, but his behavior only made her more uncomfortable and self-conscious. Although he’d declared his love for her, could he be pretending to be in love with her to get his hands on her vineyard? At this point, trust came hard. Such doubts turned out to be destructive not only for her heart but for her mind. She couldn’t determine if what she felt was the real thing or not. She hated not having had more boyfriends. He had been the first and only. I’m so stupid!
He moved to sit next to her. “You really need to learn to relax. I swear I won’t bite you.” He ran a finger down her cheek. “But I might nibble.”
With an accelerated pulse, she opted to drink and ignore his comment, but it became difficult being sandwiched between his rock-hard body and the sofa’s armrest. He took the mug from her and set it on the coffee table next to his then sat back and pulled her into his embrace. The minty warmth of his breath mixed with cappuccino sent shivers through her body and she pushed against him.
Soft lips trailed her neck, bringing on a tingling sensation between her legs. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Heat rose to her cheeks; a moan escaped her lips. He confessed his wrongdoings, now lived in an apartment, struggling to raise his daughter alone. Could it all be a façade? Had he guessed right, Nonno wanted a merger of the two families through marriage? If Vincenzo is playing me, I can’t let my feelings get stronger.
His hand moved under her crop top, warm and soothing, raising goose bumps on her arms. “I’ve never felt this way about any woman,” he whispered in her ear after nibbling her lobe.
She tightened her fingers around a fistful of his shirt, battling between the high of adrenaline rushing through her and the images of his naked body swimming in her mind. A flame lit deep in her core, and she let out another moan when he massaged the base of her head with his fingers.
Supple lips pressed against hers. His tongue crossed into her mouth, probing. Damn! What am I doing? Yet, her arms slid around his neck, pulling him closer. Holding her to his chest, he moved featherlight fingers across her back, slipping around to her stomach and sliding up, he pushed the bra aside, cupping one of her breasts. She arched her spine when the palm of his hand, in circular motion, lightly rubbed her nipple. The pleasure sensation settled deep in her core and she shivered in his arms.
I’m going to make another mistake…. Stiffening, she pulled away. “I can’t do this.”
“What’s wrong?”
“We’re moving too fast….” She couldn’t tell him the truth about the doubts swimming in her head.
His brows came together. “Something is wrong, but it’s not the moving too fast. What’s bothering you?” Moving closer he played with her soft curls. “Are you going to spill the beans?” His fingers dug into her hair, massaging her scalp, soothing. She tried to pull away, but he wrapped his arm around her then moved his hand up and down her spine. “Are you going to talk to me?” He eased her on her back and squeezed himself between her and the sofa.
His closeness and the way he ran light, feathery fingers around the edges of her face clouded her mind. The power to think evaporated. Her heart beat faster, drumming in her ears. Kiss him back. Jump off and leave. The tug-of-war between feelings and mind, words beat faster and faster inside her brain until it all exploded in a loud moan, emotions winning over mind. He smiled, tracing the contours of her soft lips.
He cocked his head. “If you don’t confess, I’ll up the torture.” With his face so close to hers, she inhaled his minty-cappuccino breath.
She pushed him away. “I can’t think. Stop it!”
Vincenzo rested his hand on her hip. “Well?”
“Why do you keep a used pregnancy stick in your drawer?”
Laughter boomed. “You went snooping in my room, through my drawers? You nosy little….” He tickled her.
Out of breath, she screamed, “Stop!” After filling her lungs with air, she asked, “Are you going to answer my question?”
“It’s the test that told us about Olivia.”
“Why do you keep it?”
“I’m not sure. I mean, Olivia is the one person who brought meaningful stability into my life and helped me to straighten out and become responsible….” The sadness in his eyes pierced her heart with a stabbing pain she never considered possible. “I still can’t fathom how a mother could want to kill her own child.”
She snuggled in his arms sorry to have made him sad. “How did you convince her to have the baby?”
“Oh, it wasn’t hard. Money.”
“Did she love you?”
“Who knows? We always had a love-hate relationship. A day didn’t go by that we’d fight about something…and when she found herself pregnant, she went ballistic, unable to deal with the fact she was pregnant and would be a mother.”
“Crazy!”
“She blamed me of not using condoms.”
“Wait! What? She took no responsibility? Was she on birth control?”
“Yeah, but didn’t take it consistently.”
“She skipped days?”
“Yes.” He sighed. “I asked Mom and she told me it had to be taken at the same time every day to be effective.”
“She started to have such a bad reputation on campus. Did you spread rumors about her?”
“It happened the other way around. She tried to tell people I didn’t use protection. When my ex-girlfriend, Sam, very popular on campus, heard all this, she spoke up saying she had never had a more careful boyfriend. Students began to shun her, which made things uglier between us.” He sighed. “When I spoke to my parents about wanting my baby and doing what’s right, they supported me and helped make sure the baby stayed alive and well until birth when I took full custody.”
“You’re still friends with your other girlfriend?” She didn’t understand such a concept.
“Just because two people turn out not to be compatible in a relationship doesn’t mean they can’t remain friends.” He scooted up, crossing his legs and facing her. “Sam and I found out we make better friends than lovers. She is one of my better friends, one I can always rely on.”
She shook her head, not believing in platonic relationships. Eventually, if a man and woman got close enough, they’d end up in bed. But she really had no idea since she never let boys close to her. All she had were theories.
Vincenzo gave her a crooked grin. “Not all good friendships between men and women end up in bed.” He pulled her back in his arms.
She closed her eyes, knowing deep in her heart he was wrong. This side of him confused her. Can I deal with his friendship to his ex? Life could be so confusing, yet a certain peace spread through her while in his embrace.
Chapter 23
Vincenzo
She appeared so vulnerable. He wanted to draw her into his arms and protect her forever, but she had pushed him away a second time. She took a deep breath. Damn his cock always working overtime. If he didn’t want to lose her, he needed to slow down and figure out how to assure her of his love. Her reactions to his touch had been positive, but something still held her back. What is she scared of? Idiot, you did vanish from her life once. It could all boil down to trust issues.
Sensing the tension building inside Alicia, he stood and extended his hand to her. “Come on, I think you and Mina should be my dinner guests, and if I’m to cook chicken cacciatore, I’ll need an assistant chef.”
Never taking her gaze from his hand, she placed hers in it. “Are you sure we’re not imposing? I mean…. I brought Mina because she wanted to see Olivia.”
“No, I would love to have you for dinner.” He laughed. “I’m sure Olivia will be thrilled.”
She shoved him. “I don’t think I’m tender enough.”
“Oh, I don’t know, you’re definitely tender to my touch, soft, too.” He winked at her, and blush colored
her cheeks. “All jokes aside, I do need some help in the kitchen, someone to help keep the mess to a minimum.” Feeling the time was right, he added, “You realize my mom left my father and is threatening him with divorce if he doesn’t drop the nonsense of taking over the vineyard?”
The wide-eyed innocent expression she gave him made him realize how truly precious this woman was. “Your mother did what?”
“She’s staying here with me. Today though, she had plans with a few of her girlfriends but told me to tell you nothing will come of my father’s belligerent take-over idea.”
“Your mother sounds like someone I’d really like.”
He nodded. “I know the two of you would get along well. Somehow you seem to be alike in many ways.”
“Well, then, I can’t wait to meet her.”
Positive words. “I’ll make sure the two of you have a chance to meet soon.” Have I won points somewhere?
The front door burst open, and Olivia ran inside screaming, “Fun, Daddy, fun.”
Vincenzo turned and raised her in the air. “Olivia had fun?”
“Yeeeeeth,” she screamed.
He squeezed her to his heart. “I love you, Oli.” He set her on the floor. “Go play with your toys, Daddy and Alicia will be making dinner.”
Mina cocked her head. “We’re eating here?” Her gaze roamed over Vincenzo’s body.
“If you don’t want to, I can drive you home.” Alicia moved away from the counter, searching for her purse.
“Alicia, it’s okay. I’ll have dinner here with Olivia and you guys.” She smiled at Vincenzo.
“Great, because I can’t find my purse.”
Vincenzo grinned, remembering she went straight into his bedroom when she arrived. “You might have left it in my room.”
Olivia grabbed Mina’s hand and pulled her to her bedroom. A reluctant Mina followed.
“Can you please check the fridge for capers?” Vincenzo the chef called out orders, wishing the kitchen to be smaller, much smaller. Cramped quarters would have been perfect.
“You have half a jar.” She took it out and placed it on the counter. “What else does the chef need?”
The smile on her face made his pulse beat faster. “I need a little sugar, vinegar, and a jar of pealed Roma tomatoes.” While rinsing the chicken, he followed Alicia with his gaze. Not just another pretty face, Alicia was intelligent and ambitious. The kind of woman a good man needed at his side, not one of those needy women who had no life outside of their husbands.
“Do you have a wine to go with dinner?”
“Not sure, check the closet in my room. I keep a box of Pinot Noir under the shirts and I always keep a Sauvignon Blanc in the mix.”
She giggled. “You keep Sauvignon Blanc?”
“It’s your favorite isn’t it?”
“Why do you keep it in your clothes’ closet?”
Damn those lips! Just one kiss. “I don’t have a bar in the apartment, so I don’t want Olivia to get the wrong impression by keeping it in the pantry.” He hoped it made sense to a person with no children.
“I’ll forgive you for all the red wines since you have the one bottle of Sauvignon?”
“You’re not much of a red wine drinker are you?” After scrubbing the counter and his hands, he leaned against the sink drying them.
“Only if they are semi-sweet, and a Pinot Noir is not sweet at all.”
Her mouth twisted as she squinted her eyes. For a minute, he believed she would stick her tongue out in disgust. “For some, dry wine is an acquired taste. I could help you with that. You should know better than me red wines are seldom sweet, they are full bodied—”
“Oh, but I like semi-dry wines if they’re white. I mean my favorite wine is a Sauvignon Blanc, by no means is it a sweet wine.”
“I see.” How many more funny little quirks did she have? He would have fun discovering them one by one.
She raised her brows. “So you prefer a red wine.”
He inclined his head. “I do, but I still enjoy a good white one.”
“Do you primarily buy red?”
Cupping her face with his hand, he kissed the tip of her nose.
She pulled away.
“I buy different types of wine, from red to white and all the shades in between including imported wines.”
She walked away. Bottles clanged. Holding a Pinot Noir, she returned.
He grabbed the tray with the chicken. “Come on. I need to grill the chicken a little before putting it in the sauce.”
“Don’t you fry the chicken to make cacciatore?”
“You are correct, but frying is not healthy so I put it on the grill. Olivia likes it better. Fried foods don’t seem to agree with her.”
“What do you mean? She’s just a child.”
Gazing at her, he said, “Still, they upset her stomach and she vomits.” He appreciated she’d dropped the subject.
“So, how many children do you want in your life?”
He stumbled, dropping a drumstick on the patio floor. He gazed at her. What the hell! “I really never thought about it.” He picked up the chicken and threw it in the trash.
“You shouldn’t waste food like that.”
He inhaled hoping his mind would clear. “Do you know how many children you want?”
“Sure. I’ve always wanted four kids, two boys and two girls.”
“Mother nature might not agree with your plans.”
She shrugged. “I also want to live on the vineyard, surrounded by the grapes.” She closed her eyes, a tantalizing picture, driving his cock crazy.
“What other plans have you made for your future?” This has to be good.
“I don’t know. I think I’d like to travel and see the world. I’ve always dreamed of going to see the Alaskan wilderness.”
“Nice! I’ve always wanted to go see the Everglades.”
She laughed. “Well, we both like the cold.”
He moved close and wrapped his finger behind her neck, his face coming close to hers. “I would love to go see these places with you.”
Her lips parted and her warm breath tickled his nose. He kissed her. After hearing her moan a few times he let go, leaving her breathless. He turned the chicken.
“You want me to set the table?”
“Thank you. That would be nice.”
Every so often, he gazed inside, catching her staring at him. She’d blush each time their eyes met, but she continued to glance his way. I hope it means her doubts about me are slowly vanishing. With the tray full of raw chicken, Vincenzo went to the backyard to grill the bird.
When the chicken was half-cooked, Vincenzo took it off the grill and turned off the burners. “Time to drop it in the simmering sauce.”
Alicia came inside and plopped on the sofa, toe to heel, she pushed off her shoes and curled at the corner.
“Now we wait.” Vincenzo sat at the other end of the couch. No sooner had he settled than the doorbell rang. Walking to the door, he could hear Olivia’s excited shrills coming from her room. He wondered what game she played with Mina, who seemed to fair well with little children.
On the other side of the door stood a little boy no more than four years old. Not far behind stood a tall and proud woman.
“Hello, young man. What’s your name?”
“Timmy.”
Vincenzo reached out and shook hands with the boy. “Hello, Timmy. I’m Vincenzo. What can I do for you?”
“Can Olivia come play?”
The young woman approached. “My son met your daughter this afternoon on the playground and they became instant friends.”
“I see. We’re almost ready for dinner, but maybe we can make a schedule for play dates so the kids can have fun.”
“We live in the apartment next door.” She pulled out her cell phone. “I’m Anne. It’s nice to meet you. Can we exchange numbers, so I can let you get back to your dinner?”
Vincenzo reached in his pocket and pulled out his iPhone, an
d they exchanged numbers. “I’ll call you to set up their first play date after I look over my calendar. It’s been nice meeting you, Timmy, Anne.” He smiled at both, watching them stroll away.
Closing the door, he headed to the kitchen and stirred the chicken to make sure it wouldn’t burn then he opened the bottle of wine Alicia had placed on the counter. “Dinner is almost ready,” he said, walking over to the table and pouring the wine.
He sank into the sofa’s cushions and relaxed. Glancing over to Alicia he could see something occupied her mind.
She bounced to her feet. “Don’t we need to stir the chicken so it doesn’t burn?”
He stood, laughing. She had just missed an entire piece of the hour. “If you’re so worried, let’s go check on it.” He moved to the stove, raised the top, and sticking the wooden spoon in the pot, stirred. “All is well,” he announced, grinning then turned the knob from low to simmer. “In about another ten minutes, we can sit down and eat.” He accompanied her to the sofa. Her beautiful amber eyes hypnotized him. He couldn’t take his gaze off them.
She glanced down at herself. “Is something wrong?”
“I’ve missed admiring the green specks in your eyes. I’ve always found them hypnotizing.”
Her brow furrowed. “How so?”
“They seem to change shade according to your moods.”
She laughed. “I’m not a mood ring.”
“I never implied such a thing.”
“I always see them change shades depending on what I wear. If I wear gray, they turn very light.”
He nodded not wanting to argue about the changing shades of her irises.
Olivia ran in the room, straight for her father and raising her arms. “Up.”
Vincenzo sat her on his lap, and she snuggled on his chest. He wished Alicia were also snuggling with them. He couldn’t miss the twinkle in her eyes as she watched Olivia in his arms.
“Olivia, did you have fun with Mina?”
The child raised her head. “Yeeeth.”
“Do you like Cinderella?”
She leaned against her father. “Yeth.”