Her hands tangled in his hair, holding him closer as her hips moved against his touch. Natalia spun out of control even as Adam drove her higher. Her orgasm crashed over her without warning and she cried out, his name on her lips, his mouth on her wetness, his fingers thrusting deep within her.
Adam didn’t stop. She barely heard him as he built her higher. Caught words like “lovely,” “sensuous,” “sexual.”
“Wanted to take you in the hallway at the banquet,” he admitted as he kissed along her breast, his tongue circling her aching nipple.
Her nails dug into his back, trying to pull him closer. Natalia hooked her ankles around his legs and rolled her hips. He jerked against her, his cock rigid and hot at her hip, and growled. The sound nearly tipped her over the edge, and Natalia nipped along his neck, teeth sinking into his shoulder.
Adam growled again, the sound low and primal. Suddenly he was gone, rolling off her and reaching over the side.
He came back with a condom and Natalia was horrified to realize for the first time in her life, she’d forgotten protection. But then she snatched the packet from his fingers and rolled it over his cock, teasing the sensitive underside before covering him.
She pushed him back onto the bed and climbed atop him, straddling his hips. Meeting his gaze, black and utterly focused on her, she guided him into her and started moving. It wouldn’t take much to send her over the edge of orgasm again, but Natalia wanted this to last.
What she wanted was to torment him as he’d done her, but he was hard and thick inside her, and she wanted more. Wanted to watch his control snap.
Leaning over, she kissed him. His fingers flexed on her hips, one hand moving up her spine to the back of her head, steadying her as the kiss turned sloppy, their movements erratic. Body buzzing for release, she moved faster against him, rising up only to slam back down. Every movement sent a jolt of pleasure through her, made her body cry out for more.
Adam’s hands tightened on her waist, and he rolled them over. He hooked his arms beneath her legs and thrust deep. Hard. Taking her breath and hitting her just right. Once, twice, and she exploded, cried out his name, fingers digging into his back.
When she opened her eyes, he still watched her. Still moved, those hard, deep thrusts faster now. Deeper if possible. Natalia arched into him, anchored her hands in the bedding.
He moved faster, losing the rhythm as he sought his own release. Natalia felt her own orgasm build and it shocked her. She ran her hands over his hips, through his hair, kissed every inch of skin she could reach. Sank her teeth into his shoulder and hoped it’d leave a mark.
Just as her third orgasm washed over her, Adam lost control. He came hard within her, jaw clenched, head thrown back.
Captivated, Natalia watched him, a beautiful sight she knew she’d never forget.
* * * *
They’d ordered takeaway and were snuggled on the settee in the living room. Their Indian food lay scattered over the coffee table, which they’d moved closer to the settee so they didn’t have to move. She should get up and turn on the lights; the sun had set long ago.
Adam, dressed in trousers and his unbuttoned white dress shirt, ran his fingers through her hair. Natalia tried not to sigh like a schoolgirl, but the feeling was intimate and warm. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest. His heart beat beneath her ear, only adding to the moment.
Stretching her legs over the cushions, she rearranged her robe to cover herself a little more, then wondered why she’d bothered. Smiling softly at the thought, Natalia reached across Adam to snag another piece of curry chicken.
“Tell me,” she said into the silence. “How did little Adam Clayworth grow up to be an accounting spy?”
Natalia trailed her nails over the waistband of his trousers and looked up at him. He grinned down at her.
“There was this school hidden in the depths of London. You could only get to it by running through a chalkboard.”
Natalia looked at him, confused. “You ran into a chalkboard?” she ventured.
Adam shook his head. He looked more relaxed than she’d ever seen them, though their acquaintance had been merely three days. “No, sorry. Bad Harry Potter joke.”
“Very bad,” she agreed, still confused. She’d read all the books and saw the movies, and still didn’t understand his joke. But she shrugged and let it go. It was nice to listen to him talk, tell a story of his childhood.
His fingers continued to lightly comb through her hair, but his voice was serious. “I was plucked out of school by the Commission, actually.” He shrugged in modesty but it didn’t sound modest. “My first job was as an assistant to one of the advisors. I worked my way up. The EU Commission, at times, resembles the American Wild West.” He shrugged again. “Boring, I know.”
Not really, not in the way he meant, at least. Not everyone was plucked from their schooling to work for the EU. “You do love your numbers,” she said.
“What about you and your fashion empire?”
“Not quite an empire.” She sighed then grinned. “But it is getting there. There was a hole in the market,” she admitted, still stroking his belly. She liked touching him and he seemed to enjoy it, too. “A hole that only a few people with very little design aesthetic were trying to fill.”
Standing, she adjusted her robe and ran her hands over her curves. Adam’s eyes followed her every move and Natalia suppressed a grin. “Real women enjoy life. And part of that is food. We have curves; we aren’t straight like little boys. In my experience, many men can appreciate these curves.”
Adam grinned wolfishly and reached for her. Tugging her back to him, his hands settled on her hips as Natalia settled over his lap.
“Positively,” he said with that low growl that sent sparks of arousal through her. “I know many women aren’t quite as bold as you when it comes to their figure.” His mouth trailed over her neck as he spoke.
When she looked at him, when she watched his face, she knew. He was mesmerized by her figure. His gaze, his touch, held an eroticism Adam couldn’t fake. And didn’t want to, she thought as he kissed over her full breasts.
Perhaps that was what she’d reacted to that first night—the way he looked at her, the recognition of how he appreciated all she had to offer.
“They’re not but I want them to be.” Natalia gasped. She moved her hands from his shoulders to the back of his head and held him against her breasts. “Every woman no matter size, shape, color should love what she has to offer. And we offer,” she said on a low moan, “quite a lot.”
“I have to agree with that,” he said and gently bit on one hardened nipple.
Shifting her again, Adam returned her to the couch and her position half on top of him. Natalia made a small protest, but was happy to cuddle back against his chest. They stayed like that for a while; Natalia didn’t know how long and didn’t care. She was perfectly comfortable on the settee in the dimness of the living room, lying against Adam’s chest.
He talked more about his childhood, his life with the EU, the numbers he worked with. She told him of Sardinia and her childhood there.
“I’ll take you there one day,” she promised before she could stop the words. Once they were out, there was no taking them back. Plowing on, boldly finishing the sentence, she looked up at him. “We’ll go to my childhood home.”
“I’d like that,” Adam said quietly.
She had a feeling he meant that more than the words implied.
The phone rang, but they ignored it. “Carlotta is out,” Natalia said with a sigh and made a small move to rise and answer the insistent ringing. It stopped before she did more than untangle her legs from between Adam’s.
Natalia couldn’t say she was disappointed. But then it rang again. Sighing in annoyance, she managed to stand and cross the room before the phone stopped ringing.
“Sì?”
“Natalia.” Carlo’s voice came clear and rushed over the line.
“Carlo?” she as
ked, shocked.
Turning to Adam, she met his gaze despite the gathering darkness. Adam stood and crossed the room to her. He didn’t try to take the phone, no doubt remembering Carlo’s insistence on using Natalia as an intermediary.
Adam did take her free hand.
“I thought we weren’t meeting until—”
“I managed it,” Carlo interrupted. Natalia snapped her mouth closed and met Adam’s gaze. “I have all the information your friend will need.”
Natalia slowly nodded to Adam, whose gaze narrowed. Even if he could hear Carlo, the other man spoke in rapid Italian and she didn’t know how much Adam would understand.
“I just hope he will not implicate me. I believe I managed to gather the information without any knowing it was me,” Carlo said, his words flowing faster and faster, running together. “We must meet. I want to pass it to you and be done with this. As quickly as possible. Tonight. In an hour.”
“Carlo,” Natalia tried again. “All right, All right. No need to be so excited. Come to my place—”
“No. Not your place. Someplace else.”
“Very well.” She nodded, still holding Adam’s gaze. “Where? Behind my shop?”
“Yes. Yes, all right.” Carlo snapped, but his voice was still low and she wondered where he was as he called her.
“Calm down, Carlo,” she said. “We’ll manage this.”
Clicking off the phone, she looked up at Adam. He still held her free hand and she moved into his embrace, resting her head against his chest.
“He has the information,” she said in English, though Natalia knew he had to have gathered that much. “We must go now if we’re to meet him in an hour.”
Chapter Eight
Natalia felt like a walking cliché. And she loved it, reveled in it. She felt like an Italian fashion ninja. Maybe not a ninja.
But she was dressed all in black—fashion-forward to be sure, but still black. Her tight black jeans showed off her assets very well, and she made sure her tunic blouse didn’t constrict her movements. If the blouse also happened to show her cleavage to its best advantage, well, that was just a bonus and Natalia wasn’t one to complain.
Flexing her toes in a pair of comfortable wedge sneakers, she took Adam’s hand and exited the taxi.
It was late enough the shops were all closed, so they needn’t worry about someone seeing them. And she couldn’t believe she was thinking of such things! The only time she normally worried about being spied on was when she had to guard against a competitor out to steal her designs.
This, however, was far more exciting.
Natalia didn’t think Carlo was as excited. His obvious fear over being caught still pricked along her skin, even as Adam’s hand remained warm and reassuring in hers. Because of that fear, she did have a modicum of sympathy for Carlo. But only a modicum—he’d done this to himself. He’d involved himself, and Rosina, in whatever illegal scheme Adam now investigated.
Adam had had the taxi let them out two blocks from her shop and they’d walked the rest of the way in silence. However, seeing one of the newsstands still open, Natalia nodded to it and tugged him inside.
“There’s a back way to the alley,” she whispered as she laid her head on his shoulder.
Natalia refused to think about how comfortable it was to do so, how easy it was to let her imagination run away with her. Then she chastised herself as she led Adam through the store to the back.
She needed to get her mind off cuddling with Adam and onto their late-night escape.
Despite that and the frantic sex they’d had, and the quiet cuddling they’d done afterward, this was a…a mission. Not an affair.
“I truly feel like a spy,” she whispered to him, giddy humor in her voice.
Adam let out a huff of laughter. “You’re not bad at it,” he admitted with a quick look down at her. “Knowing all these back exits and serpentine ways to get around.”
He squeezed her hand as he eased open the rear door with the other. No alarm sounded, as she knew it wouldn’t.
“I’ve seen enough action movies to know what you should do,” she said primly. But she grinned up at him just before they stepped outside. “Those people in the movies are obviously being followed and they don’t even know!” She shook her head, indignant. “It’s a bit ridiculous.”
The alleyway behind her shop was wide enough so a car could drive through, but that rarely happened. It was one of the few streets still paved with cobblestones and usually had dumpsters and people standing around for a cigarette. Taking a deep breath, Natalia glanced up at Adam.
He still held her hand, but didn’t look happy. The way his gaze flicked over the barely lighted street alternately eased her and made her even more nervous. There were no overhead streetlights; only the small overhead lights on each shop’s back door lit the area.
A cold breeze whipped down the alley, sending a shiver up her spine. She put it down to the cold spring night—not a sense of foreboding.
Pulling the keys to her building from the small purse she’d worn across her chest, Natalia opened the back door to her own shop.
“Shouldn’t we wait out here?” Adam asked, his voice low.
“No.” Natalia shook her head and turned the locks on the ancient carved wooden door. “It’s cold,” she said rather than admit that for the first time ever, standing in the alley behind her shop gave her chills.
“There’s a small window we can look through for Carlo, and he should be here soon.”
Adam held the door open for her and Natalia ducked inside. Her sneakers squeaked slightly on the small foyer’s marble floor, and the single light cast them in shadow. There was a heavier steel security door that led to the shop itself, one that needed a code and a key to pass through.
“Some of my more private clients prefer to use this entrance,” she told Adam, her voice still quiet despite the relative privacy of the foyer.
He nodded at her and looked out the window. Debating whether she wanted to distract him or let it go, Natalia was shocked when Adam tugged her to him and kissed her. It was a slow, quick kiss. Just enough to warm her blood and make her forget why they were originally here.
“I lucked out with my partner,” he said against the side of her throat.
Natalia laughed, slightly breathless, and combed her fingers through his hair.
“She’s observant,” he continued, punctuating each phrase with a kiss. “Perceptive.” A nip at her collarbone. “Kinky.” His tongue smoothed the light bite and Natalia shivered. “And can put most femme fatales to shame.”
He kissed her again, a slower, deeper kiss that made her toes curl in her sneakers and her body mold deliciously to his. She saw that look again, the one that appreciated her and each and every one of her curves.
“You’ve learned so much about me in so short a time,” she said against his mouth. Natalia nipped his lower lip and sucked it into her mouth.
“You have to know your partner,” he said, his voice a rumble that made her shiver.
Chuckling, Natalia pulled him down for another kiss. Of course that was when they heard Carlo outside. Adam pulled back and in the dimness of the rear foyer, the eyes studying her were black with arousal. Natalia swallowed hard and purposely stepped away from him.
She was too caught up in this charade. In forgetting it wasn’t an affair. One evening of sex did not make an affair, no matter how great the sex and how much she wanted to have Adam again. But maybe, just maybe, they could work around that. Find a way to work this out with Carlo and still see each other—on occasion, at least.
Adam opened the rear door and stepped back into the alleyway, his hand once more on hers. Carlo walked directly up to Adam. The hostility coming off the older man was unmistakable—he was angry, yes, but he was also frightened.
Oh, Carlo. What have you gotten yourself into?
Remaining silent, Natalia stood beside Adam. Carlo gave her a quick look then returned the sneer to Adam.
&nb
sp; “I have what you want,” he snapped. But his voice was quiet, so quiet in the alley it was almost difficult to hear him. “And I want you to know I’ve never approved of these back dealings.”
He sniffed and looked around the empty alley. “I was cornered into working at this little bank.”
Though she couldn’t see him, she had the feeling Adam didn’t believe Carlo’s ascertains. It shocked her to realize she didn’t, either.
“Do not allow it to be known that I had anything to do with giving you this information.” Carlo emphasized each word, his Italian accent thicker the more he spoke.
Adam nodded. “I’ll try to keep you a confidential source. But,” he warned, “there may come a time where you need to testify in order to protect yourself and your family.”
“No, no, no.” Carlo shook his head adamantly. “You must keep me out of this. You did not get this information from me!”
“If I keep you completely out of it, they’ll think you’re part of it,” Adam said with a forced calm Natalia clearly heard. She wondered if he gritted his teeth and knew he held himself still, his temper barely leashed. “And then you’ll go to jail.”
“Why must you move against anyone in the bank?” Carlo asked, his voice rising. “Just get these criminals on the list!”
Shaking, Carlo stepped back. For a panicked heartbeat, Natalia thought he was going to run. If he did, was she supposed to run after him? Grab the information? She hadn’t worn the right shoes for that. Carlo had to see how handing this information over was better for him. For him and Rosina.
Beside her, Adam tensed and she knew he thought the same thing—Carlo was going to run.
But then Carlo, still deeply unhappy, held out one shaking hand with a USB in the palm. He looked at her and sighed. “I hope your friend is as good as he pretends to be.”
Her hand tightened around Adam’s, but Natalia only said, “I believe you’re doing what needs to be done.”
Carlo didn’t look convinced. Without another word, he turned on his heel and left the alley. Natalia silently watched him leave. Adam took the keys from her and locked the wooden door, tugged on it a couple times, and retook her hand.
Princess Curvy: A Curvy Girl's Italian Affair Page 6