“Hold on to me,” he whispered before scooping her up into his arms. Daníella gasped as the movement brought their bodies closer together. Carlo was still hard within her. She gasped as he headed toward the bathroom with her in his arms.
“Carlo, wait…if you keep moving I am going to—”
He figured out what she was going to say and stopped moving, but it wasn’t in time. Carlo watched as she closed her eyes, another orgasm sweeping through her. He only pushed her higher when he leaned her against the wall and, with a few thrusts, had her yelling his name again. When she was able to raise her head, she lifted her gaze to his, and he smiled at her expression.
“I think it would be better if I walked the rest of the way.”
“I don’t mind carrying you,” he responded as he let her legs go.
“I’m sure you don’t.”
He stepped back from her. “I don’t.”
He moved away from her and continued toward the bathroom. “It’s so warm out. I figured we could take a shower before we go to bed.”
Carlo looked back, watching her push away from the wall and follow him into the bathroom.
“I have no problem with it at all.”
He turned on the shower before disposing of the protection they used, feeling her eyes on him the entire way. Carlo stepped into the shower, shivering as the cool water hit his skin, but it felt good. Daníella joined him a few moments later. She laughed as he picked up her bath sponge before pouring some body wash on it.
“Is this for me or you?”
He waggled his eyebrows at her. “Both.”
Daníella shook her head but allowed him to bathe her. He did so very thoroughly, reminded of another reason why he loved to share the shower with her. They ended up wasting water, but both of them always came away very clean. By the time they crawled out of the shower, he could tell she was struggling to keep her eyes open. She climbed into the bed with him close behind her. Sleep was upon her before her head hit the pillow. He smiled as she emitted a soft snore…so much for an encore.
* * * *
Daníella came awake slowly, and it was barely light out. A glance at her alarm clock told her she only had a few moments left before it went off. She decided to enjoy them watching Carlo sleep. He was on his side facing away from her, the sheet on her bed barely covering his waist. It gave her a good glimpse of the sexy man he was. She’d missed this a lot—waking up to him every morning, debating with him over who would be the one to get out of bed to get coffee. It had never been an argument because neither of them wanted to get the coffee, but because neither of them wanted to leave the warmth of each other’s arms to get it.
Laying here looking at him, she was tempted to turn off the alarm and call their families to tell them neither of them would be in on time. She could then pull the covers back up over them and ignore the rest of the world in their own private cocoon.
Daníella decided she would save that for next week, when she and Carlo both had the day off. Right now she would settle for watching him sleep a few more minutes. He stirred slightly, rolling over before burying his face deeper into the pillow. Reaching out, she brushed her fingertip against his cheek. She smiled before reaching out to touch his chest. His heartbeat was strong, but slow and steady, proof of the fact he was asleep. Just as she pulled her hand back, the alarm went off. Carlo’s eyes jerked opened as she reached across to turn off the alarm. He blinked at her sleepily before pulling her into his arms.
“Good morning.”
She went into his embrace willingly. “Good morning to you as well.”
Carlo brought his mouth down on hers and kissed her thoroughly. When he raised his head, her lips were swollen and her eyes as heavily lidded as his.
“Did you sleep well?”
Daníella blinked as she tried to comprehend his question, and it took her a moment. How could he expect her to think after a kiss like the one he just gave her? Somehow she managed.
“Yes, I did. How about yourself?”
“I slept okay, but somehow waking up to you is the better part.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I would say they gave you Carabelli men a lesson in how to sweet-talk a lady.”
Carlo chuckled under his breath. “No, we didn’t get a lesson in that. However, we did get a lesson in how to please our woman if we want to keep her and keep her happy.”
Daníella went up on an elbow. “Who is responsible for this lesson? I would like to thank him or her personally.”
He smiled. “My parents mainly, but you had a lot to do with it as well.”
She rolled onto her back. “I guess it would be considered vain to thank myself for being such a good teacher.”
“I would have to say it would be vain, but it would probably be okay if you were to give yourself a small pat on the back.”
She shook her head and sat up. “I think I’ll just congratulate you on being smart enough to pay attention to the advice you received and stop there.”
He waggled his eyebrows at her. “I know a perfect way for you to congratulate me.”
She laughed. “One would think you received enough of that sort of congratulations last night.”
Before she could blink, he had her underneath him and his growing erection pressing into her stomach.
“Well, tesoro mio, you definitely thought wrong.”
Chapter Ten
“What in the world is wrong with you, Amalía?”
Daníella looked over at her friend with puzzlement. They were supposed to be enjoying a nice lunch at Ferroni’s but it wasn’t the case. Amalía was in a foul mood, and Sophia’s mood wasn’t much better. Amalía just shrugged her shoulders in response. Daníella looked to Tierra and Talía for help. They looked just as confused as she was. It was also obvious she wasn’t going to get any assistance from them. Daníella sat her fork down, wanting to get to the bottom of it. Very rarely was Amalía like this, and when she was, it wasn’t pretty.
“Okay, Amalía, what’s going on?”
“Nothing, besides my birthday being less than a week away,” Amalía muttered.
Daníella tried her best to sound sympathetic, knowing there was more to it. “What’s wrong with that?”
Amalía eyebrows arched high on her forehead. “Have you forgotten I’m getting ready to turn thirty-five?”
“Uh-oh, you are becoming ancient,” Talía teased.
Daníella elbowed her, but it was too late. Amalía excused herself from the table and made her way to the restroom. Tierra gave Talía an annoyed look.
“Thanks a lot, Talía.”
Talía’s mouth dropped open. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Other than being insensitive as usual, yes, you’re right,” Sophia grumbled before Daníella or Tierra could respond.
Daníella looked skyward and asked for the strength to get all of this straightened out, and soon. She put down her fork, getting up to follow Amalía. Tierra should be able to handle Sophia and Talía until she returned.
By the time she made it to the restroom, Amalía was in tears. Daníella couldn’t have been more shocked as she tried to comfort her friend.
“What’s wrong, Amalía?”
Amalía couldn’t answer around the hiccupping sounds she’d begun to make. Daníella could only embrace her friend until she was calm enough to talk.
“Amalía, you have to tell me what all of this is about.”
Amalía’s expression was one of desperation. “I want to get married and have babies.”
Daníella could only shake her head in confusion. “So do I.”
Amalía shook her head. “But I want both of them now.”
Daníella smiled as she realized what the problem was. “So do I. I think you forget we have the same dreams and aspirations.”
Amalía closed her eyes briefly. “I admit I may be a little selfish sometimes, but it’s because I’m going to turn forty before the rest of you.”Amalía sighed heavily as she reached for some b
athroom tissue. “After this birthday, I’m only five years away.”
Daníella reached out and squeezed Amalía’s hand. “Well, you are closer to becoming married now than you were a year ago.”
The statement brought a smile to Amalía’s face. “True. Hayden did bring up the subject of marriage a few weeks ago.”
Daníella arched a dark brow in her friend’s direction. “Oh, really? I don’t recall hearing about this conversation.”
Amalía shrugged her shoulders with way more casualness than Daníella knew she felt.
“That’s because I didn’t think it was a big deal.”
Daníella gave the woman standing in front of her a look of disbelief. “I can’t believe you would honestly say that.”
Amalía sighed. “I just didn’t want to get my hopes up about it.”
Daníella shook her head. “We are going to have a chat about this later.” Amalía laughed as Daníella hugged her tightly. “Until then we are going to go back to our table and enjoy the rest of our lunch.”
Amalía nodded and tried to make herself presentable before she and Daníella made their way back to the dining area.
Both Talía and Tierra wore matching expressions of concern while Sophia seemed to be lost in her own world. Talía leaned over and gave Amalía a hug.
“I apologize for being so insensitive earlier. Whatever the problem is, I vow to help you with it personally.”
Amalía laughed, and Daníella smiled. Talía would gag if she knew what she’d just agreed to help with.
“I appreciate the offer, Talía, but this problem is one I will have to fix on my own.”
Talía looked crestfallen. “Oh, okay. Can I at least offer moral support?”
Amalía nodded, and Talía was satisfied. Daníella turned her attention to Sophia, who was pushing a full plate of food around with her fork.
“Are you on a diet?”
Sophia stared at her blankly, and Daníella inclined her head toward Sophia’s plate. Sophia looked down before shrugging her shoulders.
“No, I guess I’m not hungry.”
“Which tells me something is wrong, so spill,” Daníella responded.
Sophia sighed heavily. “I need a makeover.”
Daníella’s eyebrows bunched together in confusion. “Why do you need a makeover?”
“Because I look so drab and boring,” Sophia whispered.
Daníella scoffed at the comment, taking in Sophia’s freshly scrubbed face. “No, Sophia, you are anything but plain. You just wear your clothes a size—maybe two—too big.”
“What about my hair and makeup?”
Talía interjected this time. “You don’t need makeup, and your hair is fine the way it is. You just need to experiment with a few different hairstyles complimenting what you already have.”
Sophia shook her head. “I think you guys are biased because you all are my friends.”
“Then why don’t you ask Giovanni what he thinks?”
All eyes went to Tierra, who continued to eat after making such an interesting statement. Sophia’s skin began to flush immediately.
“Why would I want to do that?” Sophia questioned, barely able to keep the stammer of nerves out of her voice.
“Because he is the reason you want to change you appearance,” Tierra responded casually, before taking another bite of her food. “And as your friend, I should tell you it would be a mistake, but I won’t because you won’t listen. However, I will tell you if you insist on a makeover, don’t worry about a physical one.” Tierra tapped the side of her head. “You don’t feel sexy because you don’t think you are sexy. What you need is a mental makeover.”
Sophia looked at Tierra, clear puzzlement on her face. “What’s a mental makeover?”
Tierra paused to take a sip of her drink. “You need to change your attitude about yourself. You need to feel sexy. If you feel sexy, you will be sexy.” Tierra gave her a knowing look. “People around you will know you feel that way as well. If Giovanni doesn’t notice you after that, then it might be time for you to find someone who will.”
Sophia nodded her head slowly in agreement. “It sounds like a good idea.”
“I’m willing to help you with your self-improvement project in any way possible,” Daníella offered.
Sophia smiled gratefully, obvious relief on her face. “Thank you. Thank you to all of you for being such good friends.”
Talía leaned in closed. “We have to be. Otherwise we would all go insane.”
Daníella laugh. They were still laughing when they finished lunch as well as when they arrived back at Hotel Carabelli. After they said their good-byes to each other, they went in separate directions. Since she didn’t have any tours set for the rest of the day, she made her way toward Carlo’s office. Daníella knocked, and he told her to enter. A smile appeared on his face when he realized who she was as she walked into his office.
“Did you ladies enjoy your lunch today?”
“You know we always do. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t find a reason to have lunch together so often.”
He pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her senseless. When he pulled back, she was breathless and he was still smiling.
“Have you had lunch yet?”
“Believe it or not, I did. I called down to the restaurant and ordered.”
He pointed at the empty food container in the trash.
“That’s good,” Daníella stated as she smooth back the ruffled strands of hair he’d run his hands through all day from the looks of it.
“So what do you have planned for the rest of the day?”
He pointed to his desk, and she glanced at the paperwork before looking back at him. “Work. What do you have planned?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m free for the rest of the day, but I have a few things to do to help Hayden with Amalía’s surprise birthday party.”
Carlo pulled back to look at her. “Do you think Amalía will really be surprised?”
Daníella paused, thinking the question over. “I don’t know, but I know she will appreciate the effort.”
“That is probably true. Tesoro mio, as much as I hate to rush you off, I have these reports to finish. We both know Antonio can become a pain when things aren’t finished on time.”
She gave him another brief kiss before sliding off of his lap. “You’re right. Am I going to see you tonight?”
Carlo nodded. “We have a date.”
“See you tonight, then.”
Daníella left his office and went in search of Hayden, hoping Amalía wasn’t in the vicinity of where he was working. There was still a lot to do for Amalía’s party, but Hayden had enlisted everyone’s help. Everyone had their designated role in making sure the party went smoothly. When she found Hayden, he was amidst electrical wiring.
“Is it safe to come back there?”
Hayden stuck his head out and smiled. “Depends on whether you are a friend or an enemy.”
She held her hands up in a peaceful gesture. “I’m a friend.”
“I will come out to you, then.”
She laughed as he disappeared and she grasped the meaning behind his statement. A moment later he appeared again, stopping to take his work gloves and helmet off before continuing toward her. He reached into his back pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper.
“These things are the only tasks left that need to be completed.”
Daníella took the slip of paper and tucked it into her purse. “I’ll look it over, and if I have any questions, I’ll give you a call.”
“That’s fine. Once again, thank you for helping me with this.”
“Anytime, especially since I know Amalía would do the same for me.”
Hayden smiled. “Okay then, let me get back to work so I can keep the hotel up and running and my woman happy.”
Daníella laughed. “By all means.”
Hayden pulled out his work gloves, and Daníella made her way back to the lobby of the h
otel. When she made it to her apartment, she sighed in relief as she sank down on the couch. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out the piece of paper Hayden had given her. Opening it up, she read over it quickly. A second later she reached for her cell phone. Tierra answered on the third ring.
“I just wanted to let you know I’m looking at the list Hayden gave me and your brother is good. This is going to be a birthday party Amalía will never forget.”
* * * *
“Do we have anything else to get?”
Daníella looked down at her list before shaking her head. She looked back up at Tierra.
“No, the only thing we need to do now is go over to the house and help Mona with the food. We also need to make sure the decorations are up.”
Tierra nodded. “I’m ready when you are.”
They loaded the rest of the packages into the car. A short time later they were headed to Mona and Bruce’s home. Daníella sighed heavily as she rested her head against the back of the seat.
“Is everything okay, Daníella?”
“Yes. I’m just tired.”
Tierra remained silent for a moment, but Daníella didn’t miss her curious expression.
“Not to be nosey or anything, I’m just wondering if you’ve had that talk with Carlo.”
Daníella stiffened. “Not yet. Why?”
“Just wondering. The two of you seem to be getting along well, that’s all.”
“Do you think Carlo and I won’t once we talk?”
Tierra shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s not my place to say. I just know that the two of you really need to discuss the reason why your relationship didn’t work the first time, or you could easily end back up right where you were a short time ago.”
Tierra’s words struck fear into Daníella. She didn’t want to lose Carlo again, but Tierra was right. She and Carlo needed to talk, and soon. However, right now was not the time to dwell on it. It was Amalía’s day. Her friend needed this party to go off without any distractions.
“I plan to talk with him, Tierra. Believe me when I say this whole unknown issue has weighed heavily on my mind. While it won’t be today, I will talk to Carlo. I promise.”
Morris, Stephanie - Unfinished Business [Indulgence 3] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) Page 11