The Italian: A Mountain Man Romance

by Hazel Parker

  She thought Dom felt the same way until he snagged the waiter for the check. She checked the time on her phone and frowned. It wasn’t even that late. The waiter was quick about the bill, and less than five minutes later, Dom signed the receipt, much to Anna’s disappointment. He glanced up as he closed the pen in the leather fold to catch her chewing her bottom lip.

  This was the part where they had to say goodbye. Her forehead creased, unsure how else to prolong the evening. Maybe she could hint that she needed a ride home. He wouldn’t send her back home in a cab, would he?

  “Want to go dancing?”

  Her face brightened. Of course, it wasn’t over. Absolutely. “Yes.”

  Chapter 10

  It had been a long time since Anna had gone on a real date. Not that she didn’t like dates, but dates were expensive. Usually, they involved her getting dolled up with more clothes or makeup than she could afford, and since she was still in college, there was the occupational hazard of going Dutch. That was what happened when you went out with another student, but now she was fishing in bigger waters. Dom was a whole lot of man, his pockets and his tastes confirmed that. Right away, Anna could tell everyone who waited in line was thirty or older. Her step faltered as they approached the door, but Dom held her arm tight enough to stop her fall.

  “Don’t worry,” he said with a smirk. “I know the guy at the door.”

  “Domenico.”

  Domenico. She’d never heard his full name before until now.

  “Victor.”

  He was tall, with buzzed hair and mean eyes. Dressed from head to toe in black, his body appeared to be a menacing shadow guarding the club door. His muscles were bulging, and had she been standing alone, she would have run away. The only thing keeping her from fleeing was the assuring grip Dom had on her waist.

  Victor stared a little too closely at Anna, making clear he knew she didn’t meet the age requirement. With a parting glance at Dom, he let them in.

  “Enjoy.”

  The club was a high-end cocktail bar surrounding a large dance floor. The music and the lighting made clear what the banner above the entrance stated. Saturday is Salsa Night.

  Anna panted in panic. She wasn’t much of a dancer to begin with. She was a university student, for Christ's sake. Her experience with bars and dancing consisted of head bobbing and arms waving in the air. When she imagined dancing, this was not the kind of dancing she was thinking about.

  Dom clenched her hand with reassurance, and she might have believed him if there weren’t already a few couples on the dance floor killing it. Just watching them was electric. They moved together like waves, on each other one minute then twirling away the next. It was sex on a dance floor, and there was no way she could do anything close to that.

  “Come on,” he said into her ear over the loud music. “You look like you need a drink.”

  She needed more than that. She needed a lifeline, more like a life vest, because if she got anywhere near that dance floor, she would be drowning in failure and not being able to measure up. Those people looked like professionals.

  They sat at the bar, pivoting to get a good view of the dance floor. Anna sat mesmerized, both horrified and impressed by their moves. She didn’t even notice that Dom had already ordered for her.

  “I got you something sweet.”

  A daiquiri. Just what she needed. Sweet enough for her to gulp it down.

  “Woah! Slow down.”

  It was a daiquiri, not tequila. She would be okay for a while.

  “I’m alright.”

  Dom smiled as if she was his private joke and sipped his cognac. It wasn’t long before a song came on that grabbed his attention.

  “Come on,” he said, grabbing her hand to lead her to the dance floor. “I love this song.”

  “Wait!” She resisted only a little, afraid to cause a scene. He pulled her along as if she weighed nothing. She was acting like a pig being dragged to the slaughter.

  “Dom, you don’t understand,” she said between clenched teeth and a fake smile. “I can’t. I don’t know how.”

  But it was too late. They were already there on the smooth floor among bodies lost in the rhythm of the song.

  She threw her arms around his neck, reminiscent to a high school prom dance, and pleaded. “This is a mistake. I don’t know how to dance like this. Just let me go, and I’ll wait at the bar.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t want another dance partner.” He leaned back far enough for her to see the confidence in his eyes. “Follow my lead.”

  Anna couldn’t remember the last time she'd followed any man, but she had no other choice. She let him guide her hands until they were properly positioned and started to move them. She held her body loosely, pliant and ready for a catastrophe, but magic happened. He was amazing, and somehow she was floating along with him. His hands held tight to her lower back, clenching tighter when he yanked her towards him so close their lips almost touched. His eyes made her forget they were on the dance floor, and as she leaned in to kiss him, he turned her, spinning her body so she was facing the other way.

  The song was torture, not stopping to give her a break, just like his dance moves. His hand on the small of her abdomen, his fingertips brushing her breasts as he turned her again, him pressing her back into him and feeling the hardness of an impressive cock. Their hips swiveled together, rocking back and forth, making her wet with wanting. If this was how hard he was on the dancing floor, she couldn’t imagine how big and hard he’d be in the bedroom.

  The music pulsed through her body, making her slink across the floor. It was as if an Argentinian possessed her body for a moment. She was not the girl with two left feet anymore. With Dom leading her, she looked like she knew what she was doing, and everything she was doing was turning him on.

  “Il mio fiore,” he whispered to her. She gasped as his breath tickled her ear. What the hell was he saying? Her insides quivered, wondering if it was as dirty as their dancing. “You’re doing perfectly.”

  Her sex clenched at his voice. Somehow what she imagined would be the most embarrassing moment of her life turned into the hottest. It was sexy, the way he controlled her, ruled her to bend, twirl, and gyrate for him and on him. Nobody could make her body do the things he was doing to her, and she didn’t want him to stop.

  And just like that, the bass sounded one last time, and the song came to an end.

  Dom helped her stagger off the dance floor. She would have fallen over without him. It wasn't the drinks that made her feet unsure. It was the way Dom rocked her body. She felt like they just fucked salsa style, and damn her, because she wanted to do it again.

  She bit her lips, watching him, wondering what was next as he leaned over the bar to order another drink.

  “Don’t worry; we’re going to do that again.”

  And they did. Dom treated her to several moves and songs on the dance floor. They danced and drank fancy cocktails with no regard for the time. Anna only knew the time because she used her phone as a hand mirror before Dom pulled her to dance to a slow song.

  If fast salsa was fucking, slow salsa was making love. Dom made sure she felt every inch of him, from the way his hips moved to the strength in his arms when he held her up, and the comfort of his chest. He twirled her so she was facing him, and she gasped at the sadness in his eyes.

  “I hate to say it, but I better be getting you home.”

  She sighed, but didn’t agree. With Dom, she would have stayed until the next day. “Where are you staying?” He was a long way from home and had been drinking.

  “Don’t worry your pretty little head. I rented a hotel for the night.”

  She nodded without looking up. There was no chance he’d try to stay the night in her bed.

  His finger slid under her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. His gaze fixed on hers, so clear and piercing she could swear she saw right into his soul. “I don’t want this night to end.”

  The entire night he
teased her, touching her, rousing her, and making her feel alive. Drinking hadn’t helped. That liquor made her skin feel heated, and her thoughts went straight to sex. Even though he had been a perfect gentleman, she was tired of letting him get away.

  “It doesn’t have to be.”

  His eyes widened with surprise before his lips were on hers.

  She moaned into his mouth. His kiss lit a fuse inside of her, and it was fireworks. Fucking fireworks.

  She arched into him, wild and demanding, raging out of control and completely forgetting where they were, but Dom didn’t release her or hold back. His mouth ravaged hers, totally possessing her tongue. His body smothered hers, and she was powerless to the desire consuming her with a raging flame.

  Jesus!

  He pulled back, taking her body in with a hungry sweep of his gaze. She shivered, feeling it like a touch.

  “Let me go pay the bill. We need a cab.”

  Hell yeah, they did. The hotel room was waiting, and Anna wasn’t sure they would make it.

  Chapter 11

  They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Dom pulled her onto his lap, kissing every inch of unveiled skin.

  “Where to, Sir?” The driver acted as if they weren’t about to strip naked in his backseat.

  “Four Seasons in Vancouver,” he said, leaning both of them over so he could pull his wallet from his back pocket.

  “This is more than it’ll cost,” the cabbie said, looking at the wad of cash in his hand.

  “It’ll be your tip if you expedite the travel time.”

  “Yes, Sir,” he said, turning ahead without another word.

  Anna whimpered, gasping as his lips teased their way across her collarbone and his hands pulled down her dress straps. She didn’t have a chance to worry about indecency. His mouth lowered to her breast and every thought in her mind was obliterated.

  Oh!

  Falling into the pleasure was easy. Dom knew what he was doing. His tongue licked and swirled around her tender flesh until she was shaking with sensation.

  “Dom. Please.”

  She needed more.

  She dragged his tongue along the curve of her breasts until she was aching and restless. It wasn’t enough.

  His hand replaced his mouth as he pinched her nipples hard, causing her to arch her back.

  “Yes!”

  And then he stopped.

  Her eyes snapped open to find Dom leaning away and sliding her straps back on her arm.

  “Wha—”

  His gaze dissuaded her second thoughts. He wasn’t stopping.

  “We’re almost there.”

  She understood. He had no plans to wait for her to get redressed or make themselves decent.

  She was right.

  Dom practically jumped from the moving car, pulling her with him.

  “Thank you, Sir,” he called over his shoulder, and Anna caught the cabbie’s slick grin.

  She couldn’t even be mad at him; they were two seconds from giving him a very X-rated show. If she were honest, they already gave him one full of adult content.

  “You’re more than welcome.”

  Dom walked with certainty, each step bringing him closer to his room, and with one swipe of the card, they were inside.

  He threw her onto the bed, pulling the dress away so quickly, the straps almost ripped on her shoulders.

  “Do you like these panties?”

  She didn’t answer fast enough to stop him from ripping them from her body. He must have felt her cringe because he said, “I’ll get you another pair.” She really hoped so. She didn’t have any extra money in the budget to replace the cute and expensive Victoria’s Secrets she'd bought on a whim.

  Anna’s pulse raced as he gripped her thighs, not pulling her closer or leaning in. Her gaze never left his, and even though she was trapped in his hold, his body looming over hers, solid with a mass of muscles, power, and lust, she wasn’t afraid. He unbuttoned his shirt, moving with ease even though the buttons were small. She was ready to see his chest. Was he smooth, covered in muscles, or hard and hairy? Her stomach clenched as she yanked up his shirt, pulling her mouth away to see his olive skin dusted with short dark hair.

  He planted a soft kiss on the inside of her thigh, causing her to hiss. It was too soft. Too gentle. Too much with everything she was feeling.

  He didn’t move until she opened her eyes again.

  “Watch.”

  It was an order.

  Holy hell.

  “I’m going to give you a show.”

  A shudder of desire at the promise, made her breath catch, but she didn’t close her eyes.

  “Now where were we?”

  It was erotic as hell, feeling Dom’s tongue on her clit as his eyes locked with hers. He exhaled, tingling her skin with warm air before he licked again, stronger this time.

  Pleasure spiraled through her, and she moaned loudly since they no longer had an audience.

  “You taste as good as you smell,” he murmured, nibbling at her thigh. “So damn sweet.”

  Her blood was boiling. Desire unfurled inside her as Dom dipped his head again, licking her clit slow and leisurely. Anna bucked against his mouth, and he braced her down, smiling as he continued his torture. Lapping, swirling his tongue over her, driving her mindless with desire.

  “Please!”

  Anna heard her own voice from a distance. Begging for something, but even she didn’t know what.

  “I need you.”

  That was it.

  Dom lifted his head, watching her with a sexy stare as he moved with no rush. His two fingers slid deep inside her, quelling the ache for now.

  Her eyes still locked on his, she bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming. The wave began to crest over her. She was close to coming undone and opened her eyes, forgetting she was supposed to be watching.

  He fluttered his fingers inside of her. Firm strokes with his thumb pressing into her clit. It was just the right amount of pressure, and she came undone.

  There was electricity in his eyes when she opened hers to find him watching. She blushed. “What?”

  “Bellissimo.” He talked while he undid his belt. “That was beautiful.”

  The buttons came undone one by one until the abs that were in his profile picture were right before her in real life. Next, his pants and boxers in one hard yank after he grabbed a condom from his pocket. His cock jutted from its confines, hard and ready to give her the relief she needed. He traced over her shoulders as he centered himself between her thighs.

  She reached forward, grabbing his well-endowed member, causing his eyes to flutter closed with a tortured groan.

  Anna was tired of waiting. Her legs wrapped around his waist, begging him to be inside of her. He sheathed himself in seconds and appeased her.

  “I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time,” he said, rubbing his head between her wetness.

  “You have?”

  He opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out as he sunk into her already sensitive body. She whimpered, tightened her thighs until he was all the way to the hilt.

  So thick.

  Stretching her, filling her up until there was nothing between them.

  He stilled, and neither one of them moved. There was only their breath in their lungs and the connection between them.

  Then he opened his eyes, hypnotizing her, and together they moved. No words needed to be spoken as friction built between them. He rocked slowly, building pressure and finding their rhythm. Anna could do nothing but hold onto him. Their interlocked hands tightened above her head on the bed.

  He let one hand go to grab her hips and ground himself against her, touching a deadly sweet place inside her.

  “Fuck!”

  Her eyes blazed, and he bucked against her, hitting that spot again.

  Yes!

  Dom let her other hand go, no longer interested in slow and steady. Anna gripped the sheets right there with him. She didn’
t need slow and sweet. She needed feverish fucking and a release for all the sexual tension between them.

  She could feel him everywhere. In every nerve as her body exploded with pleasure. She shuddered against him, flooding against him. He threw his head back, the tendons in his neck standing out sharply as his orgasms rushed closer and closer, until he came with her. They were both falling, falling into each other with no end or beginning. Dom collapsed against her, using the last of his energy to roll to his back beside her, and they both panted, catching their breath.

  “That. Was. Amazing.”

  He propped himself up on one side to smirk at her.

  “And that was just the beginning.”

  He hadn’t exaggerated.

  Not sure if he was making up for lost time or trying to make a good impression, Dom kept his word. They made love throughout the night, falling asleep in heaps of limbs before he woke her again with kisses and tongue licks on her clit. When he finally grew tired, they both fell into a deep sleep. So it was no surprise that she woke deliciously sore and thankful. Dom was sitting at the small table in the corner, sipping from a mug that smelled like coffee, looking like a GQ model. She rubbed under her eyes, wondering if she looked closer to a skunk or a raccoon with her smeared makeup.

  “Please tell me there’s one for me, too.”

  He pointed to another mug, and she pulled herself from the bed, tugging to drag the sheet with her.

  “Don’t.”

  “Don’t what?”

  “Don’t bother. I saw it all last night, and it’s even more beautiful in the daylight.”

  She blushed, but obeyed, happy that he, too, was sitting in the nude so she wouldn’t be alone.

  They drank in silence.

  “Want me to order breakfast?”

  “Oh no, thank you.”

  He’d already seen her naked, fresh out of bed, and smelled her morning breath. She didn’t need to prolong this special kind of torture. Not while he looked that amazing and she looked like she’d been rode hard and out away wet. When he finished his mug, he went to shower alone. The next time she saw him, he was dressed in his wrinkled clothes, wiping his wet hair with a towel.