‘I look a bit better now,’ she said breathlessly.
Domenico put her bag on the floor and closed the door, his eyes moving over her face like a caress. ‘You are perfect.’
She smiled ruefully. ‘If you want perfect I’m the wrong woman.’
He shook his head. ‘You are the right woman—the only woman—for me, Laura.’
‘Then why aren’t you kissing me?’
He seized her in his arms, rubbing his cheek against her hair. ‘I am afraid to hurt you, tesoro.’
Laura reached up to lock her hands behind his neck. ‘The only way to hurt me is to refuse to kiss me!’
Their lips met with a relishing sigh of pleasure, but instead of devouring her as Laura had half expected Domenico pressed a series of gentle kisses over the healed part of her face before returning to her mouth. When her lips parted in eager response his tongue became urgent, and her heart began to pound as he held her close against his own heartbeat, which accelerated as their kisses grew wilder and breathing grew laboured, until suddenly Domenico let her go, breathing raggedly.
‘I waited here instead of coming down to meet you, so that I would not shock other guests by making love to you in the foyer,’ he said unevenly. ‘Scusa, tesoro, I have not even said words of welcome.’
‘You made me feel very welcome without them,’ she assured him breathlessly, and smiled. ‘But also very warm.’
‘Then I will take this off.’ He undid the buttons on her black jacket and slid it from her shoulders. ‘You are very elegant, Laura.’
She smiled demurely. ‘I thought the occasion—and this hotel—demanded it, so I changed into a dress at work before I left. Is it suitable to go down to dinner?’
‘It is delightful,’ he said, surveying the clinging caramel jersey. ‘But we are not going down to dinner. We shall make use of Room Service if this is agreeable to you,’ he added, his eyes glinting.
She smiled radiantly. ‘Very agreeable!’
Domenico laid her jacket on the bed and took her hand to lead her to a large chair near the window. He sat down and drew her onto his lap, cradling her against his shoulder. ‘So tell me about your family. Are they well?’
Yes, thank God, thought Laura. ‘Mother’s back in school and Abby’s getting ready for Cambridge.’
‘She will enjoy the student life, you think? It must be hard for your mother to part with her.’
‘She’ll find the house very quiet for a while, but I go down there at weekends whenever I can.’
‘Does your mother know you are here with me this weekend?’
‘Of course.’ Laura smiled up at him. ‘My feelings for you are no secret.’
‘I am very happy to hear this.’ He turned her face up to his to kiss her. ‘We must have no more secrets between us, yes?’
‘You were the one with the secret, not me!’
‘You will never let me forget this,’ he said, resigned, and stroked a finger down her cheek. ‘Is there some way I can make it up to you?’
‘I’ll try to think of one.’
‘I could do this,’ he said, and kissed her fingers one by one. ‘Or this.’ He trailed his mouth down her cheek and throat, causing shivers down her spine. ‘You are cold?’
‘No, I’m hot,’ she said breathlessly. ‘What else can you do?’
Domenico set her on her feet and stood up. ‘I can give you two choices. I ring for dinner now, or I take you to bed and we eat later.’
Laura gave him a smile that made him blink. ‘That’s no choice. I vote for bed.’
He crushed her to him. ‘Ti amo, Laura.’
She gazed up at him, remembering Fen’s confidences. ‘I love you too, so much it hurts.’
Domenico’s eyes blazed. ‘Then show me, amore.’
Keeping her eyes on his, Laura backed away and reached behind her to undo her zip. Domenico made a move to help her, but she shook her head, smiling, watching his eyes dilate as she stepped out of the dress wearing outrageously provocative scraps of lace-edged nude chiffon so sheer her nipples were clearly visible as they hardened in response to the heat in his eyes. With a growl he scooped her up to lay her on the bed, his lips and tongue caressing her through the fabric as his fingers slid up her thigh to find the heat pulsing behind the triangle of chiffon that grew damp as he found the small, erect bud beneath it.
‘Domenico!’ she gasped, writhing under the caress, and he tore himself away to strip off his clothes. He kissed her knees, then gently parted them to lie between her thighs as he pressed kisses all over her face and down her throat, pausing for a moment in the hollow between her breasts before he renewed his attentions to the thinly veiled nipples that were so sensitive to the touch Laura could hardly bear it. She reached out a questing hand to retaliate, but he closed his fingers round her wrist.
‘Touch me and I am lost,’ he panted, and laid a trail of open-mouthed kisses down her quivering body. He peeled the damp scrap of chiffon away at last, to replace it with his lips and seeking tongue, and Laura gasped and clutched at his hair, and Domenico slid back up her body and entered it with a sure, triumphant thrust she felt in every part of her as his eyes blazed down into hers. She smiled into them, tightening inner muscles around him in response, and he kissed her deeply, gripping her hip bones as they moved together, their mutual arousal so intense the orgasm they experienced almost in unison left them shaken and speechless, clutching each other for support as the throbbing died away.
At last Domenico raised his head to smile down into Laura’s face, smoothing damp tendrils of hair from her face. ‘What are you thinking, tesoro?’
Laura shook her head, her eyes still dazed. ‘I never dreamed that sex could be like that, Domenico.’
‘But it is not just sex for us,’ he said huskily. ‘It is my heart making love to your heart. Or is that too romantic for my practical Laura?’
She shook her head. ‘From anyone else it would be, but from you, no, Domenico.’
‘That is good. But do not talk of anyone else! You are mine.’ He kissed her possessively by way of emphasis. ‘And to show I can also be practical, what would you like to eat?’
‘That means you’re hungry, not practical!’
‘A man must eat,’ he said, and slid his hands behind her to unhook the bra she’d forgotten she was wearing. He tossed it aside and bent to kiss each hard little peak, but then drew back regretfully, shaking his head. ‘We must eat before we love again.’
‘And you can’t get more practical than that,’ she teased, revelling in Domenico’s reaction when she sat up and deliberately arched her back as she took the escaping pins from her hair.
‘The eating can be postponed,’ he warned, his eyes darkening, but when he reached for her she laughed and scooted across the broad bed to stand at the far side, shaking her hair down like a scarf to act as cover. ‘My Botticelli Venus!’ exclaimed Domenico, but Laura shook her head.
‘I’m real, not a painting, and I want a shower before we eat. Do you have a dressing gown I can borrow?’
Later, wrapped in white towelling robes provided by the hotel, they shared lobster and strawberries, drank a little of the celebration champagne Domenico had ordered and talked non-stop, telling each other everything that had happened in the time spent apart.
‘It is a pity you could not come to Venice,’ said Domenico, feeding Laura a strawberry. ‘My parents want so much to meet you.’
Her eyes widened. ‘Really?’
‘I have met with your mother,’ he pointed out.
‘I know, but—’
‘Does she like me?’
‘Well, yes, she does, but—’
‘And my parents will like you,’ he informed her. ‘They invite you to their house in Umbria next time you come.’
‘But, Domenico—’
‘You are very fond of this word ‘‘but’’,’ he said, and leaned over to kiss her. ‘I have told my parents about you, so naturally they wish to meet you.’
Laura e
yed him apprehensively. ‘What, exactly, have you told them?’
‘That I have met this beautiful young lady who looks like a princess from a fairy tale with her long golden hair, and who works in banking in London’s Docklands. They were most impressed, also very happy for me.’ He smiled wryly. ‘Since Alessa I have shown no interest in commitment, you understand.’
‘Commitment?’
‘Is it so frightening a word?’ He stroked a fingertip down her cheek. ‘I am very much in love with you, Laura. These stolen moments together are sweet but not enough for me. I want you in my life all the time.’
Laura’s mind went round in circles as she watched Domenico load the trolley and push it outside the door. What did he mean by ‘all the time’?
‘You do that very expertly,’ she commented as he rejoined her on the bed.
‘It is no surprise that I do. My father was a hard taskmaster. In vacations from college I worked in the hotel kitchens, carried luggage to rooms, waited on tables once I was considered fit to do so, acted as barman, receptionist.’ He threw out his hands. ‘I did not change beds or clean rooms, but otherwise I have done most things.’
She picked up one of the slim, beautiful hands. ‘Yet this looks as though it’s never done more than sign your name.’
He shrugged. ‘You may call it vanity, but it is a matter of pride for me to look as good as I can.’
‘Then you can understand my feelings when you surprised me in scruffy old clothes in the garden, with my hair hanging down!’
‘It is hanging down right now.’
‘That’s different.’
He frowned. ‘You are changing the subject, Laura. You do not want to be with me all the time?’
She sighed. ‘Yes, I do. But the cautious, practical side of me says we haven’t known each other long enough to make plans of that kind.’
Domenico raised her up against the stacked pillows and sat cross-legged, facing her. ‘So. How long must we know each other before you will come to me? Weeks, months? You are little more than a child, of course—’
‘I’m twenty-three!’
‘But I am thirty-four. Until I met you I did not miss a woman’s presence in my life. But now my apartment feels empty without you. So does my life.’ He moved nearer, his eyes intent on hers. ‘It is a waste of valuable time to spend so much of it apart, amore.’
‘I know, but it would be a very big step for me to take.’
‘You would be sad to leave your mother and sister,’ he said, nodding. ‘But Venice is not far. They could fly to see you as often as they wish.’
‘What sort of timescale do you have in mind?’
‘In January I usually take a skiing holiday.’ He smiled persuasively. ‘It can be our honeymoon.’
Laura’s eyes widened. ‘You mean you want to marry me?’
In one lithe movement Domenico was beside her. He took her in his arms, smiling into her startled eyes. ‘Is this so great a surprise? Should I have served a diamond ring with the lobster to convince you?’
She shook her head, smiling. ‘I’m surprised because you told me that Alessa had put you right off marriage.’
‘This was true. Then you came to Venice and changed my mind—and my heart!’
She kissed him fervently by way of thanks then frowned suddenly. ‘Are you a Catholic, Domenico?’
‘Yes, though not as devout as my mother would wish.’
‘Then this could be a problem.’
He shrugged. ‘I would not ask you to change your own faith, Laura, though our children would naturally be raised in mine.’
‘Whoa!’ she said breathlessly. ‘Not so fast. Let’s sort ourselves out before we go on to the subject of children.’
Domenico leaned back against the stacked pillows, holding Laura close. ‘Now we are comfortable to do this sorting out.’
‘First of all,’ she began, determined to be practical, ‘we haven’t known each other long.’
‘This may be a problem for you, amore, but it is not for me.’ He turned her face up to his to kiss her. ‘So what is the second problem?’
‘Your religion looks on marriage as permanent—no divorce allowed.’
‘Divorce will not be a problem for us,’ Domenico assured her. ‘Once you are my wife I will never let you go.’
Ninety per cent of Laura was thrilled to bits with this declaration. But ten per cent warned that it was only sensible to get to know each other better before burning her boats so finally. ‘I want very much to marry you one day, Domenico—’
‘But,’ he said, resigned. ‘You like this word too much,’ he said again.
She looked at him squarely. ‘If we rush things you might regret it, and feel trapped in a marriage you no longer want. And because we are both human and fallible and come from different cultures this might well happen—’
‘And we could both grow wings and fly to the moon, but none of this will happen,’ interrupted Domenico, and kissed her fiercely. ‘Do you love me?’
‘Yes, but—’
‘No more buts.’ He kissed her again. ‘Because I adore you, Laura mia, I will give you a little time to get used to the idea, but not too much. I am not a patient man.’
‘I noticed that the first time we met,’ she said dryly.
He smiled and threaded his hands through her hair. ‘I saw a young girl in a white sunhat and dark glasses which hid her face, and instead of recognising my fate felt only relief because the tourist I had been ordered to meet arrived on time.’
‘Ordered?’
‘Lorenzo can be very imperious! I was not pleased to take time from a very unpleasant situation to meet Fenella’s friend. But later that night, when I met you at Florian’s, I was very pleased indeed, and most grateful to my cousin,’ he assured her, and caressed her earlobe with the tip of his tongue.
She gave a little shiver and wriggled closer. ‘I certainly didn’t think you were my fate at Marco Polo, even if you were the best-looking man I’d ever met.’
‘You thought that?’ he said, delighted.
‘Oh, yes. And that was before I saw the eyes behind the sunglasses. Those baby blues of yours pack quite a punch, Domenico Chiesa!’
‘If they attracted you to me I thank God for it,’ he said fervently.
‘What was the situation that made you so impatient to get rid of me?’ she asked curiously.
‘A guest at the hotel had accused one of the cleaners of stealing a valuable ring, and I had to leave the problem unresolved to go to Marco Polo.’
‘Ah, I see. What happened when you got back?’
‘During my absence the guest had found her ring. Her husband was very embarrassed. He offered money to Anna, but with much dignity she refused.’
‘Good for her! Does she still work for you?’
‘Of course. She is very loyal.’
‘And she trusted you to be loyal to her?’
Domenico nodded gravely. ‘Trust yourself to me in the same way, amante, and I swear I will never give you cause to regret it.’
Laura put her arms round his neck. ‘If I do marry you—’
‘When you marry me,’ he corrected.
‘What will I do with myself? I’m used to working. You know I love your apartment, but I can’t just sit there all day twiddling my thumbs until you come home.’
‘If you wish you could work in the hotel with me.’ He smiled in sudden inspiration. ‘You can lighten my workload and be my very own personal assistant.’
‘Sounds tempting, but there’s a language problem, remember? I learnt a little Italian in school but I’m far from fluent,’ she warned, secretly rather thrilled with the idea.
‘You can take more lessons during this time that you are making me wait.’ Domenico drew her into his arms. ‘But I can teach you the most important words right now. Say after me. Ti amo, Domenico.’
‘Ti amo, Domenico,’ she repeated fervently. ‘Ti amo per sempre.’
Chapter Ten
AFTER a
lavish breakfast with Domenico next morning Laura made a proposition that surprised him.
‘It must cost an arm and a leg here,’ she said, refilling their coffee-cups. ‘How would you like to spend the rest of your stay in my flat? Think of the money it would save.’
Domenico’s eyebrows rose. ‘You would prefer this?’
‘Yes. How about you?’
He shrugged, smiling. ‘To be with you is all I desire, Laura—it matters little where we are. You wish to go now?’
‘Yes, because we need to go shopping for food. You don’t have to come with me for that,’ she added.
‘You know that I enjoy shopping with you, tesoro.’
‘But that was in Venice. You’ll find it a bit different in Bow!’
‘I will enjoy it just the same. But first give me the pleasure of watching you dress.’ Domenico smiled at her look of surprise. ‘I would consider this a great privilege.’
Laura found it oddly erotic to put on underwear, even the less provocative kind she normally wore, with Domenico’s eyes following the process. Her colour high, she put on a fresh white shirt and the tailored black trouser suit she’d worn to work the previous day. Her fingers were all thumbs as she coiled her hair up, but at last she did her face and slid her feet into her shoes. ‘There,’ she said. ‘Done.’
‘You wear these clothes to the bank?’ said Domenico, getting up.
‘Yes.’
‘Then now I understand why you are Ice Maiden.’ He raised her hand to his lips. ‘I think this severe look is very sexy, tesoro, and want to kiss much more than your hand. But if I do, this robe will shed its whiteness all over your suit.’
‘You could take it off,’ she said, then fended him off, laughing, as he promptly tossed the robe on the floor and snatched her in his arms. ‘No, Domenico, please, or I’ll have to start all over again.’
When the taxi deposited them outside Laura’s building later Domenico took their luggage into the lift and once the doors closed on them kissed her as though they’d been parted for months.
‘It is a whole hour since I did that,’ he said when they reached her floor.
‘We need to go shopping for food,’ Laura reminded him breathlessly, and Domenico frowned.
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