His lips closed over hers, seeking to lose himself in her body. He sought the edges of her mouth, gently nipping her with his teeth until she opened for him. Like a starved man, his tongue swept the inside of her mouth, plundering and receiving pleasure beyond his dreams. She returned his kiss with an equal passion of her own, stunning him with the intensity.
His hand reached down and tugged on her chemise. Finally, she broke from his kiss and reached between them and pulled the garment over her head. Her breasts were small, sweet melons that he eagerly placed his mouth on, tasting and squeezing them. "Your skin is like silk and your breasts are beautiful."
Eagerly he suckled her hardened nipple. She moaned a low, throaty noise as he untied the drawstring on her pantaloons and pushed them down.
Sunlight glistened on her wet skin and he sucked in his breath at the sight of her naked flesh. She was more than he'd ever imagined. Her body must have been crafted by the angels to leave a man aching with desire. Her tiny waist and rounded hips, her skin was white and soft as a newborn babe, her areolas a strawberry pink.
His hand sought and caressed her womanly apex. The honey of her arousal was warm against his fingers. She arched upward against his hand, seeking fulfillment. His Bella was so responsive to his touch, and he couldn't help but be eager to get inside her body.
Quickly, he shed his long johns and slid next to Bella's satin skin. He was strength and hardness; she was softness and silk.
They lay side by side, her breath a soft caress against his lips. He drank in the sight of her body next to his and felt intoxicated with desire. Taking her hand, he moved it down his body until her fingers rested on the stem of his passion.
Her fingertips ran over his maleness, touching the tip gingerly. He reached for the center of her as his fingers delved into her while she stroked him.
For every caress he gave Bella, she returned one, until Luca felt as if he were ablaze. Every time she touched him, the heat of his need flamed anew until he wasn't sure who consumed whom.
Finally, unable to stand the heat any longer, he rose above her on the quilt and urged her legs apart. Slowly he pressed into her womanly sheath, into her welcome heat, meeting the resistance of her maidenhead.
Knowing he was taking her virginity, he stared down at this tiny woman who had completely changed his world. Caro Dio in cielo, he loved this woman. Sometime over the last few weeks, he'd fallen in love with her.
Her hands clutched his back as he thrust into her, and she held onto him, giving as much as she received. Never before had he been given so much pleasure from a woman. Never before had his heart reacted to a woman's soft cries of passion. Never before had he seen such innocence and sweetness in a woman. His woman. His Bella.
Using every ounce of willpower he commanded, he was gentle and caring. With every ounce of strength, he withheld his own pleasure until he thought he would explode.
She was heaven and she was hell. Heaven in that he wanted this to last forever, hell because he knew that with each stroke he came closer to release. Came closer to losing control of both his body and his soul.
With a gasp of astonishment, she dug her nails into his back, clinging to him as she cried out his name. That was all Luca needed to send him over the edge. The sound of her crying out in pleasure sent him spiraling over the top, spilling his seed deep within her.
He collapsed, his mind whirling in a thousand directions. She had been tentative and shy with her caresses, but he had made her his in every sense of the word.
Bella's heart was overflowing with love. After they made love, they'd gone swimming naked in the river, kissing and loving on one another. Too quickly the sun had started to descend, cooling their overheated bodies. They knew it was time to go to dinner, but the afternoon had been magical. One Bella would never forget. They had dried each other off with the blanket and then dressed.
"I'm anxious to have dinner with your family," she said as the wagon pulled up in front of the house.
"Why?" he said turning to glance at her.
"I'm afraid they will see on my face the glow you've put in my cheeks and know how we spent the afternoon."
He smiled and caressed her face with his fingers. "Oh, Bella, there is a glow, but I think your skin was kissed by the sun today."
"And you," she said blushing.
He kissed the tip of her nose. "Come, we're already late."
He helped her from the wagon and then they hurried into the house.
"Ciao," he called as they walked through the door.
The house was a rustic farmhouse, but Bella could tell it was filled with love. They walked into a large room, a horsehair couch and a couple of rocking chairs centered around the fireplace. A table already set for dinner was in the corner close to an open doorway that Bella felt certain led to the kitchen.
It was not a large house, but it looked comfortable and homey. She thought of the mansion her parents lived in and realized their home had never had this feeling of warmth and family.
Cara stepped from the kitchen. "There you are. We were starting to get worried."
"Yes, I was showing her the vines and it took longer than I thought," Luca said, smiling warmly at Bella.
"Can I help you?" she said to Cara.
"Oh no, Papa has been helping me and we're just about ready." She grinned at her brother "You have a leaf in your hair," she said quietly and went back into the kitchen.
Bella's cheeks burned and she felt mortified as she watched Luca reach up and run his hands through his hair, shaking out the leaf that was entangled.
"I didn't see it," Bella whispered.
He laughed. "Oh, well. It could have blown in there."
Franco came out carrying a roasted chicken. "Ciao, Bella. I hope you're hungry."
She was starving. "Ciao, Franco, and I can't wait to eat. That smells delicious."
After the afternoon of swimming and lovemaking, she felt hungry and tired and she didn't want this day to end.
He grinned. "Sit. You will sit beside Luca."
"Ricci," Cara called. "Time to eat."
The youngest of the clan came bounding down the stairs. He was a much younger version of Luca and she smiled at the sight of him. "Hello."
"Hello," he said smiling at her. "You must be Bella."
"Yes, nice to meet you."
He nodded and then they all sat.
Franco said the evening prayer and then they began to pass the plate of chicken and salad. "What did you think of the vineyard."
"I think Luca is going to have a lot of work to do in the next few weeks."
His father smiled at him. "He's going to have the best wine in the country. People in town can enjoy a true Italian experience. Good bread, fine wine, and someday Cara will sell her wonderful cheese."
"Oh, Papa. You are biased," Cara said with a smile.
"No, it's good cheese," Bella said. "I enjoyed it very much at lunch today."
Cara gazed at the two of them. "I think you two look absolutely glowing. Is there something you need to tell us?"
Luca grinned at his sister and then his father, but didn't say anything.
"You know Papa has said all along that Bella was the girl for you. So he told you not to bother or distract her because she needed to focus on the bakery. I don't think you took his advice."
Luca laughed. "I took his advice. I've been doing my best to distract Bella."
A cold chill wound its way up Bella's spine. The time they had been spending together was not just to pull her away from the bakery was it?
Franco frowned and glanced at Bella. "We all want Bella to be successful with the bakery. That's why I said don't disturb her."
Tense Bella glanced at Luca. She could see he was starting to fiddle with this food like he felt uncomfortable.
"We have agreed not to talk about the bakery until the time when we determine when she's been successful or not," he said.
"Well, it appears that the two of you are spending a lot of ti
me away from the bakery together," Cara said.
Franco was frowning. "I told you to stay away from Bella, because I thought she needed time to learn the business, to build up her clientele. I would be happy if she was my daughter-in-law, but not until you decide the status of the bakery."
Bella was growing more and more bitter. Was Luca only spending time with her to get her focus off her dream? If so, she had fallen right into his hands, and in the process, she'd given him her heart.
"The status of the bakery is unchanged. I am selling it just as soon as her six weeks are up," he said not looking at her.
No matter how hard she worked or what she did, he was going to reach his goal and leave her searching for some new place to bake. Even if she could buy the bakery from him, she suddenly doubted he would sell it to her.
Suddenly everything she'd thought they had together seemed a lie. She'd fallen in love with a man who didn't want to see her succeed, but fail so his dream would be a great success.
The rest of the meal was a tense silence.
Luca was frowning at his sister and father, and Bella didn't say a word, her heart quietly breaking.
When they were finished, she turned to Luca. "It's getting late. You should take me back to town. I need to get back to the bakery."
He nodded as Cara began to clear the table.
"Thank you for the lovely dinner. It was delicious," she said as she walked toward the door.
She just wanted to escape, to get away from the tension in the room. She also wanted to talk to Luca. Had he been doing what his sister hinted at? Trying to court her away from the bakery and guarantee its demise?
Walking to the door, Franco came up behind her. "I will see you tomorrow, Bella."
"Yes, thanks for the dinner," she said and walked out the door. Why did she have the feeling that somehow his family had just ratted on Luca? And why was her heart hurting so badly at that thought? She knew she was in love with Luca, she'd given him her heart, but if he was trying to end her dreams, it would devastate her.
Luca glanced at Bella as they rode along in the buggy. She'd been quiet since they left the house, sitting rigidly beside him on the wagon, staring straight ahead. He hadn't been around that many women in his life, but he knew enough to know she must be angry.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Talk about what?" she asked.
"About why you're so upset."
"I'm trying to decide if I have a reason to be mad at you. Is it true?"
Luca was not going to admit to anything. "I don't understand why you're irritated. What do you think I've done?"
She turned on the seat and glared at him in the darkness, but he looked straight ahead.
He loved this woman and had planned on confessing his love to her tonight, but not if they were going to fight. And yet a part of him felt guilty. He had gone to the bakery to distract her. He knew for a fact, but instead she had gained his heart. If only his sister had kept her mouth shut, everything would have been just fine.
"Did you intend to distract me from my business? Is that why you've been coming to the bakery and kissing me and..." She looked away and he saw her swipe a tear from her eye.
He pulled the wagon up in front of the bakery and wrapped the reins around the brake handle with every intention of pulling her into his arms. He turned toward her and she scooted away from him. "Answer my question."
He bit down on his lip, not wanting to be honest with her, wishing he could lie, but knowing it was better to tell her the truth, even if it made her mad.
"Yes, originally I came hoping to keep you from making the bakery a success. But then, I kissed you and I haven't been able to stop thinking of you since the day we both had flour all over us. And after today, I..."
Why did it sound so feeble? Like he wasn't sincere. Like he'd just lied to her to steal her dream.
"You know the bakery is my dream. It means as much to me as your vineyard means to you. I love the baking and I want to be an independent woman who didn't need to marry a man for her wellbeing. After being at the vineyard, I thought you of all people would understand," she said softly. "And then tonight, I find you're just spending time with me to keep me from being a success, so you can have your dream."
"No, no, no. I have said all along I wanted to see you be a success."
Why did he feel like this was getting worse by the second?
"Just not my bakery. And how can I be a success without someplace to sell my goods?"
He licked his lips, knowing he'd done wrong and regretting his focus on trying to keep her from the bakery. Yet, it was the only way his vineyard would get the funding it needed.
"That's like saying I want your wine to be successful, but I hope your grapes aren't sweet," she said, shaking her head. "I thought we had something I've never felt before, but maybe not."
What had he done that was so awful? He'd not done anything to disparage her. He'd not harmed the bakery. He'd kissed her and taken her on several picnics and realized he was the biggest damn fool for even thinking of getting her away from her dream.
"Bella, I didn't do anything. It's not like I damaged the flour or yeast or even told people not to show up. I began our courtship with the idea of pulling you away from the bakery."
"And once I failed at the bakery, what were you going to do?" she asked looking into his dark eyes.
What could he say? He had thought that would be the end of it. They would never see each other again and he would walk away.
She would be sad the bakery closed and their courtship was over and he would go away unscathed. But he wasn't unscathed. He was frightened now that he was about to lose her and he didn't know how to answer her question without appearing cold and calculating, which he was realizing too late, he was.
She sighed. "You obviously don't want to answer that question." She held onto the wagon, swung her leg over and started climbing down. Quickly he jumped from the wagon, racing to her side, but by the time he got there, her feet were on the ground.
She gazed at him. "Today was magical, right up until your sister enlightened me, and I learned the truth. This is not going to work. I have indeed let you distract me. Give me the rest of my time at the bakery to find a new building and then we'll move out."
"No, Bella, I don't want us to end."
She turned and gazed sadly at him. "You should have thought about that when you decided to try to ruin my business. To end my dream.”
She hurried into the bakery, opening and closing the door. Locking it behind her.
Luca stood in the street, gazing at the lighted windows as she made her way to the back of the building. Blowing out the lantern, he felt like she'd just extinguished the fire in his soul. He was the stupidest man alive in the state of Texas.
Chapter 9
The next morning, Bella walked down into the bakery she had come to love. There was a quiet peacefulness about the shop this time of day she enjoyed puttering around in. This was when she tried new recipes. Tried to better old ones or just sat with a cup of coffee, watching the sun rise to the smell of freshly baking bread. The business was finally starting to make a profit, she was seeing repeat customers and now she had to start from scratch once again.
Callie came down the stairs. "There you are. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she said, though inside her heart was breaking. She loved Luca. Had given herself to him body and soul only to learn he was more interested in making certain the bakery failed than in her.
"Frankly, I think we should bake him a nice delicious prune pie. Fill it with enough castor oil that he would spend a lot of time either in the vineyard or in the outhouse."
This is what she loved about her friends. Last night they rallied around her, supporting her when the tears had fallen and she'd told them the truth. That no matter what they did, Luca would sell the bakery out from under them to obtain his dream.
Bella smiled. "I wish I could, but I can't do that to him. His father has been s
o kind to me. I should feel thankful that his sister accidentally revealed his true nature."
"You really think it was accidental?"
"Yes, I do because Franco was most unhappy and so was Luca."
The quietness of the table and the pained expressions on Luca’s and Franco's face last night made her believe that Cara had unwittingly said something she shouldn't. And thank God she had, or Bella would have been crushed when he told her to move out of the bakery.
"Do you think Franco was in on this?" Callie questioned.
"I don't think so."
Bella took a sip of coffee. "So now I need to start looking for us a new place to live and a new place to create a bakery. Or maybe I should just go home."
The thought of going to St. Louis wasn't as awful as it sounded yesterday. Maybe there, she could start a bakery. But then again, there her father would be furious she had a business and doing menial labor. She doubted he would ever understand that she baked because she loved the smell of yeast and the different aromas drifting out of the oven.
Callie shook her head. "Think long and hard before you decide to go home. You know we love you and want you here with us. But if you think you should go, I understand. When things get tough, it's hard being away from the ones we love."
"Ha, I get more love from you girls and Lu..." she trailed off. She couldn't use the two words in the same sentence and say them out loud because then everyone would realize she had fallen in love with the man. She would keep those words closely guarded.
She sighed. "We'll see. I haven't made my decision just yet. But the bakery is gone. I now realize we don't have a chance of keeping it."
"You look tired. Why don't you let me and Diamond cover the front today."
She thought about it for a moment. Then stopped to watch the sun rise, its rays lighting the sky. It was a new day. A new beginning. And she would rise up once again, just like she always did.
Wild Western Women Spring Into Love: A Western Historical Romance Box Set Page 32