by A. m Madden
His warm large hands elicited goose bumps to break out all over my skin as he skimmed them down my thighs to remove my jeans. Leaving me in my pale blue bikini panties, he stood back a step to admire me.
“You’re so beautiful.” I never saw myself that way. Cute, yes, but not beautiful… especially the last year of my life. Yet, hearing him say that to me, and it wasn’t the first time he had, I believed him. Standing before this god of a man, I felt adequate to be with him.
With Dillon, I never felt popular enough, confident enough, or pretty enough beside him. I always felt, if given the opportunity, someone else would catch his attention. How so very right I was, and thinking back it now seemed so obvious.
I just hoped I was enough for Luca.
Luca
Goddamn, this woman called to me like no woman ever had. What was it about Sabrina that pulled me toward her?
My eyes feasted on her smooth pale skin, the way her perky breasts sat high on her chest, the way her slight belly and hips screamed all woman. She bit on her bottom lip as my eyes continued to devour her.
“Talk to me,” I demanded in a gruff voice.
“I haven’t been with a man this way since Dillon.” I watched her raise her chin with a defiant determination. My heart sunk at the notion that she wasn’t ready, but when I went to speak she lifted her hand to stop me. “I’m so glad it’s you, Luca.”
A surge of concern took over. This woman just offered me her vulnerable heart. By letting me into her life, her son’s life, the responsibility should have sent me running.
Inexplicably, it did the reverse.
I stepped closer and lifted her into my arms. An unspoken agreement passed between us as I stared into her eyes. A slight nod encouraged me, her hand on my chest spurred me on, but it was her simple statement a few seconds ago that sealed my purpose. This woman needed to be doted on, worshiped, and I was just the man to do that.
The smooth comforter felt cool beneath my overheated flesh as I laid her down beside me in the center of her bed. She moved her hand from my chest to my jaw, leaned in, and kissed my lips.
With that simple kiss, my self-restraint cracked and released all my pent-up desire. The kissing and touching that had happened between us up until that moment paled in comparison to where I wanted to go. Never breaking the connection between our lips, I caressed her skin from shoulder to breast. Palming its weight in my hand, I could feel her nipple harden each time I squeezed.
Like a bee to honey, my tongue savored her sweetness. Circling the sensitive area, before pulling a pebbled nipple in between my lips, caused her to push it further into my mouth. From left to right and back again, I gave both sides of her equal pleasure.
A light gentle scrape of her nails on my scalp created a carnal reaction. My nips became forceful sucks, my grip tightened, squeezing her firm flesh while I continued to pleasure her. I skated my hand along her torso until I felt smooth satin.
Pulling back, I looped my fingers into the waistband of her underwear. “Lift.” When her hips rose, I slid them down her toned legs until I flicked them to the floor. “Stunning.”
As much as I wanted inside this woman, I needed to take my time. Rushing our first time would be wrong on so many levels. Her thighs parted exposing her perfect pink flesh. I licked my lips at the memory of what she tasted like, but this time when she came, I wanted it to be around my cock.
A slight tremble of her thighs brought a smile to my lips. Sabrina wanted this as much as I did. Her impatience, desire, and need were evident in each subtle movement. Not wanting to wait a second longer, I slid one finger up and down her slick wet heat. Glancing up, her pretty eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted to release every audible breath.
“Fuck. My condom is in my wallet in the other room.”
“Closet.” She lifted her arm and blindly pointed toward the wall. “There’s a Jimmy Choo shoe box in there.” Dumbfounded, I stared at her until she opened her eyes. “Becky gave me a get over a cheater gift. It’ll have what you need… and then some.” Her face flushed. “On second thought, maybe you should go get yours.”
“No way, you’ve intrigued me.” Even though I was wasting time, I couldn’t wait to see exactly what she was talking about.
Sliding the door open, I found the box on the top shelf. There was a surprising weight to it, Flipping the lid off, I studied the contents that were more like something Vanessa would have, not innocent Sabrina. Taking inventory, I said, “A blindfold, handcuffs, a dildo, lube, batteries…” Sabrina’s face was now shielded by her hands. “And finally, a sealed box of gold medal standard, lambskin condoms of champions… ribbed for her pleasure… and yours.”
A muffled, “Oh my God!” echoed behind her hands. She peeked through her fingers as though she was watching a horror movie. “Becky gave that to me months ago.”
“Remind me to thank her.”
Sabrina propped herself up on her elbows. Rather than embarrassment flashing in her eyes, I saw desire. She smiled. “I don’t need any of those artificial stimulators… I have you.” Little did she know what those words just did to me. “I think I’ll be regifting them back to Becky for her birthday.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Not waiting a second longer, I opened the box, ripped the foil packet, and sheathed myself before kneeling between her legs. Her knees dropped to either side as an open invitation. Positioning the head of my dick at her entrance, I leaned forward, laced our fingers together above her head, and pushed into her.
Tight warmth encased me as I rocked back and forth. I had a feeling making love to her would come more naturally than just fucking because nothing we had experienced thus far could be considered anything less.
Our bodies moved in unison; my lips dusted kisses on different parts of her face down to her slender neck with each thrust. There wasn’t one part of me I didn’t want connected to her. Sabrina’s fingers clutched my hands tighter the closer she came to her climax.
The need to memorize her expression compelled me to study her. Holding our visual connection, while our hips moved faster searching for that euphoric moment, I watched her lashes flutter before her lids slid shut.
“Open your eyes, Sabrina… watch me.”
I wasn’t sure if it was my command that caused her to come, but feeling her tighten around me, unleashed my own release. We kept our eyes trained on each other, riding out our peak together.
When our muscles relaxed, I cupped her face and brought my lips toward hers. Just as I expected, this was more than sex. It was as if our souls and heart merged as easily as our bodies had. Every part of this experience with her wasn’t anything I had felt before, and I could easily become addicted.
She continued to stare into my eyes. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking you’ve become my addiction.”
Chapter 18
Sabrina
Sun peeked into my room alerting me it was morning before my alarm clock did. Heat radiated off the naked body next to me. I quietly rolled to my side to face him. His soft brown hair was wavy and messy in the best bed hair way ever. The ends of his long dark eyelashes curled up in the slightest way.
Light scruff lined his jaw and peppered his face. Part of me wanted to reach down and touch it, but I also didn’t want to wake him. Not when I could take my time and study him. His cross shifted while he slept and now rested on his collarbone.
My eyes raked down his smooth taut skin that covered his muscular chest and torso to that delicious V that women lost their minds over. I’d never been with a man who had such a defined physique, and seeing one in person, I now understood.
The white bedsheet laid just low enough for me to enjoy his pleasure trail, and just high enough to cover the part of him that brought me to such heights last night. Becky would tell me how white spots would dance under her eyelids, and how she could be transported while having an orgasm. I used to think she was exaggerating, but after last night, I now understood.
&nbs
p; Not wanting to take a chance of getting caught, I made sure he was still sleeping. Eyes closed, steady breaths, peaceful expression—perfect. I bit the corner of my bottom lip, very gently took the white sheet between my fingers, and lifted to play a bit of peek-a-boo.
My brain scolded me to look away while my eyes chanted don’t you dare. Needless to say, my eyes won. I swallowed the sigh that was on the tip of my tongue and just stared in grand appreciation.
“Good morning.” His deep voice caught me off guard. Despite that, I didn’t lower the sheet. Why bother? I was busted anyway. “See something you like?”
My brain quipped, told you so. Regaining my composure, I summoned the confidence I had last night. “As a matter of fact, yes.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” He sat up and tugged me to nestle against him while resting his hand on my bare ass. With his other hand, he pushed the hair off my forehead before kissing it gently. “For the record, I see something I like as well.”
“You do?” A funny expression crossed over his face.
“Why do you doubt me, Sabrina? You’re a beautiful woman.”
I wanted to say, no one has ever called me that before. And, it wasn’t that I needed constant reassurance and compliments. Actually, I was used to not getting them. On occasion, Dillon would appreciate a dress I wore or if my hair was styled the way he liked it. The way Luca doled out the flattery supported the type of man he was. Sure, Luca was stunning, and his confidence made him even more attractive. But now, having gotten to know him a bit, I felt his romantic side was what made him even sexier.
“Sabrina,” he prompted.
“I don’t feel beautiful sometimes. Dark circles and stretch marks will do that to a woman.”
He pushed me onto my back, hovering above me. A mixture of anger and disbelief altered his handsome face. I expected words to discredit my insecurities, but instead I got actions. Luca kissed my neck, moved down to my breast kissing each in turn, and then to my stretch marks to place kiss after sweet kiss over them. The kisses weren’t sexual or erotic, but they still caused an immediate response in my body. If he took those kisses any further, it would be impossible to stop him.
His devious grin revealed just what ran through his mind. “Luca, can you hold that thought? I’d love to stay and play all day, but I need to shower and get ready for work.”
He dropped his head onto my belly and groaned. “I can join you and wash your back.”
God, I hated that I had to adult today. “I’ll never make it to the salon on time if you do. Raincheck?”
“Fine.” Moving back up to come face to face with me, he placed a chaste kiss on my lips before resuming his position on his back. “I’ll make coffee, you get dressed, and I’ll drive you to work.”
“That would be great, thank you.”
I eased away from him and out of bed. My gut instinct was to tug the sheet off the bed to expose him while covering myself up. For some reason, feeling his penetrating gaze, and remembering his words a minute ago, emboldened me to walk around my room collecting clothes all while he stared without apology. “You’re making this very hard for me, Sabrina,” he said with a smirk.
“Sorry.” I had to control my expression at seeing just how hard it was for him. But if I went anywhere near that bed, I’d never get to work. So instead, I smiled coyly before darting down the hall toward the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later, I stood in my kitchen watching Luca cooking at my stove while shirtless, barefoot, and in his dark jeans. Damn, he was perfect. His hair still stuck up in places from sleep. The way the denim hung low on his hips revealing nothing but skin meant he was commando.
He turned his head when he spotted me. “I hope you like eggs, because I’m making you a breakfast sandwich. I wasn’t sure how much time you had, so if you need to take it with you, you can.”
“You made me breakfast?” He let out a laugh and probably thought, duh! But, in all fairness, I couldn’t remember the last time someone made me breakfast. Aside from Mikey pouring me a bowl of cereal, that was it. “I have enough time to eat here, thank you.”
The egg flipped in the air with a flick of his wrist. “Cheese?”
“Yes, please.”
In no time at all, I had a breakfast sandwich sitting on the plate in front of me worthy of being photographed for a restaurant’s menu. “I would’ve poured your coffee, but I didn’t know how you took it.”
“Black.”
“Great, that will be easy to remember for next time.” He winked and sat down next to me.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
“I will later. After I drop you off, I’m going to the gym.” He patted his bare stomach, giving my eyes an excuse to ogle a bit. “I need to keep in shape since my girl likes what she sees.”
His girl.
Damn, I could get used to this.
The sandwich tasted even better than it looked. I covered my mouth with my free hand and said, “Thith ith tho good.” He chuckled as I swallowed and tried again. “Sorry. It’s delicious.” It truly was, and I appreciated the second bite more than the first.
“I’m glad you like it. I have a couple of other culinary tricks up my sleeve.”
This time I swallowed my mouthful before I spoke. “I remember you telling me you learned from your mom. What’s your specialty?”
“You’ll have to wait and see,” he said matter-of-factly. “Speaking of, what time will you be done today?”
“My last client is at three.”
He leaned over and ran his thumb over the corner of my mouth in such a casual way while having no clue my heart pounded over the gesture. “Can you meet me at Greenmarket?”
“On First Avenue?”
“Yes. It’s a short walk for you. We can shop for our dinner ingredients together. It’s supposed to be a nice day.”
My brain quickly ran through a scenario that could happen tonight—a romantic dinner after which Luca made love to me all night in his bed. There was one huge problem with that wonderful chain of events, I had to drive to Queens in the morning to celebrate Easter with my family.
“What?” he asked, picking up on my dilemma.
“Nothing. I just need to be at my parents’ house fairly early tomorrow.”
“Okay, so I’ll drive you back to your apartment.”
Shit, I couldn’t believe I assumed he’d ask me to spend the night. While internally chastising myself, he took my hand in his and flipped it over to kiss my palm. “Sabrina, what is running through that head of yours?”
“Nothing,” I repeated. “Thank you again for a great morning… and night.”
A slow, sexy smile lifted the corners of his lips. “You can thank me properly later.”
I finished my breakfast and stood to place my dish and mug in the sink. “I’ll do this, go get ready.” As Luca began washing, he added, “Pack a bag.” His words halted me in my tracks. Sensing my confusion, he turned off the water, wiped his hands on a dishtowel, and walked over to where I stood in the doorway. Chocolate brown eyes searched my facial expression, “Did you think I was driving you home in the middle of the night?”
“No…” I shrugged at the way he quirked a brow in challenge. “Fine, yes. I wasn’t sure.”
“Well, now you are.” After placing a chaste kiss on my lips and a firm slap on my ass, he pushed me toward my room and said, “Chop… chop.”
Luca had me at work fifteen minutes early. He double parked in front of the salon and twisted in his seat. “Meet me at the entrance of the market.”
“I will.” My eyes cut toward my overnight bag that sat on the back seat. “I can’t wait for tonight.”
He placed a hand on the back of my head and pulled me toward him. “Me, too.” I felt his fingers tighten over my hair just as his firm lips met mine. It wasn’t a quick peck by any means. Luca was about to send me off with desire coursing through every part of my body.
He dipped his tongue inside and coaxed mine into his own mouth. I fol
lowed his lead to continue the erotic dance he initiated. His other hand held my face as he deepened the kiss between us and sucked on my tongue.
An immediate shot of electricity traveled from my mouth and ended between my legs.
Luca pulled away with a groan. “Go, before I drive us right to my place.” Based on the condition he had just worked me up to, I couldn’t guarantee I’d argue if he did. “Have a good day, dear,” he said as I let myself out of the car. Giving him a brilliant smile, I blew him a kiss and dashed into the salon.
Three steps in, and I came face to face with a grinning Becky. “Holy hell.” Ignoring her, I walked around where she stood with hands on her hips toward my station. “Hey, missy. Spill it.”
“There’s nothing to spill.” I figured I had about three minutes before she’d beat the information out of me. With her eyes trained on my back, I removed my tools from my work bag to place them on my counter. None of the other stylists were due to arrive until ten. Becky opened the salon an hour earlier for me on the Saturdays that I worked. “Coffee is up?” I asked, walking myself to the break room to grab a cup.
She was right on my heels, zipped around my body, and planted herself at the entrance of the small kitchen at the back of the salon. “You walked out of here last night after doing Mrs. Brennan’s clown do. And today you sit in front of my place of business sucking face with that hot Italian. So, you have two choices. You either tell me what went down between Mrs. Brennan and now, or I’ll go full stalker mode and ask him myself.”
I knew she’d make due on her threat. The woman was relentless when she wanted info. “Fine,” I conceded. “Let me get my coffee, call Mikey to say good morning, and then I’ll tell you what happened.”
She tapped her wristwatch and released an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. But not the abridged version.”
“Yes, the abridged version.” I pushed her aside to get to the caffeine I desperately needed from a second cup. “I haven’t been with a man since Dillon. There is no way I’m telling you every detail.” I carried my cup to my chair and sat with a huff.