by Sofia Tate
“Are you going to come up here any time soon?”
Just as I make a move toward her, she rises to her feet, flings her sunglasses to me, and gracefully dives into the sparkling blue water.
“Hey!” I shout.
Within seconds, she emerges from the waves, head bobbing, her silky cocoa-brown hair slicked back. “It was hot up there, Harvard. Maybe you should come and join me? It’s so…nice…and…cool,” she purrs, leaning back so her luscious tits tilt out from under the water, beckoning to me like a Muse out of The Odyssey.
“Don’t have to ask me twice,” I reply, putting her on notice.
I set her glasses on the leather seat, step up from the open cabin, and cannonball right into the water. I can hear her shouting, “You are such an ass, Berkeley!”
When I come up for air, a wave of water hits me smack in the face. “Jerk!”
“Watch it, baby,” I warn her.
“Bring it, Money Boy!”
Yeah. She just did that. She just called me by Luciana’s nickname for me.
“You asked for it, Orsini!” I warn her.
Before I know it, we are engaged in an all-out splash war. With each splash, I inch my way closer and closer to her.
“Get away, Davison! I’m still mad,” she informs me, though the tone of her voice is more playful than angry.
The force of her splashes begins to die out. When I finally reach her, she murmurs, “I said, get away from me.”
I smirk at her. Her eyes are blazing at me, not in fury, but desire.
She stays silent, our eyes fixed on each other as I reach around her and start to unhook her bikini top, which is not easy to do as I tread water. Once it comes away, I hurl the fabric up onto the boat, then wrap my arms around her.
Allegra links her arms around my neck and presses her tits into my chest.
I smile at her. “So I’m guessing I’m forgiven.”
“You’re quick, Harvard.”
She curls her legs around my waist, grasps the back of my head, and starts to kiss me long and deep. With one hand holding her back, I slide the other into her bikini bottom, searching for her pussy.
Allegra whimpers into my mouth audibly, and I know what that means by now with my goddess. She’s begging me not to stop.
I plunge my fingers into her wet cleft, working that sweet cunt of hers. When I brush across her clit, I rub it between the pads of my fingers as firmly as I can.
Allegra rips her mouth from mine, tilting her head back, pleading at the top of her lungs. “Fuck! Davison…”
Her soft body bucks against my torso. I watch in pure awe as her orgasm overcomes her, glorious in her release. I clamp my mouth on one of her tits, sucking it hard, prolonging the ecstasy for my Venus.
Her body shudders again. I smile as I listen to her moan, slowly returning her attention to me.
“You just finger fucked me in Lago di Como, Davison.”
“I know. I was there,” I smirk.
She kisses me quickly but softly. “Smart-ass. And now we should get back on the boat so we can fuck with you on top of me.”
“My goodness. Such naughty words coming from my goddess’s mouth.”
“Your point being?” she asks with an upturned eyebrow.
“Get your lovely ass into that boat, baby. We’ll fuck, and then we’ll have a late lunch in Switzerland.”
She smiles at me wickedly. “Hoist me up, Berkeley,” she orders.
I shake my head, smirking at the sound of her bossiness that I love so much. “At your service, Venus.”
* * *
The robust taste of my morning espresso gives me the jolt I need the next morning. Sitting in a chair on the balcony of our bedroom and wearing nothing but my boxers, I watch boats of various sizes pass by the villa on the lake. The sun beams down onto my chest, heating my skin.
I reach for my cell on the small bistro table and start to scroll through the pictures I took over the past seventy-two hours, mostly all of Allegra, with a few selfies of the both of us. The latest ones are from our day in Lugano. We spent the day sightseeing, eating, and shopping, ending it with a private boat tour of Lake Lugano, when I snapped a shot of her staring out at the water, a slight breeze lifting her hair, with a huge grin on her face. Everything I’ve done to get here, to see her that happy, is worth every penny I spent.
I also check my messages, and aside from a few e-mails from Eleanor at the office, there’s nothing I can’t handle from my current location. She reports that I haven’t received any strange calls, and there was no word from Ashton, so hopefully nothing will change between now and my return to Manhattan later today.
I check the time and realize I need to wake Allegra so we can pack up and get the villa in order before we drive back to Milan.
Stepping into the bedroom, my eyes take in the exquisite body of the woman in the king-sized canopied bed, lying on her back. The white cotton flat sheet covers her torso, but her sumptuous breasts are bared for me to see with their dusty-rose-colored nipples, making me hard at the exposed view of them.
I take a deep breath, reminding myself that as much as I hate it, I need to get her moving.
I sit down on the bed next to her and slowly start to run my fingertips along her breasts, ending as I circle the areolas. I can see goose bumps popping up along her skin as she starts to shiver, jerking her awake.
“Morning, baby,” I whisper.
“What time is it?” she mumbles.
“It’s almost ten.”
“Wonderful. I’m going back to sleep,” she announces as she pulls up the sheet to cover herself, turning on her side facing away from me.
I yank it back down. “Allegra, I have to get you back to La Diva’s today.”
“Tell her I changed my mind. I want to be a rock singer instead. I’m going to be the next Joan Jett,” she mutters, pulling the covers over her head.
I laugh at the image of her dressed in a red leather jumpsuit with an electric guitar strapped to her chest.
On the other hand…
I shake my head to get rid of the picture in my mind. Suddenly, I hear her start to sing the opening lines to “Bad Reputation,” muffled by the cotton fabric. I laugh to myself, struggling to focus.
“Yeah, right. As if you could ever pull that song off,” I remark dismissively.
“I can too,” she insists. “I’m hurt that you doubt my singing skills, Harvard.”
“Never. It’s just the lyrics that don’t suit your personality,” I reply to placate her. “Maybe ‘I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll’ or ‘Crimson and Clover.’ Now, that I’d pay good money to see.”
“I’ll keep that in mind for future reference,” she mumbles.
I sigh, tugging the sheet off her completely and pulling her off the bed. “Come on, woman! Let’s go!” I order her.
“What the hell?” she shouts back at me.
I scoop her up into my arms and carry her into the master bathroom, with her squirming and protesting the entire way. “Stop it, Davison! Put me down!” she shouts.
I finally reach the shower, setting her down and turning it on before she can get away from me.
As the hot water falls over us, she starts splashing me with it. “You are such a jerk, Berkeley!”
I counter with my own offensive, grabbing the handheld shower head and aiming it right at her. She puts her hands over her face, trying to shield herself from the onslaught of the water.
“Wow, you can dish it out, but you sure can’t take it, Orsini.” I laugh.
“Okay, okay, I give! Stop it, Davison!” she pleads.
Instead of placing the shower head back in its cradle, I tilt it upward into the apex of her legs. I watch in fascination as her eyes widen in shock, but then she silently steps back to lean against the wall, spreading her legs and smiling teasingly at me.
I step toward her and resume my position, but then she clamps her hand over mine and directs the water into her pussy, hitting her clit at the perfect angle because the next
thing I know, her eyes are rolling back with her head as she moans, “That’s it, Davison. Right fucking there.”
My cock is growing by the second as I see her arousal overcome her. I lean in to suck her breasts to heighten her excitement, slowly circling each nipple, letting it bob on the edge of my tongue.
“Kiss me,” she whispers as she pulls me to her, forcing me to drop the shower head and kick it behind me. She plunges her tongue into my mouth as I grab her by the nape of her neck, devouring her. Her nails dig into my back, the spray of the water soothing their bite in my skin.
I can’t stand it anymore. I have to be inside her.
I turn her around so her gorgeous ass is facing me. She instantly knows what I need from her. She widens her legs and pushes her hands into the wall so her backside is sticking up and out. I feel for the opening of her pussy, and when I find it, I shove my dick into her, listening to her gasp, “Ah…” in a mix of surprise and contentment.
With one word, my shaft swells to a thickness that fills her up. I begin to thrust into her, the sounds of flesh slapping against flesh and our moans bouncing off the three tiled walls and sheet of glass.
“Mine, Allegra. Never forget that. You. Are. Mine,” I grunt, pounding into her harder and harder to emphasize each word so she remembers when I’m away from her.
“Never, Davison,” she shouts to the ceiling. “I am yours.”
Our bodies and groans unite, climaxing and shuddering simultaneously as I come into her. Her arms fall from the wall as she spins to me, yanking me to her, planting a deep kiss on my mouth.
She pulls back and smiles widely at me. “Now we can leave, Harvard.”
* * *
I stare at the tall, lanky kid standing in front of me, because that’s what he is. A kid.
Are you fucking kidding me?
This is the guy who she dated on and off for four years?
He’s a total slacker. Dark hair that falls into his face like a sheepdog, jeans, and Chucks on his feet. And he’s being too friendly with my girlfriend, making me more agitated by the second.
This guy, Matteo, just happened to be in the foyer of La Diva’s home when we arrived after our drive from Lake Como, which I thought was a little too convenient. He has a messenger bag slung over his shoulder, heading out somewhere by the looks of it.
“Hey, Allegra,” he greets her in a familiar tone that sets my blood boiling.
“Hi, Matteo,” she replies quietly.
“Glad you’re back.” He smiles at her, to my disgust. “Did you have a nice time?”
“Very,” she answers, gripping my hand tighter. “This is my boyfriend, Davison Berkeley.”
That’s right, asshole. Boyfriend. Her boyfriend.
Slacker runs his hand through his hair nervously before stretching it out to me in greeting. “Hi. It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Good. As well you should have. So hopefully that means you won’t make a move on my girlfriend.
“We had a relaxing break in Lago di Como. Lots of eating, drinking, and rest,” I happily inform him. “But it won’t be long until she’s back in New York and moving in with me.”
In other words—hands off, Mr. Hipster.
Suddenly, my hand is being tightened in Allegra’s grip, threatening my circulation. I know I just pissed her off, but I don’t care. I’m staking my damn claim.
He looks surprised. “Oh, that’s nice. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” I tell him with as much civility as I can muster.
“Well…umm…I’d better get going. I need to run some errands for my aunt,” he stammers. “It was nice to meet you, Mr. Berkeley. I’ll see you later, Allegra.”
“See you, Matteo,” she calls after him.
“Great to meet you,” I add on.
Once he’s out of sight, Allegra turns to me. “What the hell was that, Davison? I’m not moving in with you—not any time soon, anyway.”
“You’re my girlfriend, Allegra!” I snap back at her. “It was a warning to him not to touch you.”
“We’re just friends. And I can take care of myself. Surely you know that by now?”
I sigh, taking a deep breath. “Yes, baby, of course I do. But I worry when I’m not with you, especially when you’re so far away.”
She cups my face with her soft hands. “It’s just another seven days, Harvard. I’ll be home before you know it.”
“Might as well be ninety-seven days. It’s still too long as far as I’m concerned. But I’m so proud that you’re here and learning so much.”
“I am, and that’s the only reason I’m here and away from you,” she reassures me.
“I know.” I check my watch. “I hate to do this, but I’d better go.”
“Okay,” she whispers, dropping her hands to wrap her arms around me. “I can’t tell you how much the past three days have meant to me.”
My heart starts melting when I hear the catch in her voice. “I know how much, because they meant the same to me.”
I pull back and kiss her, deep and long. Her mouth is warm, her tongue twisting with mine. When I hear her moan, I harden, but I know I have to stop or I’ll never be able to leave.
We stop and stare at each other, no words necessary, except for three, which I say to her first.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Davison,” she says, leaning her forehead on mine.
We stay like that for a few more minutes, then I plant one last kiss on her lips and turn for the door. Before I climb into the Lamborghini, I look back at her standing on the front steps. I give her a wave and blow her a kiss, which she reciprocates.
I gun the engine as I head down the long driveway, my hands wearing the driving gloves that brought Allegra and me together. I take a deep breath.
Seven more days. Just seven more fucking days.
* * *
Allegra
“Alli!”
I hear Lucy’s voice booming down the hallway in my apartment. The contents of my suitcase are strewn all over my bed as I’m unpacking, having arrived only two hours ago.
“In here!”
Within seconds, she appears in the doorway. “Hey, stranger! Welcome home!” she shouts, giving me a tight hug.
“Thanks. I’ve got some amaretto cookies and Perugina chocolates for you somewhere in this mess,” I inform her, gesturing to my bed.
“No worries. So, all in all, is La Diva everything I’ve heard she is?”
“And then some. She gave me the courage to apply for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.”
Her eyes widen. “You totally should. With your apprenticeship on your résumé and your incredible voice, you’d be a shoo-in to make it all the way to the finals. Could you imagine if you actually won one of the spots? It would totally launch your career.”
“You should apply with me so we could go through it together,” I suggest, hoping she will so I don’t have to go through the audition process alone.
She shakes her head. “Nah. Too soon. I’m having too much fun with Tomas at the moment. Maybe I’ll take a year off and just travel or something. He’s been talking about taking me back to Prague to meet his family.”
I rear back in surprise. “Wow, that’s huge. Are you ready for that?”
“Why do you think I’m making him teach me Czech every chance I get? I already know the important words, like how to say ‘harder,’ ‘faster,’ ‘suck’…”
I hold up my hand, palm facing out to her. “Okay, got it, thanks.”
“So, how did you end things with Matteo?”
While I was in Italy, I’d e-mailed Lucy about him being there and the pass he made at me.
“I told him we could be friends, but nothing more than that. He gave me his phone number and e-mail address, but I didn’t give him mine.”
“Good move,” she replies.
“I know. Davison got all territorial and possessive the second they met.”
; “Wish I could’ve been a fly on the wall for that. But you know he only acts like that because he loves you.”
I sigh. “I know. And as annoying as it can be, I do love it,” I admit.
Lucy glances at the clock on my nightstand. “Shit, I have to run. I’m meeting Tomas for lunch in Queens. He’s giving me an introduction to Czech cuisine. So just give me my cookies and chocolates and nobody will get hurt.”
I laugh aloud as I rummage through the souvenirs, finally handing Lucy her gifts.
She gives me a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, sweetie. When you want to start practicing for the auditions, let me know.”
“Will do. Now go learn some Czech other than Don’t stop.”
“Nepřestávej,” she shouts over her shoulder as she walks out.
* * *
The next night, I’m back at work. Le Bistro is busy as ever, especially now that it’s summer and the outdoor seating area is open. The staff greeted me warmly when I walked in, and I quickly got back into the swing of things.
A well-dressed man in a blue suit who looks to be in his forties approaches me at the coat-check door. “Forgive me, but I think I might’ve misplaced my wallet. You wouldn’t have happened to find it, would you?” he asks politely.
“Let me check, sir. This is my first night back.”
I pull down the Lost and Found shoe box, but no wallet is inside.
“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t find anything,” I report back to him when I return.
“That’s all right. By the way, how’s your boyfriend?”
My defenses immediately go up, and I go into protective mode. “Sir?”
“Davison Berkeley. I saw you once in the Post with him. And his father, Hartwell. He’s doing well, I hope?”
“They’re both fine, thank you.” Chills start running up and down my arms. Something’s up with this guy. “If you don’t mind, it’s my first night back, like I said, and I need to organize the space.”
He gives me a small grin. “Certainly. Have a good evening.”
I watch him exit the restaurant, and through the huge window that looks out onto the street, I see him get into a cab.
If he didn’t have his wallet, he couldn’t take a cab.