by Sue MacKay
‘Hmm.’ Someone cleared their throat behind her and she leapt back, away from that mouth, from those slumberous eyes suddenly sparking into amusement.
Mattia straightened and looked over her shoulder. ‘Hello, Jeremy. I don’t believe you’ve met Elene. She’s been putting in hours at the unit. Elene, this is Colleen’s husband, Jeremy.’ His hand caught her elbow, drew her closer to him.
‘Hello, Elene. Colleen’s mentioned you, but have to say I wasn’t expecting to meet you here this morning.’ He really meant as in kissing Mattia, surely?
With Mattia’s hand supporting her Elene didn’t feel awkward. Having him at her side made her feel special and cared for. ‘I’m about to change out of this uniform and disappear back to the unit.’
Mattia’s grip tightened. ‘Why don’t we get breakfast before clocking on at our respective wards?’
‘Sounds good to me.’ More than good. This was starting to feel like a relationship, even if only friends. ‘Give me five minutes.’ Actually, friends didn’t cut it. They’d kissed again. Mattia had moved past friend category. She just didn’t know which one to put him in next.
* * *
Mattia watched Elene haul her slouched body out of the room like she was lost.
‘I hear she’s a great nurse and a lovely lady.’
Mattia shrugged casually. ‘All of that.’ And some. But he wasn’t saying. Of course he shouldn’t have kissed her, but he was a man, and Elene was beautiful and womanly, and in need of comforting. Jamming his hands into his pockets, he nodded at Jeremy. ‘See you around.’
Jeremy might think twice before reporting what he’d interrupted to his colleagues, but Colleen would know before the day was over. It couldn’t be helped. Besides, kissing Elene under any circumstances was the perfect start to his day.
Once in clean clothes, he sauntered out to the corridor to wait for her. He could get used to this. What? He stopped, stared around. Everything was how it always was. He was in Sorrento, soon to be at the hospital where he spent most of his days. He hadn’t had a brain aberration. So how did he explain the fact he enjoyed waking to Elene in his house, to working alongside her on occasion, to sharing meals? Turn around, head to the ward early, forget you offered breakfast.
Elene appeared further along the corridor, that sadness still lurking in her stance despite that kiss. He began moving in her direction. He would not go back on his invitation. He wanted to spend time with Elene. Whatever the future brought as far as how he managed full-time parenthood while keeping Elene around, it could only be a plus if they were getting along. Nothing to do with the heat simmering in his veins.
Dressed in those fitted shorts and the sleeveless blouse she wore every second day, Elene looked stunning. His heart flapped around like a stranded fish, unable to behave sensibly. Below his belt things were stirring. This is Elene, someone you have to convince to move here permanently, not take to bed.
Tell that to his lower regions. The fact was that from the moment he’d seen her outside his office the day she’d arrived in Sorrento he hadn’t been able to put her back in the box labelled ‘snippy annoying female.’
But how was a man to resist those curves, that swell of her breasts, the full lips that his imagination had tripping over his skin? When Elene looked over at him her green gaze whispered across him, lifted bumps on his arms and further tightened his manhood. He fell deep into that labyrinth, unable to fight the attraction, knowing he was on a hiding to nowhere and still wanting to go there. Time to do something about gaining control while he still could.
‘Sorry, but I can’t make breakfast. I’ve got an emergency with one of yesterday’s patients,’ he lied before abruptly heading away, unable to watch disappointment overtaking the sadness in her face. Sorry, sorry, but someone has to look out for my heart, and the only person available right now is me.
Damn Elene. She’d done this. It was all her fault he’d begun falling for her, had started wanting the whole happy family, cosy home scenario. Her fault. Not his. Not when he’d locked away those expectations long ago. Even after he’d come close to kissing her in Wellington he’d managed to stay focused. He was doing perfectly well on his own, without having anyone special to love. His extended family supplied all the love he needed. Or so he’d thought until the advent of Elene Lowe, non-snippy version. And his daughter. They were a package. He could not sever one from the other. It wouldn’t be right, nor fair. Nor did he want to. They went hand in hand, and it would be perfect if he could add his hand to that mix.
It wasn’t going to happen. While Elene hadn’t shown signs of wanting to set up house with him so that she could live in the lap of luxury, he’d been duped before, no longer trusted his judgement completely. Only time would allow him to work through this, and time wasn’t available. Aimee needed structure in her life, plus security and unbridled love. Aimee needed him to make up his mind—should he carry on living in Sorrento and convince Elene to join him on a platonic footing, or move to Wellington and start over on the career ladder, set aside the charity for someone else to run? Except the charity was no longer the important issue in his life now. He had a daughter.
He and Elene needed to sit down over a meal and talk, make plans, bring this indecision to an end. This weekend.
The next morning Elene bought two coffees on the way to the unit.
‘Gino’s still feeling sorry for himself,’ Colleen told her, flipping the lid off her take-away cup to let the coffee cool. ‘I’m sure that won’t stop you getting him on the move.’
‘Slowly, slowly, today. Mattia said to stay with the walking frame for now.’ That man knew how to wind her up. Yesterday he’d been so understanding and then that kiss. Her cheeks flamed. Then he’d cancelled breakfast. There hadn’t been an emergency. How he’d thought she wouldn’t find out was beyond her. Colleen had talked to him on the phone ten minutes into their shift. He’d gone from kissing her to suggesting breakfast to walking away on a lie. Last night he hadn’t come home until nearly midnight, missing out on goodnight kisses with Aimee. She’d been in bed, reading because sleep was elusive. The temptation to rush out and confront him had been strong, but she’d managed to stay put and hold onto the words that might set them back.
‘Jeremy says Mica’s been asking for you,’ Colleen said with a grin on her face.
Obviously that wasn’t all Jeremy had told his wife. Elene wasn’t taking up the gauntlet. ‘I’ll drop in to say hello when I’ve finished here.’ Mica had been transferred and slowly recovering. Baby was still in utero and under constant monitoring.
Colleen only grinned more. ‘Whatever.’
‘Right. On with the day.’ She was bursting to talk to someone about Mattia and the mess they were in but Colleen, lovely as she was, wasn’t the right person when she worked with Mattia. If only she had time to call home. But there was no such thing as a short conversation with her sisters. Anyway, she didn’t want short; she needed deep and long—with answers that’d soothe her stress levels, and there wasn’t time.
Digging out her phone to check for messages, just in case Mattia had grovelled for forgiveness, she gasped. Not Mattia, but there was a message from Maria Ricco. She had to be seeing things. But no—the name Maria Ricco flashed at her. Was she calling to say Don’t go near my son, you’re poison? Elene wouldn’t put it past her after that interrogation on Sunday. Though they had been talking on more friendly terms by the time she and Mattia had left for Sorrento. Only one way to find out. Elene pressed return and held the phone to her ear.
It only rang once. ‘Elene, thank you for calling me back. I know you’re at work so I wasn’t sure if you’d see I’d tried to get hold of you.’
‘I’m about to start. Were you trying to get hold of Mattia?’ The moment she asked she knew she couldn’t be further from the truth. Maria would have every number Mattia possessed.
‘I wanted to talk to you.’ Ther
e was a laden pause. ‘I’ll start again. Would you let me come down and spend time with Aimee today? I won’t take her away from the house. It’s just that, well, she’s my granddaughter and I’d like to get to know her.’
Elene sank onto a chair. Here we go. It’d started. The family getting close to Aimee. But that was good, it was right, and she couldn’t deny the request. Where did it leave her? Being selfish. This is about Aimee, not me.
‘I’d understand if you’d prefer to be there at the same time. In case she gets upset.’ The self-doubt in Maria’s voice tugged at Elene. This woman wasn’t as tough as she’d made out.
Drawing a breath, Elene said, ‘Aimee rarely gets upset, and I’m sure you can cheer her up if she does.’
‘Does that mean you’ll let me visit?’ Hope replaced the doubt.
‘I would never stop you. You’re her nonna.’
‘Thank you, Elene. I was thinking I could stay on so you and Mattia can go out for dinner. Alone,’ she added with a tight laugh.
‘You think Mattia and I should go out together?’ Elene blurted. This woman had been a tigress on her son’s behalf and now she was suggesting they go on a date? ‘I think you’ve got the wrong idea about how well we get on.’
‘Have I, though?’
‘Yes, definitely.’
Or did Maria have a point? When they’d been caught kissing, Mattia hadn’t been ashamed or embarrassed, and had stood by her when Jeremy turned up.
‘You need some time together. I’ll see you later.’
Back to that strong woman who spoke her mind. But Elene had seen another side to her now. Maria and her son had a lot in common.
Elene found herself smiling. ‘I look forward to catching up.’ She surprised herself by meaning it.
Texting the news to Mattia, she wondered if he’d bother to answer, if he had time that was.
Ping.
That’s great. Would you like to go out to dinner tonight?
He had to be between operations.
Ah, hello? You’ve got over your snit? Not wanting to play the role of injured party, she answered him.
Definitely. We’ve got babysitters.
We’re sounding like an ordinary couple. X
A kiss? Mattia had sent her a kiss?
Aren’t we just?
Her finger hovered over the X key. What the hell? She liked his kisses, those of the touching, feeling kind.
X
Then she went to see how Gino was getting on.
CHAPTER NINE
MATTIA PRESUMED DINNER was superb, because he’d eaten at the Tyrrhenian Hotel before and not been able to fault the food or service. Tonight he could’ve been eating dust for all he knew. With Elene sitting opposite, that red dress highlighting the figure he’d spent all day trying to stop wondering about, nothing he put in his mouth had flavour. Even his favourite wine tasted bland. Elene, on the other hand, was anything but.
For once her hair wasn’t tied back in a knot but flowing over her shoulders. He wanted to get lost in those auburn locks. Her make-up was flawless, yet he preferred it when she didn’t wear any, her skin blemish-free and lightly tanned. Tempting. The shade of the dress highlighted the creamy skin of her shoulders and neck.
‘So, what are we going to do about you, Aimee and me?’ Elene asked.
Her question should’ve brought his mind to order, focused on the important. It didn’t. Showed how far gone he was.
Ignoring his half-full plate, he lifted his glass. It was necessary to pretend nothing was disturbing him, otherwise Elene would pounce with a zillion questions, though she was watching him, her gaze searching. ‘I hope you find what you’re looking for,’ he quipped, suddenly afraid he’d be found lacking.
So like Elene, she didn’t drop her gaze. She wasn’t afraid of him. ‘Wouldn’t you like to know?’ Someone was obviously totally in control of her mind—and her body.
Damn her. It wasn’t right he was the only one suffering. ‘Let me see. You’re wondering what it would be like to make love under the stars on my deck.’
She blanched. Now her eyes lowered. Her teeth dug into her bottom lip. And the hand holding the wine glass shook. ‘Where did that come from?’ she whispered.
He should feel lousy for taunting her. He didn’t. It was the mating game and he’d never played it with Elene. Hadn’t wanted to before. Make that—hadn’t been prepared to give in to the relentless need. But tonight? Oh, man, he didn’t know how not to. Because none of what had happened over the past ten days had done a thing to turn off his attraction to Elene. She’d done what no other woman had for a long time—got to him in every way.
Pull back. Talk about the weather. Don’t let her any closer. You’ll only regret letting her in. It’s a road to pain. But nothing would stop him pushing harder. Removing her glass, he wrapped his hands around her hand. ‘It comes from that kiss yesterday.’ And the previous one, and all the ones he’d dreamt of in between. ‘It isn’t enough. I want to know what’s behind it. To discover you.’
Colour rose in her cheeks, her lips curved into a smile so encouraging he wanted to haul her across the table and have her right then.
Mattia stood, still holding her hands. ‘Come on. We’re going home.’ He was making a habit of cutting dinner short.
Even as she said, ‘Your parents are there,’ she was running beside him in a familiar way, her fingers gripping his as though afraid he’d let go.
‘Not for long,’ Mattia muttered. It was a bonus Papà had joined his mother for babysitting duties because now he could drive Mamma back to Napoli as soon as he and Elene got home. He wasn’t changing direction this time. He was going to make love to Elene.
Later, he couldn’t remember driving up the hill, or parking, or saying goodnight to his parents, who seemed extraordinarily happy and quick to leave after telling them Aimee was sound asleep and that Anna had gone to her sister’s for the night. The only memories he retained were of carrying Elene to his bedroom and standing her on her feet by the massive bed. Of pausing to ask, ‘Are you sure?’
And Elene murmuring, ‘Absolutely,’ before pressing her peaked breasts against his chest.
Memories of kissing her, of losing time and everything else except them, their bodies, their lovemaking. Of pulling the zip of her dress down, notch by notch, then smoothing away the fabric from her shoulders, feeling her come alive under his palms, down over those unbelievable breasts to her trim, curvy waist, beyond to her hips, until it fell in a pool at her feet, still wearing the wicked shoes that did a number on him all by themselves.
‘Let me see you,’ she said in a throaty voice that sent more ripples of longing through him.
When her fingers were too slow undoing the buttons of his shirt he leaned back to haul it over his head and toss it aside without taking his eyes off those lace-enclosed breasts. Then he bent forward and licked her nipple through the lace.
She cried out, and a shudder rocked her.
He bit gently.
Her cry was louder, the shudder stronger, and her hands were on his shoulders, gripping tight, her lower body pushing against his, where his need for her was apparent. Hot and hard.
He gave the second breast the same treatment, got the same reaction. Elene was whimpering, and they’d hardly started.
‘Look at me,’ he commanded. ‘I want to see your emotions.’
It seemed to take for ever for her eyelids to lift, and the eyes that focused on him were slumberous with desire. No doubt a mirror image of his own.
Her hands were on his hips, then moving to his manhood, wrapping around him, sliding down his shaft, up, down again.
‘Not yet,’ he growled, his eyes still intent on hers, reading every reaction as he cupped her breasts and rubbed his thumbs across her nipples.
Her hand tightened on him.
Scooping Elene
up into his arms, he kissed her in an attempt to slow things down. Should’ve known better. Their previous kisses had always been incendiary; this one was no different. They fell onto the bed, Mattia aware of the soft mattress that absorbed their bodies, of the low light spilling across her face, his arms—knowing that soft mewing sound Elene uttered every time he touched her, the tension in her muscles at the top of her legs, the need pulsing through her veins.
‘Elene,’ he whispered as he brought her to a climax.
‘Mattia,’ she whispered in return as she took him in, gave back to him.
‘That’s getting to know each other on a whole new level,’ he muttered as his breathing returned to normal afterwards.
Elene laughed, a deep, rich sound that made his toes curl with emotions he wasn’t ready to explore. ‘Not sure where it takes us but right now I don’t care.’ She snuggled close, a hand splayed across his chest.
He covered her hand with his. ‘Closer.’ Perfect, really.
That was all he remembered until he awoke later and reached for Elene. He had to have her again. But the bed was empty. She was gone.
The en suite bathroom’s light wasn’t on. When he placed his hand on the sheet it was cold. She’d left his bed while he slept. That was new for him. They’d hardly started; there were hours to go before they had to get up for work.
Flinging the sheet aside, he stood up and headed for her bedroom until he noticed a light showing under the door of Aimee’s room. Shoving the door wide, he stepped in and faltered to a stop. Aimee was tucked into Elene’s arms, her sweet face pushed against those beautiful breasts. Air leaked over his lips. This was parenthood. It interrupted everything, held mums and dads to ransom. It was changing his life abruptly—no slowly getting used to having to put Aimee, and Elene, before everything else. He’d thought he’d be the full-time parent, with Elene and Anna picking up the slack. It was possible, though it wasn’t how he wanted to raise his daughter—to be remembered by his absences and not playtime before dinner, bedtime stories before sleep.