Italian Affair Read online

  “It’s like something from the movies,” she whispered. “Is this really his place?” She frowned as she looked across the garden.

  “We’ll soon find out.”

  “I can’t understand this. What’s the big deal with him wanting my little house?”

  Aunt Maria stepped out into a shady arbor where dozens of people of all ages stood around chatting. Tom held Brianna back and pulled her close. He closed his eyes and listened. It reminded him of home, and for a brief moment he missed his boisterous family.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” he said lowering his head and kissing her briefly on the lips. “Just playing the loving husband.”

  Brianna reached up and touched his face and looked adoringly into his eyes as Aunt Maria led them across to her nonno.

  “Signore Caranto.” Tom stepped forward and held out his hand, and was pleased to see the old man smile. His hand was pumped enthusiastically and Tom pulled Brianna forward with his free hand.

  “Brianna, say hello to your grandfather.”

  He held his breath as the old man and his granddaughter stood and took stock of each other. Eventually the old man nodded and held his arm out to her.

  “Nonno.” She nodded and linked her arm through his and held her other hand out to Tom. He gripped it tightly and followed them out to the waiting crowd.

  Two hours later, Tom stepped into a dim corner of the lawn and sipped his drink. Brianna had kissed him, touched his arm, run her fingers up his back, ruffled his hair, and gripped his thigh on numerous occasions throughout the meal, and the old man had not taken his sharp gaze from them for one minute.

  His body was humming and the blood was pumping through at a rate of knots. He needed some space and some fresh air. His attention was caught by Brianna’s familiar laugh drifting across the garden.

  Jeez, even the sound of her voice gave him a hard-on.

  He closed his eyes and gathered his thoughts, trying to dispel the desire shooting through his body. Playing the loving husband was not such a good idea. It had played havoc with his self-control all night. He’d squirmed like an adolescent right through dinner as he’d been introduced to cousin after cousin.

  A whiff of coconut alerted him to her presence. He opened his eyes and his gaze was captured and held. Brianna pressed against him and looped her arms around his neck, her bare thigh brushing against his leg.

  He groaned and she reached up and pressed her lips against his. “One last convincing display and we’ve done it,” she murmured against his mouth. “Look at him, standing up on the balcony. The old sod hasn’t taken his eyes off us all night.”

  “I guess I can act like a besotted husband for a few more minutes.” Her lips parted and he kissed her soundly, his tongue delving into her mouth. When he could take no more, he pulled away and gently turned her back to the lawn where her newly met cousins were taking their leave.

  Tom and Brianna made their farewells and fielded many invitations to dinner at different villages around the island. There was no doubt the long-lost granddaughter was a success and had been welcomed by the rest of the family with open arms. It was a damn shame the old fellow was still so reserved.

  The driver was waiting for them in the car, and Tom held the door for Brianna as she stepped into the car. He slid in next to her and sat next to the window as far from her as he could. Brianna didn’t appear to notice his lack of conversation and chattered all the way home. He was grateful to have his attention taken away from the raging hard-on that had been with him for most of the night.

  “And I found out what the problem is between Aunt Carmen and Nonno.” The affectionate term for her grandfather came naturally now, and he smiled when she lowered her voice to a whisper. “Apparently, they had a thing before your uncle came along and swept her off her feet…and they haven’t spoken since.”

  “That explains why he didn’t come to lunch after we got married,” Tom said. He jumped when Brianna reached across and put her hand on his thigh.

  “And not only that. I am so excited.”

  You and me both, thought Tom. He removed her hand from his thigh and put it back in her lap, but she didn’t seem to notice.

  “Bella—she’s Aunt Maria’s youngest—told me a little bit about my mother. She was close to her before she left the island. Apparently, when she came back, the villa was a holiday base for her.”

  “Maybe she left because she was pregnant with you?”

  “Maybe.” Her voice was wistful. “There’s still an awful lot I don’t know.” She touched his leg again. “Now how about you? Did you have fun tonight?”

  “I suppose that’s one way of putting it,” he said and tipped his head back and closed his eyes. She pulled her hand back as though it was burned.

  The rest of the short journey home was completed without another word exchanged. They waved the driver off and crossed the courtyard to the gate. Brianna took the key from her bag, handed it to Tom, and stood beside him while he turned it in the lock. The gate creaked open. The sexual tension in the air was so thick he found it difficult to catch his breath. He bent and removed his loafers and placed them neatly by the door. She strolled ahead of him and reached for the light switch. He caught her hand.

  “Leave the lights off.”

  Brianna turned and looked at him, her eyes wide. She didn’t speak and made no move toward him. Pulling her hard against him, he ran his hands down her bare back. When she reached up and grabbed his hair and leaned into him, her lips were a breath away from his. He lowered his head, her lips opened beneath his, and he plunged his tongue into the welcoming depths. Her hands were soft beneath his shirt and he groaned as her nails raked down his back. Desire overwhelmed him and he deepened the kiss, wanting, needing his mouth on hers.

  He walked her backward until she was against the wall, then he pushed up her short dress and slipped his fingers underneath. Her skin was smooth and warm, and he slid his finger beneath the edge of her panties.

  “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever known,” he murmured against her mouth. “You’ve bewitched me. You’re in my blood.”

  His voice was low and husky, and it was as though someone else was speaking. A spark of mutual need passed between them and her heart pounded against his chest. She kicked her shoes off and he tugged her panties down in one swift movement. He brushed his fingers through the soft hair between her legs and she gasped. At the same time he pushed her legs apart with his fingers, dipped his head, and ran his tongue down the side of her neck, and she shivered. His fingers were slippery and her sex was swollen already. He moved his mouth back to hers and kissed her harder, delving his tongue into the warm depths of her mouth as he worked his fingers rhythmically on the nub that hardened beneath his touch.

  Her soft pants mingled with his breath and she cried out softly as her muscles tightened around his fingers. With a sigh, she dropped her head against his chest and rested her forehead against him, breathing deeply. She leaned against him for a moment and then lifted her head and smiled up at him as he lowered his mouth to hers again.

  …

  Brianna accepted Tom’s kiss and wondered if he could feel the thumping of her heart. He kissed her slowly, and she tried to catch her breath as his lips moved gently against hers. He was hard against the flat of her stomach, and she pushed him back and peeled her dress over her head before moving her hands down to the clasp of his jeans. Before she could unsnap it, he lifted her in his arms and she wrapped her legs around him. She gasped and then laughed as he walked into her bedroom.

  He put her on the bed and looked down at her before undoing his jeans and stepping out of them. Removing his shirt and throwing it on the floor, he stood naked before her and stared down at her. She shivered under the heat of his stare and held her arms out to him. He lowered himself and lay next to her, trailing his fingers along her stomach. He dipped his head and caught her erect nipple lightly between his teeth, and a shaft of exquisite pleasure jolted t
hrough her. She traced her fingers along his thighs and let them brush against his erection, teasing and pulling back until he rolled over on top of her.

  “Wait,” she murmured.

  He stiffened, and she laughed and pointed to the bedside table. “In the top drawer.”

  Within seconds, he was back again, ready for her, the foil packet discarded on the floor with his clothes.

  She chuckled and Tom lifted his head. As the moonlight reflected in his eyes, a strange and unfamiliar feeling shimmied through her. Intent…intimate…his eyes were fixed on her, unblinking. Moving underneath him, she wrapped her legs around his waist, welcoming him to her. Tightening her thighs, she ran her hands around his muscled back and held him close against her. He nuzzled his face into her neck and sucked on her skin as he moved into her. After a few moments he lifted his head and held her gaze again, not taking his eyes from hers as he shuddered and spilled into her.

  He gradually relaxed, but didn’t move or speak, seeming to take pleasure in her closeness. When he lay beside her, she followed his gaze as he took in the disarray of the room.

  “Mr. Neat and Tidy forgot to fold his clothes.”

  “I don’t think he’ll need them for a while,” he said and reached for her again.

  Chapter Twelve

  Brianna pushed her hair back from her face and wiped the perspiration from her brow with the back of her arm. She stood, stretched, and cracked her knuckles. God, her back was sore. She’d been sitting at the desk for five hours, but she had finished the three chapters her publisher had requested. The first draft of the whole book was almost complete, and she hoped to get it away by the end of the week. She’d followed the schedule Tom had written out for her to the minute, determined to show him she could be organized and wasn’t a complete airhead.

  Why she wanted to impress him with her efficiency, she couldn’t explain. She didn’t want to be super-organized like him, although she had to admit the Tom who was spending each day at the marina was way more relaxed than the man she’d met on the plane.

  Smiling to herself, she thought of the routine they had fallen into over the past couple of months. Aunt Carmen had gone off to Naples again visiting friends now that she had sold the business. Tom had taken over the day-to-day running of the boats, but the financial records were still piled on the table on the balcony.

  He’d moved into her bedroom after the night at Nonno’s villa. Their days were spent working and their nights were full of passion. She smiled and plugged in her external hard drive—another lesson she’d learned from him. The external drive whirred as she stared through the window with her chin propped in her hand. A cloud of dust down the hill caught her attention. She stood and peered out the window to see who was coming. What the hell was it?

  She stepped out onto the balcony and an old rusty bicycle appeared over the crest of the hill. White teeth in a tanned face surrounded by unruly black hair flashed at her in a wide grin as the old bicycle creaked closer. The front wheel wobbled from side to side as Tom rode up the hill toward the villa. Brianna put her hand over her mouth, waiting for the inevitable fall. She giggled at the intense concentration on his face as he fought to control the wobble.

  Another thing to tick off his crazy list.

  He pushed the last twenty yards with a loud whoop. She ran to the front gate and opened it so he could ride through without stopping. She ran to him and hugged him after he’d propped the bike against the wall.

  “You did it! Where on earth did you find the old bike?”

  “Ah…your grandfather gave it to me.” He avoided looking at her.

  She pulled back and her heart plummeted. “What were you doing there? How come I wasn’t invited?” No matter how hard she tried, her relationship with her nonno was going nowhere. He was still reserved with her, and their meetings were always tense.

  “Maria wanted me to see him about some of her business, and it was in an old shed at the back of his villa.”

  “And he gave it to you?”

  “Well, I offered to buy it.”

  But no matter how cross she was with Tom for visiting her grandfather without her, she still laughed.

  “You paid for it? It’s almost a relic. It should be in that museum near Aunt Carmen’s. He’s so filthy rich, I can’t believe he made you pay for it. ”

  He stood straight and smiled a devastating smile.

  “Bri, come here.” He reached out and pulled her into a close hug. “He’s not a bad old stick. You have to make more of an effort with him.”

  “I’ve done as much as I can, Tom. It’s him, he just won’t accept me.” She looked up at him and all mirth had fled. Being unable to connect with her grandfather upset her a lot, more than she was going to let on. She’d tried to speak to him about her mother and he’d used the language barrier, and the only information Aunt Maria would share was how they had been close, but not close enough to know her secrets. The few possessions of her mother’s in the house had not given any clue to Rosa’s life.

  “When he doesn’t have his eagle eye on us, he just ignores me. I might as well go back to Scotland when I finish the book.”

  “I thought you were keen to stay here.” He raised a quizzical brow. She swallowed and warmth suffused her face. She avoided his gaze and turned away, walking back to the kitchen.

  “I am, but I have to earn a living.” There was no way Tom was going to know she’d thought about staying on the island after the book was done so she could stay here with him. She quickly changed the subject. “Now what’s for dinner? I was working when Aunt Maria left, so dinner’s a surprise.”

  Brianna looked up at him as he followed her into the kitchen. He had a silly grin plastered on his face and folded his arms across his chest. “I crossed another thing off the list today and you haven’t even noticed.” He dropped his knapsack and bent to pull out a piece of paper. Her gaze wandered to his tight butt. A few weeks of manual work and he was in good shape.

  “Well, two more things.” He waved the paper in her face. “And if you count tomorrow…three things.”

  “What else have you done?” God, she thought, talk about a role reversal. She was turning into a mother hen.

  “Close your eyes,” he said.

  “Why?”

  “Trust me, Bri.” His deep voice sent a thrill through her. “Close your eyes.”

  She did as he asked and stood quietly until the warmth of his breath fanned her face.

  “Now you can open them.” All she could see was a riot of black curls in front of her. His hair had grown and was becoming more unruly every day.

  “I took my specs off. I can’t see a thing. Tell me?”

  With a flourish, he pushed his hair back and she gasped.

  “Freakin’ hell. I don’t believe it.”

  A small gold ring worthy of a pirate hung from his left earlobe.

  “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Tom, you did it.” She bent over and doubled up laughing uncontrollably. He stood there with a grin on his face.

  “Yes, I did it, and it hurt.”

  “Well, why did you do it, you silly man?”

  “Because it was on my list. And I can always take it out when I go back home.”

  Her mood plummeted and she realized they would go their separate ways eventually. She couldn’t stay here forever, no matter what she daydreamed about it being otherwise. They’d divorce and he would be out of her life.

  “Come here. He wrapped his arms around her, and rested his chin on the top of her head. “Why the sad face? Does the earring look that bad?” He tried to get her to smile.

  “I know it’s almost over…and we’ve had such fun. I’m going to miss you.” She spread her arms wide and spun around out of his arms. “And all this.”

  “It doesn’t have to end, Bri. We could always stay here.”

  She laughed. “Don’t tease me. I said I was going home when I finished the book, and I am.”

  He gripped her upper arms, and his hands were w
arm as he pulled her hard against her chest. “Now tell me you aren’t going to miss this?”

  Warm lips slid across her cheek and he blew in her ear. Goose bumps skittered down her arms, and her nipples peaked.

  “I need a shower,” he murmured close to her ear. “Come and wash my back?”

  She stepped back and looked deep into those blue eyes, unable to resist him.

  God, she had no willpower when he was around her.

  “I have to finish backing up my work,” she said, her breathing ragged.

  “What are you up to? Tantric sex or erogenous zones?” He drew circles around her nipples before walking his fingers down past her waist.

  Aroused, but preoccupied with her thoughts, she pushed his hands away. Turning her back to him, she walked across to the large window and gazed out over the sea. “Go have a shower. I’ll back up my work and check what Italian delight is in the refrigerator for dinner.” She watched as he peeled his T-shirt off. A shaft of heat lodged between her thighs. “And then I’ll come and wash your back.”

  She headed for the computer and then remembered what he’d said. “What was next on the list?”

  “We’re both taking the day off tomorrow and climbing a volcano.” She shook her head in disbelief. She’d created a monster…or at the very least a daredevil.

  “I suppose I can spare a day to explore with you, and Tom, I so appreciate what you’ve done to help me. You’ll have that list completely checked off before you know it.”

  …

  Tom turned the shower on full blast and stepped in. For a moment, he was tempted to turn it to cold—to quell his desire—and then decided he wasn’t going to. He would wait for Brianna to join him and then afterward he was going to talk to her, uninterrupted by the desire that exploded when they were in the same room. Sharing her bed since the night of the dinner at her grandfather’s villa had been amazing, and although they had spent many pleasurable nights and mornings, they’d avoided any discussion of the future.