“Yes.”
“Then you are a true ninja, my warrior woman. Your strength and courage draw me to you, Sophia, not push me away.”
“If I were a true ninja, I wouldn’t have the scars.”
“Perhaps. One day, will you trust me enough to share your past with me?”
“I hope so.”
“I do as well. Until then, know this, amore. We are a team now—partners in good and bad.”
She didn’t want to mar this moment with her ugly past. The present was far too consuming. Heat radiated off Luca, his scent enveloping her.
“Well, partner, I’m no expert in this, but I think we’ve done enough talking. It’s time for action.” She knelt again on the bed in front of him and spread his unbuttoned shirt wide, roaming her hands over his lightly-haired chest. His muscles quivered under her hands, and he sucked in a quick breath. She reached for his belt and tried to ease the leather through the buckle.
“Whoa, slow down,” he said hoarsely, as if he managed to pull just enough air into his lungs to get the words out.
“Don’t you like?” She looked up at him, confused.
“I like too much,” he reassured her. “But this is your first time—our first time. I do not want to rush anything. Trust me, slower is better … sometimes.”
“Well, can I do this?” she breathed against his chest, her tongue flicking his nipples. A sense of power flooded through her as his heart raced beneath her cheek.
His sudden intake of breath brought a smile to her lips. It was replaced however by her own quickly indrawn breath as he ran his thumb over her nipple. “Two can play at that game,” he whispered into her ear. “And I know more moves than you.” His hands caressed her breasts through the satiny fabric of her camisole top. Her nipples went rigid, and she resented the tiny barrier between his hand and her skin.
“I may be a virgin, but I’m well read,” she challenged, eliciting a loud groan from him when her fingers brushed against his erection.
He stood and pulled his clothes off, then looked into her eyes. At her nod, he carefully pulled her top up over her head. He stared for a moment at her naked torso before his hand, almost reverently, touched her breast again. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered.
Their hands explored each other, lingering over areas that produced the most reaction. Luca’s lips were busy, too, exploring and tasting curves as if he were sampling delicacies from a buffet. He slipped her shorts from her, his hands fluttering over the scars on her buttocks.
Awash with sensation, she managed to lever her eyes open when he whispered her name. He hovered above her, searching her face.
“Amore, this may hurt, I am so sorry.” His voice was thick. His body glistened with a sheen of moisture, his eyes blazed with passion, yet still he thought of her comfort.
Luca stopped moving at her sharp intake of breath. She searched his face. He seemed to be concentrating hard to keep still, allowing her body time to get used to him. The pain receded, and she hesitantly moved beneath him. He withdrew slowly. Worried that he would stop, Sophia grabbed his buttocks as if they were a lifeline in a swollen river.
“Amore, tesoro mio, do not worry. I am not going anywhere,” he whispered against her lips. He kissed her deeply as he slowly entered her again. This time there was no pain. Instead waves of pleasure radiated from her core to the tips of her toes. Her legs were wrapped around Luca’s back. She squeezed him tighter, but still he kept up the slow rhythm, until she had to bite her tongue to stop a scream. She called out his name with what seemed to be the last breath in her body.
Luca increased the pace until she gave up all pretense of being in control and allowed the sensations to carry her to a distant shore. Suddenly the world exploded into light and her whole body vibrated. A minute later Luca went taut. He whispered unintelligible words into her ear, over and over as if unable to stop himself.
She drifted back to reality slowly, still in awe at what had transpired between them. Olivia had told her that when it was good, it was earthmoving. But nothing had prepared her for the spectacular, time-stopping pleasure she’d experienced with Luca. Not a single thought of England had been able to form in her overwhelmed brain.
• • •
When Luca eventually opened his eyes the next morning, the room was aglow with soft sunshine. He’d slept deeply, finally satiated for the first time since meeting Sophia. Reaching for her, he was surprised to find the bed empty, and a flash of panic raced through him. He couldn’t have dreamed such pleasure, such a connection with his beautiful wife.
Sitting upright, his relief was palpable to find that the events of the night hadn’t been another dream. The sheets were askew and the blankets tumbled off the bed. His clothes were neatly folded on the chair across the room. A faint splash of water revealed the location of his delectable wife.
He lay back in bed, reliving the highlights of the night before. Never in his life had he experienced such passion, such pleasure. More than just a physical release, it was as if a dam had burst in his very core, swamping his body with emotion.
He threw back the sheet at another splashing sound and went in search of his wife. She was stretched out in the bath, her eyes closed, a Mona Lisa smile on her lips. A thin layer of bubbles obscured her body from view, but like seductive lingerie, it lured him to join her.
A shower man, he’d questioned the expense to restore the wrought iron tub when he’d renovated. He hadn’t taken a bath since he’d been a child. With Sophia in the water, every last euro was money well spent.
“Mind if I join you?” He didn’t wait for her reply and stepped into the warm water.
Sophia opened her eyes, and her lips parted in a surprised expression. Her gaze ran the length of him, lingering for a long, hot moment on his groin where his blood began to pool once more. An answering flame of desire heated her eyes. This may be a quick bath.
“I take that as a yes,” he replied. She moved her legs over so he could sit, but he wanted more body contact. He’d waited long enough; he was no longer content to just look at Sophia. He needed to touch her, have her touch him. “Here, let me scrub your back.” She shifted in the bath so her back was facing him. He picked up her sponge but soon discarded it in favor of using his hands.
When the water sloshed out of the bathtub for the third time, he lifted her out and gently placed her on her feet before him. She reached for her towel to dry herself off, but he had a better idea. The heat from their bodies soon evaporated any water left on her skin after his hands and lips had passed over her. When she melted against him, he swung her into his arms and carried her back to the bed.