“Cara. Don’t be—”
“Hey, you gonna be in there all night?”
Nicolo looked down into the face of the woman he’d just made love to. “It’s time we introduced ourselves,” he said softly. “My name is—”
She put her palm over his mouth. “No. No names. This was—it was only a dream.”
He caught her hand, pressed his lips to it, then closed her fingers over the kiss.
“A dream. Si. And there is no need for the dream to end so soon.”
“No. I can’t. I—”
“We can,” he said fiercely. “We can do anything, if this is a dream.”
She shook her head but he drew her into his arms and kissed her, telling her without words how it could be between them, how it would be when they had all the time and privacy they needed.
Her lips softened. Clung to his. She sighed, and he cupped her face with his hands.
“Come with me,” he whispered.
She shook her head again; he kissed her again.
“Is there another man?”
“No,” she said quickly. “But—”
“We’re adults, cara. Both of us are free. Come with me. Be with me tonight.”
He kissed her and the world spun around them. Then he lifted his head and looked down into her eyes.
“Yes,” she said softly.
Nicolo felt his heart soar. He encircled her waist with his arm, drew her against him, led her to the door and unlocked it.
A man was waiting outside.
“It’s about time. I mean, how long did you…” His gaze fell on Aimee and he raised his eyebrows. “Oh. I get it. Hey, no problem. I had a babe
like this with me, I’d—”
“Watch your mouth,” Nicolo said, his voice cold and flat.
The man’s face went pale. He stepped out of their way. And Aimee thought, What am I doing?
She’d just had sex with a stranger. A stranger she knew nothing about, except that he could be hard and cold and terrifying….
Her nameless lover drew her close. “Don’t think,” he said, as if he’d read her mind. “Not tonight.”
She looked up at him, into those blue eyes that could go from winter ice to summer sun. Remembered the feel of his hands on her. The feel of him in her, and let the last vestige of sanity slip away.
There was a taxi at the curb. It took them uptown, to a hotel on the park.
He had a suite. It was huge. Luxurious.
Was money a good character reference? she thought, and would have laughed but he was taking her into his arms, slipping the straps of her dress from her shoulders. Cupping her breasts, tasting them, ohgod, ohgod, ohgod…
The hours after that were a blur of excitement. Of whispers and sighs and explorations. Aimee lost herself in a sea of sensation….