The Italian's Unexpected Heir

Her breathing was soft and shallow.

Sylvie felt as though she was having an out-of-body experience. Maybe that was what she needed to tell herself in that moment to give her the courage to reach out to Enzo. Her hand cupped his freshly shaved cheek.

If she didn’t do this now and quickly, she knew she would lose her courage. And though she’d been thinking about this for the longest time, if she didn’t act now, she would never fulfill her wish. And the one thing she’d learned in her short life is that you had to grasp the happy moments because they were fleeting and few.

This was her happy moment. Enzo was the person who made her happy. And right now she felt so many intense emotions, she wasn’t able to put a name to all the jumbled feelings zinging through her body.

But nothing was going to stop her from doing this one thing. She lifted up on her tiptoes. Even though her heels were high, they weren’t enough for Sylvie to come face-to-face with him.

And then he was there, directly in front of her. And his mouth was just a breath away from her. An urge—or was it an impulse?—so strong, so swift, came over her. She was helpless to resist.

Not thinking through the consequences of her actions, she leaned forward, closing the distance. She pressed her lips to his. There was a distinct and swift intake of air on his part.

She’d surprised him? Really? She may be a virgin but that didn’t mean she was totally naive. She’d seen the way he’d been looking at her tonight when he didn’t think she was paying attention.

Her body trembled with nerves as her lips moved over his unmoving mouth.

No. Please. This can’t end like this.

Inside, her heart was starting to crack. It had taken every bit of nerve to work up to this moment. She knew if she didn’t make the first move, he never would.

And just when she thought he wasn’t as into her as she’d thought, he reached out to her. His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her to him. She followed his lead, letting her hands come to rest on his shoulders—his muscled shoulders gained from long hours of toiling the soil at the vineyard.

His lips moved over hers at a dizzying pace. Her heart beat so fast she thought it was going to pound its way out of her chest. She’d been kissed before but nothing like this. Those had been inexperienced schoolboys who’d only pretended they knew what they were doing, but Enzo, he knew exactly what he was doing. And she wanted him to show her more, much more.

Enzo pulled back. His breathing was ragged. He pressed his forehead to hers. “Sylvie, I... I—”

“Don’t say it.” She knew he was going to apologize for kissing her and it would ruin this moment—this very precious moment.

“But I shouldn’t have let things get out of hand—”

“What if I wanted things to get out of hand?” Her gaze searched his. “I kissed you. Enzo, I’ve wanted to kiss you for the longest time. Tonight I finally worked up the courage.”

Wow! Where had that come from? She never talked this boldly to men. Maybe that was why she didn’t have a steady boyfriend—why she was still a virgin. In the past, she could blame her limited experience with men on caring for her ailing mother. But now it was all on her—what did or didn’t happen was totally up to her.

She was tired of standing on the sidelines, watching her life rush past her. It was time to do what she wanted, instead of just dreaming about those things. It was time she took charge of her life.

And right now she wanted Enzo.

She trusted him more than anyone else in the world. These past few months they’d spent almost every day together. She knew him and he knew her. He was kind. He was thoughtful. And he had a big heart where his family was concerned.

And then there was his looks. Mmm...tall, dark and sexy didn’t even begin to describe him. His dark eyes were mysterious and held a host of secrets that she longed to unravel. And his thick brown hair made her hands tingle with the impulse to comb her fingertips through it. And his mouth, well, she’d already proven it was most desirable.

For a moment Enzo didn’t respond. His eyes registered his surprise at her forwardness. Part of her was proud of herself for speaking up. The other part of her was scared that he would let her down with a painful thump to her heart.

His gaze searched hers. “Sylvie, I’m in no position to start something serious. I—”

She placed a fingertip to those kissable lips. “I’m not asking you for anything permanent. I’m just asking you for the here and now. Let tomorrow take care of itself.”

Hesitation showed in his eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

The fact he cared that much meant a lot to her. And it was enough. Throughout the trials and tribulations of her life, she’d learned to be cautious with her heart.

She sent him a reassuring smile. “You won’t hurt me. You’ve always been so sweet and kind.”

Silence greeted her very honest words. All of this openness had her heart racing. What was she going to do if this all blew up in her face? After all, she was no temptress. She was not experienced in the ways of men. For all she knew, she could be making an utter fool of herself.