“The way you kiss me.”
I stop walking and stand still. “Kiss you?”
“Yeah.” She sighs dreamily. “I love kissing you, I get to hold you in my arms and be close.”
My heart swells as I turn into my street. “I love kissing you too.”
“Three days.”
“That’s a long time.”
“I’d wait forever to kiss you.”
I smile. “Luckily you don’t have to.”
She giggles and I press in my code and walk through the security gates. “I’m home.”
“I love you,” she whispers.
“I love you too, good night, angel.”
“Good night, baby.”
Tuesday afternoon
I sit in the back seat of Alex’s car. His eyes flick up to meet mine in the rearview mirror, “You know, you’re going to get yourself killed.”
Val turns to face me in the back seat. “What do you think that big brother would say if he knew you were sneaking in and giving his baby sister the dick?”
I roll my eyes.
“Did you bring more condoms this time?” he asks.
“Yep.”
“Did you bring lube? I feel sorry for the poor bitch dealing with your monster cock.”
“Will you shut up?” I cut him off. “She seems to like it.”
“Seems to being the operative word.” The boys smirk as they exchange looks.
“I’m not here for sex,” I spit.
“Oh…but you will fuck her all night, won’t you?” Val mutters.
“Because I like her, you fucking idiots,” I snap. “Stop pissing me off.”
And anyway…I more than like her.
I’m going to marry her.
*
Knock, knock, knock.
I wait in the bathroom with the door locked.
Knock, knock, knock.
“It’s me,” I hear Francesca whisper through the door.
I open it in a rush, her beautiful face comes into view and she smiles broadly and jumps into my arms, I laugh as I hold her tight and her legs lift off the floor. We stay like this for a while and then she kisses me as she steps down and flicks the lock on the bathroom.
Without hesitation she lifts my T-shirt over my head and unzips my jeans. I smile against her lips, she’s getting braver every time I see her.
“Is my girl hungry for it?”
“Hmm,” she moans as she kisses me harder. Her eyes close as she takes my cock into her hand.
She strokes me hard and, losing control, I slam her up against the wall and lift her leg around my waist.
Yes….
Fucking starving.
Anna
“I know what you’re doing?” Valentino says as he stands beside me at the drinks table.
“What’s that?” I ask.
Giuliano’s friend is annoyingly handsome, and he knows it.
Ever since I met him in the Library with Francesca, he keeps popping up everywhere I go.
“Wishing you were here with me instead of him.” He gives me a slow sexy smile.
“I don’t think so.” I lie.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. Damn it, why do I have a boyfriend?
I know Valentino’s type, the player kind. There’s no way I’m letting myself break up with a nice guy to chase a heart breaker…as tempting as it is.
“You know….” His eyes drop to my lips, “We could just get out of here.”
“Where would we go?” I ask as I act uninterested.
“The question is…where wouldn’t we go?” He raises his eyebrow in a sexy playful way.
I swallow the lump in my throat, damn it. That’s a great answer.
I pick up my drinks, “Goodbye Valentino.”
“Say hi to Mr. Boring for me.” He teases.
“No.” I walk off toward Mr. Boring, damn it…running away with Valentino sounds so much more fun.
Giuliano
Francesca’s beautiful smile beams across the table at me.
“Do you know how beautiful you are?” I ask her.
We are in the library, sitting in the back corner. One month today that Francesca and I first slept together, one perfect month of stolen nights in each other’s arms.
Francesca goes to Paris tomorrow with her mother and I can hardly stand the thought of it. There will be too much distance between us.
“You’re biased.” She giggles. “Tell me again.”
I pick up her hand and kiss her fingertips as we smile at each other.
From the corner of my eye I glance up and see something coming at me fast, Enrico Ferrara storming toward us like the Hulk. “You,” he growls.
“Oh no,” Francesca cries.
Before I have time to respond he has me by the arm dragging me toward the door, I struggle to break free and we burst out the front doors and he hurls me down the stairs, I crash to the ground on the grass.
“No, no,” Francesca cries as she runs behind us. “Leave him alone, I love him.”
Enrico stands over me, his eyes are bulging from their sockets, I’ve never seen someone so angry.
Lorenzo grabs his arms. “Leave it, Enrico. Leave it,” he pleads.
I climb to my feet. “You can’t keep her from me. I love her.”
“You what?” he screams. “You cannot fucking love her.” He grabs me by the throat as he loses control. “How dare you go behind my back.” He pushes me hard and I go flying into the bushes.
He grabs Francesca by the arm and pulls her toward the car, she kicks and screams to get away from him.
“You don’t fucking touch her,” I scream as I run after them and shove him in the back.
He turns like the devil himself and steps toward me, contempt dripping from his every pore. His fists are clenched by his sides and I step back, unsure of his intentions.
Francesca’s face falls. “Just go, Giuliano,” she pleads. “Leave it. Please.”
“Enrico,” Lorenzo whispers. “He’s just a boy.”
Enrico pushes Francesca into the back of the waiting car.
I step forward. “You cannot keep her from me,” I demand.
“You go near her again…and I will kill you,” he sneers, with a long filthy glare he turns and gets into the car and it takes off with speed.
I pant as I struggle for air, furious as I watch the car pull into the distance. Adrenaline is pumping through my veins as I try to calm myself.
No.
He can’t keep her from me, I won’t stand for it.
I hear the car tires screech in the distance and I close my eyes, my every worst nightmare just came true.
Fuck.
*
It’s one a.m. and I lie in the darkness, Francesca hasn’t called me and I’m beside myself.
I have to know if she’s okay.
I dial her number, it rings once. “You were warned,” Enrico growls.
My eyes widen in horror, oh no. He found the phone.
“Prepare to die, fucker.” The line goes dead.
3
Giuliano
I kick the soccer ball and it flies high in the air, Alex and I are practicing at the fields.
“Where is that dickhead?” Damn it, why is Val always late?
“I don’t know, did he call?”
I pat my pockets. “My phone’s in the car, I’ll check.”
I jog to the car and grab my phone from charge.
9 missed calls - Mom
Huh?
I listen to my messages.
“Giuliano, you need to come home urgently,” Mom’s panicked voice says.
That’s weird. I listen to her next message.
“Oh my God, Giuliano, please answer your phone, sweetheart. This is an emergency.”
Shit, what’s happened? I dial her number. “Giuliano, thank God,” she stammers, she sounds panicked.