Page 10 of In Italy for Love

She met his gaze, sharing a wobbly smile of disbelief. But as they came haltingly nearer, her hand clutching his jacket and his drifting into her hair, a kiss was definitely happening, the pounding of her heart a hint of what was to come.

His mouth brushed hers lightly at first. She could feel the smile in the way he kissed her and all her doubts fled. Returning the soft kiss, she wrapped her arm around his neck and shivered when he dropped one hand from her face to pull her close.

Light kisses with smiling lips slowly became deeper ones, her mouth falling open and her breath short. With an abortive groan, he tilted his head and pressed his open mouth to hers. The sparks over her skin fizzed immediately into heat and she couldn’t think, couldn’t feel anything except how badly this gorgeous man apparently wanted to kiss her, because his touch had grown rough and a little reckless.

She liked that.

‘Do you—’ The words began to fall from her lips without thought, between burning kisses. ‘I know it’s too fast, but—’ She kissed him again and her hand had found its way into his hair. ‘But I’m leaving so…’ It was difficult to pull away for long enough to get the words out. ‘Do you want to come back to my B&B? For the night? Don’t feel obliged. I don’t really know how to… do this, but I’m leaving and I’d rather be with you tonight than not.’

Settling his forehead on hers, he didn’t answer immediately, but his unsteady breaths and the way he skimmed his fingers over the back of her neck told her something. ‘If you’re sure,’ he said, swallowing hard, ‘I’d love to.’

He smiled again and came back for another clumsy kiss, telling her clearly how much he wanted her.

‘Which B&B are you staying at? I should pick up some…’

‘The one in Borgo San Domenico, on the corner,’ she answered, before taking his hand and heading for the old town, Arco giving an excited bark at this new game.

But Alex stalled. ‘Eh, Maria Grazia’s place?’ he asked.

‘That’s the name of the woman who runs it, yeah. Do you know her?’

He gave another of those nods with his eyebrows, his expression eloquent with discomfort.

‘Oh dear, will she give you the third degree if you show up with me? What about your place?’

‘You don’t mind coming to my place? I at least have… what we need there.’

Her hair stood on end as she processed his meaning, but his gaze was so earnest as he peered at her that she wasn’t put off in the least by the practicalities of a one-night stand, even though she’d never had one before.

‘What about your cat?’ she asked, gesturing to Arco.

‘He’s often out at this time of night, but he’d just hide anyway.’

‘Then let’s go,’ she said softly.

If she’d had any remaining doubts, then his giddy smile erased them, as well as the quick, hard kiss he pressed to her lips before setting off again under the soft street lamps.

Five minutes later, he tugged her through an open gate into a crumbling courtyard, hurrying to a door on the right, by a spreading tree. But Jules wasn’t interested in the tree – or the rest of her surroundings – pulling his head down for another kiss.

‘We’ll be inside in a minute,’ he mumbled, but kissed her again when she drew back to smile.

‘We’ve only just started kissing. I didn’t want to stop so soon.’

‘I know what you mean.’ He fumbled with his keys as he kept one arm around her. Arco gave a sharp bark and Alex froze, his gaze snapping up to the many windows on the upper floors of the buildings clustered around the courtyard. Shuffling his keys, he searched frantically for the right one.

‘Nosy neighbours?’ Jules guessed, soothing the dog with a hand on his back.

When he finally got the door open he all but tackled her inside, shutting the door behind them and switching on the hall light. Seeing his sheepish look, Jules burst out laughing.

‘They’re neighbours, not zombie attackers,’ she joked as she unclipped Arco’s lead and the dog took off nose-first down the hall.

Towing her close by her jacket, Alex wrapped an arm around her and treated her to one of his broad smiles. ‘You don’t know these neighbours.’ Then he kissed her again, slower, deeper, but no less urgent than outside. He kissed her as though he couldn’tnotkiss her and Jules’s head was spinning after the first second.

No one had ever been so impatient to kiss her that they hadn’t made it out of the hallway. After his nerves during the early part of the evening and the meticulous courtesy of their‘no expectations’ agreement, now they’d decided to take things further tonight, his eager delight was a glorious surprise.

‘Ehm, do you want anything?’ he murmured between kisses, gallantry not quite abandoned yet.

‘No,’ she answered, shuddering as his mouth found her jaw and then her neck.

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