Page 48 of Between Us

Roman drew her closer until his already hard cock was nestled right where it wanted to be. “Soon, but not before I fuck you.”

“You know; we have a perfectly clean bed back at the hotel.”

“Now, where’s the fun in fucking on a clean bed?” he asked rhetorically, already reaching for the hem of her dress. He pushed it up, revealing the panties he’d seen earlier.

“You’re crazy,” she breathed, but the way her fingers grabbed hold of his hair told him she wasn’t exactly opposed to it.

He kissed her lips and smiled. “And you’re beautiful.”

19

Three days after their return from Europe, Alessandra was still immersed in her happy bubble. After one week in sunny Monte Carlo and another one spent roaming the French countryside, she was more relaxed than she could ever remember being. Their trip had been everything she could have wished for, with Roman acting like the perfect husband for the whole two weeks they were abroad.

It was Wednesday morning and Roman had left home early for a meeting. He’d been on edge about something as he changed into a suit and kissed her goodbye absentmindedly. Now, half an hour later, Alessandra was still in bed where he’d left her, unable to find the will to get up.

Eventually, after some more minutes, she finally swung her legs over the edge of the bed and dropped to her feet on the cool floor. She took her time in the shower, dressed comfortably then headed downstairsto grab some breakfast and her daily dose of caffeine.

Around ten o'clock, their cook Annika made an appearance.

“Good morning, dear,” she greeted from the threshold to the living room.

Alessandra turned to give her a smile from the couch where she was watching TV. “Hey, Nika.”

“I need your help with the grocery list today.”

“Sure. When are you going out?”

Annika glanced at her watch. “As soon as we make the list. I want to be back in time to get lunch ready for you.”

It took them a little over fifteen minutes to finish up the list. By ten-thirty, Annika had left the house, and Alessandra was alone once again.

Out of boredom and because it was a surprisingly hot morning, she decided to go for a swim in the pool. Upstairs, in the bedroom, she opted for a tiny bikini that had a thong for a bottom and was paired with a strapless bra. No one would see her in the risky thing, and she really wanted to make the most of what was left of August's scorching heat. Her skin would hate her for it by the time she was fifty, but for now, she was young and unbothered by what her senior years had in store for her.

On her way to the pool, she took out a bottle of cold water from the fridge and grabbed her sunglasses from the kitchen counter. The sun was already burning much too hot for that hour, so she applied a thin layer of sunscreen lotion, waiting a few minutes before jumping in the water.

She swam the first lap, her body gliding through the water effortlessly. She loved to swim, and even thoughshe’d done it daily on their vacation, she could never get enough of it. The still-cool water caressed her heated skin, managing to put a contented smile on her face immediately.

Ah, summer.

She was going to miss it when September finally rolled around and brought with it rainy days and the pumpkin spice lattes she wasn’t a fan of.

As she reached the end of the pool and turned around to start again, Alessandra froze, her heart leaping into her throat when her gaze caught on an unexpected sight. Sitting on a lounge chair and watching her as if it was the most normal thing in the world, was the last person she ever expected to see in her new home. His eyes met hers, dark and troubled.

“Luca?” she croaked, grabbing the edge of the pool with one hand so she didn’t go down to the bottom from sheer shock. “What are you doing here?”

He stood then, taking a few steps in her direction. He was wearing navy slacks and an untucked white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, looking very different from the impeccably dressed version of him she knew.

“Bella,” he said in a tight voice, his forehead creasing with a look of near despair. “I've missed you so fucking much.”

Panic engulfed her, propelling her body out of the water. Oblivious to the little she was wearing, she took hurried steps until she was standing in front of him, half-naked and dripping water. “Are you insane?” she whispered furiously, her heartbeat pummeling her chest. “How did you get in?”

Luca's eyes dropped to her chest, as if unable to stophimself from admiring her body. They’d been engaged for four years, yet he had never seen her like this. Realizing just now that she was basically wearing two minuscule pieces of fabric, she blushed and darted for the lounge chair he had vacated. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself, but it was too late. When she turned around, it was obvious Luca had been staring at her naked ass, even if for just a few seconds.

His gaze snapped up to meet hers. He swallowed thickly before saying, “I watched your cook leave then came in through the kitchen.”

“Luca, this is dangerous,” she hissed, eyes drawn to the French doors, expecting them to burst open at any moment. “You can't be here.”

“I needed to see you. I texted you a few weeks ago.”

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