Page 52 of His to Keep
She gazed up at him, wondering if his kisses were more delicious than Marcus’s.
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Awarm breeze caressed her bare shoulders, sprinkling chills over her skin.
Emilio's lustful eyes bore into her with a smouldering intensity that made her stomach churn. He was undeniably handsome, envied by men and desired by woman.
Yet, his exceptional manners and stunning looks didn’t project the same red-hot passion that overwhelmed her when Marcus was near. With one lazy smile, Marcus could cast a spell over her body and mind, fuelling her veins with flames of desire.
The upbeat music swallowed her reservations. Emilio pressed his palms to the curve of her lower back and held her close to his firm physique. The thumping bass thrummed between their entwined bodies sending vibrations straight to her core.
Emilio’s hands drifted over the thin fabric of her dress and gripped her hips with a pleasant pressure. She willingly snaked her arms around his thick neck. Her searching fingers traced the groves of his muscular shoulders. She consciously forced herself to relax in the moment and accept it for what it was—light-hearted fun.
She swayed against him. Her thick long tresses bounced playfully when he spun her under his arm in a controlled manoeuvre.
"Una donna così bella," he whispered with a husky timbre. "Averybeautiful woman," he repeated as his dark, seductive gaze wandered from her face to her chest. “You are like the goddess of the fiery sun with the power to bring a man to his knees.”
Her encased heart twanged, just a fraction.His zesty masculine scent was both alluring and sensual, stirring a glimmer of heat between her legs.
“You would look stunning in a red dress, to match your inner fire.” He thumbed her cheeks, drawing the pad over her wet lips.
“Maybe.” She swallowed hard.
“Hmm,” he purred with a sexy smoulder. “I could drown in your ocean blue eyes, bella, but it’s your Northern Irish accent that drives me wild.”
She sucked in a gust of air as his groin nudged her hip. Emilio was on the charm offensive and her insides were fighting a battle.
Her heart was telling her to stay away, but the sexy sizzle that tore through her bloodstream, begged her to taste him.
“What’s it like, where you live?” he asked.
Her lips quirked. “We have long winters and short summers, but there’s a million different shades of green wherever you look. It’s lush and picturesque.”
“I’d like to go there sometime. How long will you be in Italy?”
Their eyes locked, and she chewed the inside of her mouth, feeling her heartbeat race. “A few weeks, at most. I’m helping Freddy in the kitchen.”
“Will you be my date tomorrow night at Jamie’s soiree? And maybe you can give me a tour of your emerald island?” He gifted her with a sexy smoulder.
Lana nodded once, outwardly smiling, but inside the idea of going on a date made her organs pause and her pulse thrum.
They continued to grind seductively into each other. She closed her eyes briefly and gave in to a fleeting thought, where Marcus danced with her instead.
Staving a sigh, she forced a wide smile just as Emilio dipped her backwards at the hip and traced his fingertips down the soft curve of her throat, pausing at her breastbone. She giggled as their bodies crashed back together. The alcohol was making her head light and her inhibitions were slowly melting away.
Looking upward under dark lashes, she pouted. "How about another drink?"
His eyes blazed, and he quickly cupped her cheeks. "Of course, whatever you want, bella," he said in perfect English with a sexy Italian lilt.
With his full lips only inches from hers, she hesitated. His intent stare focused solely on her parted lips.
She swallowed hard and took a step back. With a teasing flick of her hair she flashed a playful grin.
She wasn’t going to make it easy for him. After a little more Dutch courage, she might just give in to his requests and let herself unravel at his touch. Anything to banish the disruptive thoughts of the man she couldn’t have.
CarpeDiem.
Emilio’s bronzed arm draped her narrow shoulders. He ushered her through the heaving crowd. The sensation of his skin against hers was pleasant.
