Page 23 of Winter

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Tommaso shrugged. “It’s okay. You will be.”

She laughed at his certainty and he grinned and swept her into the bedroom. As he started to strip her, she kissed his neck. “I really do love that dress, Tommaso.”

“I’m glad you decided to keep it,” he said, brushing his lips along her collarbone. “But I prefer what’s underneath it.” He took her nipple into his mouth, sucking on it gently, looking up at her as his tongue teased her. Inca shivered with pleasure as he removed her panties and pressed her against the wall of her bedroom. “I’m going to fuck you all night long,Principessa…”

The fact that he was still dressed in his impeccable Armani suit while she was naked was a complete turn-on for Inca. He lifted her easily, then his cock was plunging into her, nailing her to the wall, his hands harsh on her body, his lips rough on hers. He kissed her brutally, so that she tasted blood, and as he fucked her, Inca let herself go, feeling every sensation he was sending through her body. Afterward they moved to the bed and she went on top, thrusting her hips hard onto him, wanting to take him deeper and deeper. He smiled up at her as she rode him, his hands on her breasts, her belly, fingers biting into the soft flesh of her hips.

Inca loved the way Tommaso looked at her. With this man, she felt more sensual, more feminine than she ever had with anyone else.

Afterward, they soaked in her little bathtub together, Inca leaning back on Tommaso’s hard chest. His fingers traced a pattern in soap bubbles on her belly. “Bella,I like this place. It is a shame you have to move.”

“I know,” she sighed, distracted by the feel of his fingers on her skin. “I guess I’ll really have to step up the search for a new place.”

“You know my thoughts.” His lips nuzzled her ear, then moved to her shoulder. Inca smiled, closing her eyes.

“I do.”

They lay in silence for a time. “I don’t think your police chief likes me.”

Inca opened her eyes. “Olly’s harmless. He’s probably doing that man thing you all do.”

Tommaso laughed. “I have no idea what you mean.”

“The ‘marking your territory’ thing. Not that I’m either of your territories, just to remind you.” She felt his laugh rumble through his chest.

“I hear you. Tellhim,though.”

“Oh, I will.” She was quiet for a long moment. “Tommaso … there’s something I have to tell you, something that’s going on. It kind of explains why Olly is a little overprotective.”

She told him about the murders and Tommaso listened in shocked silence. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

She sat up and turned to face him. His eyes were troubled. “Because we don’t know if it actually has anything to do with me or it’s just a coincidence. They took some DNA to run against the older women they found in Seattle.” Her breath hitched in her throat at that and he cradled her cheek in his palm.

“Are you okay?”

“I just never considered my birth parents—as far as I’m concerned, Nancy and Tyler are my parents.”

Tommaso nodded, his face serious. “I hope it is not your birthmother, but I do know something about family disharmony. My parents were very unhappy before they divorced. My father is a … difficult man. My mother was an angel.”

Inca smiled. “You’ve never talked about your family before.”

Tommaso laughed softly. “Neither have you.”

Inca realized he was right. “I guess we really don’t know each other that well.”

“I guess not.”

They gazed at each other for a long moment. “I would like to get to know you,” he said softly and leaned in to kiss her.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Inca suddenly felt optimistic. The man in her arms was gorgeous, funny, and smart. Maybe it was time she told herself it was okay to fall for him.

Tommaso surprisedher the following morning as she was opening up the Sakura. The day was surprisingly warm; the snow from the storm was almost gone. Inca had arranged to show Raffaelo around the area today, so she was surprised when Tommaso showed up. Inca grinned when, with him, she saw a huge Labrador Retriever bound out of his car.

The dog immediately went to her, wagging its plummy tail, and Inca hugged it delightedly.

“You got a dog?”

Tommaso grinned. “Technically,yougot a dog. Since you won’t let me pay for a security detail, I thought this was the next best thing.”