A French Kiss in London (6 page)

When he drew her against him, running his hands over her soft skin, she was lost in his touch, in the masculine scent stirring her senses. She felt his lips and steamy breath over the sensitive skin of her neck, turning all her doubts into imaginary ashes. She wanted this man with every particle of her being, and his every gesture proved that he was as lost as she was in the intensity of those same feelings.

Gerard drew back from her slowly, then stood and turned off the TV. They both remained in darkness—two silhouettes in the weak light sneaking through a window.

He enfolded her in his arms again, whispering with his lips on hers, “Where’s the bedroom? Show me.”

With her heart racing madly, she took his hand and headed toward the stairs. Then they were lost to the silence and blackness.

The same diffused lunar light streamed through the windows of the bedroom, and a vague floral smell perfumed the air.

Next to the bed, he drew her into his arms without a word. He kissed her deeply, exploring her naked back with his rough palms. Under her curtain of hair, he found the strap that held her dress in place, tied at the nape of her neck. He slowly untied it and the white dress glided to the floor with a sensuous rustle.

They remained face to face. She, naked, and he, still fully dressed—an erotic tableau in the moonlight.

He lowered her tenderly onto the bed, then rose and began undressing. Each inch of naked, gorgeous body exuded pure masculinity. Linda had the impression her own skin radiated mists of lust. She studied his strong arms, the networks of veins subtly outlined, his magnificent chest covered with soft, golden hair. Her eyes travelled down to his abdomen, perfectly sculpted and proportioned, as the rest of him, revealed below.

She sighed deeply. For a split second, in the vertigo of emotions tangled in her soul, a trace of insecurity and fear of the unknown shadowed her euphoric state.

But when she felt him close, massive and hard, all rational thoughts turned to smoke and dissipated in the moonlight, leaving the two solitary figures in the night to become one, enraptured by passion’s abyss.

He stretched above her and she thrived on feeling his weight, absorbing his warmth. He used the pad of his thumb to trace her lips softly, then he kissed her thoroughly. His tongue explored her mouth, his teeth nipping playfully at her lower lip.

Just the intensity of his kisses and the feel of his solid, naked body over her made her head spin. But her desire took on new dimensions when he shifted and his mouth started to slide down her body. He kissed her breasts, caressing them softly until her nipples tightened and rose, as though begging for more. She arched her back and he sucked gently at every peak, until her breaths grew choppy.

He didn’t stop there. His hands descended lower on her body, followed by his mouth. His tongue traced the lines of her body, down to her navel, which he kissed ardently, making her gasp. When his lips continued their way down, she was too stunned to move. She couldn’t have moved anyway. His strong fingers held her hips, as his mouth went seeking for the hottest and most sensitive part of her body.

At the first stir of his breath over her, she moaned involuntarily, then all reason left her. She clutched hands full of the sheets and of his hair, while his lips and tongue flickered over the gem of her femininity. She was helpless to do anything but surrender, and she did.

Her tummy felt weightless, her skin feverish. Under the thrilling assault of his mouth, her body quickened and she cried out his name as the explosive release claimed her. She was skyrocketing with the speed of light, even as her vision darkened. With mindless abandon, she let go.

A few moments later, she was still breathing hard, her entire body trembling with the reverberations of her orgasm. Gerard stretched out beside her to give her a few needed moments. He stroked her cheek gently and she barely managed to turn her head to look at him. The moonlight was enough to reveal the tender expression in his eyes. It took her aback, and would have probably scared her if she weren’t so dazed.

He smiled at her, still cupping her cheek as he bent to kiss her softly. When he angled her body toward him, she felt his hardness against her middle. To her own amazement, waves of desire she thought were spent started to ripple through her again.

“Touch me,” he whispered urgently against her lips.

She placed a timid hand onto his muscled chest, sprinkled with just the right amount of hair. Curiosity, as much as lust, made her explore further. When she found one of his nipples, she rubbed it with the tip of one finger, making it tighten. His short intake of breath encouraged her and her palm ran over his abdomen. She felt the muscles there tense. She hesitated just a fraction of a second, before she reached even lower. They both gasped when she touched him, and he firmed his grip on her hips.

He was perfect—hard, smooth and ready. Her hand grew bolder; her own breath came out faster, mixing with his. She folded her fingers around him, then squeezed and massaged, up and down, until a low sound vibrated into his chest.

He pushed her onto her back and rolled on top of her, kissing her hungrily. His hands ran freely over her body, without restraint or discipline. He sent his tongue deep into her mouth, as he eased himself into her. She felt weak with the delicious, stretching pressure of having him inside her. Then, the immense pleasure of it took over and she rose her hips to meet his every thrust.

He pushed high, hard and fast, driven by untamed, primal desire, until they were both seized by a shattering orgasm. Through the roar in her ears, she heard him call her name hoarsely. Then she closed her eyes and let herself be swallowed by the vortex of exquisite sensations.

Chapter Six

Gerard’s senses were the first to awake. He felt her scent, permanently stamped in his mind. Then he became aware of the silk sheets surrounding him and of the empty place occupied in the night by the nymph of his dreams. Could it be that he’d only dreamed?

He opened his eyes, studying the room he was seeing for the first time in daylight. A feminine room with light-blue walls, honey-colored furniture and pastel curtains.

So it hadn’t been a dream. He’d really had her beside him last night, receiving from her the same passion that had burned in him since he’d met her.

A movement he caught in his peripheral vision made him jerk defensively. Pirata had jumped onto the bed with cattish impudence, and was coming close to sniff him. Judging by his insistent meows, he was probably asking about breakfast.

Gerard rubbed his chin, now covered by stubble, and then stroked the cat’s head.

“If you want food, you’re on your own, mate. If you tell me where I can find your lovely mistress, I could put in a good word for you.”

As expected, the cat stared at him with steady blue eyes, but the interrogative sound he issued didn’t seem to divulge his mistress’s location, only his own feline interests.

“Yeah…”

Gerard recovered his clothes from the floor and decided to take a quick shower in Linda’s bath. As the towels were damp, he suspected she’d done the same.

How the hell didn’t I wake up?
he asked himself, surprised. Since childhood, he’d been a very light sleeper, always in a semi-alert state. The answer, however, was going to remain a mystery.

Freshly showered, he pulled on his pants and went off in search of Linda. After having inspected every room in the house, he spotted her through one of the living room’s windows. She was in the gazebo she’d told him she used as a workshop.

He found the back door ajar and went outside. The backyard resembled a miniature jungle, luxuriant, but far from being unkempt. He walked barefoot through the silky grass, ignoring the rough path that meandered between the house and the small wooden gazebo.

As he got closer, he couldn’t take his eyes away from her. Even like this, dressed in rough work-clothes and wearing thick gloves, her hair carelessly knotted on top of her head, she looked lovely. She was wielding a chisel with amazing dexterity on the wooden surface she was carving.

“Is that a hand or am I imagining?” he asked.

Linda didn’t even flinch, continuing to adjust, then to polish.

“Yep. Do you like it?”

She moved aside so he could better see the two hands, their wrists rising from a square wooden base.

“It’s great,” he answered, truly impressed. “You have an extraordinary talent at sculpting, among other things.”

He turned her to him and took the chisel from her hand, placing it on the table. He drew her close, wrapping his arms around her and she melted against him.

They kissed deeply, the past night’s revelations still hovering between them. She smiled shyly.

“They’re your hands,” she said. Reading the astonishment on his face, she elaborated, “I’m fascinated by your hands. They’re so strong, agile, capable of saving lives and…of offering a woman unimaginable sensations.”

A satisfied smile widened on his face.

“So I wasn’t the only one who experienced unimaginable sensations…I thought I’d dreamed.”

Linda shook her head, draping her arm around his neck.

“If you dreamed, it means we both had the same dream.”

When they reached the house, Pirata greeted them with a loud, reproachful caterwauling. Linda picked him up and walked into the kitchen.

“I’m so sorry, darling! I forgot about your food.” She stroked his head soothingly. “I’ll make it up to you right now, promise.”

She put him down, opened a can of succulent cat food and served his meal outside on the veranda.

“What would you like to eat?” she asked Gerard when she got back into the kitchen.

“I’m not especially hungry, but I wouldn’t say
no
to some of that Caramel Cream, if there’s any left.”

“Of course. I always order extra portions. There’s a small restaurant pretty close from here that serves delicious food.”

So saying, she got the cream bowl out of the fridge and emptied the contents into two small bowls. She filled another one with fresh strawberries, then placed everything on the counter.

“Thank you. I could get used to such pampering,” he said, coming up behind her to slide his arms around her waist, with an intimacy reserved for steady couples and long-term relationships. She tensed slightly, making him think this gesture had triggered a vague trace of alarm in her mind. He hoped that in time he’d manage to chase away all the doubts dwelling in her soul, using patience and tenderness as his weapons.

“Sit down and let’s eat,” she prompted, gently caressing his bare chest, her eyes locked on it. She was seeing him half-naked for the first time in daylight. If he weren’t mistaken, that was generating feelings that normally should have been exhausted after a night of lovemaking.

He felt the same. Now he wanted her more than ever, and not only sexually. The image of them, together in her house gave him a sensation of good, of fulfillment.

They sat at the counter savoring breakfast. Soon, Pirata joined them, full and quiet.

“What are your plans for today?” she asked.

“Well, after we finish eating, I’ll go to the clinic. How about you?”

“I want to finish sculpting what I began this morning. Your hands. It’s a record for me. I’ve never finished anything so quickly. Then, I’ll take it to Francesco at the gallery, for display only, not for sale. I know I’m coming up with this at the last moment, but I’m fairly sure he won’t complain.”

Gerard looked at her fondly, his lips stretching into a smile.

“I feel flattered, you know…I don’t even know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. I just hope you’ll like the final product.”

“I already do, you can be sure of that.”

When they finished eating, he remembered something.

“Oh, I have to go home and change first. Although I’ve used your shower, as far as I can remember, my shirt is unwearable in the crumbled state I’ve left it, lying on the floor.”

She smiled and rose.

“Let’s see if I can remedy it, somehow.”

They both entered the sunbathed bedroom. Clothes were strewn everywhere. The sheets were tangled in a sensual mess, which carried the vivid memory of the night they’d shared.

She threw a rapid glance toward the bed. As if embarrassed, she bent awkwardly to pick up clothes and straighten the room.

He took them from her hand and threw them down again. He drew her to him, cupping her chin between his fingers. He angled her head back until she met his eyes.

“Look at me,” he said gently. ”Why are you acting like this?”

“Like what?” she asked his Adam’s apple.

“As though we’re two strangers. As though you regret or want to forget everything that’s happened between us.”

She lifted her eyes to meet his inquiring gaze.

“I
don’t
regret what happened,” she emphasized. “It’s just…I don’t know how to act. It’s the first time this has happened to me. I mean, my ex-husband was the first and only man I had ever…made love to,” she ended in a whisper, ducking her head again, without noticing the satisfied and tender expression in his eyes.

He buried his face in her hair and kissed her forehead, trying to find an appropriate way to voice his feelings. Finally, he said, “You have no idea how happy I am for being here with you. I’m proud because you offered me the privilege of touching you, of having you and proving to you all the feelings you stir in my soul. This is new for me too. I’ve never felt for any woman what I feel for you, Linda. I’ve never fallen in love with a woman from the first second I met her. Never, until I met you.”

He almost felt her heart contracting in surprise and pleasure, but a shadow of doubt crossed over her beautiful features. She watched him intensely, as though searching for something. He hoped she would find the simple sincerity in the depths of his eyes.

As he’d expected, she didn’t dare to admit yet that her feelings matched his. Instead, she kissed him with all the infinite passion she’d told him only he could inspire in her.

Gerard returned her kiss, trying to ignore the painful twinge caused by the lack of any declaration from her. Though he hadn’t expected to break down all her barriers so soon, he still experienced the bitter taste of disappointment.

You’ll have to be very patient, buddy,
he told himself. Then all thoughts left him, as he abandoned himself into her arms. He covered her body with hot kisses, and clothes were thrown once more on the floor.

* * * *

After he left, Linda got back to work. She dedicated herself to each of her projects with absolute abnegation. However, this particular sculpture meant so much more to her than just two wooden hands.

While she adjusted and polished, using the chisel to trace lines and curves known only by her, recollections of the past night occupied her thoughts completely. If she hadn’t had the tangible proof of those hands, she would’ve thought everything had been a dream, some figment of her imagination. But it had been real. Each moment spent beside him had been real.

She smiled abashed, remembering how timid and reserved she’d been at first, not knowing exactly what he expected from her. Then Gerard had chased away her unease by using tenderness and sensuality, mind-blowing caresses and kisses more intense than she’d ever imagined could exist.

Of course, she had never been that intimate with anyone. The sexual relationship she’d had with Tony couldn’t even compare with the sensational night she and Gerard had shared.

Obviously, he was an expert in bed, a master at offering satisfaction and indescribable pleasure to a woman. The thought of all the women who had probably lain in his bed provoked in her an almost physical pain, like a knife to the heart.

She recalled his words, his astonishing declaration from that morning, and doubts seized her again. Had he spoken those words to all his lovers, or were they true? Was he genuinely in love with her? He seemed a noble, honest man, but one could never be sure.

One thing was clear: she had indeed fallen for him—irredeemably and so quickly even she hadn’t realized it until now.

For a moment, she deeply regretted she hadn’t confessed her feelings to him. However, she consoled herself by thinking that time wasn’t lost. There will be other occasions. It was still too soon.

****

Gerard reached his office just in time to hear the phone ringing. He grabbed the receiver and answered, “Hello.”

“How are you,
mon cher
? I tried your cell phone, but it’s turned off.”

“Sorry,
Maman
. I forgot to recharge it. My battery ran out last night.”

While my other batteries functioned at full power,
he thought with a wicked, smug grin.

“How are you?” he asked cheerfully. “How’s Aunt Sophie?”

“Fine, we’re both fine, but we miss you terribly, so I called to inform you that you’re coming to visit tomorrow. I bet you haven’t had a healthy meal since you’ve been here last.”

He chuckled.

“Oh, so you’re informing, not inviting me. Yes, Ma’am! Orders are to be executed, not disputed. Anyway, I planned to come see you. I’ve something to tell you.”

Driven by a momentary impulse, he added, “Do you mind if I bring a girlfriend?”

Chantalle Leon remained silent for a beat, most certainly taken by surprise by this unprecedented situation. Then she said, “Well! You’ve finally found one good enough to bring and introduce her to me?”

He laughed lightly.

“Something like that. You’ll meet her. See you tomorrow around lunch, okay? Maybe you could make some strawberry pie—you know, your special recipe.”

“I planned to, in any case. We’re expecting you. Love you,
mon fills
!”

“Love you too, Mom. Bye!”

If Linda almost had a heart attack when I told her I was in love with her, she’ll surely faint when she’ll hear I’m taking her to meet my mother.

He let out a profound sigh and grabbed his white lab coat, preparing to visit his patients. The progress of his experimental treatment had given him hope, renewed energy and a motivation that was stronger than ever.

* * * *

Linda worked almost all day long, losing track of time. That happened whenever she focused very hard on work. Only after dusk had settled in and she could no longer see well did she realize the evening sun had retired to its secret sanctuary. She was starving.

She applied a final layer of varnish to the finished carving, then stepped back to admire her creation. It truly held a special significance for her. She decided on going to the gallery the next day to hand it to Francesco. Abandoning in the mudroom her clothes full of sawdust, varnish, sweat and other substances, she went upstairs to take a hot shower. Afterward, she pulled on a thin robe, went to the kitchen and dug in the fridge. She ate some leftover spaghetti, sitting at the counter. Then she took a glass of milk and a box of cookies and cozied up in front of the TV with Pirata.