Stolen Hearts (4 page)

“Are you ready to go?” His deep, rich voice washed over her, making her skin prickle with awareness.

“Yes, everything’s in the
safe,
all locked up.” No way would she admit she started closing up shop early just so she could be ready by the time he showed up.

“Sell my mom’s bracelet today?” His voice was casual, nonchalant, but he seemed to tense, as if he were holding his breath.

Rolling her eyes, Celeste grabbed her purse from the countertop and walked toward him. Wishing she could wrap her arms around his waist and snuggle against his broad chest. “I wish.”

His big body visibly relaxed. “Do you think you maybe have it overpriced?”

“Oh no, it’s truly the most valuable piece in the entire store.” She glanced around, pretending someone could have overheard. “But that’s just between you and me.”

“Of course, don’t worry.”

They exited the store, Celeste careful as she locked the doors tight. Tugging on the door handle, satisfied when it didn’t give, she finally turned to face Alex. She wasn’t about to take any risks with that bracelet inside.

“Do you have somewhere in mind for dinner?”

He glanced at her as they walked down the sidewalk. “I was hoping you’d have some ideas since you’re from here. Me just being a visitor and all, I don’t know what’s good.”

“Oh, so what brings you here?” When she’d been younger, she’d wished she could’ve escaped the almost strangling confines of the small town where she’d spent her entire life. Now, though, she was glad she had stayed. She liked Santa
Augustina
in all its quaint, small town glory.

Though she wondered what made people come here sometimes. Especially single, handsome men like Alex.

“A little vacation.
I needed to get away, needed some downtime.” He shrugged those impossibly wide shoulders and smiled down at her. “I just wanted to escape for a bit, gain some me time, I guess. I live in Los Angeles, a total hellhole and rat race that can eat you up inside if you let it.”

“So you decided to come up the coast?”

“Yeah, I jumped in my car and just started driving. Took a little vacation time from work and now here I am. It’s a nice town.”

“Yes, it is. I like it here. And there’s a good restaurant that’s just two streets over. Do you like Italian food?”

He chuckled. “With a last name like mine, I would have to say yes.”

Her brow crinkled. “What’s your last name? I don’t think you ever told me.”

“It’s
Moretti
.”

“Ah, so you’re Italian.” That explained the dark hair and dark eyes, the almost exotic look to his swarthy features. Compared to Alex, the men she knew and hung out with seemed so bland and boring—kind of like herself.
Nothing special, nothing exciting.

Excitement seemed to shimmer off Alex. He was completely different from any of the men she’d dated in the past. Someone she’d consider not her type at all but was undeniably attracted to all the same. An attraction she would normally fight off or ignore but she realized tonight, she didn’t want to.

She wanted to see where this would go. For once, temporary didn’t sound like a bad idea.

Stopping abruptly, she rested her hand against her chest, stunned at her own thoughts. Something temporary didn’t sound like a bad idea?
A little fling with a man who was on vacation and would leave in a matter of days?
This was so far out of her normal realm of thinking she didn’t even know what to do.

“Are you all right?” Alex rested a big hand on her shoulder, the heat from his touch searing her skin right through her sweater.

Celeste released a shuddering breath and glanced up at him, a weak smile on her face. The intensity of his gaze, the way his hand still rested on her body, made her feel funny inside. Made her body tingle in all the right places—and go liquid in all the right places too.

“I’m fine,” she finally said, her voice wobbly as she nodded once. Yes, she was.
Really.
She could get through this night without attacking him across the table, for instance.

She could get through this night without drooling at the sight of his handsome face, his dark eyes watching her so closely. Really she could.

“Are you sure? Is something bothering you?” His hand slid from her shoulder down her arm, sparks of awareness from his touch making her tremble with need.

Need for him.

“No, nothing’s bothering me, I’m fine. I, uh, thought I forgot something back at the store and that’s why I stopped. But really, I’m fine.” She gestured to the left, where the sidewalk curved around along the cross street. “We go this way and turn another left at the light and we’ll be at the restaurant.”

“Sounds perfect.”
He smiled at her, his hand dropping away from her and she restrained the groan that wanted to slip past her lips.

She was in so much trouble.

* * * * *

Alex had no idea how he’d sat through that long, torturous dinner without touching Celeste but he did it. The restaurant was small, intimate, seemingly lit with only candles in red cups on every table. The waiter had been more than courteous, familiar with Celeste, offering them the best service imaginable and food that would make his dead grandmother praise the hills of her birth country.

But he’d barely been able to eat a thing, too enraptured with Celeste’s beauty, her voice, the way she looked at him from across the table. Surprise was one way to describe it. Like she couldn’t believe she sat there with him, talking to him…was attracted to him.

He felt exactly the same way.

Finishing off that bottle of good red didn’t help either. He hadn’t been a big drinker since he’d gotten out of prison and he felt like a pansy that a couple glasses of wine had gone to his head. It was some excellent wine, he had to admit. He hadn’t felt this good in a long time.

Depositing a bunch of twenties on the table, he escorted Celeste out of the restaurant, surprised at the lateness of the hour. They’d stayed at the restaurant for nearly three hours, talking about their lives. Well, she did most of the talking, he just listened.

No way could he reveal anything about his past. She’d jump up from her chair and run like the devil was nipping at her heels if he mentioned anything about his time in prison for breaking into a jewelry store.

Sweat beaded on his forehead at the thought, even in the cool fall night air.

“Thank you so much for dinner. I think you left Sid the biggest tip of his life.”

“He deserved it.” Deciding to go for it, Alex grabbed her hand, her soft, small fingers clutching around his. “I’m glad you wanted to go there. I’m stuffed.”

“You barely ate your food.” She smiled shyly at him, the sight of it making his dick jump in his pants and he cleared his throat, squeezing her hand even more.

“Yeah, well I was distracted.”

“Distracted by what?
All the good wine?”
A little giggle escaped her and she covered her lips with her other hand, her gaze drifting away from his.

“No. I was distracted by you.” He said the words quietly, stopped in front of a small gift shop and turned to face her.

“Oh.” Her hand dropped from her lips and she looked up at him, her blue eyes even bigger than normal,
the
color almost the same as the dark blue sky above. Lit by a full moon and tiny sparkling white stars, the night was magnificent, clearly made for lovers.

He wanted to be this woman’s lover. If only for tonight, then so be it. The urge to be buried deep inside her, bringing her pleasure with his hands, mouth and cock nearly overwhelmed him.

“Where do you live?” The question came out fast, his voice gruff,
his
stance tense as he watched her.

Waiting for her to give him a sign.

“Where are you staying?” The words seemed to slip past her lips without her even thinking and he heard the tiny gasp that followed them.

She must’ve surprised herself. Good, he was shocked too.

Shaking his head, he tugged on her hand, bringing her closer to him. The scent of flowers and fresh rain washed over him, making his cock even harder. “I can’t take you there, it sucks. Tell me where you live, Celeste. Do you have a nice soft bed?”

Her eyes widened and he saw the pulse at the base of her neck jump erratically. He was so tempted to kiss her there, lick her sweet skin, but he restrained himself.

“I do.” Her gaze didn’t waver though her pulse kicked up another notch.

“You want to show me your bed, sweetheart?”

“Yes.”

“Then lead the way.”

Chapter Four

Her house was small and on the older side but Celeste had fixed it up nicely so she wasn’t ashamed of it. Besides, she’d bought it for a steal before Santa
Augustina’s
real estate boom of the last few years and it wasn’t too far from the ocean. On a really quiet night, she could even hear the waves crashing against the shore in the distance.

Tonight was proving to be just such a night. Not only could she hear the waves lapping against the sand but she also had the most handsome man she’d ever seen standing in the middle of her bedroom. Glancing about the room with a seductive look in his eyes, he seemed to fill the entire room.

All she could do was stand there at the foot of her bed and stare, her arms hanging at her sides, her tongue wanting to hang out of her mouth.

She kept that last bit under control, thank goodness.

“I don’t normally bring men I don’t know to my bedroom,” she blurted, unable to stop herself.

Immediately she covered her mouth with her hands, shocked at her statement. Why
did
she bring this man back to her home, into her bedroom? Did she really want to have sex with him? Because that’s what this meant, the two of them standing near her bed, their mingled breathing the only sound in the room besides the comforting sounds of the ocean waves wafting through the open window.

Her silent answer seemed to move through her body, causing her nipples to peak and harden, her panties to grow wet.

Yes.

Yes, she did want to have sex with him. Something she’d never done with a man after the first date. Celeste could count on one hand the number of men she’d had sex with in her life. Then she could count on one hand again the sexual encounters she’d had with each of those men.

Needless to say, she wasn’t that impressed with sex. Didn’t really get it when her friends rambled on and on about the great orgasm they’d had the night before or the amazing moves some guy had in bed. It didn’t compute. She had better orgasms by her own hand, she was embarrassed to admit. How did a man make a woman feel the way they described in the movies, in the romance books she read and hid under her bed?

“You don’t need to explain yourself to me, Celeste,” Alex finally said, his eyes roaming over her form, seeming to undress her everywhere they roamed. “All I care about is what’s going to happen between us tonight.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, something happening between us tonight.” She said the words so fast they seemed to slur together and she cleared her throat, taking a step back when he moved toward her.

“I don’t think I believe you.” His moves were
stealthlike
, his feet quiet as he came closer, his arms stealing around her waist and hauling her close. “I think you want this as badly as I do.”

Resting her hands against his chest, she was startled by the heat she felt there, the pounding of his heart beneath her palms as quick as her own. Having him so close was overwhelming, made her body go limp, her mind fuzzy. She titled her head and found him watching her, his eyes zeroing in on her mouth, and her tongue snuck out to lick her lips tentatively.

He groaned, the sound reverberating through her, rumbling against her hands. “Are you okay?”

“Whatever you do, don’t do
that
again unless you want me to attack you without any finesse whatsoever.”

“Do what?” Her eyebrows drew together in confusion.

“God, you’re cute as hell when you do that too.” Alex pulled her even closer, his lower body brushing against hers and she gasped when she felt his rigid erection through his pants.
“Licking your lips.
Don’t lick your lips like that, it drives me nuts.”

“Ooh, you mean like this?” Celeste did it again, her tongue swiping across her lower lip. What possessed her to do it she didn’t know but the sound of his strangled groan caused a great wave of satisfaction to roll through her.

And then before she even realized she’d moved he had her lying across the bed, his big body pinning hers, mouth fused to hers as if he never wanted to let go. A little cry escaped her and he took advantage. His tongue dipped into her mouth, tangling with her own and she surrendered completely. Her hands sank into his hair, gripping him tightly, holding him to her. He ground his pelvis against her, his erection hot and huge against her belly, and her eyes flew open in surprise.

Did he actually think that thing was going to fit? Good Lord, her entire body was trembling and not just because she wanted him.

A little trickle of fear spilled down her spine and she tried to ignore it, concentrating on the delicious things his mouth was doing to hers instead. His big hands roamed all over her body, pushing at the hem of her sweater and she let him slide the fabric up the slightest bit, baring her belly.

“Such soft skin,” he whispered, his rough fingers searching her stomach, inching higher. “I’ve wanted to touch you all night.”

“Don’t stop,” she murmured, arching toward him, shocked at her bold command. Had she ever asked for anything from a man in bed before?

No, she didn’t think so.

His hand kept moving, up and up until it tickled the edge of her bra. She squirmed beneath him, wanting him to touch her breasts, dying for him to touch her there and when he did, she sighed with relief, basking in the sensation his long fingers wrought within her.

“I want the bra off.” Sure fingers searched then found the clasp in the front and she thanked the heavens above for convenience, nearly giggling when the bra sprang free so easily for him.