Surprised by Love (12 page)

“Yes,
of course it is, why would I have changed my mind?”

“Well,
your proposal materialized out of thin air, in public, because Marisa was
trying to harass me about being a widow.  I wouldn’t blame you if sober
second thought had meanwhile prevailed.”

Before
he could reply, Aldo braked gently and the big limousine slid to a halt before
the doors of Alessandro’s
palazzo. 
“This conversation is not
over,” he said quickly to Connie, as Aldo opened the rear door for his
employer.

****

When
the elevator reached the
palazzo’s
penthouse, Alessandro asked, “Are you
tired?  I am, a bit.  Shall we go to the bedroom?  If you want
something to drink, I’ll get it for us.  I gave Nìccolo and his wife the
evening off.”

“No,
thanks, Alessandro.  No more to drink.  I’d like some mineral water
though.”

“I’ll
get it.”  After a short while, Alessandro appeared with a bottle of
San
Pellegrino
mineral water and two big tumblers.  “You’d like a glass by
your side of the bed,
carissima?”

“Yes,
thank you.  Something else I’d like—a shower.  After being on view
all that time I feel in need of some cleansing water.”

Alessandro
smiled.  “I know how you feel.  Some of those women were truly the
pits.  Want to share your shower with me?”

“Is
this a multiple choice question?”

“No. 
I want you to say Yes.”

“Yes.”

Alessandro
laughed and slid an arm around Connie.  “Come with me to the shower, and
we can wash each other clean of the eye-prints those women left all over us.”

“That’s
neat, Alessandro—and very apt.  I felt as if they were touching me all
over.  How much worse for you—I merely got a derisive, cursory glance, and
you got the full once-over.”

His
voice sounding huskier and more serious, he said quietly, “I want you to know
that that pushy little
contessa
made it all up, about me going to my
plane from her bed.  In her dreams!  I’ve never had a fling with her,
although believe me, she’s tried hard enough—” 

Connie
nodded.  “That’s what it sounded like to me, empty bragging.”  She
glanced up at him as he helped her into the wide shower stall.  “I felt
sure you were more fastidious, more refined in your taste…” Hastily she put a
hand to her mouth.  “Alessandro, I didn’t mean me, I know you didn’t
really choose me—you merely defended me against that Marisa, and next thing I
knew, you said…  Are you sure you want us to go on with these wedding
plans?”

Alessandro
had his back to her as he fiddled with the water flow and temperature. 
When they were adjusted, he turned back to Connie, all his attention on
her. 

“Listen
to me, my modest
fidanzata… 
Yes, I do want to marry you. 
Think of the advantages we have—we can talk about business instead of your
clothes, your hair.  I mean, we’ve got to talk of something when we’re not
making love.”

Connie
laughed.  “With your high sex-drive, I don’t think that will be a
problem—unless you calm down considerably once you’re over your long period of
celibacy…”

Alessandro
shrugged, and began to lather shower gel over Connie’s skin. 

“I
got over that long period of abstention as soon as we started living
together.”  He smiled.  “The Montedalcino men have always been
virile.  So, if you are hoping that I’ll calm down sexually I have to
disappoint you.  At least for the next fifty years or so.  Granted,
by time we’re eighty we may slow down a little.  You up for that?”

Connie
hugged herself to him, instantly noticing that he was, as usual, deeply
aroused.  “Yes, I am.” 

By
way of reply, Alessandro took Connie by the hips and lifted her so that she
could put her legs around his waist.  Leaning her against the opposing
wall, he whispered, “Take me now,” and drove himself deep into her. 
Dio,
that feels so good…

When
they had experienced a mutual, shattering orgasm that left them both
breathless, he left her body slowly.  “Gravity makes it difficult for me
to stay as long as you usually want me—but I’ll give you an
encore
in
bed any time you want…”

“Any
time?  Alessandro, you’re a magician…”

Chapter 11.

Alessandro
carried Connie back and gently tossed her onto the bed, following her
down.  He smiled into her eyes.  “I believe I owe you an
encore,”
he
said.

“Only
if you want to,” she whispered.

“Believe
me, I want to,” he said huskily and took her mouth in a kiss that claimed her
as his very own.  Connie’s lips parted beneath his, and he deepened the
kiss, the tip of his tongue caressing hers, finding her taste, her
essence.  She responded as always, giving and taking as he did, wanting
more, ever more with this exceptional man.  And Alessandro gave her more.

Sliding
his hands to her hip bones, curving over her small, round buttocks, he lifted
her so he could bring her pelvis in touch with his own, let her feel the extent
of his passion for her, the hard, heavy length of his throbbing penis. 

Holding
her tightly to him, he began a sensual feast of kisses, starting with her
mouth, aware that his attentions left her breathless.  When he began to
kiss her breasts—suckling first one rosy peak, then the other—their bodies
began to move instinctively in the age-old rhythm of love—or passion, as
Alessandro insisted.  And all the time, his hands shaped her body,
following every curve and indentation until he came to the blonde curls at the
apex of her thighs. 

“Touch
me,” he whispered.  She bent her head, and he felt her silky hair caress
him as she kissed and licked her way down his body.  He felt her hand
tighten around the hard, heavy length of him—her other hand sliding between his
upper thighs, caressing his sac and the engorged testes.  With a last vestige
of thought, Connie wondered how it was possible that his testes were still so
big—they had made love twice before going to Nonna’s reception—and just now, in
the shower…  And then she stopped wondering, incapable of thought. 
All she could do was feel.

He
gasped when he felt her lick a drop of fluid from the tip of his penis before
she took him into her mouth. 

Instantly,
her hand on his shaft began to move in the same rhythm as their bodies. 
Her other hand caressed the silken testes, one long finger sliding to the very
sensitive place just beyond.  She loved the taste of him, and the elusive
musky scent drifting up to her.  She licked the silk-over-granite of his
penis—her velvety tongue urgent and caressing.

Aroused
to the point of pain, he surrendered for a few long moments to the exquisite
feelings of surpassing bliss she awakened in him, then he gently but hastily
removed her hands from his shaft and his sac, and took her mouth from his
penis.  His voice shaking, he whispered, “Ah! What you made me feel just
then…”

She
smiled up into the blue of his eyes, darkened by his passion for her, and felt
him sigh against her mouth, his face showing impassioned desire instead of his
usual serene control.

“Please…”
she whispered, and with one experienced, effortless movement he slipped her
beneath him, knelt between her slender thighs.  Taking his time, he
entered her silken depths slowly, knowing she could take all of him, but making
the most of the intense pleasure of feeling her stretch to take him, clenching
around him again.  Losing himself deep inside her, he could no longer
think, could only feel the surpassing bliss of her moist, satiny heat
surrounding his pulsing hardness.

After
all the times they had made love, he still felt his heart lift when he heard
her little gasp as she stretched to take all of him, inviting him deeper into
her body.

His
tongue tasted the sweetness of her mouth again, as his body kept up its urgent
rhythm, to which she responded passionately.

He
felt tiny contractions begin in her, and moments later he crushed her more
tightly to him as he quickened his tempo until he felt his body surrender to
the surpassing rapture of the orgasm that claimed both of them. He felt his
seed pulse into her—hot and insistent, flooding her in powerful, unending
torrents as he came and came, her contractions taking him ever deeper, until he
had given her everything he had. 

A
silent lover, he sighed her name against her mouth, and heard her awed whisper,
“Alessandro…”  He stayed in her, knowing that was what she wanted. 
For that matter, it was what he wanted too.  

When
they had stilled, and his heartbeat and breathing had slowed, he whispered,
“And you want us to make love when I see you home, and that’s all?”  He
smiled.  “I much prefer my idea of us getting married very soon—and Nonna
will like it better too, trust me on that.”

Connie
sighed.  Maybe there was hope for their marriage after all—at times his
passion seemed to spill over into what she hoped would become love.  She knew
that she had come to love him—how could she not—this exceptional man,
brilliant, kind and witty—with his athlete’s body, the face of a fallen angel,
and the alluring virility of one of the Greek gods of antiquity…   

She
smiled faintly.  Adonis came to mind.

****

During
the next few weeks, Alessandro had to chair several meetings of companies in
his conglomerate, and there was little time for socializing with his
relatives.  Of course, he always made time for his Nonna, and his
mother—who had given up on the allegedly pure teenagers.  Alessandro
smiled, thinking how her attitude had been totally reversed, simply by taking
care of her debts—huge in her opinion, picayune in his.

****

One
morning, Alessandro was checking his emails, when a Connie heard a muttered
imprecation.  Glancing up, she asked, “What?”

Frowning,
Alessandro said, “We’ll have to go back and deal with that problem in Orlando.”

“I
primed Alice on that,” Connie began.  He held up his hand by way of
interruption.  “Alice couldn’t have expected what they threw at her, and
it would be most unfair to expect her to be able to deal with it.  No,
we’ll have to go back and teach that offensive little creep at our new Mall
there to obey instructions from my office and not ignore them as he sees fit.”

“Do
you want me to freeze all his accounts?”

“Alessandro
shook his head.  “No.  It will alert him that we’re on to him. 
He cannot convert the company’s money into his—and if he has found a way, I’ll
see to it that he goes to prison.”

Connie
nodded.  “I can be ready if you’ll give me an hour to pack—but if you want
to take Nonna, she’ll need a bit more notice.”

“Good
point,” he agreed.  “I’ll go over to Nonna’s now and explain the
situation. My opinion, she won’t want to come when we are under the gun, in her
view.  She’d think she’d be in our way.  I’ll promise her to send the
plane for her whenever she wishes.”

Connie
smiled.  “And if Nonna doesn’t want to come now, we need make no change in
our living accommodation.”  She smiled.  “And you won’t have to think
any more about us getting married in a hurry.”

“There
is that,” he agreed. 
Strange, Connie thinks that should please me—but
it doesn’t.

****

Nonna
asked for the plane to be sent in two weeks’ time—and Alessandro gladly
promised that. He privately decided to speak to Tom about a civil wedding in
Ocean Breeze—which would mean that he and Connie could live together even after
Nonna’s arrival.  Later, when they were back in Italy, he would arrange
for a church wedding with all his relatives and friends present.

Alessandro
smiled to himself.  For years he had succeeded in avoiding marriage, which
he had always viewed with barely concealed horror.  He was surprised that
the thought of being married to Connie did not fill him with dismay.  No,
not at all.  Probably because Connie was so different from the playmates
he had occasionally wasted time with, briefly.  Connie—so civilized,
elegant, charming, hugely intelligent—and amazingly responsive in bed. 

When
he recalled the near-courtesans who had paraded eagerly before him—their erotic
tricks paled into insignificance compared to Connie’s willing response to
anything his body might ask of hers.  Yes, he was actually looking forward
to being married… 

****

Their
flight back was uneventful, and when they came out of the gate leading to where
private aircraft landed and took off, Alessandro was not at all surprised to
see Tom and Jeff waiting for them, the Bentley parked in front, watched by a
security guard.  Waving to them, while glancing at Connie, he asked, “Did
you tell them?”