Lussuria (New Version) (15 page)

I sit on the sofa, and stare at the photographs on the marble console table—lots of family pictures, taken through the ages. This must be Lucca’s family. My eye gaze travels to a massive, detailed, stone-brick fireplace with chunky candles sitting on top of it. I love the feel of this room. It looks as though it has been dressed for a travel magazine with its lush interiors.

“Lexi?” I hear Lucca calling out.

“I’m down here,” I answer back, my voice echoing in the space of the vast open area. I start to walk up the stairs, adjusting the towel to ensure its covering my breasts as he races down to meet me.

“I thought you’d left,” he says with a strained voice.

“No, I was just wandering. It’s pretty special, I love it down here.”

He lifts me up, kisses my forehead, and carries me up the stairs back to the bedroom.

Safe.

He places me on the bed. “Here, I have a new robe for you.” He hands me a white, cotton robe, still wrapped in cellophane. He undoes my towel, letting it fall to the bed. He puts my arms in the robe, then puts his hands around my waist and lifts me up. My robe is open as he holds onto me with his hands clasped at the bottom of my back. He kisses the side of my head, then moves my hair back over my shoulders. There is something so sensual about having the robe open, revealing my lingerie.

“I love these,” he says, running his fingers over the lace on the swell of my breasts.

Oh, my Lord.

He moves his hand to stroke my tumbled locks, “You have lovely hair,” he says, taking my thought away from my aching breasts. “Do you want to sit on the balcony and we’ll have lunch out there?”

“Yes, that would be lovely.”

I hear a soft knock at the door. Lucca frees his hands and ties the belt around my robe. A petite lady comes in with a hostess cart filled with silver plates covered in food. She steps forward and kisses me on both cheeks, then holds my hands.

“I am honored to meet you, the bella who has captured Lucca’s heart,” she says in perfect English. I blush, looking down at my hands. I hear Lucca cough. “I’m Annalisa, Lucca’s cousin, and a chef here.” She’s beautiful, dainty with a black short cropped pixie hair style.

“Pleased to meet you, Annalisa. It’s a pleasure. Thank you for the food, it smells wonderful.”

She looks overjoyed. “It’s a pleasure. I hope you like what we have prepared. Your friend Hazel has been in the kitchen already. It will take only a bit of work for her to get through the course. I’ll leave you two alone, buon divertimento.” She patters her tiny elf like feet out of the room.

Lucca wheels the cart outside. A vase with pretty, blue orchid flowers sits on the cart. I walk out of the bedroom through the open doors and onto the balcony. The sun feels warm and beautiful. After I sit down, Lucca pulls a beautiful blue colored orchid out of the vase, snips the stem, and places it behind my ear. I blush and look down. He lifts my chin up and kisses my lips.

“You are beautiful, and this colour is striking against your dark hair and skin.”

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“These flowers are said to symbolize virility, fertility and sexuality.”

“Oh.” I blush.

He grins. “Some think of them as yin and yang, beauty and strength, dark blue testosterone and charming fertile calmness.”

“You sure know a lot about flowers,” I say, still inhibited at the sexual nature of his descriptions.

“Yes, Nonna loves flowers. She has a flower garden around the back.”

“I love this flower. It’s such a pretty color.”

“It is, like you. Shall we eat?”

Irresistible – Azure Eyes

Lucca pours two glasses of cold champagne from the ice bucket sitting next to the table. “To getting to know each other.” He holds his champagne flute up to toast, and I clink it with mine.

I take a sip of the fizz; it is sweet and easy on the pallet. Exquisite. “This is delicious what is it?” I ask.

“It’s Taittinger Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne, Vintage Champagne 1996.”

I don’t know much about wines and champagne, but I know this is extremely expensive. I grin. Samantha would love this. Lucca sets out the plates and passes me cutlery, a linen napkin and some water. We have Antipasto estivo – a summer starter with Parma ham, cantaloupe melon, buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, and pesto dressing served in a Parmesan basket. It is mouth-watering, so fresh and tasteful, and very much a summer treat. We finish every mouthful, then Lucca tops up the champagne. I close my eyes and let the sun absorb into my face and neck.

Lucca tells me his parents moved to Scotland after they were married and had their four children, and then opened a small restaurant in Carluke in South Lanarkshire near the old town of Lanark. Rafaello, his grandfather Franco’s twin brother, had a chain of restaurants already in the UK and was doing very well, so they took the business opportunity. His mother was busy with three sons and a daughter, so she raised the family while constantly working long hours in the restaurant. Eventually, when they all grew up, she wanted to go home.

Her father Franco, had a business proposition; that they renovate “Casa Sulla Collina” which the family also owned and carry on with the cookery hotel chain. His mother wanted desperately to be back in Tuscany as she was homesick, tired of the poor Scottish weather and missing her parents, so when she does see her children and grandchildren, she suffocates them all with over the top love.

“What happened to the restaurant in Carluke?” I ask.

“My brother, Savio, and his wife, Kate, took it over,” he explains as he lifts the silver domes off the main course.

“Do you see your parents often?”

“Yes, I fly here often, so do my brothers and sister. She practically lives here half of the year, and any other boss would have fired her ass, but I keep her in a job while she saunters about. After all, she is my baby sister, so I let her get away with murder.”

“What type of work does she do for you?”

“She has a marketing degree, so she handles all of my advertising...when she’s in the bloody country.” He shakes his head and smiles.

The main course is Trofie al pesto—Trofie pasta served with basil pesto and marinated tomatoes with fresh rocket and lemon. We are both silent as we eat the simple, but aromatic food. It feels so invigorating and new—the sun, the food, the caring Lucca has shown me. Maybe, my grandpa was right. Perhaps it is my time.

“What does your other brother do?” I ask.

“Armando works for Rafaello’s restaurant chain. He is a manager at one of the Glasgow branches.”

“Oh, why didn’t you go into the hospitality chain if it runs in the family?”

“I have. I just had my sights on other things as well. I bought my first flat when I was very young. I renovated it, and sold it when the market was booming, making a nice profit. I continued onward, turning over some more properties and making a profit each time, but it ultimately wasn’t where my passion lay. I love everything about the fitness, health and leisure industry, so I invested in my club with the profit from my properties and land. I’m also a silent partner in the hospitality and entertainment industry. So my business, Osurac Industries, is my business, trading in three growing successful industries.”

He tops up the champagne again, and I take another sip. I’m starting to feel a little giddy.

“Which club do you own?”

“I thought you would have known this. I own Club di Energia, of course.”

I spurt out a mouthful of fizz all over the table, coughing as I do so.

“No, I didn’t know. Oh my God, that makes you my boss technically.” I look down at my hands in shame.

“He lifts my chin up. “No, it doesn’t. You’re self-employed. Okay, technically, yes it does. But what does that matter?”

He is oblivious.

“People will talk. It’s not right, and there will be ramifications. It’s not professional,” I stammer.

“Oh, don’t be silly, Lexi. You have your own clinic. You’re renting space from me, that’s all, but I think I might be able to drop your rent.” He smiles and looks at me coyly.

Fuck!

File N for New. New job vacancy search.

“So how long are you here in Tuscany?”

“As long as it takes,” he replies, stroking the side of my face and sending delicious tremors over my body and fluttering in my stomach.

We have raspberry and pomegranate Panna Cotta for dessert, and Lucca tops up the champagne again. I close my eyes, feeling totally satisfied as I face the sun, basking in it.

“My turn,” he says.

“Your turn for what?” I reply.

“Well, I thought this was a chance to get to know each other. I’ve told you about my family. Now I’m interested in yours. You don’t need to tell me personal things such as those we mentioned before, but I would like to know about your family.”

“There’s not much to tell,” I lie.

“You’re lying again. I can tell, Lexi, and I don’t know why. I’m only asking about your family, that’s all. Family is important to me.”

He has a point, it’s a normal simple question, but I’m not a normal, simple girl. I sigh. If it weren’t for the champagne, I think I’d be in the midst of a full blown panic attack by now. “My parents are dead,” I mutter as I look down picking some skin on my palm.

He lifts my face and stares into my eyes. “Oh, baby. I’m so sorry.” He tucks my hair behind my ear on the side without the flower. I don’t know why I’ve said a horrible thing like this, but it’s partly true, and I can’t have anyone knowing about my unspeakable past.

Standing up, he walks into the bedroom. I lean back in the chair my face up to the sun, and close my eyes once more, thanking God and asking for forgiveness for the horrendous confession I’ve just shared.

He comes back a few moments later. “I‘ve started to run a bath. It takes a little while to fill as it’s so deep.”

“Okay, thank you. I’ll clear this up.”

“No, leave it.”

“I want to. Please, let me.” I pile the plates, cutlery and napkins on the cart and take it inside. I slump back on the bed feeling full and tired after the lunch, Lucca was right; I wouldn’t have managed to be up and about today. I feel drained.

He sits next to me on the bed. My cheeks are warm from the sun and rosy from the champagne. “Thank you for lunch.”

“You’re welcome. Annalisa is a great cook, but I’m biased as she is my cousin. Don’t tell Maurizio that.”

Getting up off the bed, I walk into the bathroom, and I’m immediately amazed. It’s like a tranquil spa sanctuary. There are scented candles lit everywhere, and sweet smelling bubbles rising in the deep tub with blue petals floating in the water. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and smile at the blue orchid in my hair.

Lust-glow

I walk back into the room, smiling. “It looks bonnie in there.”

“Bonnie? As in Scottish highlands bonnie?” he raises his eyebrows.

Shit!

“Come on let’s get you in the bath.” I follow him into the sweet scented romantic en-suite.

He tests the water. “Perfetto.”

He walks over to me and undoes the belt around my robe, allowing it to drop to the floor. Even though we saw each other naked just a short while ago, the excitement and thrill has easily provoked the lustful feelings that have awoken in my body, and I’m beginning to tremble again. He slips the bra straps off my shoulders and unclasps it, freeing my breasts. My exposed nipples harden. I’m so sensitive to his touch, I feel so vulnerable.

“Oh God, Your perfetto” he moans, kissing my shoulder. He runs his thumb down my breastbone to my navel, sending pleasurable vibes to my nerve endings. I didn’t realize having a hot bath would include this as part of the deal, but I’m not complaining. He takes his hand down to my panties and puts his thumb under them, sliding them down my legs. I move my feet, allowing him to slide them off.

“I’m trying so hard to resist you, but I want to touch you all over,” he murmurs.

“I want you to touch me. I…I like it.”

Am I begging to be touched?

This isn’t me. Maybe I’m still unconscious, and dreaming this.

He lifts my chin. “Will you stop doing that?” he says, raising his voice a little and closing the space between us.

Wrapping his toned brawny arms around me, he squeezes tightly. He strokes my hair then lightly runs his fingers over my shoulders and down my arms, caressing my skin. It feels so nice. Kissing the side of my head, he scoops me up and places me in the deep tub.

“Get comfortable. I’ll be back in a moment.” He walks out and comes back in with another champagne bottle, our flutes and strawberries. I hear music in the background. Andrea Borelli, Somos Novias.

I am buried under bubbles and petals; it is lush, absolute divine. I close my eyes; it feels so nice against my skin and aching muscles. I breathe in the sweet tropical scent and sigh. I tie my hair up in a knotted bun on top of my head before slipping down further in the tub. Lucca passes me my champagne with a strawberry in it, and I take a sip, then place it on the ledge. He puts a strawberry in his mouth, then leans towards me in the bath and rubs the strawberry along my lip, teasing me. I try to bite it, and he pulls back a little, repeating the stroking of my lip with it. He places it in my mouth, sucking all the sweet juices with his tongue. I swallow, then take his tongue, circling and sucking.

Oh my God. Sweet. Sensual. Seduction.

He moves away from my soft lips, pulls his t-shirt over his head, and drops his cargo shorts “You are irresistible, Doc,” he says smoothly.

Jesus, his erection is enormous with his arousal! And, oh shit, he’s getting in.

He stands behind me, then slides down, pulling my back to lean into his chest. He wraps his two legs around me at either side, and I slide my feet under his legs, linking us together. I feel unequivocally safe.

“I look at the soft mood lighting, and flickering of candles then close my eyes and listen to the beautiful music. Falling Into You by Celine Dion is both soothing and enchanting.

“Lexi, I wish I could have you in my arms like this every day. I don’t want to let you go. Your soft skin touching mine...your beauty glowing in the candle light...t is such a turn on. I won’t ever forget this moment, ever.”