A Life Sublime (17 page)

She straddled him, a moonlit goddess above him and slowly lowered herself onto him. He felt exhilarated by her taking what she wanted. Of their own accord, his hands slid up over her wet thighs as she rode herself to pleasure. He gripped the cheeks of her bottom in both hands and met her, pushing up into her deeply. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she came. She was a breathtaking vision. The hair slicked back from her head, droplets of water coursing over her breasts and sparkling in the strip of hair above her pussy.

“You may have to carry me back,” she said eventually.

“
Giusto
.”

Collecting their clothes in one hand, he swung Belinda into his arms and carried her naked back to her room. He had no idea what his sons and their women or the remaining guests were doing but God was looking out for them as no one saw. Belinda wrapped herself in a bathrobe when he set her down to wash and blow dry her hair. She poured him a whiskey and kissed him by the eye, then on the mouth.

“You are the most beautiful man I’ve ever met. If I dreamed this, I still feel lucky.”

“
We
are lucky,” he corrected her, pulling her back into his arms.

“Haven’t you had enough?” she squealed.

“Never.” The pleasure of slowly undressing Belinda and allowing her to do the same to him in the gently lit room was partly tainted by an unspoken agreement that this would be the last time. Perhaps ever. And it burned. Already slightly shocked that he had been in tears before her, the thought of having a brief taste of what life could be like with Belinda as the very centre of it all, and having it taken away was devastating him as the seconds to her departure came ever closer.

“Bella, you can stay. You know this, yes?”

She sighed, worrying away at her bottom lip again. “This is the problem,” she started. “We’re not where we’re meant to be. This isn’t every day home situation, do you understand? That’s why it doesn’t feel real.”

“But it is.”

“Yes, my thighs are very aware of that,” she said dryly. “I just... Give me some time.”

Massimo frowned. “How much time is
some
?”

Belinda shrugged. “Maybe a few months.”

Absolutely not. “A week.”

“Why are you challenging me? It’s me who needs the time. I should say how much time I need.”

“You are putting unnecessary time between us. It also gives me a say. A week,” he repeated.

“A month at least.”

“Two weeks. And it is my final offer.”

She grumbled, “You’re not being fair. Let me get back to normal, have some time to think and we can see.”

“That is entirely discouraging,” he muttered.

“It’ll prove a point or not,” she shrugged, as if it were the end of the matter. He tried to persuade her by other means long into the early hours of the morning. Waking somewhere around four am, he saw the shadow of Belinda methodically folding her belongings back into her huge suitcase. It assured him, not of her feelings, but once Belinda said something, she absolutely, in stone cold concrete meant it.

“Come back to bed.”

She barely turned her head. “I’ll be five minutes. I just need to make sure I’ve got everything.”

He lay back, exhaling deeply. He wondered, with a sting in his throat, just when his heart had begun to mend for someone else to come along and break it.

 “It is all right, I have it,” Massimo said gently to the driver, taking the case from him and placing it in the boot. The driver took to his seat and Belinda fussed about with her bag for no good reason other than to keep her shaking hands occupied. “Are you sure I cannot call the airline and change your flight?”

“I said I’d be at work first thing tomorrow,” Belinda cleared her throat. “I can’t let them down.”

He didn’t quite look at her, just at the gates of the villa for a long time. “Did you not enjoy yourself with me?”

God, what are you doing to me?
“It was lovely,” she admitted. “More than lovely. But we have to go back to the real world.”

“Why?” He scuffed the gravel with his shoe. “There is nothing fun about reality.”

“That’s just it. Reality is not meant to be fun. It’s other people and facts that you and I can’t ignore.”

“Such as?”

A frown marred her forehead. “Don’t.”

His eyes met hers at last. “You stayed. With me. Stay now.”

“If I do, I’ll start making excuses for you. And I’m not like that. I won’t ever be.”

“You do not have to. It is in the past.”

“Really?” Her scepticism could have deflated the tires. “You would stand up in church and take an oath?”

“I would,” his answer was flat.

“Would you be telling the truth?”

“I have always been honest with you.”

His tone wasn’t entirely convincing her. “Does that extend to church?”

“Yes! And you can go to your church and pray forgiveness for taking me as your lover.”

Her face heated immediately. “I’m going.”

“Bella…”

“Don’t say my name like that,” she snapped. “Like I’ve done something wrong to you. You said no regrets. Why are you making me feel bad?”

“Because I want you to stay with me!” His passionate declaration echoed across the grounds. Belinda sucked in a breath, struggling to hold herself together. It would be so easy to say yes. But she wouldn’t forgive herself either.

“Paul and Sofia are going to Milan later today, Georgina and Nicholas will be in Sicily by this evening and then there will be no one here but me. Us.”

“I can’t.”

“You will not.”

“I
can’t
.”

He stared at the gravel again. “Same difference.”

She hitched her bag higher on her shoulder, biting down hard on her lip. His hands cupped her face, his mouth brushing persuasively over her own, before he lifted his head.

“Stay.”

Oh dear God. The look in those beautiful blue eyes. She was going to cry. Bawl her eyes out like a baby if she didn’t leave. Footsteps echoed loudly in the villa’s hallway, prompting Belinda to take a huge step back and push his hands away from her face.

Paul suddenly came out of the villa, rushing to her and swinging her into a hug. “
Zia
, you sure you don’t want to come to Milan?”

She gave a bark of a laugh. “I know you don’t understand work but I have to do a job.”

His face softened, as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll call you.”

“Of course! Where’s that troublesome child?”

“Here Auntie!” Sofia reached around Paul and gave her a tight hug.

“Look after my boy or there’ll be trouble, yo.”

Sofia snorted, “I always look after him.”

“Not just the bedroom,” she snapped. Gina and Nick swayed out of the villa hand in hand. Belinda’s heart swelled at how contented the girl looked. With a smile so beautiful, Gina’s arms snaked around her tightly before Nick joined in. “Thank you for everything.” Gina whispered.

Belinda really wanted to go before she embarrassed herself. “You are so very welcome.” She looked up at Nick. “You look after her. I’m warning you!”

He sent her a grin that was nothing but mischief. “I swear.
Meda ase
Auntie.”

Those gorgeous, glorious children. She turned her smile to Massimo who suddenly looked as cold as the perfect marble saints he so resembled. “Thank you, Massimo.”

He took her hand and kissed it. “Goodbye Belinda.”

Oh hell, it was Belinda again. Forcing her smile higher, she tucked herself into the car and it rolled away. She turned around and saw them all waving. Her eyes went instantly to Massimo, who faded into the distance, watching her even as the others returned to the villa. Her heart tore and without warning hot tears scalded her cheeks.

The driver noted and nearly came to a screeching halt. “Ms. Belinda, I’ll take you back.”

“Don’t be stupid,” she half yelled. “I have a flight to catch. Come on young man,
bessem ma ye nko
!”

Well she’d have to leave the crying until she got on the plane.

If anyone had even the slightest suspicion that Massimo had something to do with Abele Vitale’s present condition of death, it vanished the moment Massimo’s Armani clad person walked into the small chapel. He heard the barest intake of breath from the gathered mourners as he made the sign of the cross then stood in front of Vitale’s open casket. Vitale looked like a shrivelled, dried prune. A far cry from the man who stormed around London like Zeus on cocaine. Massimo laid a hand on Vitale’s chest and closed his eyes in prayer.

Lord, I thank you for taking this abomination to my family’s honour from this earth. My assistance was to your greater glory. May this day remind him, even as he burns in the pits of hell, not to ever cross me. Amen.

He sat in the pew behind the Vitale family who all turned and nodded their heads in respect. Good. At least Vitale hadn’t damaged that. Enzo offered his hand which Massimo reluctantly shook. Manners ensured the reluctance did not show.

“Thank you,
Signor
Da Canaveze,” Enzo breathed. “I appreciate you have other matters to deal with.”

Getting Belinda Afriyie to change her mind about me being at the top of the list.
“It is a duty I take with a heavy heart. Your father will be missed.” Massimo hoped his earlier prayer of searing honesty would balance out the minor lie.

“Thank you. Is Gina not coming? And Nick of course.”

Massimo looked at Enzo for a long time. It did occur to him that other men would find his daughter-in-law attractive. He didn’t for once consider any would be as stupid as to voice it in his presence. “Your father’s coffin is right in front of you, Enzo.”

“I just know they’re both in Italy and I thought that—”

“They are on their honeymoon. I believe Georgina met your father once. At my late wife’s funeral.”

Enzo nodded enthusiastically. “Well. Perhaps another time.”

“What God has joined together, let no man tear asunder,” Massimo quoted. “Be very aware of that
Signor
Vitale. I understand your marriage did not end the way God intended, but believe me, I will endeavour to do God’s work if I find anyone attempting to interfere in my son’s marriage. Am I understood?”

The younger man looked distinctly ill. “Yes, sir. Clarity is everything.”

“I am sure you have more pressing things to concern you. Your father’s estate, perhaps?”

Looking relieved that he had escaped relatively unscathed, Enzo gave a shrug, “No, sir. Everything has already been arranged. Father was very ill. He had cancer of the bowel. It was a matter of
when
not
if
. All the formalities have been dealt with—” A wail disturbed the chapel’s muted atmosphere. “Arlo, pull yourself together!” Enzo barely turned his head to snap, before focusing on Massimo.

“Your brother is upset,” Massimo murmured.

Enzo sighed with exasperation. “My father was not the best parent. As much as he may be missed by yourself and business associates, the same cannot be said for us. We have made peace with his end.”

Massimo’s reactions remained internal. And he thought he was a cold man.

“I wanted to ask you,
Signor
...”

“Enzo. It is your father’s funeral. Give him the respect he deserves. Whatever peace you have made with your relationship with him, he is still your father. Behave accordingly.”

Enzo finally understood and turned back to the front with a nod to his elder. Impudent whelp! How dare he try to extract a favour with his father’s body less than three feet away? The service commenced and Massimo followed through soullessly. All his feelings had jumped on a flight back to London.

It wasn’t the same as the bewitching allure of Mary Alice in their twenties. There was something deeper than that with Belinda. If he pulled back the curtain of the early days with Mary Alice, it had been purely sexual. He fell in love with her, eventually, which was why he married her. But when Belinda had got into that infernal car and driven away from him, he felt empty. Deflated. Actually, crushed was more like it. And sex had been a wonderful bonus to what he felt being with her.