The Suite Life (11 page)

“I'll be sure to have them when you come for dinner, then,” she said.

Filomena and Gianna returned with a pot of coffee, a platter of the pastries provided by Alec, a huge bowl of strawberries, and two large ramekins filled with powdered and brown sugar.

“I'll get the prosecco,” Giovanni announced.

“Have you ever had them like this?” Monica asked me as Giovanni filled a wine goblet halfway with the sparkling wine.

“No, I haven't.”

“Follow my lead, then,” she said, spearing a ripe berry with her fork, dunking it into the sparkling wine, which caused a flurry of bubbles, and dipping it into the powdered sugar. “I can never make up my mind which sugar I prefer,” she said before taking a small bite of the strawberry.

I copied her routine and was blown away by how such a simple dessert could be so rich.

“Amazing, isn't it?” Alec asked as he speared his catch.

“I was searching for the right word,” I said after swallowing a berry that had burst in my mouth. “That one will do.”

As Alec had predicted, the berries were gone within minutes. He clearly wasn't the only DeMarco who relished fine food, and I too was undecided about which sugar I favored on my strawberries.

“It must be the sixth inning by now,” Alec said, pushing away from the table.

“Go, go, all of you.” Filomena sighed. “You can take your coffee and pastries with you. You'd just be underfoot in the kitchen, anyway.”

The men left en masse and the women stayed to chat over
coffee and pastries. Afterward, Monica took the twins upstairs and I followed Filomena and Gianna into the kitchen.

They made me feel right at home in that woman's sanctuary, and I could tell that their excitement about my being with Alec was genuine as we scraped plates and stacked them in the dishwasher.

“I've been telling Alec for years to forget those model types,” Filomena said.

“And the stiff business broads, too,” Gianna added.

“Exactly,” Filomena said. “I've asked him time and time again why he can't just find himself a regular Brooklyn girl.” She and Gianna both laughed. “Like you, Samantha.”

I may be from Brooklyn, but there's nothing “regular” about me.

We made quick work of the cleanup and joined the men, who were sitting on the edge of their seats, glued to the TV. Monica had already rejoined Franco on the love seat.

“What's the score?” Gianna asked.

“Up a run with two outs to go,” Alec said. “C'mere, Sam,” he said, extending an arm without taking his eyes off the screen.

I rested my butt on the stuffed arm of his chair and he leaned in and gave me a peck on the cheek, also without taking his eyes off the screen.

Filomena slid gracefully onto the couch next to her husband, and Gianna squeezed in next to Gary on the other armchair.

“That's teamwork, huh, Gar?” Alec said when the game ended.

“They define the word,” he replied.

“No postgame show tonight,” Filomena said, and the men groaned. “I'm checking the weather and shutting it off.”

The forecast for Saturday was picture-perfect, which made everyone happy. Giovanni served cordials from the bar, and I broke my normal routine by not only draining a glass of
Amaretto but also accepting a refill. Filomena announced the next day's plans, which would start with breakfast in the sunroom at nine, followed by a bike ride along the beach.

“I don't know about you young folk,” Giovanni said, rising and taking his wife's hand, “but it's bedtime for us.”

“Good night, all,” Filomena said with a wave, as they headed out of the den to the master suite on the other side of the house.

“Good night, and thanks again,” I called after them.

Monica stood and pulled Franco up from the love seat. “Bedtime for us, too,” she said. “The girls will be up before anyone.”

“Nice meeting you two,” I said as they followed in the hosts' footsteps.

“Same here,” she said over her shoulder.

“Just give a shout, Samantha, if you need someone to rescue you,” Franco cracked in the distance.

Gianna gave Gary a wet kiss on the lips. “Now's as good a time as any, right, honey?”

“Whatever you say,” Gary said agreeably. He and Gianna inched out of their chair and continued the procession.

Alec labored to extricate himself from the thick, soft cushions. “We're right behind you,” he said, and took my hand as we followed Gary and Gianna up the stairs. They stopped at a door on the right and giggled as they opened it. “Good night, you two,” she said as they slipped inside. “Don't make me have to drag you out of bed tomorrow, big brother,” she added, closing the door.

Three doors left. Why didn't I think to ask about the sleeping arrangements this morning? Why didn't Alec think to let me know in advance?

I was both annoyed and embarrassed, but at the same time I was drawn in by the power of his control. Perhaps it should have occurred to me that choosing his parents' home as the place to consummate our relationship was less than thoughtful of him, but it didn't.

Alec still had my hand as we passed two doors and reached the one at the end of the hall. “Here we are,” he announced, letting go of my hand and reaching for the doorknob.

He had taken three steps by the time the door closed behind me. In an instant my eyes took in the large, dimly lit corner room with dramatic photos of Yankee celebrations hanging from every wall, memorabilia covering the top of a massive maple dresser, and two seats that must have been from the original Yankee Stadium, bolted into the wood floor in a small alcove lined with trophy-filled shelves. A king-sized bed dominated the room . . . and my thoughts.

Alec turned around as he unbuttoned his shirt, releasing a spray of dark, curly hair on his massive chest. “You just gonna stand there all night?”

His huge grin did little to calm my nerves. “I . . . I . . . I'm not sure I'm ready for this,” I stuttered.

I'd been waiting for this moment, and now that it had arrived, I was suddenly unsure. Alec, however, moved toward me and backed me up against the door, placing a palm flat on either side of my head as he leaned toward me.

“I am,” he said with a low breath, his lips moving gently to my mouth and his groin pressing on my thigh. He was plenty ready, and my stomach fluttered as his lips sucked gently from one side of my mouth to the other. “No time like the present,” he whispered, and his soft kisses became more insistent.

“Your parents are okay with this?” I asked when he came up for air.

“Franco did the heavy lifting for me and Gianna.” He chuckled. “Took several dates to his bedroom before I got around to it.”

I grabbed his waist with my hands and extended my arms a fraction of an inch. “Let me freshen up a bit,” I said.

“Bathroom's right next door,” Alec said, sliding his palms
over my breasts. “Don't keep me waiting too long,” he whispered, straightening up, “or I'll be passed out when you get back.”

Not a chance. I've seen you drink a lot more than you did tonight without showing even a hint of being drunk.
“Just let me get some things,” I said, moving to my sad-looking suitcase, which someone had deposited on the chocolate-brown leather bench at the foot of the bed.

I squeezed my pocketbook for a long moment, and grabbed my vinyl toiletry case and sheer black sleeping jacket with matching panties as Alec removed his shirt and unbuckled his slacks. I knew his eyes had never left my back as I slipped out of the room.

I fussed as long as I could in the bathroom and said my prayers, including one that I wouldn't meet anyone in the hall on the way back to Alec's bedroom, and then took a deep breath.

I couldn't look at the bed when I entered. Candlelight flickered and danced on the walls and ceiling as I closed the door after me. I paused, closed my eyes, and made the sign of the cross in my mind before I turned around.

Alec was sprawled under the sheets and propped up on six pillows. His pleasure was evident as his eyes took in every one of my curves. One arm was stretched across the pillows and his other hand was gently tapping the bed at his side. “Come here, Sam,” he whispered.

I lowered my head and took measured steps to the side of the bed. When I looked up his eyes drew me the rest of the way. I reached for the top sheet, but Alec brushed it away and turned toward me, his hands—
those massive hands!
—roaming from thigh to breast as he sucked my lips and probed my mouth. His fingers prodded and poked in places that hadn't been touched in a very long time, in ways I'd never experienced. My breasts heaved and my nipples rose in response to his fingertips.

Alec rolled back onto the pillows and pulled me on top of him in one motion. He spread my jacket and cupped my breasts, framing each nipple with thumb and index finger, and pausing for what seemed an eternity before pulling me closer. But Alec wasn't in a hurry as he traced my nipples for several moments and then suckled them with the abandon of a child. Shock waves of pleasure traveled from my nipples to my toes and back, again and again . . . and again.

He wants me
 . . .
and he can have me.

I slept well and woke up before Alec did. His snoring might have had something to do with that, but my mind was racing as soon as I opened my eyes, and that was the more likely explanation. I slipped out of bed as quietly as possible, then paused for a moment as I stood in the early morning light that streamed through a crack in the drapes.

The deed was done, and done well enough, as was clear in Alec's soft smile. I just hoped that the rest of the family would be discreet enough not to embarrass me by making some kind of joke at our expense.

I rummaged through my suitcase for my old terry-cloth robe and slippers and once more said a short prayer that I wouldn't bump into anyone in the hall. As I stood under the shower, I wondered where Alec and I would go from here. Would this weekend mark the deepening of our relationship? Or was I just another notch in his belt, another conquest for a young warrior? I figured that I'd find out soon enough.

Alec stirred as I reentered his bedroom. I tiptoed to the bench at the foot of the bed and managed to slip on jeans and a bra before he opened his eyes and rolled onto his elbows.

“No repeat performance this morning?” he said with a jumbo-sized grin.

“I'm embarrassed enough as it is,” I said, slipping on a white T-shirt.

“Trust me, you don't have a thing to be embarrassed about.”

“I'm referring to your parents, Alec.”

“They're the ones who should be embarrassed,” he said, “if they didn't have as great a time as we did.”

I put my hands firmly on my waist. “Get a move on, will you? I'm not facing them alone.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Alec said, lumbering out of bed.

I averted my eyes as he slipped on a black terry robe that looked as if it weighed more than I did. “Back in two shakes,” Alec said, closing the door behind him.

I moved to the window and swung the drapes open. Outside, the water lapped quietly at the shore behind the beach house as sloops with virgin white sails dotted the bay.

Odd as it was, I didn't feel out of place.
I'm Samantha Bonti, no matter where I might find myself.

I could hear the sounds of others rustling throughout the house and the clanking of pots and pans in the kitchen below. Alec burst through the door, his hair matted and darker than usual from the shower. I was never so glad for how fast he could move.

“Miss me?” he asked as he headed for the closet.

“Counted the seconds.”

I averted my eyes once more as he dressed, and returned my attention to the window, where I could now see families strolling on the beach.

“You smell like you, Sam,” Alec breathed into my ear as he came up behind me and pulled me close. “We could skip breakfast with the folks, you know,” he said playfully.

The very idea of Alec's missing a meal made me laugh. “What's next?” I chuckled, breaking free and turning around. “You gonna switch to social work?”

“Very funny,” he said. “A regular comedienne.”

“I have my moments.”

Alec's eyes drifted toward the window and he whispered, “You can say that again.”

Breakfast in the sunroom was filled with spirited conversation, and I was relieved that no one made any wisecracks about my sharing a bed with the rising star in the family. Instead, they seemed to take my presence as a matter of course, which went a long way to reinforcing my comfort level.

Afterward, the women again made fast work of the dishes, after which Filomena announced that it was time for everyone to assemble out front for the bike ride.

I harnessed my hair with a scrunchy and hopped aboard my new yellow bicycle. Alec gave my ponytail a playful tug and everyone fell in line behind Giovanni as he pedaled to the end of the driveway.