We pull apart, both of us breathing heavily.
"Your coffee, dolcezza," he murmurs.
"Right," I say, pulling myself together. "My coffee."
I take a step back, then another one.
“You should get dressed,” I tell him, because he's still naked, and I'm not sure I'll be able to control myself much longer.
He looks down at himself, then back at me, a slow, wicked smile spreading across his face. “I thought you liked me like this.”
“I do,” I admit, because there's no point in lying. I take a deep breath before turning away to answer the door. "Too much," I add under my breath as I walk.
He laughs, a low, satisfied rumble.
I open the door, and a young woman is there, with a cart holding a silver carafe, small bowls of cream and sugar, and two white paper cups.
I smile, a genuine, easy smile that feels out of place on my face this morning. “That was fast. Thank you," I say to her.
“Of course, ma'am.”
She wheels the cart into the room, then leaves as quickly as she arrived, closing the door behind her.
I turn around to see that Antonio has pulled on his suit pants from last night. They hang low on his hips, and he's still gloriously shirtless. My eyes trace the line of taut skin thatdisappears into the waist, and I have to physically stop myself from walking over and undoing the button I just watched him do up.
I look down at myself. I, on the other hand, am rumpled. My makeup is smudged. My hair is a mess. And Antonio is looking at me like he’s looking at a masterpiece.
I’m already thinking of what I have in my closet and deciding that nothing will work. I have to find time to go shopping.
As crazy as it is, I want to wow him tonight. I want to knock him off his feet.
He walks over to the cart and pours coffee into one of the paper cups. "How do you take it?"
"Just cream. No sugar."
He nods, and adds a splash of cream before sealing the lid. He hands it to me, and our fingers brush.
Then he quickly yanks me into his arms and devours my mouth.
I make a small, surprised sound that he swallows. My free arm comes up to wrap around his neck, clinging helplessly as he plunders my mouth, a desperate, hungry kiss that says everything he won’t. All the things I want to say back.
He pulls back too soon, leaving me breathless.
I stare at him.My lips are tingling.
“Get out,” he says, but he’s smiling. “Before I change my mind and tie you to the bed."
I blink, my mind still hazy. “Right.”
He turns me around and gives me a light pat on the ass.
"Go," he says. "There's a car out front for you. He'll take you anywhere you want to go and pick you up there tonight at 8:00." He gives me a final, lingering kiss on my cheek. "Don't be late."
I walk out of the room in a daze, the coffee still warm in my hand. I'm not even sure my feet are touching the floor. The elevator ride down is a blur. I float through the lobby and out the front doors.
A black car, sleek and immaculate, is waiting at the curb. A driver in a crisp uniform steps out and opens the back door for me.
Chapter Nine