table. He pulled out a high-backed chair with a wide seat and helped her into it. The lace pulled up nearly to the top of her hips, exposing her lower half. She glanced down to see liquid drops gleaming on the fiery curls at the junction between her legs. His hand dropped to her thigh, almost casually. She went very still, but she didn’t pull away, her heart beating fast.
His fingers slid into the curls, lower still to caress her clit and gather up the droplets. She couldn’t look away, mesmerized by the carnal look on his face. Her heart was nearly pounding out of her chest. She could actually feel blood pounding through her clit. He brought his fingers to his mouth.
“I’ve wanted to taste you from the moment I saw you leap out of the trunk.” His voice was that low, intimate husky growl that aroused her every time she heard it.
He licked his fingers slowly. Savoring the taste. Never taking his eyes from hers. It was the sexist thing she’d ever seen. Her entire body reacted. She could barely breathe, hot, aroused, completely under his spell.
He slipped into the chair across from her, but the table was so small, he could reach out and touch her. “I hope you’re hungry. Merry outdid herself. She knows you haven’t had much of an appetite lately, so she made certain this was very light fare.”
She suddenly had an appetite, but not necessarily for food. Vittorio had fallen silent, those dark indigo eyes fixed on her face. Waiting. She realized he was waiting for her to speak. “I’ll try.”
He sent her a small smile as he placed a tostada on her plate. “This is white bean with blackberry salsa, one of Merry’s favorites. Pumpkin dukkah with avocado slices, which are good for you and she says you are particularly fond of. Both the salsa and the dukkah are homemade. I think you’ll love them.”
He took the wrapping off a small bowl of salad. “This is tempeh salad with plum and charred artichoke hearts and bok choy. She went to a lot of trouble for us tonight.”
She touched her tongue to her upper lip as he poured red wine into glasses. “I chose the wine. I think you’ll like it. If not, we can choose something else. There’s an extensive wine cellar here and we should be able to find you something.”
Grace picked up her fork. The food did look delicious and sounded even better. She took a tentative taste of the salad, aware of Vittorio’s gaze on her. She sent him a small, embarrassed smile. “Are you going to keep watching me?”
“Yes. Why?”
“It’s a little unnerving. No one’s ever paid so much attention to me before.”
“I like looking at you, especially right now, in your lingerie. I knew that color would be especially beautiful on you. The candles play over your breasts perfectly and light up your skin as well as throw flames in your hair.”
The way he talked, so matter-of-factly, as if he was discussing the weather and not her body, made her hot all over again. He sounded as if he were stating facts, admiring a beautiful art object rather than a flesh and blood person.
“You’ll have to get used to me looking at you all the time, gattina, because I intend to indulge myself as often as possible.”
“You do?” She barely could croak out the question. Her voice didn’t sound like her own.
He nodded slowly. “Just knowing you’re here in my home with me pleases me, but knowing I can look at your body anytime I ask, and you’ll indulge me, arouses me. Thinking about that gives me great pleasure.” He ate two more bites while she stared at him a little helplessly. “You would indulge me, wouldn’t you, Grace?”
She knew she would. She knew she would be equally as aroused by giving him what he wanted. It was a powerful thing to be wanted with the kind of intensity Vittorio showered on her. She nodded. “Yes.” Her voice was very low, but to her astonishment, she sounded blatantly sexual. She felt sexy as hell sitting across from him when she’d never, not once, felt that way in her life. She knew he made her feel that way because he saw her that way.
“I like the idea of walking into a room and you’re there, naked, waiting for me. Just waiting quietly.” He looked around him. “This house is all about peace. I like it quiet. I meditate