An Inheritance of Shame - By Kate Hewitt Page 0,26

you—?’ she began, but then stopped as he slid his soapy hands over her body and she leaned against the wall as the water streamed over them and Angelo touched her everywhere.

‘Two showers in the space of about an hour,’ she murmured as a heavy languor crept over her, caused by the sure movements of Angelo’s slippery hands. ‘I feel very clean.’

He laughed softly and slid one hand between her legs. Lucia clutched his wrist. Angelo…’

‘I’m very thorough,’ he said, and as his fingers found her so did his mouth. He kissed her deeply and Lucia clung to his shoulders, pleasure coursing through her at the feel of Angelo’s hands, his mouth, everything. She forgot about what she wanted or didn’t want, what was safe and what was incredibly dangerous. All she could think, feel, know, was his touch.

She let her head rest against his shoulder as he stroked her, bringing her dizzyingly near that precipice of pleasure once more, her body boneless and yet throbbing with need—and then he stopped.

‘What—’

‘Now my turn.’

‘Your turn…’

‘Touch me, Lucia.’

She heard the ragged plea in his voice and lifted her head from his shoulder, saw him gazing at her with a fierce light in his eyes, turning them almost to emerald. With a thrill she realised she wanted to touch him, touch him in ways she hadn’t yet, hadn’t dared.

With a tentative smile she reached for the shower gel, pouring some into her palms before she slid her slippery hands over his shoulders, down his chest, across his hips, revelling in the feel of hot skin and hard muscle. Angelo had closed his eyes and he threw his head back as she slid her hand farther down still and curled her fingers around the heavy, hard length of his arousal.

There was nothing rushed or frantic about this, nothing desperate. Every caress was deliberate, and it filled Lucia with a tremulous wonder. Thirty-two years old and she’d had no idea sex could be like this, slow and exploratory and wonderful. This wasn’t a stolen moment, snatched out of grief or pain; it stretched on, infinite with possibility, with an incredible new intimacy.

But it would end by morning. She had to remember that.

‘Lucia…’ Angelo’s voice was a groan as he curled his hands around her shoulders and she stroked him everywhere, delighting in the glorious feel of him.

‘Dio, I’m not going to last,’ he muttered, and then he hoisted her easily, his hands cradling her bottom so her legs came round his hips as he drove inside her. Lucia buried her head in his shoulder but he pulled back, forced her to meet his own glittering gaze.

‘Look at me,’ he commanded hoarsely as he moved inside her. ‘Look at me as I make love to you.’

Lucia obeyed, her gaze riveted on his as their bodies acting in perfect synchronicity, her hips rising up to meet his as he moved inside her. Every protective layer she’d ever had was stripped away in the intense intimacy of his gaze, his body buried inside hers. She couldn’t hide from it; she’d been laid utterly, gloriously bare and in that moment she revelled in the exposure.

She felt the pressure and pleasure building inside her, spiralling up and up, and she knew Angelo could see it on her face. Knew he would know when she finally fell.

And he did, kissing her lips as she cried out and her body spasmed around his. Seconds later he found his own shuddering climax and she buried her head in the curve of his neck as the water streamed over them.

Lucia didn’t know how long she remained there, cradled against him, her heart pounding hard against his. It could have been a minute or an hour, but eventually Angelo gently righted her, turned off the shower and wrapped her in a towel. She remained still as he dried her tenderly and then led her to the bed.

They didn’t speak, and Lucia was glad. She didn’t want to break this moment that had wrapped around her like a spell of warmth and safety and love. She knew it wasn’t real, knew in the hard light of morning it would all be broken, vanished. But she wasn’t ready to let go of it yet.

One night. One night of feeling safe and treasured and loved. It didn’t seem too much to ask.

Angelo laid her in the bed and then slid in next to her, pulling her towards him so she naturally curved her body into his. She could