desperately that I didn’t care if we were rude or not.”
“Maybe they’ll put it down to young love. Again, I don’t care.” He laughed, but the mention of love was like a bucket of cold water over them both.
“You don’t have to say it, Matteo. I know why we’re married. We’re friends as well as lovers. Maybe that’s better than other kinds of marriages.” She brought the sparkle back to his eyes with that, or maybe it was just the streetlights. This, too, didn’t matter.
They had each other, and love-match or not, they were good together. That was good enough for her, for now.
15
They rushed through the door to the penthouse in a daze of holiday cheer. Marie had made her own stamp on the place over the last few days, with a few dozen holiday scented candles and warming air fresheners that filled the house with the scent of spiced apples and cranberries.
It made her smile even broader as they threw their coats on the pegs on the wall, and she leaned back against the door. “This is absolute heaven, do you know that? When I was a little girl, I’d dream of being able to have a tree similar to this one and to have the house smell so… good.”
“I guess things like that were a luxury for you both then?” Matteo went into the living room and poured two glasses of whiskey.
“It was, and when Mom became bedbound, well, the atmosphere wasn’t always pleasant there. I don’t want to bring the tone down, so let’s leave that in the past, alright?” She pulled away from the door and went into the living room.
She’d already had three glasses of wine that night and she was a little tipsy already. She sipped at the strong liquor and gasped as it took her breath away. It was a nice flavor, though, and she cupped the glass above her breasts as she went to the couch and sat down.
“Matteo?” she asked, her mind turning to that first day when he’d taken her there on the divan in front of that window.
“Yes?”
“Would you, that is, can you…” She felt her cheeks turn red and she looked up at him from beneath her lashes. “Come here?”
“Oh, now, baby, if you want something, you’ll have to ask for it…” He caught the hint of her blush and smiled a knowing smile.
“Fine. I have all of those presents over there, but do you know what I really want for Christmas?” Her legs opened at the knees a little and her voice dropped down a little, the way it always did when she was aroused.
“I have an idea.” He knelt on the floor in front of her and ran a hand up between her thighs. The heat of his skin against her thighs brought her mind into crystal-clear focus.
“You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?” Normally, Matteo was the dominant one, he directed what happened. But every now and then, like now, he’d let her have her way.
“Yes, baby, you have to say it. You don’t have to ask me, or offer me anything, just tell me what it is you want.” He leaned back on his legs, took off his suit jacket and tie, and then leaned back into her.
“No,” she frowned and waved her hand at him in objection. “I want you totally naked.”
The flush traveled lower now, from her cheeks and down to her chest. Arousal flooded through her body, brought it to life, forced her embarrassment out so that all that remained was a woman that knew what she wanted. Her arousal only grew as Matteo stood up and did as instructed. The shirt dropped to the floor, then his shoes flew away, followed by his pants.
He stood in front of her, let her inspect him, and she grinned because she knew he was hers. All of him, from that broad chest to those hard abs, and down, lower, to the part of him that throbbed even now. He was ready for her, but then he always was.
Just as she was always ready for him. She slid down on the couch seat so that her legs sprawled out and she revealed the tops of her nude stockings. There was even a hint of the black lace panties she wore, she saw when she glanced down at herself. “Take off my panties, Matteo.”
“Yes, ma’am.” That defiant smirk was still full of promise, despite the way he drawled.
His fingers slid up her