for the longest time, as though searching for traces of uncertainty or deception. “Cara, are you sure that you want this?” he inquired with palpable caution.
My heart picked up a crazy rhythm because he had never asked before. He never cared. He always turned my body against me and took what he wanted. I met his dark gaze and attempted to find traces of that cruel man from the past, but he wasn't there. After months of fear and doubt, I finally accepted the husband who’d terrified me had vanished on the day of the accident. In his place, stemmed this gentle and caring man who treated me with so much respect and affection that it made my heart ache. This was Alessandro Damiani I used to dream about when I was seventeen. This was the man I fell in love with. “I'm sure,” I whispered without a trace of doubt in my voice.
But Alessandro still hesitated. “Olivia, I mean it,” he murmured. “If you want me to stop, you have to tell me right now. I don't want to hurt you.”
“You’re not going to hurt me, Alessandro,” I assured him. “I want this.”
“You think you’re ready?” He arched his eyebrows, as though still doubting.
“I know I’m ready,” I said, with absolute confidence.
“Santo cielo,” Alessandro exclaimed in a hot whisper. “Please tell me I’m not dreaming.”
“You're not dreaming,” I whispered.
“If I am, I don't ever want to wake up,” he said, and returned his lips on mine.
His touch and his kiss brought me right back into a state of total bliss and I gave into him, following his lead as he took his time exploring the feel of my body through the fabric of my clothes. Then, his hands reached underneath the flannel material and caressed my belly.
“It's been so long,” he murmured, as he slowly helped me out of my nightwear. “I'm going to make this feel so good for you, cara.”
As he lifted the material of my shirt, uncovering my naked skin after what had almost been a year, my arms instinctively wrapped around my belly. My body still recovered from residues of pregnancy, and I realized I felt slightly self-conscious about it. This came as a surprise. Never before had I cared if I lived up to Alessandro’s standards.
“Hey, what’s the matter?” Alessandro asked in a whisper, caressing my cheek. “You know we don't have to do this. It's okay if you're feeling a little overwhelmed. I understand.”
I shook my head. “I'm not overwhelmed.”
“Then why are you hiding yourself away from me, bella mia?”
Bella mia...my beautiful. I swallowed at the comment and glanced up at him.
“My body has changed after the pregnancy,” I said quietly. “What if you don't like what you see?”
Alessandro gave me an incredulous look, as though he never considered that to be a possibility. “Cara, how can you say this? How can you even think of it?” he reprimanded with gentle astonishment. “You're perfect.” His soft, persuasive voice slowly convinced me to let him remove my arms to my side. His eyes held mine for a few moments, then lowered to appraise my naked body. “You've always been perfect to me. And now you're even more beautiful. There is this glow about you. You're simply radiating...Cristo, cara, if you only knew what that does to me.”
“Tell me,” I breathed hotly as Alessandro's body settled above mine. “I want to know.”
“Do you really?” he inquired, laying soft kisses on my collarbones.
All I could do was make a whimpering sound in my throat, as growing sensations within me took over.
“Every time I see you…” he whispered, gradually lowering his fingers until they touched that sweet spot between my thighs. “Every time I smell your scent or hear your voice, I'm itching to come closer.”
I gasped as his fingers made circling motions around my core and exclaimed his name in a hot, bothered whisper. “Alessandro...”
“No woman has ever done that to me, tesoro,” he murmured, bringing his lips back to mine. “Having to stay away from you when you were so near...at the reach of my hand has been the worst kind of torture I ever had to endure.”
I pushed my nails into his shoulders, speaking in between heavy gasps. “But you stayed...away...you gave me time.”
He swallowed and paused his movements. “I had to. I needed you to trust me not to screw up again. I want you to know you always have a choice. You can call all the shots when it comes to intimacy