“Yes, it is. Thank you, tesoro.”
She twisted around to kiss me, and I felt like I’d single-handedly raised the Stars and Stripes at Iwo Jima.
“So, fiancé,” she said, “what should we do now?”
The name took me by surprise. I guess my brain was still parked in neutral.
“Wow, fiancé, huh? I didn’t think it could sound so cool.”
“I disagree, Sebastian,” she said, her voice sultry. “I think it sounds hot. Maybe we can agree to disagree, or just accept that it’s an all-temperature sort of title.”
I laughed loudly, happiness filling me that I never thought I’d feel again.
“Well, fiancée,” I grinned, “I thought we could check out those gnarly bends on the Amalfi coast. What do you think?”
“I think you’re crazy, probably certifiable, and I’m horribly afraid it’s contagious.”
I winked at her, holding out my hand as we left the village behind, having made our promise to live our lives together.
Fuck me, that felt good.
And now for part two of my plan to sweep her off her feet and convince her that marrying me was a good idea.
I don’t remember the walk back to Signora Carello’s villa. I just remember the sensation of the sun on my face, Caro’s hand in mine, and happiness in my heart.
That memory would be the one perfect thing in my life.
But if I knew then what was coming, I’m not sure I’d ever have left Italy.
Signora Carello was standing in her garden, watering the plants.
“Did you have any luck finding your family, my dear?” she asked kindly.
“Yes, I did,” said Caro, smiling up at me, her ring glinting in the sunlight.
Signora Carello clapped her hands together and kissed us each three times.
“Oh, felicitations, congratulazioni per il vostro fidanzamento, my children! I’m so happy for you.”
I couldn’t shake the feeling that this is what it would be like having a mom who cared, or maybe a grandmother. I wasn’t too good at judging women’s ages, but the signora must have been pushing 70, at least.
“And now for your surprise?” she said, patting me on the arm. “But some lunch before you go? I was going to fix myself insalata tricolore—you’re welcome to join me.”
Caro nodded her agreement, and we ate lunch in the signora’s backyard, enjoying the peace. Being this happy was energizing and exhausting all at the same time. Weird.
“So, when will you marry?” Signora Carello asked, as we sipped our coffees.
We answered simultaneously.
“I don’t know,” said Caro.
“As soon as possible,” I replied.
The signora laughed.
“Oh, you two have some talking to do, I can see that. Never mind, my dears, you’ll work it out. Have you decided where you’ll live?”
“Caro has a place near New York,” I said, “but I could be stationed anywhere.”
“You’re in the army?”
“No, ma’am, US Marines.”
Signora Carello nodded slowly, a frown of concern crinkling her eyes.
“He has to do two more years,” Caro said quietly. “And he’s being sent out to Afghanistan. On Thursday.”
“Ah.” The signora shook her head sadly.
“Hey, it’ll be fine,” I said, refusing to let the shadow hanging over us spoil today. “Besides, I might see you out there.”
Signora Carello looked confused.
“Caro is a reporter—a foreign correspondent,” I explained. “But I wish she…”
I stopped mid-sentence, aware of the irritated tightening of Caro’s face.
“Well,” said the signora, carefully, “you young people don’t choose the easy path, but it is your own path. I wish you both well. Please come back and have your honeymoon here.”
“Honeymoon! Hell, I’d forgotten about that! Yeah, we should definitely have a honeymoon, Caro. With room service—so we don’t have to get out of bed.”
Caro blushed, but Signora Carello just laughed and stood to clear the plates.
“Don’t say things like that in front of her,” hissed Caro, as the old woman walked away. “She’ll be embarrassed!”
I couldn’t help laughing. “You’re the only one who’s embarrassed, Caro, which is pretty fucking funny. Signora Carello used to be ‘fast’, remember? Anyway, I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”
And if the signora couldn’t guess what we’d been doing in our room all of yesterday afternoon, the used condoms in the trash can would probably clue her in. It must be shit running your own hotel.
When we went up to our room, it had already been tidied. Caro didn’t know that we were checking out today.
I could tell she was wondering what was going on, because she looked puzzled when Signora Carello pulled me into a tight hug before we left and whispered a few last minute suggestions for our special date later. She was a class lady. She reminded me of Caro.
The Amalfi coastline was really a huge James Bond set. The roads were narrow, almost single track in some places, unforgiving, with hairpin turns arcing up the mountain and the Med many hundreds of feet below. The Honda was eating it up, its perfect balance allowing me to take the bends at high speed, our knees almost touching the asphalt.
Caro was gripping onto my waist tightly, her sweet little pussy crushed up against my ass. What a fuckin’ turn on.
As we passed the small town of Pontone, I slowed then pulled off the road next to a lemon grove and cut the engine. Just where Signora Carello had suggested.
“It’s a great view, baby. You want to get your camera out?”
She slid off the bike, looking a little shaky, and I grinned at her as she snapped some of the scenery. I had a feeling she might have gotten me in some of the shots, too. Sneaky.
While I pulled out the picnic that the signora had packed for us, Caro climbed further up to get some more photographs. When she walked back, she waved her arm at the food, looking pleased but puzzled.
“Don’t you want to ride on a bit further?”
“Nope, we’re staying here. Picnic.”
I held out a miniature bottle of champagne in one hand and two crystal flutes in the other. “Borrowed from Signora Carello,” I said, answering her unspoken question.
“I think the signora has a soft spot for you, Sebastian.”
“Must be my animal magnetism, baby.”
She rolled her eyes at me.
“Hey, don’t knock it—it works on you.”
“That is true, Hunter.”
I led us to a patch of dry, springy grass and stretched out. But when I opened the champagne, the cork flew off like a rocket, making us both hit the deck.
“Huh, guess it got shook up on the road.”
Caro raised an eyebrow. Yeah, I wasn’t the smoothest guy ever. I bet James Bond never got his champagne all shook up—just his women. Yeah, well I got that bit nailed, I thought to myself.
“Here’s to us, Caro,” I said, serious for once. “Today, tomorrow, forever. Promise?”
She met my gaze, then clinked her glass against mine.
“Yes, tesoro. Forever, I promise.”
Once we drained our glasses, we stretched out on the grass in each other’s arms. There was no pressure, no expectation of more, just a deep contentment from being exactly where I wanted to be with the woman who’d always owned my heart.
“I love my surprise, Sebastian,” she said, her hand resting on my chest.
I laughed quietly. “This is only part of it, Caro. There’s more.”
“More?”
“Much more.”
“Such as?”
“You’ll see.”
After another hour, we climbed to our feet reluctantly and I raced the Honda back down the coast road, pulling up into the forecourt of Il Saraceno. As Signora Carello had promised, it was expensive and classy—and just what I wanted for Caro.
But I was di
sappointed by the wary expression on her face.
“Here?” she asked uncertainly.
I stared across at the white stone arches that were supposed to resemble a Moorish palace. She didn’t like it? It looked pretty darn good to me.
“Here,” I said, trying to encourage her by smiling.
She still looked uncertain, and I couldn’t figure out what was bothering her. But when she patted her hair and tried to comb it with her fingers, I worked it out. I grabbed her hand and kissed her hard. My woman never had understood that she was the most beautiful thing in my world wherever we went.
But it pissed me off that other guys noticed she was hot. When they looked at her, it made me want to play pool with their balls.
I towed Caro inside and handed over the Honda’s keys to the guy at the reception desk, promising myself that I’d buy another touring bike one day. Caro raised her eyebrows when I took the room key and started walking toward the elevator.
“We’re staying here? But we left all our things at Signora Carello’s?”
“Nope, we haven’t. I asked the signora to pack us up while we were out this morning. She was cool about it. Besides this is kind of her idea. Well, she helped me pick out somewhere special.”
Caro frowned and glanced around her.
“But a place like this must cost a small fortune, Sebastian!”
“I can afford it, baby. This is my first night as an engaged man—and I want to enjoy it. Hey, don’t worry. The only thing I’ve spent my pay on in the last ten years is booze and bikes,” and broads, but I wasn’t going to remind her about that. “I’m good for it.”
Signora Carello had promised that we’d like the hotel, and if Caro’s stunned expression when she saw our room was anything to go by, she liked it a lot. Best of all, the bed was nearly seven feet wide—I planned on having Caro on every inch of that mattress. We also had our own private balcony and a fucking enormous bathroom with a huge tub. Yep, I was feeling very creative.
I left her to look around while I tossed our luggage onto the bed and began to unpack. I was glad to see that the wardrobe held the garment bags that I’d arranged to have delivered.
I pointed at the one on the left.
“This is for you, baby.”
Puzzled, but with a smile hovering at the corners of her mouth, Caro unzipped the bag, then gaped at the floor-length dress.
“Sebastian, it’s beautiful! What have you done?”
I grinned at her excited smile. “I got one, too. A tux—like you wanted. Except mine is just rented. You get to keep the dress.”
She placed it on the bed carefully, then wrapped her arms around my waist, smiling up at me.
“How did you get to be so perfect, Sebastian, because I could have sworn you were a giant pain in the ass.”
I laughed loudly. “Next time I piss you off, I’m going to remind you that you said that, baby. Which will probably be in about five minutes.”
“Probably,” she agreed, with a smile.
“Come on, let’s shower, and then I want to see you in that dress.”
“Why, Warrant Officer Hunter! You want to put me into clothes?” she teased.
“You have another idea?” I murmured, my lips brushing over her neck.
“Oh, yes, most definitely, and it involves getting you naked on that bed, having my wicked, wicked way with you before we take a shower.”
My smile grew even bigger. So did my dick.
“Let me get this right, Caro, that’s two lots of wicked?”
“The thing is, Sebastian,” she said, stroking the tips of her fingers against my cheek, “if you’re going to make an honest woman of me, I want to get in as much sinning as possible first.”
Then she shoved my chest hard, so I fell backwards onto the bed. And just to make her point, she ripped my t-shirt over my head, straddled my hips, and ran her tongue from my waist to my throat.
Holy shit, my woman was on fire.
I reached up to play with her pretty little nipples, but she gripped my wrists and pulled them above my head. I guess she wanted to be in charge. I wasn’t going to argue. Then she leaned down to kiss me, tracing my lips with her tongue.
“Mmm, you taste so good, Sebastian, I won’t want anything else to eat tonight.”
I laughed lightly and gently pulled my hands free, before running them down her back.
“Yeah? Well, I’m starving, so unless you want me to eat downstairs alone, baby, you’ll have to put up with a three-course meal. And I guarantee you’ll need your energy later.”
She pretend to pout. “Sure you don’t want the starter now?”
Hell, yeah!
I shifted my hands to her waistband, tugging her t-shirt free and pulling it off her body. Her bra took even less time to disappear.
“Mmm, I like this position,” I said, sitting up and sucking her nipples, nipping them with my teeth then working my way up her throat. She moaned and arched her back, pushing her tits into the palms of my hands.
Message received and understood.
I pulled a condom out of the back pocket of my jeans and handed it to her.
“Take your pants off, baby.”
“I will if you will,” she replied. “Race you!”
Then she bounced off the bed, unlaced her boots, and stripped—all while I was fighting with the buckles on my boots and trying to watch her at the same time.
“Ah, hell,” I grumbled, staggering around the bedroom with my pants around my ankles.
“You’re a slouch, Hunter,” she laughed. “Just look at what you’re missing.”
She spun around slowly, massaging her tits and pushing them together.
“Fuck!” I hissed, hopping awkwardly, one boot on, one boot off.
“Maybe you should have been a fireman instead of a Marine, then you’d be used to undressing quickly.”
I tossed the second boot behind me where it landed on the floor with a heavy thud. A moment later, I was naked, too.
“On the bed,” she ordered.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Then she bent over me and took my dick in her mouth. My eyes closed as I breathed deeply, holding back an orgasm that was instantly welling up from the base of my spine.
She ran her fingernails up and down my chest in time with her tongue.
“Baby, I’m going to come if you keep doing that,” I growled, and I could hear the strain in my voice.
She let me go after a final long stroke of her tongue, and I tried to slow my heart rate by taking deep breaths, but when I heard the rip of foil and she rolled the condom into position, it was a losing battle. She knelt across me, positioning the head of my dick at the entrance to her soft pussy, then sank down.
I thrust up into her, harder than I’d intended.
“Fuck, Caro! I can’t control myself with you!”
I started pumping my hips, bouncing her up as she slammed down to meet me. Christ, I was losing it; my body was rigid and my balls were so tight they felt about the size of walnuts. It was no use, I couldn’t hold back any longer, so I used my fingers to make sure that she followed me.
I grit my teeth, the tendons standing out in my neck. Caro’s eyes were closed and her head thrown back, her full tits bouncing wildly. What a fucking amazing sight.
She cried out some mangled version of my name and slumped down on my chest, breathing hard. It had all been faster than I’d meant, but fuck me, it felt good.
“Sorry, baby,” I coughed out.
“You have nothing to be sorry about,” she gasped, as we lay together, calming our racing pulses.
I couldn’t help grinning like an idiot as I stroked the smooth skin of her back. “Ready for the main course?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me, Hunter? I’m still…” and a spasm of tremors made her pussy clench around me again.
“Oh, wow,” I muttered. “I really felt that.”
“Good,” she huffed. “So did I.”
I laughed at her grumpy tone,
then lifted her off me as I sat up.
“I’m going to go shower.”
She didn’t answer as I made my way to the bathroom, snapping off the condom contentedly.
Yep, she liked the room.
I showered quickly, eager to get to the part where Caro got all fancy. Plus, I was freakin’ starving after that work out.
She was staring at me, a puzzled frown on her face as I walked back into the bedroom.
“What?”
“Just wondering how the hell I ended up engaged to such a hot Marine. It’s been quite a week.”
Her words sent a shiver through my entire body. “You’re not having second thoughts, are you, Caro?”
She shook her head slowly. “No, Sebastian, I’m not. But you have to admit, it’s all been pretty fast.”
“It’s been ten years, Caro,” I contradicted, meaning every word. “I’ve waited long enough.”
Her gaze softened and her eyes got warm. Her smile left little crinkles at the corner of her eyes, and I wanted to kiss every fucking one of them.
“I love you so much, tesoro,” she said.
“Love you, too, Caro.” Then I grinned at her. “Now get your ass in that shower, before I throw you in there.”
“Fine, fine,” she grumbled. “I’m going.”
I waited until she was really moving before I turned to get dressed.
“I’ll meet you in the restaurant, Caro.”
“You’re not going to wait for me here?”
“Nope. I want to see you sweeping down that staircase and have all the other bastards wanting you, but knowing I’ll be the one taking you to bed later.” She rolled her eyes. “Humor me: it’s a guy thing.”
She shook her head, but was smiling as she closed the door to the bathroom.
I pulled on the unfamiliar tux, pleased at how well everything fit, even the pre-shone shoes.
Then I laid out my final two purchases that were seriously fuckin’ expensive. But if they looked as hot on her as I expected, worth every damn penny.
I wandered down to the restaurant, making sure that they’d reserved the table I wanted. It was in a small alcove, making it almost private, and it had amazing views down the cliffs to the sea. All for Caro. Christ, I was turning into such a pussy.