Page 85 of Casanova LLC

She said, her lips still toying with me, “I want some in my mouth and paint me with the rest.”

And if that didn’t just?—

It was here. Out of nowhere and everywhere, I exploded. I grabbed her hair and gave a full thrusting shot into her mouth. Then I guided her off me, calling out the only word I could think of at that moment: her name.

I threw my head back and I was stardust.

I’d never been surprised by an orgasm before.

Another first.

It took a long moment to recover. Then I brought my head back down and saw the aftermath. There was a smile on her face, and as promised, I fell from her lips. I dripped off her chin, I was in her hair, I rolled down one breast.

I flopped onto my back.

I sensed her get off her knees. I wanted to take her into the shower. Or get her a washcloth at the very least. But she squeezed my thigh, said, “I’ll be right back, don’t move, I love seeing you like this,” and I let her go. I didn’t have a choice.

I needed a minute. I needed more than a minute to crawl back into myself.

To regain control.

Whether I wanted to or not.

Claire

I went into the bathroom and indulged the impulse to look in the mirror before I washed him off.

What did it say about me that what I saw made me feel like a goddess? I had Casanova’d Casanova.

As I ran a washcloth back and forth under hot water, I promised myself one thing: I would never be caged again. No matter how gilded. How could I go back on a shelf after having this?

I wanted more of what I’d found here, but did that exist in the “real world”? Did he exist in the “real world”? There had to be other good men out there. But as I washed my face clean, the thought that kept circling in my head was:

What happens when you know what you want, but you can’t have it?

I left the bathroom and went right to the kitchen. I pulled out the dish that was in the oven, delighted to find it was baked ziti, my favorite. I opened cabinets and eventually found two plates, opened drawers and eventually found two forks, grabbed some napkins, and a bottle of Pellegrino from the fridge. I loved this kitchen. I loved this kitchen so much that if I had this kitchen, unlike my old, cold, steel one, I would actually learn how to do things in it just so I could spend time here.

I plated the ziti and carried everything, naked, back into the bedroom.

Where I found Alessandro in the same sprawled position I’d left him…except now he was asleep. Beautifully, alluringly, gratifyingly asleep.

Smiling, I set his plate on the kitchenette counter.

He didn’t move when I crawled onto the bed. He didn’t move when I devoured the delicious meal. And he didn’t move when I settled in next to him, close enough to be warmed by his body heat.

At which point, I fell asleep, too.

* * *

I made my way downstairs in the pre-dawn morning and headed out to the dock. The air was sweet and chillingly refreshing. I was surprised to see Jacopo’s sailboat out of the garage and moored alongside the pier. I was even more surprised to find Jacopo on the bow, cigarette in his mouth, tightening something or other.

He lifted his head as I approached. I waved; he waved back, put out the cigarette, and hopped onto the dock to greet me.

“It is early, Bella.”

“I went to bed early.” My voice was untried, and I cleared my throat.

“I must have a talk with my nephew.”

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