Buttons and Grace Read online

  The only two people who truly understood were she and I.

  * * *

  We walked into her little house, and she showed me the living room and small kitchen. “It’s not much, but it’s perfect for me.”

  “I like it.” It had a single sofa, a small TV, and a tiny bathroom. For a woman like Adelina, someone who didn’t need much, it was perfect. “Very nice.” I stood with my hands in my pockets so I wouldn’t immediately reach out and grab her by the hips. So far, it seemed to be going well. She smiled when she looked at me, held my hand on the car ride home, and now she gave me the same look of longing I gave her.

  Just like in the restaurant, it was tense all over again.

  She still hadn’t asked me why I was there. It made me wonder if she didn’t care. Maybe she was just so happy to see me that it didn’t matter.

  I stepped closer to her until I’d officially crossed an invisible line into her private space. My hands left my pockets, and my neck craned toward her. I looked down at her lips, desperate to kiss her.

  Her lips parted slightly.

  That was the invitation I needed. My hand slid into her hair, and I leaned in, moving until I felt her lips against mine. I kissed her with purposeful slowness, doing my best to keep it soft. I couldn’t devour her immediately. This had to be gentle, not rushed.

  She kissed me back immediately, her arm wrapped around my neck. She rose on her tiptoes to get better access to my mouth. She kissed me harder, a moan of desperation escaping her lips. Her hand wrapped around my wrist as my hand remained buried in her hair.

  She was the one who kissed me harder.

  Deeper.

  Faster.

  I couldn’t set the pace anymore. I wanted to keep it slow and soft, but she wanted a lot more than that. So I let it be…and kissed her exactly the way she wanted to be kissed.

  My hands explored her body, feeling the delicious curves of her waist and stomach. My hands shook as I felt her, excitement burning me from the inside out. My desperation grew, and I couldn’t believe what was happening.

  I was kissing her.

  Just last week, I was drowning myself in enough alcohol to put me in a coma.

  But now, my woman was in my arms.

  She pulled on the front of my shirt and guided me down the short hallway to her bedroom. She had a full-size bed in the small room, a mattress hardly big enough to hold a man like me. But that wasn’t going to stop either of us from getting what we wanted.

  Her shirt was gone.

  My shoes were kicked across the room.

  Her bra dropped onto the floor.

  My jeans were yanked down.

  One by one, every article of clothing hit the carpet until we were both buck naked.

  I squeezed her tits and kissed her neck, her smell making me high. I kissed her hard, nibbled on her earlobe, and guided her back to the bed. My cock was harder than it’d ever been in my life. I’d never seen a woman look so beautiful, so undeniably perfect.

  She was on her back underneath me, her legs already spread in urgency. She pulled me on top of her and hooked her arms around my shoulders.

  I slipped inside, moaning when I felt how soaked she was. She was wetter than she’d ever been before, tight and slick. I pushed completely inside her and watched her face light up in pleasure.

  She wanted me badly.

  One hand dug into my hair, and she stared up at me as I began to thrust. I thought we would take this slow, but she didn’t want slow. She wanted all of me, as much as she could get. She pulled on my hair and kissed me, moaning between breaths. “Cane…”

  “Bellissima…” There was nothing better than this. There was nothing that would ever make me as happy as this woman. I’d lost her before, and it was a depressing experience. Now that I was with her again, even without saying much, I felt whole again.

  This felt right.

  It always felt right.

  I hadn’t been with anyone else in the last six weeks, so I thought I would come quicker than I wanted. But being connected to her like this stopped that from happening. I focused on her, focused on the way she moved her lips with mine. My cock was buried inside her, but the satisfaction I received was beyond physical.

  It was spiritual.

  She moved with me, taking my length as much as I gave it to her. Sweat collected on her breasts, and she moaned into my mouth as we made love on her small bed. She dug her nails into my back, and she pulled me deeper and harder.

  Sweat trickled down my back, but the heat didn’t slow me down. I wanted to do this forever. If I could, I would.

  She cupped the back of my neck with both of her hands and used her abs to grind with me. “Cane…I love you.” She looked me in the eye as she said it, the passion in her eyes and the promise on her face.

  I shoved myself completely inside her and paused as I stared down at her. I’d told her how I felt many times, but she never said it back. All I could do was imagine how it would feel, but reality was so much better than fantasy. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever heard. It made me the happiest man on the planet. “I love you too.”

  * * *

  I woke up to her body plastered against mine. One leg was hooked between my thighs, while her arm draped across my torso. She used my shoulder as a pillow for her head, and she slept nearly on top of me. It was the same position she used to take before, and the second I was with her again, she was back to her old ways.

  Instead of stirring, I remained absolutely still so I could watch her. I loved her thick eyelashes. I loved the way her lips slightly parted while she was asleep. Her fair skin contrasted against those ruby lips even when she didn’t wear lipstick. She was right beside me, but I could hardly believe she was real.

  She was perfect.

  I wanted to lean down and kiss her, but she was too beautiful to interrupt. I wanted her to be wide awake so I could look into those pretty eyes, but I wanted her to rest as long as she needed. When I came to her doorstep, I hadn’t expected for this to happen.

  But I’d hoped it would.

  She’d said the most beautiful words to me. The world outside hadn’t changed, but mine certainly did. Now this cold and dark place blossomed with extraordinary beauty. My body was filled with unrestrained vitality. My attitude was positive, my smile was infectious.

  I was happy.

  A few minutes later, her eyes fluttered open. She looked right at me, the same smile coming over her lips. “Just like it used to be…”

  I usually woke up first, and I spent my morning staring at her until she was ready to wake up. My body wanted to roll her to her back and thrust between her legs, but my heart was content just being like this. “But better.”

  She ran her hand up my chest, her eyes still sleepy. She released a sigh of contentment, enjoying my presence as much as I enjoyed hers.

  I was so glad I got on that plane.

  “I forgot to thank you for dinner.”

  “You showed your appreciation, Bellissima.” My hand brought hers to my mouth. I kissed her small fingers gently before I returned them to my chest.

  “Sex gets me food?” she teased.

  “It can get you whatever you want.”

  Her alarm went off on her nightstand, and she sighed before she turned over and switched it off. Her bare back was exposed, smooth skin with the exception of a few scars. “I have class.”

  I forgot about the real world whenever we were together. “Are you going to go?”

  She shook her head before she came back to me. “I doubt I’ll ever get out of this bed.”

  “Because I’m in it?” I moved underneath the sheets until I was on top of her. My legs parted hers until I was nestled perfectly between her thighs. My hands sank into the mattress on either side of her tits. With a quick tilt of my hips, I pressed my cock against her entrance.

  Her arms circled my neck, and she locked her ankles against my lower back. “I miss morning sex…”

  I slid the rest of the w
ay inside her until I was buried to the hilt. I closed my eyes as I treasured the feel of her wet tightness. I used to do this every single day of my life. I’d never take it for granted again. There was nowhere I’d rather be than right here. “I miss this pussy.”

  “She missed you too.”

  I thrust into her gradually, making love a lot slower than we did last night. My eyes were locked on hers, and she looked stunning in the morning light. Her skin was glowing from a great night of sleep, and her eyes sparkled in a special way. Her nails teased me gently as her feet dragged me back toward her. “Bellissima…”

  “I miss hearing you call me that.”

  I sealed my mouth over hers and kissed her as I continued to rock deeply inside her. I pushed myself as far as I could go without hurting her then pulled out again. Her mattress was soft like a cloud, and her pussy was like a slice of heaven.

  I couldn’t think straight. All I could do was feel—feel all of her.

  She came quicker than usual, squeezing my dick and digging her nails into my muscles.

  I wanted to keep going, but after her little performance, I wouldn’t be able to sustain this passion without needing a release. I came shortly after she did, filling her pussy with all of the seed I could fit inside.

  I stayed on top of her because I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay right there, between her legs where I belonged. No amount of hunger could get me into the kitchen. I’d rather just eat her.

  The sleepiness was gone from her eyes. A small smile was on her lips, just for me.

  We still hadn’t said anything of substance to one another. The second I was back in her life, it was exactly what it used to be before. The house wasn’t the same, the town was foreign, and her world was nothing like mine.

  But that didn’t change us.

  Her nails dragged down my arms as her hands moved to the mattress. “Why are you here?”

  My hand slid into her hair, and I cradled her head in my palm. “You know why.”

  Her eyes softened. “I tried not to think about you…but it was impossible.”

  “I never stopped thinking about you. Every day.”

  She brushed her nose against mine. “Your bed hasn’t been filled with others?”

  “Just you.”

  Her eyes softened again.

  I didn’t ask her the same because I already knew the answer. “We can spend the rest of the day like this, but let’s leave in the morning. I want to get you home where you belong.”

  It was the first time she’d shown sadness since I arrived. Her eyes fell, and her smile disappeared. “Leave?”

  I’d assumed that’s what would happen. “Are you saying you want to stay?” I’d do anything for this woman, but I didn’t belong in a place like this. The population was too dense. There wasn’t enough privacy. I had a business back home. There was nothing for me—except her.

  “I just…I can’t leave.”

  “Why not?”

  “My parents. After everything they’ve been through, I can’t just take off again. They’re so happy having me here. It’s like a massive boulder has been lifted off their shoulders. I can’t hurt them again… I can’t.”

  “They know you’ll be safe, so it’ll be different.”

  “I’ll be in a different time zone on the other side of the world. I’ll never see them. After I was captured, it made me appreciate what I have. I don’t want to take them for granted again. I don’t want them to suffer again.”

  She was the only child of these two people. She’d already suffered enough, and she shouldn’t suffer anymore. But I didn’t know how to fix the problem. “I can’t stay here, even for you.” My eyes held their determination despite my sorrow. “I don’t belong here. There’s nothing for me to do here. It makes more sense for you to come back with me. We have the winery, a beautiful home overlooking the fields, and we have millions. I can’t just bring that money here. Your country has very different laws from mine.”

  “I know…”

  “So we need to make it work, Bellissima. I’ve spent the last six weeks without you, and I don’t want to do it anymore. You’re coming back with me—even if I have to make you.”

  She smiled because she thought I was joking. “Back to being bossy, huh?”

  “I’m just telling you how it is.” Now that she told me she loved me, there was no going back. She was my possession, my everything. I owned her, even if the law didn’t recognize it. If she had any hope of slipping out of my grasp, she shouldn’t have said those three little words.

  “I don’t know what to do, Cane. I’ve only been back for a few weeks.”

  “Your parents will understand. Children get married and move away all the time.”

  “It’s different, and you know it is.”

  I did know. I sighed as my softening cock remained buried inside her. When the mood picked up, I’d be ready to go again.

  She stared at me with a pleading gaze, as if she was asking me to help her.

  “What do you want me to say?” I whispered.

  “I don’t know…”

  “I can’t move here.” I repeated it because I knew she would ask me. “I have Crow, Pearl, and my future niece or nephew. Crow won’t admit it, but he needs me nearby. I’m all he has left, and he’s all I have left. You know I would do anything for you, Bellissima, but I can’t do that.”

  When she released a deep breath, all of her hope vanished with it. “I understand.”

  Even now, I wanted to give her what she wanted. But this was one compromise I couldn’t make. “Let’s talk to your parents. I’m sure they’ll understand when they see us together.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “What other choice do we have?” I wasn’t returning to Tuscany without her, and she couldn’t continue this lonely existence in a world where she no longer belonged. “This isn’t your home anymore. You tried, but it wouldn’t stick. You know you belong with me in the Tuscan sun and in the fields of gold.”

  Her eyes shifted back and forth as she looked into my gaze. She pressed her lips tightly together, thought it through, and then finally nodded. “Okay…let’s talk to them.”

  * * *

  I turned off the engine, and we sat in front of her parents’ house. It was after five, so they were both home from work. I stayed behind the wheel while she looked out the window of the passenger seat. We’d spent the afternoon making love all over her small house. Her shower was tiny, but we somehow made it work. We didn’t eat much because we were too absorbed in each other.

  Now those moments of happiness were gone. Dread had replaced them. Adelina didn’t want to do this, but she didn’t have any other option.

  “We can always visit them whenever you want,” I whispered. “It’s not like it’s forever. I see Crow and Pearl every day. We can spend every holiday with your family. That’s a fair compromise.”

  “I know…but we’re so close.”

  My hand glided up her shoulder, and I massaged her gently. “It’ll be alright, Bellissima.” Her mother had thanked me for getting Adelina back home, but that didn’t necessarily mean they liked me. She was my prisoner at one point. I did business with the man who did this to her. I wasn’t the knight in shining armor they’d been hoping for for their daughter. I was dark, brooding, and dangerous.

  After a few more minutes of waiting, Adelina finally got out.

  We walked to the front door, knocked, and then we were face-to-face with her parents.

  They both recognized me. They definitely remembered me.

  Her mother stared at me, not smiling or frowning. She just looked.

  Her father didn’t know how to react either.

  “Can we come in?” Adelina asked.

  “Of course.” Her mother backed inside, still looking at me. “I’m sorry…you just startled us.”

  We stepped into the living room, the smell of dinner in the air.

  “Everything okay?” her father asked.

  “Ye
ah,” Adelina said, hardly convincing. “If you guys aren’t busy, we wanted to talk to you about something.”

  “Sure,” her mother said. “Would you like to join us for dinner?”

  “Yeah,” Adelina said.

  I hadn’t said anything up until that point, and I knew I needed to show some manners. “We’d love to.”

  We sat down in the dining room, and her mom served baked chicken, green beans, and potatoes.

  I didn’t have much of an appetite, but I ate anyway. It was pretty good.

  Adelina ate and talked to her parents about school, even though that wasn’t why we were there.

  “So, are you here for a visit?” her mother asked.

  I swallowed my tap water before I turned to her. “I just wanted to make sure Adelina was doing alright…adjusting back to her old life.”

  “Oh,” her mother said. “That was nice of you.”

  “She’s gotten back on her feet,” her father said. “Has her own place now and is back in school.” The pride was heavy in his voice, as it should be. Adelina was a strong woman who didn’t let the past define her. She never gave up on herself—not once.

  “I noticed that,” I said. “I’m happy for her.”

  Adelina looked up at me, the sadness in her eyes. She didn’t want to say the words, to break their hearts with her news.

  My hand moved to her thigh under the table, and I gave it a gentle squeeze, telling her I would take care of it. “I came back here because I wanted to know Adelina was doing okay…but also because I love her.”

  Her mother didn’t react in the slightest, as if she already expected my feelings.

  Her father looked down at his food.

  “I stayed away from her because she said she wanted to come back here and start over…but she told me she’s been having a hard time. She misses me, I miss her…and she loves me.” I watched Adelina’s emotional expression, waiting for the final blow. “We talked about it, and we decided that we want to be together…in Italy.”

  Her mother dropped her silverware onto the plate, unable to contain her surprise.

  Her father looked up, tensing all over his body. Even his jaw was hard.