Massimo’s body collapses and he lies on top of me. Our bodies are slick with sweat; the salty smell of sex fills the room around us.
“Are you okay?” he asks, lifting his head.
“No. I’m way better than okay. My body feels like Jell-O right now,” I say, smiling.
“Mmm, I’d eat that Jell-O.” He grins, kissing the underside of my jaw.
“I bet you would.”
Massimo lifts his body away from mine and pulls out of me. A rush of cold air hits me when he does. I watch him walk out of the room as he’s removing the condom. I find the corner of the sheet and drag it up, covering myself.
When he returns from the bathroom, he kneels on the bed, crawling across it, and hovering over me. “What did you say to me earlier in Spanish?”
I lick my lips, and while touching his mouth, I say, “I like you a lot and want to kiss you.”
“I think I can accommodate that. You think this old man can handle it?”
“I don’t know. Let’s see.” I giggle and bite my bottom lip.
He leans in to kiss me again.
The smell of coffee wafts through the air, and when I look to my left, the bed is empty. Massimo must be in the other room because I hear him talking to someone.
I stretch. My legs are sore after having sex several times last night. It’s the kind of sore I could get used to. As I remember our night, my skin tingles. Massimo was able to draw my orgasm from me several times. He knew when to be gentle and when not to be. He played my body like a fine-tuned guitar.
I pull the covers back and reach for my glasses on the nightstand. I’m wearing Massimo’s T-shirt, which I slept in last night. It smells like the cologne he was wearing. I pad my way to the bathroom just outside his bedroom door. As I’m in there, I hear him yell, “Fuck, Stella, I don’t know but just deal with it! I’ll be there later.”
Stella, who’s that? And why is he so upset with her? Ugh, is he in a relationship with someone? Great, just what I need. I leave the bathroom and head to the kitchen where Massimo is standing by the stove shirtless and barefoot. His shorts hang low, exposing his deep V.
“Good morning,” I say.
“Hi, beautiful.” He kisses me.
I fix my frames to sit squarely on the bridge of my nose and ask, “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?”
“I heard you talking to someone. You sounded upset.”
“Oh, yeah. I was on the phone with my sister. She’s having some issues at the restaurant, but nothing that can’t wait. I’ll deal with it later.”
His sister, phew! What a relief. I was beginning to think I was played last night. Glad I was wrong. “You got any coffee?”
“Yeah, I just brewed it. Mugs are in that cabinet,” he says, pointing to the back-right corner farthest away from me.
“Thanks.” I walk over to the cabinet, opening it to grab a mug. “Do you need one too?” I ask him.
“Yeah, thanks. Cream is in the fridge, and the sugar is in the cabinet next to the fridge.”
“I drink my coffee black but can prepare yours. How do you like it?”
“I like it many different ways.” He wiggles his eyebrows.
“I remember,” I say, biting my lip.
He stops what he’s doing and stares at me, licking his lips before responding, “Two sugars and just a little bit of cream.”
I pour our coffee into the mugs and prepare his. When I sip it, it’s weak, tastes like dirty water, and I scrunch my nose.
“Is my coffee terrible?”
“Kinda,” I say, nodding. “It’s not strong at all.”
“I can make another pot.”
“Nah, I’m good. I can have some more when I get home. I’m a coffee snob, so it’s nothing personal.”
“Okay. Now I know, next time I’ll let you make the coffee.”
“Next time?” I ask, happy to hear him say those words.
CHAPTER 5
A Man Like That
MARIALENA
THE RAIN IS HEAVY as we’re driving west down Storrow Drive toward my apartment. The radio is playing softly, and we’re both quiet, listening to the Red Hot Chili Peppers sing “Californication.”
“You ever been to California?” he asks.
“Not yet. It’s on my list.”
“It’s beautiful. I’ll take you someday. You’ll love it.”
“How presumptuous of you.” I try to keep my tone serious but am not doing a very good job at it.
“Not presumptuous because I know you and I are just getting started.” His words are confident, yet he’s not arrogant. Last night he was polite yet assertive, gentle yet firm. His mannerisms complement each other. Before yesterday, I had never fully experienced the facets of his personality. When he would sit at the bar, he was friendly and flirtatious yet reserved. I always wondered what he’d be like behind closed doors, and so far, I really like what I’m seeing.
“You know?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. He responds with a nod and a sexy lopsided grin.
When he drives up to my house, I’m gathering my things to say goodbye and make a run for the front when Massimo says, “Hang on, I have an umbrella. I’ll walk you.”
“You don’t have to. It’s okay if I get a little wet.”
“I like you nice and wet too.” He winks, before continuing, “But I want to. I’m not ready to let you go just yet.” I can feel the heat rise to my cheeks at his remark. Good thing he’s turning to get out of the Jeep.
He meets me at the passenger door, and I exit, where Massimo wraps his arm around me so we can both be under the umbrella.
Once at the front door, underneath the shelter of the balcony’s roof, he tosses the umbrella to the floor and steps into me, grasping onto my hips.
“I had such an amazing time last night and this morning. I’m not ready for our date to end.” His voice is low and husky. He squeezes my hips and kisses my beauty mark.
“Me too,” is all I can manage to say. His proximity makes it hard to think clearly.
“This is gonna sound crazy, but I’m gonna say it anyway,” he says with a crooked grin. “I know you’re off tonight and then work for the next few nights. What do you think about hanging out again later? I don’t think I can wait until next week to see you, and I can’t just go to the bar tomorrow like I always have. Things are different now, and it’ll be near impossible for me to sit there and just watch you work and pretend that small talk will be enough. Not after last night and this morning.”
“You’re right. It sounds crazy.” His face falls when he hears my words. “But I like crazy, so yes.”
He’s grinning again, rubbing his thumbs back and forth over my cheeks. “Want to come back to my place? We can order takeout and watch a movie.”
“Only if we can watch Rocky.”
“Get outta here. You like Rocky?”
Nodding, I say, “It’s one of my favorites. I love them all. If you don’t like Rocky, I don’t know if this—” I gesture my hand between the two of us “—will work out.”