I love this woman…so much.
My new life starts right here, right now.
Francesca
Five days.
Five perfect, loved-up days.
Giuliano and I have officially been together for only five days but it feels like it’s been coming for a lifetime. Let me rephrase that, it has been coming for a lifetime.
I have loved this man with all of my heart since I was seventeen years old and we have been through hell by being kept from each other…but now, every moment together is a gift that we both treasure.
We kiss and laugh and catch each other staring…we talk for hours in the darkness at the late of night.
I love him more than ever…. More than I ever thought possible.
He is my soul mate, I know it for certain and I don’t have one reservation.
Anything to be with him.
He’s moved into my apartment and because we can’t tell anyone that we’re even together, we’ve done a million sneaky trips up and down the internal lift with his personal belongings. I sometimes find myself staring in awe at his suits in my wardrobe hanging next to my clothes.
Our things together…like our hearts have always been.
I stare at myself in the mirror and smile. I have music playing with a glass of champagne, I’m wearing a black lace-up corset and thigh-high suspender belt with all the trimmings.
We are going out tonight, to a charity ball of all places.
And I know it’s not out in public yet, but it’s really our first official date. We’ve never got dressed up and gone out together alone before, I’m excited and nervous and slightly terrified.
What if we don’t work out?
What if we love each other just too much and it works against us?
This is a love that I would never recover from.
I’m not sure if it’s normal to be this besotted with a partner. I’ve never had it before, and I have to keep reminding myself that Giuliano has never even been in a serious relationship. He is in a much bigger adjustment phase than I am. I need to give him time and space to let him find his feet.
He’s at the office, working on a Saturday. Apparently, there’s something he needed to attend to, he should be home soon though.
I finish reapplying my makeup and I feel him before I see him, I turn to see Giuliano leaning on the doorjamb, his hungry eyes slide down my body and back up before he lets out a low whistle. “And there she is,” he murmurs almost to himself.
Excitement bubbles in my stomach and I put my hands on my hips and give him a sexy sashay of my hips.
My monthly is finally gone…tonight, I’m all his.
Then he’s on me, his lips on my neck, his hands on my ass. His large erection up against my stomach. “Ho bisogno di scoparti,” (Translation: I need to fuck you.) he growls against my skin, goose bumps scatter up my arms.
Italian.
He’s here.
His teeth graze my jawline as he loses control. “Ora.” (Translation: Now.) He pushes me over to the bed and turns me to face it and pushes me down onto my knees, he stands behind me and slowly rubs his hand over my ass as he hisses in approval.
I watch him in the mirror, this is how I love him. When he can’t filter his needs, running purely on instinct to fuck.
He runs his hand over my G-string and then with two fingers he pulls it to the side and lets out a low whistle as he stares at my sex. “Sei perfetta.” (Translation: Perfection.)
I wiggle my hips as an enticement. “Tonight, baby.”
“Adesso.” (Translation: Now.) He bends and kisses me there. “I need you now.”
We do have time now but I want some delayed gratification. “We don’t have time now, you need to get ready.”
He licks me again, a low hum rumbling through the lips of my sex, and I know if I let him do that it’s all over. “Jules,” I say to snap him out of his instinctive trance.
He rolls me onto my back and lies over me, his strong arms holding his body off of mine. “I need you,” he whispers.
“You have me.” I smile up at him.
“Ne ho bisogno” (Translation: I need this.) His fingers rub over my sex through my panties. “Ti desidero da impazzire.” (Translation: I’m so fucking hungry for you.)
“Tonight.” I kiss him. “You need to get ready.”
His brow furrows and then he gets up and stands over me, his hands clench at his sides.
I smile up at him and point to the bathroom. “Shower,” I mouth.
“Fucking,” he mouths back.
I giggle and he bends and holds my hands above my head and kisses me deeply, his tongue taking no prisoners.
Oh…. The way he kisses me.
Seriously…fuck the date. Who cares about going out anyway?
No.
“Jules,” I remind him.
He lets out a disgusted growl, drags himself up and walks into the bathroom. I lie on my back smiling goofily up at the ceiling.
Life is good.
The ballroom is grand, there are waiters walking around with cocktails and champagne on silver trays. The crowd is dressed to the nines in their very best black-tie and everyone who is everyone is here.
Giuliano and I walk in and over to the seating board, I can hear people letting out soft gasps as they see the two of us together.
The protected princess daughter with the black sheep of the family. This mistress’s son, the darkness that nobody talks about.
I look over at my beautiful man, so handsome in his black tie. I have never been prouder to arrive on somebody’s arm as I am his.
The fact that he came is another testament to our commitment to each other.
“This way.” I gesture over to our table and he glances over and inhales sharply.
I smile and lead him over to our table and smile sweetly at my family.
“Hello everyone.” I smile, Giuliano raises an unimpressed eyebrow before pulling out my chair, I sit down and he sits down beside me.
My mother’s face falls, Lorenzo looks like he’s swallowed a fly and my two brothers’ eyes are wide.
“What are you doing?” my mother whispers in horror as she looks around to see who’s watching.
I smile triumphantly. “I think it’s time that Giuliano takes his place in society with the rest of the Ferrara’s…don’t you?”
Giuliano’s eyes meet mine and he gives me the best come-fuck-me look I have ever seen.
“Francesca,” she whispers angrily. “What the hell do you think you are doing?”
I pick up my glass of champagne and hold it up to her. “Celebrating.”
“Celebrating what?”
I smile and clink my glass with Giuliano. “Our paternity tests came back…Mother.” I sneer.
The blood drains from her face.
“You have twenty-eight days to confess…or I will.” I turn to Giuliano. “Do you want to dance, darling?”
Giuliano gives me a sexy wink. “You bet I do.”
17
Francesca
The dance floor is packed and Giuliano makes sure to keep a respectable distance and holds me at arm’s length. Well aware that to everyone in the ballroom he is technically still my brother. “What are you doing?” he asks as his eyes roam over the crowd.