Free Reckless Nights in Rome by C. C. MacKenzie

His
erection pressed into her soft belly. He was a big man and she
shuddered. For the first time in a long time, she gave herself
permission to relax, enjoy the moment, the sensations and the
wonderful dreamlike state as he spun her round.
    It took her a
couple of heartbeats to realise he’d steered them to the side of
the hall.
    Nico opened a
door behind a screen and whisked her into another room.
    Her breath
caught in her throat.
    “What ...?”
    Stunned, she
realised it was a private sitting room, a room which used to be her
father's library.
    Nico’s dark
eyes, watchful and intense, met hers.
    It was one
thing to flirt openly with him over dinner in a public place, quite
another to be alone with him in a room that held so many happy
memories. She went very still as needles of tension prickled her
spine. Then she raised her brows in silent question.
    “I thought it
would be more private for us to have dinner here.”
    His accent
seemed stronger, he appeared even bigger now she was alone with him
and Bronte reminded herself that she had no idea who this man was
or what he was thinking.
    What was she
doing?
    He took her
hand in a comfortable friendly manner.
    His eyes held
hers so intimately; she shivered as he kissed each finger. A
sensation of the room spinning reminded her to breathe. A feeling
of being pulled by an invisible force towards him almost
overwhelmed her. Whatever this was, whether it was chemistry or a
fatal attraction, her instincts told her to take care.
    “This is
nice.”
    To give herself
space to kick-start her brain, Bronte drew back and wandered about
the room, amazed at the transformation.
    All the time
she was deliciously aware of dark eyes following her as she
absorbed the changes this man had made to her home.
    The same
imposing stone fireplace with a roaring fire in the hearth, along
with the high, arched windows were all that was familiar.
    In the old
days, this room would be heavy with the scent of her father's
cigars and comfortable leather sofas the colour of ripe
blackberries.
    Now heavy silk
brocade curtains flowed onto the floor like a golden waterfall,
held back by brass holders the size of a dinner plate.
    Three spacious
sofas upholstered in a rich fabric the colour of autumn leaves
hugged a polished oak coffee table the size of a family car. And on
the stone floor were dark rugs in matching muted tones.
    Huge antique
mirrors hung above serving tables which held clear glass vases
overflowing with royal red arum lilies.
    A dining table,
lit with candles was set for two and sat in a small alcove. It was
dressed with crystal glasses, white china plates and silver
cutlery. It all looked quite lovely. She realised he’d organised a
small buffet for them too. Obviously Nico didn’t want to be
disturbed.
    She turned to
him as he stood perfectly still watching her.
    Bronte sent him
a nervous smile.
    “This is
fabulous.” After another attempt at a smile she found herself
wondering why he didn’t say anything. “You must be pleased with the
renovations.”
    He still hadn’t
answered, just kept looking at her with that dead on stare and the
heat of it was scorching her skin.
    Bronte looked
at him for an endless moment. She couldn’t breathe at the
expression in those eyes.
    Nico walked
towards her. And the jittery nerves in her stomach went crazy.
    His eyes,
filled with aroused desire, mesmerised her.
    He reached out,
stroked her cheek. Fingertips, almost feather light, traced her
chin, the pulse thundering below her ear, then down the front of
her throat towards her breasts.
    “Nico, what are
you doing?” Her voice sounded too breathy.
    “If you need to
ask I’m doing something wrong.”
    He held her
hand, those eyes still watching her carefully. She couldn’t read
his expression. This was moving too fast in one way and not fast
enough in another. Not for the first time, she felt he could read
her mind.
    He brought her
fingers to his mouth and nuzzled the tips.
    “I am making
you