body to hers. She tried to move away, but he kept his hold on her and placed his forehead against hers.
“I’m sorry, cara . The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you.”
Tierra tried to find the words to tell him she knew he hadn’t, but she couldn’t. She tried to keep the tears gathering in her eyes at bay, but judging by the sudden tenseness in his body, he’d seen them.
“You have to relax for me, cara . It is the only way the pain will go away.”
Her eyes closed, and a soft sob escaped her. She tried to compose herself, and after a few moments, the pain faded, and her eyes reopened. She gave him a small smile, and he removed one of his hands from her hip, wiping away her tears before speaking to her soothingly in Italian. She didn’t understand anything he said, but it helped her to relax, and he slid in another inch. Antonio murmured a few more words until he nestled completely inside of her. Her body hugged his tightly, and he gave her a few moments to adjust.
“Are you okay, cara ?”
She nodded slowly, not trusting her voice. No other words were needed. He began to move slowly. His patience paid off. The instant all of the discomfort left her, her body became more lax, and she began to move with him.
He lowered himself to her, and she held fast, not wanting an inch of space between them. She inhaled sharply as he slid deeper, but it was one of pleasure, and her hold on him tightened. She felt the pressure of an impending orgasm, but she wanted him with her when she went over the edge this time. She gasped as he switched tempos, his thrusts coming quicker.
“Stay with me, cara ,” he whispered brokenly in her ear.
She couldn’t respond verbally, but she had no desire to do anything but follow his command. A moment later, he let out a mixture of a growl and shout of ecstasy signaling his own release. He held her securely as her body continued to contract around him in pleasure. At that moment, she knew Antonio had stolen a part of her heart and it was going to be hard to walk away from him at the end of the next two weeks.
Chapter 7
Tierra stirred sleepily as Antonio lifted her up into his arms. She was still worn out from their lovemaking. It didn’t seem as though much time passed. She must have actually fallen asleep at some point. Now he carried her to the bathroom, and she realized he’d readied the vintage marble tub for them. He stepped into the tub with her, and she winced slightly as he lowered them to the water.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded, and he settled back in the tub, drawing her against him. They sat there for a moment, letting the warmth of the water seep into their muscles. He ran his hand up and down her arm in a soothing fashion.
“I am sorry I hurt you, cara .”
She looked up at him, melting at his tender expression. “I know it may sound strange, but it was worth it, and it didn’t hurt long.”
He smiled. “Not as strange as you think it may sound, cara .”
She nodded, but now the sexual tension between the two of them dissipated some, and other pressing issues were taking over her thoughts. “Antonio.”
“Hmm?”
“Tell me about your family.”
She watched him smile before he opened his mouth to speak.
“I love my parents because they have been a solid foundation in my life, as well as my siblings. I have to admit their presence can be unwanted at times, but I still love them in spite of it.”
She nodded, able to relate to how he felt. He placed a soft kiss against her temple.
“To begin with, there is my sister, Amalía. I think the two of you will get along perfectly, for you have quite a bit in common. I also think Amalía would appreciate the extra female companionship, considering five men normally surrounded her at a time. As a matter of fact, Amalía claims the reason she’s still single is because she has been raised around a bunch of uncivilized men.”
Tierra laughed. Having Hayden as a brother made her