Free Propositioning the Rich Italian by Stephanie Morris Page B

Antonio smiled and placed a brief kiss on her lips.
    “But I need to use the bathroom first.”
    He nodded. “I will order room service for us while you use the bathroom.”
    She disappeared into the bathroom, and he ordered their breakfast. He pushed back the covers as the door opened. As he made his way to the bathroom, he was careful not to get too close. She was pure temptation, and as much as he wanted to drag her back to bed, she needed time to recover.    

    * * * *

    Tierra nodded, watching him as he climbed out of the bed. A glimpse of his firm backside was all she received as he stepped into his pants, but it was enough. She studied him as he made his way to the bathroom, trying to reel in the naughty thoughts that wanted to surface. Instead, she closed her eyes and tried to relax.
    She needed to get her emotions back under control before Antonio rejoined her. Shortly after he closed the door, a knock sounded out. A quick look through the peephole revealed room service arrived. She opened the door, standing aside as the attendant wheeled the cart in the room. The woman moved efficiently, opening the curtain to the balcony and setting breakfast up before disappearing again. When Antonio opened the door, Tierra stood there waiting for him.
    “Breakfast is here.”
    He smiled. “Buon ”
    She stepped out on the balcony with him close behind. She grinned as he made her sit while he uncovered the plates. Her smile widened at the sight of the pancakes, bacon and sausage on her plate. She moaned in appreciation when he uncovered a plate of fried eggs for her. “What would you like to drink?”
    She chose the espresso because she fell in love with it yesterday morning. He poured her a cup and added a few lumps of sugar and cream. Several moments of silence passed as they begin to eat.
    “Tell me about your family.”
    She gave him a genuine smile because she loved her family. “My parents are wonderful people. They support me even when they don’t completely agree with my choice. I don’t know what I would do without them. My brother, Hayden, is four years older than I am. We used to be close, but lately things have been strained between us.”
    Tierra paused to take a sip of espresso. “Not in a bad way. He is just going through a lot right now. Unfortunately, he lost his wife and unborn child.”
    Tierra couldn’t keep the note of sadness out of her voice. She loved her brother. He was her best friend. The person she could talk to about anything, at least until recently. Now her brother didn’t do much talking at all, and she missed it. Missed the closeness, his sense of humor.
    Not wanting to cloud the day with sad thoughts, she turned her attention back to Antonio. He studied her intently, making her want to fidget, but she refrained.
      He smiled at her. “You like the coffee, no?”
    She looked at him and nodded. “I have never had coffee tasting as exquisite as this.”
    He took a sip of his own drink. “I am glad you like it.”
She took the last remaining bite of her pancakes, knowing she shouldn’t. At this rate, she would go back home with an extra five, possibly ten pounds on her if she didn’t slow down.
    Unfortunately, Antonio tempted her by placing some of the best tasting food in front of her. She would need more exercise to counter the food she consumed. Her thoughts went to last night. She flushed and took another sip of her espresso before staring deeply into the cup. No way could she look at him now, not without wanting to drag him to the floor of the balcony to have her way with him.
    “What are you thinking about, cara ?”
    She knew by the tone of his voice she been busted again. Trying her best not to look him in the eyes, she shook her head.
    “Nothing,” she stammered, hating that she couldn’t be dishonest to save her life. She could hear the smile in his voice when he spoke.
    “For some reason, cara , I don’t believe you.”
    He moved closer to her, and she hurriedly sat