Page 16 of Chasing Caine
“Nothing,” said Antonio. “You and I’ll go to Sorrento, do what we need, and come back here. Mario will join us for the trip to Pompeii.”
I squeezed his hand. “Join us?”
“You’re in luck, Samantha!” Mario winked at me.
“Stop winking at my girlfriend, or we shall have words.” Antonio chuckled, releasing my fingers and sliding his hand onto my bare thigh, under the shorts.
Pompeii slipped lower on my priority list as the heat pooled in my core.
Antonio said, “Mario’s an archaeologist at Pompeii and sometimes gives tours on the weekends. I know the site well, but he’s a better guide.”
Mario leaned closer to the table, speaking in a whisper. “And I’ll be his boss while he’s here.”
Antonio nudged him with a foot, while continuing to rub the inside of my leg, creeping higher with each stroke. “You will act as a consultant and learn from me, cugino.”
I put a hand to my lips to hide my hitching breaths.
“And reporting back to the Board!” retorted Mario.
“But I’ll be—” Antonio’s hand made it as far as my underwear.
“Okay!” I shot out of my seat and stepped away from his temptations. Number one on my bucket list was a couple hours away and it would take hours to see the site. The stubborn throbbing between my thighs would not help with that. “When do we leave?”
They furrowed their brows at each other.
Antonio held his small cup to me. “Let me finish this. Then we can shower and go?”
“Okay, I’ll shower first.”
He shook his head. “Not what I meant.”
Mario grinned at me, likely at the blush I could feel sneaking up my cheeks.
“But it’s whatImeant.” I turned and hurried toward the staircase, which wound up around a small central elevator.
“You’re right, she’s shy,” said Mario.
A cup hit the table and a chair slid across the floor. Antonio said, “Can we take your scooter? I’ll leave you my—”
By the time I was halfway to the third floor, I couldn’t hear more of their conversation.
The bathroom next to Antonio’s room was tiled, like the rest of the villa. It had a deep malachite green floor, the tiles stretching up the bottom half of the walls. White tiles covered the counter, where my tiny toiletries bag lay open.
I stared at myself in the mirror, at my slumped shoulders, and ran my palms over the edge of the sink. Antonio was overwhelming all on his own, but this was like dealing with two of him. I wanted to be here more than anything, but the longer I sat with them, the twitchier my muscles got.
Flying all this way was stupid. Seeing him again, kissing him, holding him—it had all been wonderful, but I was practically back to day one, nervous just looking at him. What if we finally had sex and he decided I wasn’t what he wanted? What if he’d made his conquest and was done with me? What if the flight really only earned me two hours and a trip to Pompeii?
We barely knew each other.
“That’s why you’re here,” I said to my reflection. This was the only way to find out if making big changes was worth it or not. And he’d called me girlfriend again. That meant something, right?
There was a knock at the door and Antonio’s voice came through it, “Do you need your back washed, bella?”
I nodded to my reflection and stepped to the door, cracking it open. “Shower’s pretty small.”
He gave me a quick peck on the forehead and whispered, “I need very little room. I prefer tight, confined spaces with you.” He tugged on my shirt until my grin broke free. He didn’t barge his way in or demand anything, just tried his charm. I was a sucker for his charm, no matter how hard I tried to fight it.
“I suppose an extra pair of hands will hurry things along.” I opened the door, and he came in. There was plenty of room, but he locked the door and closed the distance between us.