Hidden Heart Read Free Page B

called
Isabella and left a voice message for her, then got ready for
bed.
    Thirty minutes later, Tessa
still tossed and turned in her bed thinking of Alessandro. When she
encountered him that afternoon in the sky gondola, she had no idea
she’d see him again, let alone dance with him, be kissed by him.
How could a simple kiss keep her awake all night? She pressed a
pillow over her ear, squeezing her eyes shut and willing
Alessandro’s face to leave her head. Impossible.
    His kiss. Such an intense,
carnal touch that reminded her she was a woman, a woman that chose to
bury herself behind thick binders and work late hours to forget her
physical needs. Such a palpable attraction; all she needed was a
sign—any sign—and she’d be in his arms. Sirens went off in her
head, warning her to not fall prey to his charm, but she dismissed
them as soon as they came. Her nipples erected just thinking how
his hot mouth would feel ravaging her body.
    What
if... She jumped out of bed, swapped her
pajamas for jeans and a shirt and walked out the door.
     
    ***
     
    “ Tessa, what’s the matter,
are you okay?” Alessandro said the second he opened the door and
laid his eyes on her.
    “ I’m fine, nothing
happened,” she assured him. She squeezed past him, and could tell
she took him by surprise. Her heart hammered with such intensity,
she feared it might explode.
    “ I didn’t expect to see you
again tonight; are you sure you are okay?” Alessandro measured her
from head to toe then closed the door behind her.
    “ You want me to go?”
Courage drained from her voice as she realized she had acted on
impulse to come and tell him about her leaving.
    “ No, no, please
stay.”
    Fresh from the shower, he
held a towel in one hand. Water dripped from his hair. Pajama pants
and a t-shirt hugged his trained body. He again looked like a giant
in the small confinement of the hallway.
    “ Listen, I…” she put her
hands in her back pockets and rocked on her toes.
    Alessandro proceeded to
step back into the room, around her. It was then, when Tessa’s
judgment went out the window, the alarm signals silenced. She
impulsively threw her arms around his neck, stood on her tiptoes,
looked into his eyes, then to his mouth and boldly kissed him. The
taste of cool, mint toothpaste greeted her.
    The kiss felt tender and
shy, almost familiar by now, that electrifying spark running
through her body. His hungry mouth sampled hers, sucking and
probing. She hugged his shoulders then stroked his hair and face,
refusing to let go when he made a slight move to free
himself.
    “ You can’t do this to
me…I…you…I—”
    Tessa pressed a finger on
his lips, forcing him to shut up. She didn’t want to talk. She
didn’t want to think. She closed her eyes and kissed him again. At
first innocent, tension slowly building up; the more intense their
kissing became, the more she wanted. She walked backwards toward
the bed and all she could think of was how aroused she felt and how
much she wanted him.
    “ I don’t have time…make
love to me,” Tessa heard herself saying. Bold, loud, clear. Did she
just ask a man to make love to her?
    Alessandro looked deep into
her eyes, catching his rugged breath. “You are driving me crazy…you
sure you want to do this?” He untied her ponytail and spread her
hair around her shoulders, massaging her skull at the nape of her
neck.
    “ Hush, don’t ask
questions…I don’t want to change my mind…please…” She took hold of
his t-shirt tugging at it. In no time, it disappeared.
    She took a lengthy look at
him; each one of the muscles on his arms, shoulders, chest and
stomach were well defined—any of the Greek Gods would have been
proud to have crafted a body as fine as his. She moved her hands up
and down his chest and brushed her thumbs across his nipples. His
indrawn breath filled his lungs. He let it go in a big whoosh, like
a horse ready to race.
    Alessandro caught her
wrists then captured her mouth with