Velocity (12 page)

“Wow.”

“Voglio che tu così tanto.”

“And what does that mean?”

“I want you so much.”

“So many words to express a simple concept.”

“Italian is not about using the fewest words. It’s about
expressing what you feel.”

She would’ve raised an eyebrow, but the room was dark enough
he might not have been able to see it anyway, so she didn’t bother.

“Oh? Is that so?”

“
Voglio fare l’amore con te.
”

Savannah groaned. She could actually feel her pussy swelling
as his words flowed over her like melting chocolate.

“And that?”

He leaned over and whispered right into her ear. “I want to
make love to you.”

“Please, Paolo.”

“You want me too,
amante
?”

“God, yes.”

Paolo rolled them both until she was underneath him. For a
crazy moment she wanted him to take her with nothing between them, but she
wasn’t on the Pill and a baby didn’t fit into her life plan right now, much as
she’d like kids someday.

He took his time, placing little butterfly kisses down her
neck before taking one nipple in his mouth. The bud tightened as he drew on it
and her back arched. A little whimper left her mouth and he released her
breast, blowing cool air across the nipple.

“Shh,
cara
. I will take care of you.”

Her heart was already thumping madly and his words set her
off even more. Paolo murmured quietly in Italian as he paid close attention to
each breast, making her gasp and writhe underneath him. She’d always enjoyed
having her nipples played with, but the way he played her like a virtuoso made
her greedy for more. Savannah felt her closely guarded heart open a little bit
more and hoped like hell she would be able to withstand being separated from
Paolo. She had no choice. His life was here, traveling with the tour. Hers was
in Albuquerque.

Savannah’s hands skated over Paolo’s chest, being careful to
stay away from the still-ugly bruise on his side, to his arms, where his
muscles bunched and flexed as he moved over her. He wasn’t a huge, muscle-bound
guy—most bull riders weren’t—but the musculature he had was perfect. She’d
never been attracted to those bodybuilder types with muscles on muscles on
muscles anyway. Paolo was the perfect size.

And his back? It was beautiful—tanned and adorned with that
single tattoo going from the top of his spine to about mid-back. She relished
her fingers skating over his surprisingly soft skin. Paolo was on the move
again, kissing and sucking the area right below her breasts, but reaching up to
tweak her nipples every now and then too.

From the little sounds he was making and the muttered
Italian words, Paolo appeared to be enjoying himself so she let him go. But as
he closed his mouth around one nipple and began to pull hard on the nub, she
couldn’t shake the feeling this was different. There was no rutting, no racing
to the finish line. They were enjoying each other’s bodies in no particular
hurry and Savannah relished each moment, storing it away in her memory bank for
when she was back at school and this brilliant ride had ended.

She heard Paolo’s hand fumbling around the top of the
nightstand and then he drew away from her. How he could see what he was doing,
she wasn’t sure, but he hadn’t turned on a light so she assumed he was okay. At
the moment she didn’t want to contemplate how many other times he’d done this.
Right now he was hers, and she intended to enjoy him as much and as often as
she could before they had to go their separate ways.

Once he had the condom on, Paolo’s hands cupped her bottom
as he slid fully inside her. Both gasped at the slippery-hot intrusion and he
paused.

“
Cara?
You are all right?”

“You feel so good. You always feel so good…”

“
You
feel good. I am a lucky man.”

Paolo pulled out and thrust back in so slowly, she swore she
could feel every nuance of him as he moved through her channel. Lowering
himself on top of her once more, he kept an unhurried, steady pace and she had
to grit her teeth to keep from telling him to speed up. It was obvious he was trying
to talk through his body, and though she got the message, she wasn’t sure she
could handle the knowledge. She was in love with Paolo and it appeared he was
in love with her too, if his body language was anything to go by. A tear
trickled out of her eye and rolled down her cheek, but thankfully since it was
dark in the room Paolo didn’t appear to see it.

How would she survive without him? Meeting her soul mate
while on a research trip to the bull riding circuit wasn’t part of her plan,
but she’d gone and done it anyway. Already she felt as if a limb were missing,
and yet he was still very much with her, making love to her in the sweetest way
a man ever had. Another tear escaped and she beat back her emotions. She needed
to feel him, to know how much he wanted her. And even that wasn’t enough. Not
nearly enough.

She clutched him tighter to her and his lips found hers,
planting hot, open-mouthed kisses before his tongue delved inside. Savannah
strained with the need to enfold him completely, to keep him with her always.
Undoubtedly she was leaving nail marks on his back, but Paolo seemed to pay no
heed as the kiss went on and on. He broke away and stole one last kiss before
burying his face in the curve of her neck, his hands sliding underneath her
shoulders to lift the sensitive skin, lightly scraping his raspy skin against
it. She cried out as the pleasure-pain overloaded her senses.

“Vieni, tesoro mio
,
”
he urged. “Come for me,
bella
amante
. Only for me.” One large hand moved down her body and pushed between
them as he sped up.
“Vieni, tesoro mio.”

Her body seemed unable to disobey his order and she felt her
release coming like a freight train. Tightening around him, Savannah gasped and
called out his name again and again like a mantra. Paolo encouraged her in both
Italian and English as his movements became choppier and his breathing harder.

“
Vieni per me.
”

“Yes!”

Savannah’s entire body locked, her toes curling as her heels
pushed into the taut muscles of his ass. Throwing her head back, she came on a
wordless breath, knowing she’d never be the same. Soon after, Paolo stiffened
inside her as his orgasm took over.

“Mine.
Per sempre
,” he panted out. “
Per sempre.
”

She didn’t know what that meant, but was ready to agree to
about anything.
“Per sempre
,
”
she whispered as he collapsed on
top of her.

The next morning, Paolo woke to find himself wrapped around
Savannah. He’d said some pretty crazy things last night and he’d been sure
she’d repeated him when he’d said forever, though he doubted she even knew what
she was saying. Despite that, rather than making him want to run for cover, to
get away from what he knew damn well was happening, he instead tightened his
grip on Savannah. If he was only going to have her for a short time longer, he
intended to make the most of every moment.

Savannah slept in his arms for a little while. His morning
erection was making its presence known and he slipped away long enough to don a
condom before returning to her. Paolo gently pushed her top leg forward,
guiding his cock between her thighs. Slipping into her pussy, he let out a
relieved sigh as, even in sleep, her warmth contracted around him.

He considered simply falling back to sleep inside her, but
when she shifted slightly and the hold on him grew even tighter, Paolo couldn’t
resist the urge to press inside even farther until he’d filled her to the hilt.
The need to move stole all reason, and though Paolo tried to temper his
thrusts, he felt Savannah push her ass back and knew he must’ve woken her up.

“Cara?”
he whispered.

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry I woke you.”

“It’s okay,” she mumbled before yawning. “Best way I’ve ever
been woken up.” Reaching back, she planted a hand on his hip. “I need you.
Don’t leave.”

“I won’t.”

“Touch me.”

That was an easy request to fulfill. As he began to drive
inside her with measured strokes, he tweaked her nipples in turn and her ass
moved in time with him. Though he wished he could kiss her, this position
allowed him to get deep inside Savannah and gave him free access to her
breasts, which he took full advantage of.

It didn’t take long for the familiar stirrings of an orgasm
to begin in his balls, but he wanted to hold out for Savannah so he slowed once
more and moved his hand down between her legs, finding her clit and rubbing
like he knew she enjoyed. She mewled, but a few moments later she still hadn’t
come and he was getting dangerously close. Paolo withdrew.

“Where are you going?”

“Not far.” He pushed her onto her back and spread her legs,
spearing his tongue into her slick folds. Paolo would never tire of her taste.

“Oh God,” she groaned as he used his mouth to hopefully
bring her to greater heights.

“That is what I want,
ragazza
.”

“Please.”

“Tell me.”

“I need you, I need you inside me,” she told him as she
reached down to try to haul him on top of her. He laughed and let her, moving
back into her with one smooth motion. “Yes,” Savannah hissed.

“Come.”

“I want to.”

“Do it,
amante
.”

He flicked her clit with his fingers and drove into her
relentlessly. Thankfully soon after, he felt her contract around him and he let
go with his own orgasm.

Both of them lay on their backs a few moments later, trying
to catch their breaths. He glanced at the alarm clock and winced. A quick
shower and probably breakfast on the run would be necessary to get to work on
time, but every second he’d spent with Savannah that morning had been well
worth it. After last night’s and this morning’s bedroom gymnastics, he was sore
as hell, but he wouldn’t have traded it for the world.

“I need to take a shower and get to work. I don’t want to
leave you alone…”

Savannah stretched. “I’ll be fine. Maybe I’ll call Natalie.”

“Yes, do that.” Paolo felt a little better knowing she
wouldn’t be alone all day. “I will try to find some time to see you today. They
said today might be less busy.”

“Do what you need to do. I’m trying to cram in some more
research. I feel like I never have enough.”

“I am sure you will do well.” Rising, he did his own
stretch, keeping his injured side in mind, and made tracks for the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later he gave Savannah one last kiss and left for the arena.
She’d said Natalie was going to come get her for some breakfast in a while. The
two women had gotten along well so far and he hoped they’d have a good time
while he and Marco were busy.

He was right and wasn’t as busy the second day of the event
as he had been the day before. Just before lunch Savannah texted him and they
met in a little alcove off one of the side concourses. She brought him a
pulled-pork sandwich and some chips and had a turkey sandwich for herself. They
ate and talked and Paolo didn’t want to go back to work as he took his last
bite.

The alcove had been deserted throughout their meal, as it
housed a bank of pay phones, which seemed pretty useless in this age of cell
phones, and when Savannah leaned over and kissed him, he pulled her into his
lap and deepened the kiss. Passion smoldered and flamed, electricity arcing
between them as his tongue explored her depths. His cock hardened inside his
suddenly too-tight jeans and when Savannah moaned into his mouth, he nearly
took her right then and there.

Paolo broke the kiss and attacked her neck with wet kisses.
Her head fell back to give him better access and he took advantage, skimming
his lips down to the collar of her peasant blouse. Turning to shield them from
view further, he pulled down the neck of the blouse and quickly freed her
breast from her bra and took it into his mouth, sucking hard.

Savannah squealed and he shushed her before returning to his
task. She grabbed his hair and pulled, and it was hard to tell if she was
trying to get him to stop or going crazy from his touch. Unless he heard
someone approaching, though, he had no intention of stopping. They couldn’t
have sex here, but he could sure as hell drive her crazy.

He switched breasts and Savannah moved until she was
straddling him. She began to move back and forth and Paolo was afraid if she
kept that up he’d come right there in his jeans.

“
Cara
—”

“I want to make you come.”

“We can’t here.”

“I know. I want you in my mouth.”

Paolo groaned. He was all for that idea, but definitely not
here.

“I need to go back to work.”

If I can ever stand again.

With no small twinge of regret, he helped her fix her bra
and right her clothing.

“When do you think you’ll be done with work?”

“A couple of hours.”

“And then we’re going straight to Albuquerque. It will be
good to be home in some ways.”

Paolo hadn’t been in favor of that plan, but since the next
two days were off days, they could relax in Albuquerque if they managed to get
there tonight. Thankfully it was a quick flight, but the thought of being
crammed in a plane at all was not a fun one. Plus that plane ride would take
them to the place where they’d be separated forever.

“Yes, you must miss home.”

“I do, but I don’t want to leave you.” She stared at the
floor to the side of them as she spoke and a lump formed in his throat. He
didn’t want her to leave either.

“
Cara
…”

Savannah looked up, tears swimming in her eyes, and he
gathered her in his arms, kissing her with everything he had. A needy sound
escaped her, unraveling his self-control. They shared a fiery, open kiss and
when he finally pulled away, a flush suffused Savannah’s face and chest. He
needed her. Now.

“I’m sorry. I’m being silly. I’ve known all along this was a
temporary thing.”

Taking her chin in his hand, he stared into her eyes. “You
are not being silly. I feel the same way.”

“I just wish there was something—” Her eyes closed, a tear
rolling down her cheek. He brushed it away with his finger.

“I know,
amante
, I know. I wish too.”

She straightened and swiped at her eyes. “You need to get
back to work.”

“I want to make love to you.”

“We don’t have time.”

“I am making time. I am not being paid to do this job.”

“But—”

“But nothing. Come with me.”

He thought he remembered seeing a locker room that was a
little away from the main area. If it was empty and had a lock, he was fully
planning to be inside Savannah within seconds of closing the door.

Grabbing her hand, he led her out of the alcove and toward
the room he’d seen. People must’ve noticed something in his expression, because
no one stopped or questioned him, just moved aside to let them pass. He opened
the door, which was labeled “Referee Room” and pulled her inside. Paolo had the
presence of mind to throw the lock before trapping her against the door.

He had his jeans unzipped and the condom on almost before he
knew what he was doing. “Put your foot here.” He indicated his palm and she
looked at him, skepticism clear in her face. “Trust me.” She did and he held up
the other one. “Now your other foot. Bend your legs.”

Paolo hoisted her against the door.

“This feels weird.”

“I will not drop you. Lean against the door and keep your
legs bent.” After he’d instructed her to gather the material of her skirt and
throw it over his forearm, he said, “Move your panties to the side.” She did
and he thrust inside, groaning in pure bliss as his dick was surrounded in her
heat.

Savannah’s eyes rolled. “So deep. Oh God.”

He knew despite what he’d said that he did need to go back
to work, and pounded her ruthlessly. “Am I hurting you?”

“No. Keep going.”

“Pull your blouse down again. Let me see your beautiful
breasts.”

She did and he buried his face in her cleavage, licking and
sucking in a race against time. Paolo heard noises and realized he must be
making them. The need to come was overwhelming, though it had been scant hours
since the last time he’d found release inside Savannah. It couldn’t be soon
enough.

Savannah pushed down on his hands with her feet as she
strained and he held on for dear life. With a high-pitched screech, she came
and he lost all control. Paolo let out a series of grunts as his balls drew up
tight and he reached the point of no return.

Once sanity had returned, he helped Savannah to the ground
again. Luckily he spied a box of tissues and grabbed a few to wrap up the
condom with.

“I really should go.”

“That’s fine. I’m going to try to talk to some more guys.”

“See you in a few hours. We will travel with Marco and
Natalie to the airport.”

“Sounds good.”

With a quick glance in both directions, Paolo fled. Luckily
no one asked him about his unusually long lunch and he walked around with a
broad grin for the rest of the day.

* * * * *

Paolo and Savannah, along with Marco and Natalie, boarded
the flight bound for Albuquerque that night. Marco had booked first class and
Paolo used some of his mileage rewards points to upgrade Savannah. No one was
sitting directly across the aisle from them, and when the flight attendant
handed them a couple of blankets, they threw them over the both of them. With a
soft sigh, Savannah nestled into his side and promptly fell asleep.

Paolo had a harder time quieting his brain, but finally
settled into a light, fitful sleep. The rest of the flight was uneventful and
when they arrived in Albuquerque, Paolo asked Savannah if she was planning to
go home to her apartment or with him to the hotel. It hadn’t occurred to him
she might want to stay in her apartment, and furthermore, hadn’t considered
whether or not she’d want him there as well. The thought of separating from her
made his stomach turn, but he wouldn’t force her to do what he wanted. Even if
he wanted to, he never would. Marco was a force of nature when he wanted
something, but Paolo had never been like that.

“I want you to see where I live,” she answered with a shy
smile.

Marco cut in. “Go with her.”

He looked at Savannah. “Should I have Marco cancel my room?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure?”

She smiled at him. “Of course I’m sure.”

“I got it,” Marco said when Paolo turned to him. “Go. I’ll
call you in the morning.”

“All right. Do you have a car here,
cara
?”

“No. A friend dropped me off.”

A sudden burst of jealousy made him ask, “Who?”

Savannah rolled her eyes. “One of my female friends. I told
you I wasn’t seeing anybody. I said I would take a cab home since we were
getting in so late.”

They all walked out to the ground transportation area
together. Marco and Natalie bundled into a cab and with a wave and a wink, they
were off. As another taxi pulled up, Paolo felt a bout of nervousness come on.
He shook his head at his own foolishness. What did he have to worry about?

The cab stopped in front of a small apartment complex with
three buildings and a central courtyard in the middle. Paolo took a quick peek
around, but didn’t want it to seem as if he were checking out the area too
much. He told himself he just wanted to make sure she lived somewhere safe.
Paolo was doing his best not to expect anything from Savannah. How could he? He
had nothing to offer her and their lives wouldn’t mesh once he left Albuquerque
and she started school again.

She led him to the building on the right-hand side and up to
the second floor. “I love traveling, but in some ways there’s no place like
home.” Savannah glanced over at him. “You probably don’t know what I mean. It’s
from
The Wizard of Oz
.”

“I know. I have seen it. It was translated to Italian, but I
understood the reference.” He grinned and she returned the smile.

After jiggling the key a couple of times in the lock, it
gave and she opened the door. The air inside the apartment was stuffy and
Savannah made a face. “Let me turn on the air-conditioning. We could open some
windows to air the place out too. I guess I should’ve had someone come over and
turn the AC on this morning or something. I didn’t even think about it.”