Back at his duplex Dante uncorked a bottle of his favorite white wine and poured Adrianna and himself a glass.
She’d already made herself comfortable on his leather sofa as she soaked in the ambiance. Dante had turned on some soft jazz on his iPod docking station and Adrianna kicked off her strappy heels and tucked her legs underneath her.
“Here you go, my dear.” He returned from the kitchen to hand her the wine.
“Thank you.” Adrianna accepted the glass as he joined her on the sofa. Dante didn’t sit far away, either; he scooted close to Adrianna until their thighs touched, sending a tingling straight to the pit of her stomach. Dante had a raw sexuality that was lethal to her well-being.
“To a wonderful first date.” She stared with longing at Dante over the rim of her glass.
“And an even better evening,” Dante added, his eyes never leaving her face.
The heat between them was so intense they didn’t bother to take a sip of wine. Instead Dante took the glass of out Adrianna’s hands and placed it on the cocktail table. He grasped both sides of her face and kissed her, sending spirals of ecstasy straight through her.
Dante relished the feeling of having Adrianna in his arms again and groaned huskily. “Do you want me as much as I want you?” he asked, pulling her into his lap and angling himself so he could nuzzle her neck.
There was no mistaking the bulge in his pants, so Adrianna’s answer was a soft sigh. She wanted nothing more than to be right where she was, lying against his wide chest.
His eyes lingered on her tantalizing pink lips, just before he bent down to suck on the fleshy bottom of her lower lip. She opened her mouth to give him full access and Dante groaned, gathering her close in his arms. Adrianna was all woman and all his and he intended to show her just how much he wanted her. The first time they’d made love here had been hurried and frantic because the passion had overtaken them, but this time it would be different. This time they could slowly savor each other’s bodies and take delight in each other’s responses.
Adrianna moaned as Dante made the kiss deeper and wetter than the last one. When his lips left her mouth to trail a path down her cheek to her neck and then on to the valley between her breasts, she moaned in protest. Then she felt cool air hit her back as Dante unzipped her strapless dress and pushed it down, exposing her bare breasts to his appreciative male gaze. The dress had a built-in bra so she hadn’t needed one.
“Adrianna…sweet Adrianna,” Dante murmured as he lowered his head and licked the dark brown nipple of one full globe. He laved the peak with his tongue until it turned hard like a plump raisin. When he was done with one globe, he turned his attention to the other and paid it equal service. “Is it good, sweetness?” he asked, his voice hoarse with desire.
Adrianna nearly screamed at the attention he was bestowing on her breasts. Red-hot flames of desire were shooting through every nerve ending and she couldn’t resist letting out a purr of ecstasy. He’d pleasured her so well, she returned the favor by reaching down to stroke his shaft inside his pants.
Adrianna’s soft hands caressed his length slowly at first, causing Dante to clench his teeth. Then she began quickening the strokes.
“Like this?” she asked as she pleasured him with her hand.
“Y-yes,” he barely managed to get out, as she squeezed the fullness in his pants, “which is why we need to take this to the bedroom.”
He lifted her, weightless in his arms, and carried her off to his bedroom. When they came down on the bed, his weight pressed her into the mattress and his mouth claimed hers again with fierceness. When she recovered her senses, he stripped her of her bikini panties and she was naked as the day she was born.
His hungry gaze roved her caramel-colored length. “I want you now,” he said as he stood beside the bed and began to undress. He tossed his clothes aside with little regard because he was eager to be with Adrianna. The wanton look she was giving him as she watched him unzip his pants caused him to shove his pants and briefs down his hips quickly and kick them away.
His sex jutted out powerfully as he approached the bed, causing Adrianna to lick her lips with anticipation. She was fascinated by that male part of him and the tremendous power he possessed. “And I want you.” She reached up to pull him down to join her on the bed.
His hands caressed the long expanse of her outer thighs and steadily moved forward to stroke the petal-softness of her inner thigh all while his tongue dipped in and out of her mouth. He could feel Adrianna trembling underneath him as his fingertips found their way to the hair covering her mound. He hovered at first, letting his fingers tease the plump folds, until they gently worked their way inside to worry the tiny nub at the top of her womanhood.
Adrianna moaned aloud, drawing Dante’s eyes to hers. He watched her enjoyment accelerate as he played with the tiny nub. Her eyes fluttered and closed as he maddeningly caressed the sweet folds between his fingers. Her breath started coming in quick, uneven pants.
“Are you enjoying it, baby?” Dante crooned close to her ear. He could feel her become slick with her own juices. He wanted to drown in her sweet scent and taste and before Adrianna could react, his lips quickly left hers and he lowered himself on the bed to focus his attention elsewhere.
He cupped her buttocks between both hands and lifted her hips to his mouth and tongued her with feverish delight. Adrianna nearly jumped off the bed at the first flick of his tongue down there. He stroked her until she cried out with delight.
At her desperate cries to take her, Dante quickly leaned over to the nightstand to grab a condom and slip it on before he slid between her thighs and eased himself into the slick entrance of her body. He trembled with pleasure as he pressed forward and Adrianna accepted him easily. His upper body lifted off the bed as he used his hips to plunge again and again deep inside her. He reveled in her moist heat and Adrianna clung to him, calling his name and begging him for more.
Dante gave her exactly what she wanted, by thrusting harder and faster until he felt her body climax underneath him. He gave one final stroke before he, too, gave in to the sheer pleasure of his own powerful release. He collapsed on top of her before rolling over to his back and pulling her into his arms.
Adrianna didn’t protest. Her curvy body was still intertwined with his and she rested her head on his shoulder.
“That was amazing,” Adrianna finally spoke once she’d caught her breath.
“You’re amazing,” Dante murmured just as he drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Adrianna slowly awoke to find herself in Dante’s arms and this time she wasn’t thinking about running away. She smiled as she turned to face him, but he was still asleep. It gave her a chance to study him unobserved.
Last night had been magnificent. Dante was the giving lover she’d remembered him to be. He knew exactly where and how to touch her to evoke a response and he made sure she was completely satisfied each time they made love. With Dante, she felt beautiful, sexy and every bit a woman.
She couldn’t resist stroking his strong jawline and letting her fingertips caress the fullness of his lips. Her actions caused Dante’s eyes to pop open.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he said lazily.
“Good morning.” She brushed her lips across his.
“Ummm,” Dante moaned. “I like being woken up like that. And more importantly, I like having you in my bed.” His mouth swooped down to capture hers.
When he finally lifted his head, Adrianna asked, “So what’s on the agenda today?”
“You don’t have to get back to your father?”
“Nigel is with him and I don’t want this day to end.”
Dante felt the same and was glad Adrianna did, too.
“Well then, if you’re interested the New York Yankees are playing today. How about we catch a game?”
“For real?”
“Yes, one of my favorite diners works there. I always give him the best table in the house and he always tells me if I need to be hooked up, he’ll take care of me.”
Adrianna’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “Pays to know people in high places. And it sounds great, but I have nothing to wear.” She only had the dress she’d worn last night.
“Don’t worry about it,” he responded. “You can wear some of my old sweats and we’ll pick you up something on the way.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
While Adrianna showered, Dante lined up plans for the day. First, they’d shop around and find Adrianna some casual clothes for the day. Then it was off to Yankee Stadium to watch the Yankees play the Boston Red Sox, followed by a romantic dinner along the Brooklyn Bridge. He’d already taken the liberty of ordering a dress from Bergdorf Goodman for their evening festivities.
Dante was waiting for Adrianna when she emerged from the steaming hot shower, holding a fluffy white towel. Adrianna wasn’t embarrassed stepping out of the shower and into his arms. Dante knew every part of her now, intimately.
Dante bent down and licked a droplet of water off Adrianna’s glistening skin as he dried off her wet body. “Hmmm, you smell fresh and clean.”
“Yeah, well, you’d better stop that or we’ll end up back in bed.”
Dante’s face melted into a buttery smile. “And would that be such a bad thing?” He couldn’t get enough of her sweetness. It was like she had him under her spell and he was powerless to resist.
They eventually made it out of his condo on the Upper West Side to head to a department store to pick out Adrianna something to wear. The weather was unseasonably warm for May and they didn’t need jackets. Dante was wearing a Yankees jersey, jeans and sneakers, while Adrianna was dwarfed in his old sweats and a pair of flip-flops. She’d had to roll up the legs to her ankles just to appear somewhat stylish as they walked down the street.
They arrived at Barneys and with not much time to spare, Adrianna found a tunic that cinched at the waist, some skinny jeans and a pair of bejeweled sandals to wear to the baseball game.
While she was putting on her clothes in the dressing room, Dante called his restaurants to let the staff know he would not be in. He put his sous-chefs in charge for the day.
“Are you kidding?” Marvin, his sous-chef at Dante’s, said. “You’re really not coming in?”
“No,” Dante stated emphatically. “I’m not.”
“I can’t remember the last time you took a day off,” Marvin commented.
“Well, then,” Dante said, “you had better enjoy being top dog for the day.”
He was hanging up when Adrianna came out of a dressing room stall. “How do I look?”
Dante’s eyes roamed over her figure. He loved the way the jeans hugged her backside. “Just perfect.”
“Okay, tell the sales lady I’m cutting off the tags, because this is coming with.” On the way to the counter, Adrianna couldn’t resist adding a hobo bag to her outfit, but when she arrived to the counter she found Dante had taken care of everything. “Dante, you didn’t have to buy my clothes.”
“I know. I wanted to.”
“Thank you.” She pulled him close for a quick kiss on the lips.
“And please put the bag on my card as well,” he instructed the cashier.
When they made it outside, Dante’s town car was already waiting for them and ready to take them to the game.
“Are you trying to spoil me?” Adrianna asked, sliding into the backseat.
“Yeah, how am I doing?”
“Marvelous, baby. Marvelous.” Adrianna giggled. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this happy. She felt euphoric and she had Dante to thank for it.
The drive to Yankee Stadium took a half hour with Manhattan traffic making it a rather long trip to the Bronx, but they arrived with plenty of time to take their seats directly behind the Yankees dugout on first base.
“Ohmigod,” Adrianna gushed as they walked to their seats holding hot dogs, popcorn and beer. “These seats are to die for. And on the day of the game? How’d you manage it for the championship team?”
Dante’s chest puffed out. “I told you I have connections.” Thanks to his contact, the tickets were waiting for them at will call.
“This is going to be so much fun.” The last game she’d been to was when her father as governor had thrown the first pitch and it had all been about image. He’d been all about the press and not about the family day he’d promised her, so it hadn’t been much fun for her. She’d vowed to never come to a baseball game again. And she hadn’t until now.
Dante turned to glance at her and realized just what a big kid Adrianna could be. He liked that she was so open and honest with her emotions. She wore her heart on her sleeve, which was why the fact that she’d been dating another man while sleeping with him ten years ago made no sense. How could she show him such affection, make love to him so passionately, and yet all the time be going behind his back with another man? It didn’t make sense when her father had told him back then and didn’t make sense now. She’d apologized for the past, but had never fully explained what happened.
Dante took a deep breath. He had to stop letting negative thoughts take over. Why let nagging doubts spoil their romantic day? “I’m glad you’re enjoying the game,” he said, taking a sip of beer from the large plastic cup. His questions would just have to wait for another time, but someday, someday soon, he’d want to know the answers.
Adrianna glanced sideways at Dante. “I guess it’s easy to tell that I don’t get out much, huh?”
“I think you’ve led a very sheltered life,” Dante admitted.
“There wasn’t much room for fun in the Wright household,” Adrianna replied.
“True, but at least you didn’t have to worry about whether a fight was going to break out on your floor,” Dante said, thinking back to some rough patches at the orphanage. “Or if you might have to protect your boys. Or wonder if there was going to be enough food to go around in the dining hall.”
“I’m sorry, Dante, I must sound extremely ungrateful for the life I had.”
“And should I hate you because you had and I didn’t?” He shook his head. “I’ve learned to make peace with the cards I was dealt. And trust me, it hasn’t been easy. To never know where you truly come from…” Dante’s voice trailed off and it gave Adrianna pause. He never talked about being abandoned as a child.
“Peanuts, peanuts!” A vendor stopped on the steps in front of them and displayed some to Adrianna, but she shook her head.
“It must be hard for you not knowing who your birth parents are.”
“It’s funny. As a child, I would look into strangers’ faces wondering if they were my mom and dad. Trying to see if I could see any reflection of myself in them, but eventually I had to give up the ghost.”
“Did you ever try to find them?”
Dante shook his head. “Why bother? My mother couldn’t be bothered to take care of me as a toddler and abandoned me at a hospital. That’s when it hit me. Would I really want to know that person? And the answer was no.”
Adrianna’s eyes teared up as she thought of Dante abandoned as a child with no one to turn to but the system. Thank God he’d lucked out and met Malik, Quentin and Sage.
“Is everything okay?” Dante asked. When she nodded, he asked again. “Are you sure? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring you down talking about the past.” He reached for his beer which he’d set on the concrete floor, but Adrianna placed a hand in his lap.
“Don’t ever be sorry. You have every right to feel sad, ambivalent or just plain angry for the hand you were dealt in life. It was a raw deal and I’m sorry.”
Dante leaned over and brushed his lips across hers. “Thank you, darling. So let’s turn this dial back to some fun, all right?” He stood up and cheered. “C’mon, Yankees!”
Adrianna got in on the fun and shouted right along with him. Pretty soon the somber mood that had overtaken them had vanished and was replaced with good times.
After the game, Dante’s friend helped them get access to the locker rooms. Dante and Adrianna waited outside until the players filed out. Thanks to Dante, Adrianna now had a Yankees baseball from the gift store signed by Dante’s favorite player.
“I had a great time,” Adrianna said as she snuggled in his arms on the drive back to the city.
“So did I,” Dante replied. “I can’t believe that last home run. The Yankees are a gifted team.”
Once back at Dante’s place, duty called and Adrianna used her cell phone to check on her father. Nigel indicated that her Aunt Mimi, Madison’s mother, had dropped by for a visit which had tired him out, but he was now resting comfortably. Thank God for Nigel, Adrianna thought as she hung up. If it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t have the opportunity to spend this amount of time with Dante. She’d be tied to her father’s bedside. The nurse she’d hired helped as well, but it was Nigel that her father relied on and respected.
“Everything okay?” Dante asked, coming into the living room with a gift-wrapped box with a large bow on it.
Adrianna’s eyes grew wide. “Everything is fine and is that for me?” She pointed to the box.
Dante rubbed his goatee. “Hmm, let me think…of course it’s for you, silly. Open it up.” He plopped down on the couch beside her.
Slowly, Adrianna untied the bow and lifted the top lid. Inside lay a beautiful passion-colored one-shouldered draped dress. Adrianna grinned from ear to ear. “Dante, you shouldn’t have.”
“Well.” He shrugged. “What else were you going to wear to dinner? I know my sweats are quite the fashion statement, so if you want to wear them again, they are all yours.”
“Absolutely not,” Adrianna said, taking the designer dress out of the box and dangling it over the side of the couch. “This dress is stunning and it must be worn.”
“Ya think?” A glint of humor flickered in his eyes. “Go try it on.”
“Gladly,” Adrianna said, but instead of going to his bathroom to change, she unzipped her skinny jeans and slowly started to pull them down her hips. Surprisingly, she wasn’t embarrassed at the prospect of undressing right in front of Dante. She loved the way he looked at her with such passion lurking in those brown depths.
Dante raised a brow. “Hmm…I’m getting my own private strip show. I like.”
“Oh yes.” Adrianna turned backward to Dante and peeled off her tunic inch by inch. She gave him a wink just as she pulled it over her head and tossed it to him. He caught it with one hand.
Dante was thrilled watching Adrianna undress. She had such a beautiful body. She was all curves and lusciousness. Dante wanted to take her back to his bed and have his way with her, but there was plenty of time for that later. He had a quiet romantic dinner planned at the River Café that Adrianna was going to love.
Bare-chested, wearing only bikini panties, Adrianna felt no shame reaching for the dress. She slipped it over her head. When she was fully dressed she spun around, but Dante remained silent.
“Well?” She bunched her shoulders.
The hem of the dress hit Adrianna’s gorgeously toned thighs and the satin draped over her sexy shoulders with ease. “Breathtaking,” Dante whispered. He quickly rose to his feet, closed the distance between them and enveloped her in his arms. The kiss was electric.
Once they finally broke free, Dante said, “Now, I’m completely underdressed for dinner.” He motioned down to his jersey and jeans.
“Then let’s get showered.” Adrianna smirked, heading toward the master bedroom.
An hour later, Adrianna emerged from the master bedroom wearing the dress along with the drop diamond earrings and matching necklace she’d worn the night before. Luckily, she had her compact with some pressed powder, lip liner and gloss in her cocktail purse. Her makeup was minimal, so she hoped Dante wasn’t too disappointed.
He was waiting for her in the living room in a Calvin Klein black suit and a pink tie that matched her dress. “Someone looks dashing.” Adrianna smiled as she approached him.
“And you look amazing as well.”
“Do I?” Adrianna asked, fluffing her hair. “I don’t have my makeup so forgive the bare face.”
Dante stroked her cheek. “Don’t you get it by now? You could be wearing absolutely nothing and you’d still look beautiful to me.”
Adrianna brushed her lips across his. “Thank you. You make me feel like a million dollars.”
“Let’s go, baby.”
Nestled under the Brooklyn Bridge, the River Café was every bit as romantic and elegant as Dante envisioned. It offered a sweeping view of the Manhattan skyline that Dante knew would appeal to Adrianna.
Holding hands, they walked the short pathway through the garden to the restaurant. They took time to stop and literally smell the roses. Then the hostess seated them in the Terrace Room at a table near the floor-to-ceiling window.
“This is a perfect ending to an amazing day,” Adrianna commented after Dante ordered a bottle of Madeira wine from one of River Café’s finest collections.
“I agree,” Dante said. “It’s been so long since I’ve taken a day off. For last few years, I’ve been a workaholic, devoting myself to building up Dante’s and now Renaissance.”
“That you haven’t stopped to take time for yourself?” Adrianna asked. It reminded her of herself. She’d been so unhappy with her life that she’d wrapped herself up in her work, barely dating. She’d stopped living.
“Exactly. You know what I’m talking about.”
“I do, but now we have so much more to look forward to,” Adrianna said. “Can you believe we’ll have our television show soon?”
Dante nodded. “I can hardly believe it, but it’s the next logical step for me. I’ve achieved the goal of owning my own restaurants and creating my visions. Now it’s time to take it to a bigger audience.”
The waiter returned with the Madeira wine and poured them each a glass. “Thank you,” Dante said and took care of ordering the bay scallop ceviche as an appetizer.
“And you’re sure you don’t mind having me along for the ride?” Adrianna asked.
“Why would you ask me that?” Dante asked. “Are you still unsure of me?”
“No.” Adrianna shook her head. “But maybe of myself.”
“Don’t doubt yourself.” Dante reached for Adrianna’s hand and squeezed it. “You have what it takes to be a great chef. I saw that at Renaissance when you pinch-hit for my staff. You have great instincts which is why our show is going to be a success.” He reached for his wineglass. “So let’s toast. To making it big.”
“To making it big.” Adrianna clinked her glass with his.
Dinner was a feast of the senses with crispy duck breast with white truffle honey and potato croquettes for Adrianna, and Mediterranean seabass with a chorizo and shrimp stuffing and zucchini for Dante. Afterward, they sat and listened to a band singing Frank Sinatra tunes.
Adrianna soaked in the ambience as this was the last night she could stay with Dante. She needed to get back to her father and spend time with him. No one knew how long he had left—months or even weeks—so she was going to have to enjoy this night with Dante because they might be few and far between from here on out.
So when Dante asked her to dance, she gladly accepted. Time spent in his arms was like heaven. He clutched her to him and together they swayed to the soothing big band music.
When it was over, Dante took her back to his place and made love to her slowly, gently and with a reverence Adrianna had never felt before with any other man. Afterward as they lay snuggled together in each other’s arms, Adrianna said, “This has been one of the best weekends I’ve had in a long time and I will cherish it.”
“I feel the same way,” Dante replied. “And there’re many more in store.” He lowered his head and captured her mouth in a long, deep kiss.