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Carlo followed Mary Sanders around as she showed him the convention center.
It was easy to understand how the owners had blown through all their Hurricane Sandy insurance payout and more. The monies had all been plowed into brand new walk-in freezers and refrigerators as well as a state-of-the-art kitchen that he itched to try out. But as the real estate agent continued the tour it was clear that there was still a lot more work to do to make the building usable. The storerooms, ball rooms, and bathrooms all had exposed studs, but luckily brand new electrical and plumbing.
He turned to Mary and asked, “They’ve passed all the inspections so far?”
Mary pulled out her folder with the information for the property, reviewed it, and nodded. “All the finished areas have complied with code requirements and are ready to use. Roof, framing, plumbing, and electrical have all passed the inspections. Now it’s just the sheet rock and the final touches to do.”
“Rooms and rooms of sheet rock and paint. Lighting fixtures. Landscaping,” he said dejectedly. Even if he managed to scrape up the money to make an offer the owners might consider, he wouldn’t have enough to do all that other work. He was short by quite a lot.
“You say they’re pretty firm on the price?” he said as they continued their stroll through the building before stepping out onto the veranda that wrapped entirely around the structure. He stood there, arms akimbo, and surveyed the views. The veranda provided access to the street and parking lot, but more importantly, there was also a nice-sized garden on one side and stunning visuals of the river from two different sides of the building.
“Firm, but no takers so far and to be honest, with as much as needs to be done I think they need to come down on their price. On top of that, the building is landmarked so they can’t take it down for more profitable housing. There are not that many locals who can swing what they’re asking. Except of course for maybe –”
“Jonathan Pierce. I know he’s one of the few who can afford it,” he said. If Jonathan got involved in any kind of bidding war, there was no way he’d be able to compete and buy the building.
With a resigned sigh, he held his hand out to Mary. “Thanks so much for taking the time to show me the place.”
The real estate agent nodded and glanced back toward the building. “She used to be a grand old dame. It would be nice to see her beautiful and full of life again.”
“It would,” he said and strolled down the steps and as Mary had done, peered at the elegant Victorian structure. In his mind’s eye he pictured people strolling up the walk and into the building while others milled about the gardens and lawn.
“Are you still interested?” Mary asked, head tilted at an inquiring angle to emphasize her question.
Despite all his misgivings about what it might cost, he nodded. “I am. I’ll get back to you in a few days.”
“I look forward to hearing from you,” she said and they both returned to their cars.
It was a short ride back to his warehouse. Sea Kiss was not only quaint, but small. Barely a square mile sandwiched in between two larger, more commercial towns. In his parking lot, he stopped to look at the warehouse that was currently home to the company he’d built with his blood and sweat. It had taken a lot of hard work and sacrifice, but it had paid off. His business was thriving, but he was sure it could be bigger and better and guarantee the future of the da Costa brothers. And Emma if she’d have him.
The loading dock was quiet today, but inside there was a hub of activity as Tomás and Paolo directed their crew to finish the restocking of all the inventory he’d ordered as replacements and the food and other supplies for the next two weeks of holiday parties before Christmas and the New Year. Christmas Eve.
Véspera de Natal was the big night for his family and would soon be here. He pictured Emma at his side as she’d been so many times before. Maybe this year he’d go with Emma on Christmas Day to see her mother or spend time with her friends who would certainly be celebrating their first holidays together as husband and wife.
Buoyed by that possibility which shook off a little of the disappointment about the costs of the convention center, he waved a greeting at his brothers and went into his office. He pulled up his accounts again and reviewed them. After, he considered how much he could get for the sale of the warehouse, but it still wasn’t enough to cover the purchase and work needed on the convention center.
“Why the long face, mano?” Tomás asked as Paolo and he strolled into his office.
“Don’t tell me she blew you off,” Paolo said and plopped into a chair. Tomás dropped into the chair next to him and arched a brow. “Did she?”
Carlo shook his head and blew out a harsh laugh. “Emma and I had a very nice dinner, not that it’s any of your business.” To keep them from continuing to pry about his love life, he said, “What is your business is this business. I just came back from seeing the convention center. It’s for sale.”
Both brothers sat up straighter in their chairs, their interest piqued. “You want to buy it?” Paolo asked, excitement making him bounce up and down in his chair.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Tomás added and shot a quick look at Paolo as if to gauge his interest.
“Even though you might not be around come February?” Carlo challenged since as far as he knew, his brother had not yet made up his mind about re-enlisting.
Tomás shrugged. “A man can’t stay in the Army forever, mano. Even if I go back this time, these old bones won’t hold out for many more deployments.”
Carlo was happy to hear that since he always worried about his brother’s safety whenever he was on a mission. Continuing, he said, “There’s just one problem. Or maybe two. The cost of the property and Emma. This is just the kind of opportunity we talked about, only . . .”
“You had more than dinner and now you’re not sure you want to mix business with pleasure. There was pleasure, right?” Paolo teased and leaned closer to scrutinize Carlo’s face.
Carlo felt the heat rise to his cheeks and ignored his brother. Hesitating because he didn’t want to violate the trust Emma had placed in him, he said, “Emma is right to worry about mixing a personal relationship with a business one.”
But he knew it was also more about the number her father had done on her with his emotional abuse. Plus, he suspected there was more to the story that she still hadn’t told him.
His two brothers shared a look and he had no doubt what they were thinking.
“I’ll speak to her when the time is right, but it isn’t. I’m way short of what I’d need for a bid. On top of that, the building still needs a ton of work which means I need even more cash to get it ready for customers,” he explained.
“I don’t have much, but you’ve paid me well. I can kick in whatever I have,” Paolo said with a nonchalant shrug.
“I haven’t had many needs in the Army so I’ve stashed away a nice nest egg for civilian life. I’m in,” Tomás said, adding his support.
Carlo held his hands up in disbelief. “Just like that. Without even taking a look at the place?”
His two brothers glanced at each other again and just shrugged as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Paolo dipped his head in Tomás’s direction, and his middle brother looked at him and said, “We trust you, Carlo. Whatever you want to do, we’re here for you like you’ve always been there for us.”
Carlo’s throat choked up with emotion at the trust his brothers were placing in him. With a nod, he managed to choke out, “Obrigado. I won’t let you down.”
“We know,” they said in unison and rose to get back to work. As they left the office, Carlo hoped their trust in him wouldn’t be misplaced. He likewise hoped that Emma could get over her issues and learn to trust him as well.
***
EMMA PLACED THE PLATE with the flan and chocolate covered strawberries on the coffee table in front of Carlo. “We never did get to eat that delicious dessert you made, so I thought I’d give it a try.”
She sat cross-legged on the couch beside him, plucked a strawberry off the plate, and held it up to him.
“You remember what happened the last time you offered me this treat?” he said with an arch of his dark brow and a playfully dangerous glitter in his gaze.
But she was feeling just as deliciously sexy. Bringing the strawberry to his lips, she said, “Why do you think I made this dessert?”
He took hold of her hand and bit off most of the berry. He chewed it slowly and made a point of licking his lips, daring her to taste him.
She did, but just a fleeting kiss meant to tease and entice him.
He reached for a berry and held it up to her lips. She bit into the berry and juices exploded all over her mouth, but she had barely swallowed when Carlo had his mouth on hers, kissing and tasting her. He urged her into his lap, but she slapped his hands away with a laugh and stood.
“I’ve got a much more comfortable place for us,” she said, tugging him out of her living room and into her bedroom. On the way in, she snagged the remote and flipped on the gas fireplace. It cast warm intimate light in the otherwise dark room.
At the edge of the bed, she paused in her headlong rush and faced him. “I want you, Carlo, but not just physically.”
With a wry grin and a sweep of his gaze around the room, he teased, “Color me confused, because this sure seems like a seduction to me.”
“Shut up,” she said and urged him to sit on the edge of her bed.
“Domineering too? I think I may like this,” he said, barely containing a laugh.
“You’re not taking this seriously,” she said with a pout, reached down and yanked the black sweater he wore up and over his head, baring his upper body.
“But I am, Emma,” he said and eased his hands to the tiny buttons on the V-neck cardigan she wore, undoing them quickly. He groaned as the fabric parted to reveal she had nothing on underneath. Quickly he covered her with his hands, jerking a rough sigh from her as he caressed her breasts.
“I can’t think when you do that,” she said and swayed toward him.
He grinned and replaced his hands with his mouth, causing her to wrap her arms around his head and hold him to her. She dropped kisses on his temple and forehead and moaned as he gave a rough tug at her nipple with his mouth.
“Carlo, please. Stop,” she said and eased her hands between them to urge him away.
“Emma, is something wrong?” he asked, leaning back onto the bed.
“Nothing’s wrong, Carlo, but I want tonight to be about you. I want you to know just how much I care for you.”
Carlo shook his head. “Meu amor, I know. Trust me –”
“I do, Carlo. I really do only . . .” she said, hating that what should have been a special night might suddenly go south.
“Meu amor, we have all night, don’t we?” he said and reached up to cradle her breast again. He bent his head to kiss the tip of her breast while he whispered, “Don’t over think this. Just enjoy.”
She couldn’t think with his mouth moving on her, making her insides clench with need and her center grow damp. She laid her hands on his shoulder and urged him to lie down on the bed. As he did so, she hurriedly yanked off her own pants and then undid his jeans and stripped them off his body, exposing him to her gaze. He was so beautiful. So lethally masculine. The firelight cast its light on his skin, painting him golden in spots, but casting shadows also. She traced her finger along those lines across his abdomen, then skipped her finger down to his navel and lower until she encircled him.
He groaned as she ran her hand up his erection and it jerked and trembled beneath her palm. She stroked him and his big body shuddered. His voice was tight as he held out his hand and said, “Come here, Emma. Please.”
She had wanted to pleasure him but couldn’t resist his plea.
She took hold of his hand and with a surge of power, he had them in the center of the bed with his big body trapping her beneath him. She loved the weight of him. The feel of his hard body against hers and the press of his erection at her center, so hot and thick. Lord, she wanted to love him, be one with him as settled himself at her center, slowly parting her.
“Carlo, protection,” she said, fearing they’d both lose their heads and do something foolish. Although a picture of a baby that was a mix of both of them flashed through her mind for a hot instant.
He muttered a curse, reached for his pants from the floor, and jerked a packet from his back pocket. There was a rip of foil and suddenly he was back over her, but trailing kisses down her body until he reached her center.
“Carlo,” she protested, halfheartedly she had to admit, but that plea became a moan as he parted her and sucked at the sensitive nub with his mouth. He eased one finger and then a second into her to stroke her until she was wet and arching her hips to him, seeking satisfaction.
***
EMMA KEENED WITH PLEASURE and her nails bit into his shoulders as he tasted her. Beneath his lips and hands, her body vibrated with the first tremors of her approaching climax. As she called out his name again and his erection jerked at the sound, Carlo couldn’t wait any more.
He danced kisses up her body until he reached her breasts again. Suckling her, he poised at her entrance and with a subtle move of her hips, Emma took him inside inch-by-pleasurable-inch. He stilled, awed by the feel of her around him. Beneath him. By her pale beauty in the firelight and the pleasant heat from the fireplace that couldn’t compare to the warmth of her body.
“You take my breath away, meu amor. You are so beautiful,” he said as he rose up on his arm to look at her. Wanting to see her as passion rose, rousing the blush on her skin and deepening her amazing eyes to a green as deep as the most precious emerald.
Emma ran her hands across his shoulder and down to cup his chest. She skimmed her thumbs across his nipples and his gut tightened with the caress.
“You like that,” she said and rose up to suckle him, causing him to groan and close his eyes against the pleasure.
She bit the tip gently and he had to move as desire pummeled him.
He shifted in and out, driving passion ever higher in both of them. Straining not to lose control as her climax approached and the waves of her release rolled over him. Over and over he stroked until with a sharp thrust, she arched upward with her climax and he couldn’t hold on anymore and fell over with her.
