The Hidden Heart of Rico Rossi Read Online Free PDF Page B

push deeper, harder. And finally he felt her body tightening round him, pushing him into his own climax.
    Wow. He certainly hadn’t expected it to be that intense between them. Not this first time. He couldn’t even remember the last time someone had made him feel like this, the last time when sex had felt this special.
    Not willing to give up the connection between them just yet, he held her close. But eventually he had to move to deal with the condom. ‘Wait for me,’ he whispered.
    When he came back into the bedroom, she’d slid under the covers. Clearly she’d gone shy on him.
    ‘OK?’ he asked softly.
    She nodded, but he could see the awkwardness in her face.
    He sat down on the edge of the bed. ‘Ella. This doesn’t mean I’m going to make demands on you. Or that I’m going to just walk away and ignore you, either. It’s up to you where you want this to go next.’
    She swallowed hard. ‘I’m only here for two more nights after this.’
    So there was a defined limit. Just how he liked his relationships. They could have some fun and then just walk away. ‘Maybe we can see a little more of each other while you’re here in Rome.’
    ‘When you’re not working, you mean?’
    He smiled. ‘Actually, I happen to be off duty for the next couple of days.’
    She gave him a sceptical look. ‘In the middle of tourist season?’
    ‘There isn’t a tourist season in Rome any more,’ he said. ‘Visitors come all year round. So I can take time off whenever I want to.’ He paused. ‘If you’d like me to show you a bit more of the city, then I’m at your disposal.’
    She thought about it, and smiled. ‘Thank you. I’d like that.’
    ‘Good.’ He leaned over to kiss her, keeping the contact light and non-demanding. ‘So, it’s a date. Shall I call for you after breakfast? Say, half-past eight?’
    ‘Half-past eight. That’d be good,’ she said.
    ‘Bene.’
He pulled his clothes on. ‘Then I’ll see you tomorrow.’
    ‘Hang on. I’ll come with you and help clean up.’
    He smiled. ‘No, it’s fine. It won’t take me long. And you look warm and sweet and comfortable. Stay where you are.’ He kissed her again, this time lingering until his pulse spiked and she looked flushed and incredibly sexy. ‘Sweet dreams,
bellezza
.’
    Ella curled back under the duvet as Rico left the room. This was the last thing she’d expected to find in Rome. Romance. A fling. And the way Rico had made her feel …
    Funny, she couldn’t hear Michael’s voice in her headany more. The justifications, the sharp comments about how he’d had to look elsewhere for his pleasure because she didn’t have a clue how to please a man. Now she knew it really wasn’t true; she’d most definitely pleased Rico tonight. To the point where he’d actually admitted that he couldn’t think straight.
    So maybe Rico was right and Michael had dumped his own shortcomings on her. It hadn’t all been her fault.
    And tomorrow—tomorrow was suddenly full of promise.

CHAPTER THREE
    A T TWENTY-FIVE minutes past eight, the next morning, Ella was ready to go. As she’d expected, Rico knocked on her door at eight-thirty exactly. He was wearing pale chinos and another crisp white shirt; clearly he wore the same kind of clothes off duty as he did when he was working.
    He glanced at her feet and gave an approving nod. ‘Good. Flat shoes. They’re comfortable to walk in?’ he checked.
    ‘Very,’ she confirmed.
    ‘Good. Let’s go,
bellezza
.’
    Ella locked the door behind her and Rico ushered her out of the hotel. She tried not to be disappointed that he hadn’t taken her hand. Then again, they needed to be discreet; this was the hotel where he worked, and having a fling with a guest probably wasn’t something that the management would approve of.
    Did he have flings like this with many guests? She pushed the thought aside. Even if he did, it didn’t matter. She wasn’t looking for for ever. These few days in Rome were just for