I can’t resist marking her. She comes as my teeth dig deeper, and it nearly does me in. I lift her off of me and fist my cock, coming on my stomach. I lean back, and Sophie stumbles. I reach out to catch her.
She grins. “I’ll need the bench.”
I watch her shower, and it shouldn’t be half as erotic considering we just had sex, but watching her rub soap over her body, foaming over her breasts, across her belly, her thighs, her ass, it’s fucking mesmerizing.
Half of me feels like I shouldn’t watch, but she meets my eyes as she lifts her arms to wash ,her hair, and the soap rolls down her body, revealing every wet, delicious inch of her. I groan, and my cock starts to stir again.
I need to get myself under control around her, or she’ll think I’m just interested in sex. And I’m not. I’m interested in her. But her sex appeal, the fact that every second thing she does, even when she’s not thinking about it, is a turn-on.
She blinks at me as she gets out of the shower. “Towel?”
I hand it to her after a hesitation, because I’d rather lick the water off her body. She tosses her hair over her shoulder as she wraps the towel around herself, then gives me a crooked smile. “Want a sponge bath? I promise to be … thorough.”
Despite the temptation, I shake my head. She kisses me softly. “I’ll leave you to it.”
“Later?” I ask.
“Later.” She agrees.
I get through a quick shower after taking off the prosthetic, and for the first time in too long, I’m not ashamed of it. My scars, my missing leg … they’re me, not something else. It happened, and I survived, came out of it, came home.
That’s luck. And maybe that’s what these marks are. They’re a reminder of the luck I’ve had, the luck I will have, and everything in between. I grin as I drag on my slacks from yesterday and head to my room.
I pass Gunner, and he nods at me. “Have a good night?”
“Actually slept,” I say.
He nods and pats my back. “Good. About time. Also, Roman has an idea.”
I arch an eyebrow.
“He wants to extend our trip, says we can’t do Italy properly in just a few days. It’s not long enough for him. And Massimo wants to take us wine tasting.” He shrugs. “Any excuse to drink.”
I don’t say it, but I look back at Sophie’s room. I’m not sure how she’ll feel about spending more time away from her dad. But she said she’s never left the country and her first time is important, it can make all the difference. So we should make it worth it.
I nod to him, then head to my room to change. The five of us get together for what should be a late breakfast, but it seems right on time. The energy is still high, and the kids running around have me on edge.
Roman clears his throat. “How would you all feel about extending this bit of fun.”
“I’m down,” Gunner says easily.
Nick seems to consider it before nodding. “We don’t get out of the office enough. We deserve it.”
But I look at Sophia. If she needs backup, I’m going to be that for her. It’s the least I can offer. She swallows. “I mean, dad’s worried about his health. I don’t know.”
“What’s wrong with Miles?” I ask.
The other guys lean forward. Fun is always second if one of us is in danger. She shrugs. “He just said that he’s been feeling off. Which is code for feeling like shit, but he doesn’t want to admit it. I swear he’s convinced doctors cause sickness and injury.”
“That sounds like him,” Roman says. “If he’s not in the hospital, we won’t worry. He can handle more than most.”
I nod encouragingly.
She rubs her forehead. “It’s not like being there would help, right? And he said he wanted me to enjoy the trip.”
“Massimo had a good point,” Roman informs us. “That we should make our trip at least a few weeks to see all of Italy. The right way.”
“Can we take that much time off? I mean, I just started; I don’t want to be a bad employee and put more on Dad’s shoulders.”
“I thought you weren’t a workaholic.” Gunner teases her. “Come on, live a little Soph, have some fun.”
Nick nods. “Honestly, you can do work remotely if you’re determined, but we’ve got the major stuff taken care of. I promise, Sophie. It’ll be fine.”
I see her chew her lip and wonder what she’s thinking. It would be so much easier to just read her mind and know exactly where she stands on everything. Luckily, Sophia doesn’t hesitate to share when it’s something big.
After looking at each of us carefully, Sophia takes a slow breath. “As long as it’s okay with my dad, I’m in. How often do you get to have this view of Italy, right?”
“Yes,” I say, grinning at Sophia happily.
We’ll make this a trip she’ll remember for life beyond what happens in the bedroom. And Massimo seems to agree since he invites us to a wine tasting at a local vineyard. A friend of a friend, which probably means a cousin, but what do I know?
Sophia is practically bouncing in her chair. I can’t believe it’s her first wine tasting; this should be fun.
“When?” She asks.
“Tomorrow. We’ll make a full day of it.” Massimo decides. “We took care of our honeymoon when I proposed considering the Bambino. We’ll get around to another one, I’m sure.”
We nod, and Sophia can’t seem to stop smiling. I take her hand, overjoyed to see her like this. No trace of worry, not a hint of negativity. She’s just pure sunshine, pure positivity. And I want to drink her in.
As we eat, Massimo tells us all the plans he has. A tour of vineyards, getting us into the best clubs and restaurants with his name, not to mention the other things he can just make happen. He seems as excited as Sophia does.
“Explore today, but after that, you’re on my watch.” He says before leaving us to sweep his new wife up in a kiss.
Sophia’s practically scarfing her food down.
The idea of being around so many strangers in tight streets that wind around and slither over one another is intense, but unlike usual, I don’t feel the urge to stay back. It’s a hesitation, sure, but at the same time, I can’t picture myself not running around Italy with my best friends and sweet Sophia.
My counselor will be so proud, and right now, I’m a little proud too.