My Italian Heart

Chapter Ten

It wasn't until a couple of hours later, when Em slammed into the office, that I knew I was in serious trouble. She wasn't exactly the type to throw a temper tantrum. David and I had been working in silence ever since he got to the office, which, given my delay, wasn't much after I arrived. There was too much to do for sly glances or teasing words. He was busy concentrating on the books, while I got on with the arrangements for the cabins. It was like having another me and God knew I needed two of me.

"What the hell is going on with you?" I had kept my head down when she came in. It felt safer. My head snapped up at her words, but I wasn't prepared for the pain and anger in her eyes. She looked like she was on the verge of tears through the frustration of it all. With everything else she had going on with George and Amiee, I had just added to her problems without even meaning to.

"Nothing."

"Look, I know you're pissed off with me, I can tell, so just spit it out. It's because I was having a jolly old time in Disneyland while you were here dealing with all the hell that broke loose, right?"

"No, Em. I don't blame you for not being here. I wish you were, but that isn't your fault." David shot me a look as though he was asking me if I wanted him to step in, but I gave my head the slightest of shakes. It was my mess, not his, and I needed to be the one to fix it.

"You've been off with me ever since I got back. You're not even acting like yourself. You're all jumpy." I focused everything I had on not blushing all the way to my ears and refused to look at David at all. To be precise, I've been off with her since David arrived, not her.

"I haven't been off with you. There's just a lot going on. I'm just distracted, that's all."

"I don't believe you."

"Emily! That's enough." My eyes rolled. I wished David had stayed out of it. All he did was make it more likely she was going to understand the real reason behind my awkwardness.

"No, Dad! I'm sorry, but this doesn't involve you at all." I was almost relieved, at least it meant he hadn't let the secret slip. I was almost waiting for him to lose his mind and tell her it had everything to do with him. Part of me wanted him to. For him to swoop in to my rescue and defend my honour.

"It's fine David, why don't you go get lunch?" His jaw clenched and forced the muscle in it to twitch slightly from the force. He wasn't exactly a man that was used to being dismissed. Let alone being dismissed from an argument between his daughter and the woman he was sleeping with.

"I will be downstairs. I don't want to hear raised voices from either of you." He tutted as he swept his finger between us both. Turning to head for the door quickly.

"Yes, Dad." For a second, I nearly echoed her sulky words. He had told me off just the same as he had her. The thought added a different kind of fire to my gut and I shifted in my seat, trying to dislodge it. "I know there is something you are not saying. So, come on, what is it?"

"There's nothing. I'm just stressed. Seriously, Em, it's not you. I'm sorry, I've been such a terrible friend recently." That part, at least, was completely true. I was a terrible friend even if she didn't know it.

"Ever since that day at the airport when we picked Dad up, you've been jumpy and distent. You still can't look me in the eye. At dinner, you're zoning out as though you're somewhere else. Not to mention that you didn't come home last night. I know Rylie knows something. She was too keen to change the topic when I brought it up."

"There's nothing to know. Rylie asked me about it too, but you both know I don't have the time for a man. Last night I just needed to get away, so I stayed in Verona. Everything with my parents and seeing Luca again after, well, you know. It was too much." Using your brothers near death to cover your sexy tracks, that's low.

"I still don't believe you. Bet your life that I will be getting my own back on you. Spying on your every move from now on. Just like you did when I met George." She stormed out just as loudly as she had stormed in, and I knew I hadn't heard the last of it. I just sat there waiting for the next lot of conflict coming my way. I knew David wasn't happy about us arguing or me dismissing him. He would want to say his piece as soon as he came back. I sat there waiting for him to appear, but it must have been about ten minutes before I heard him climbing the steps back to the office.

He must have started by scolding Emily, and he had taken his sweet ass time doing it. It was almost like he was making me wait for my telling off, so it had more of an impact. I was starting to worry about what he would even say. It was one of the complications of our relationship. It wasn't like he could take my side over Emily and I wouldn't want him to. Nevertheless, it put him in an awkward position. Having not been in that sort of situation before with him or anyone else, I didn't know what to expect. The one thing I knew was that I couldn't bear for him to pull away from me. The only time I felt relaxed was when I was with him. It was like he absorbed all my worries and allowed me to be myself, even just for a short time.

It had been so long since I had been carefree like that and I had almost forgotten what the real me was like. She felt like a stranger to me, but she was a stranger I wanted to get to know again. The glimpse I had so far wasn't nearly enough. I used to be so happy all the time. Full of energy and mischief. Just a whole lot of crazy stuffed into one person, so much so that it had no choice but to spill over into the world. I couldn't help but try to pinpoint when I had changed. It had happened so slowly that I couldn't even work out where I lost myself.

The sound of David's footsteps coming back up the stairs snapped me out of my own critical thinking and back into the moment. "I know what you are going to say, and I'm sorry."

"For?"

"For arguing with Em." He came to me and held out his hand to me. I took it without hesitation, as he pulled me gently to my feet. Pushing me backwards against the desk until my backside just rested on the edge of it. His hard form leaning into me and pinning me firmly in place.

"I don't care about you two arguing, but if you ever dismiss me like that again, you will see a side of me that you haven't seen before."

I looked up at him and fluttered my eyelashes slightly. "Sorry. Daddy." It was supposed to be a joke, given that he was bossing me around, but he didn't see the funny side. Instead, his eyes flashed red hot. I was sure in that moment that they actually changed colour, almost turning black.

His mouth crashed down on mine without mercy. He wasn't asking; he was taking. The whole idea sent a wave of sparks through me and that one kiss was all that was needed to leave me dripping with desire. With no concern for the consequences, he lifted my skirt, shoving me further onto the desk as he did. If I was in any doubt that he planned to f**k me there and then with the door wide open, it was banished as he undid his fly. Sliding my knickers to one side as he plunged inside of me. No foreplay, no hesitation, no sweet nothings. f**k me, it was so hot.

It was fast and rough as he banged me against the desk. The whole thing had me turned on so much that within seconds, I knew I was going to come all over his c**k. Neither of us cared about who else was around, not at that moment. As my insides clenched around him, it was him crying out rather than me. "f**k. You're so tight." As my orgasm started to pass, I felt his spunk flooding into me.

We didn't have time to do much more than try to hide our actions as we were both alerted to someone heading up to the office. He sprang back, trying to straighten himself up. I managed to shove my skirt back down before turning my attention to the desk. "Boss, do you mind if I get off early?"

"No, that's fine." I stood there squirming slightly as the moisture started to spread down my thighs. Convinced that it must have been obvious what Ant had interrupted.

"It's just that I need to take Shelly to a doctor's appointment."

"Seriously, it's fine. No explanation needed." I just wanted him to f**k off as quickly as possible. My underwear was starting to chaff against my thigh and I needed to fix it and quickly. Ant gave me a strange look, but must have thought better than to argue with me and left the room. I turned my attention immediately to my underwear.

Shoving David as soon as I was done. "You need to behave yourself."

"You loved it. Don't pretend you didn't." He was right, but that didn't mean it could keep happening. I did feel much more myself though. Business Aurora would never have done something so reckless. I couldn't wipe the smile from my face and I started organising the mess he had made of my desk.