She let out a breathless laugh. ‘I don’t need to ask if you had the same issue locating the condom because I can hear the wrapper crinkling in your hand.’ She let him guide her down to join him on top of the quilt. His hands stroked up her legs and suddenly her panties were sliding down. She dragged down his boxers and took him in both hands to explore his velvet hardness. When he gasped, his heated breath brushed her breasts, where his mouth soon followed.

Their movements became urgent. Hands, hearts, half-spoken words, questing mouths, skin, joy, pleasure, heat. He fumbled for the clips in her hair, sliding them free with gentle, sensuous movements that tingled through her scalp. Her long locks slid down around her shoulders and breasts and he buried his face in the mass, breathing her in. ‘Jeez, you’re beautiful,’ he groaned, then set about exploring her with his mouth. She’d never known a man who used his tongue and lips so much or with such devastating effect, drawing burning trails on her body with lips, tongue and teeth.

Soon she saw a few more stars to add to the million in the summer sky above.

Chapter Twelve

Sunlight outlined the internal window shutters. Slowly rousing, Zia took stock of her surroundings: stone walls and a tiled floor. She was in Piero’s bedroom, she realised, and she wore nothing save the heaviness of his arm across her hip. The day already promised to be hot.

Everything about last night had been hot, too.

Piero had refused to be hurried. Slow or fast; hard and deep or teasing and gentle, he’d spent so much time inside her she’d become exhausted but so aroused she couldn’t stop. Even caressing her instep he’d made her feel as if sparks must be coming off her skin. He’d been intent on searching out every erogenous zone, some she hadn’t known existed and some she’d never before admitted to. Encouraged by his uninhibited pursuit of what she liked she’d explored him in return, cupped him, held him, stroked and sucked him, tried him and taken him.

After he’d exploded inside her the first time, they’d laid in each other’s arms beneath the glittering sky. ‘Do you know the names of the stars?’ she’d asked, her head pillowed by his shoulder, her legs entangled with his. ‘I only know Orion’s Belt.’ She pointed to three stars neatly lined up like buttons on a shirt.

He’d pulled her more securely against him, his skin damp and hot, lifting an arm to point up. ‘That third star from the moon, that’s called Zia’s Perfect Body. Next to it is Zia’s Hot Mouth. And over there is Zia’s Fantastic—’

Convulsed with laughter she’d dealt a playful shove to his chest. ‘You can’t give lewd names to stars! They’re too beautiful.’