Chocolate and Italian Wine (Music and Mayhem Book 1) by Lili Porter Page A
Authors: Lili Porter
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making sure she heard him. “I’m not him. Give me the chance to change things. I think we owe it to ourselves to explore this. What we’ve shared tonight has been beautiful, beyond intense. Let me get out of my obligation. Don’t walk away. Allow me to take care of it.”
She looked at him and he lessened his hold on her wrist as they laced their fingers together. He pulled her closer and kissed her lips and it was more than convincing. It was what she wanted to hear and she wasn’t sure if it was wise to play with fire, but she was already addicted to him in some way that was almost inexplicable.
“Would you have broken it off with her if we hadn’t met?” she asked, pulling away.
“First of all, I’ve always wanted to meet you,” he confessed, shrugging his shoulders. “I want you, Karisma. And for that, I will do what I need to do.”
“You’ve always wanted to meet me? Why? Because I’m rich? Famous? Or is it because you like the way I look?” she asked, suddenly feeling stung. That was a familiar conversation—get close and find out that it was the illusion of her life, not her.
“I have money, Kari, as you can see,” he said, his accent quite evident. “And I don’t chase fame, I create it. And as for your looks, well, you’re beautiful and everyone knows that. It’s rather hard to miss. Of course it’s what attracted me to you before I knew you, but it took just one conversation for me to see that you are more than your looks. You have got to be one of the most talented people alive. Look at what you’ve accomplished. You write and arrange music. You have had over fifty songs hit the Billboard Top 100 Chart. Your group, Goldust, is the biggest selling group of all time. And you’re just twenty-four. It’s still more than that. We’re just getting to know each other and I feel so drawn to you. You’re not jaded by all of this Kari. Hell, you’re on a commission with the freakin’ Pope to end world hunger. At his request. And look at all the things you do for charity.” Oh yeah, he’d kept up with her for years. He stopped and stared at her. Softly, he said, “And you’ve got me feeling things, sweetheart, that I’ve never felt before. I like it. I’m asking you to trust me, Kari. I’ll handle this. I have every reason to, and no reason to let you down.”
His eyes bore into hers. Unable to break his stare, she nodded. “This is crazy, Paolo, we just met. I don’t want you to do anything that you’ll regret. You say you don’t want her. But you’re engaged to marry her. Will she just give you up?”
“She’ll have no choice. It’s a relationship that should have ended long ago.”
“When are you supposed to get married?” she asked, wishing she hadn’t.
She noticed his hesitation, immediately. “Shit. I’m leaving,” she said, rising.
“I’m not getting married,” he said adamantly, standing with her.
He lowered his face and touched his forehead to hers. “I want to get to know you better, Karisma.”
She sighed. “I want that, too,” she said. “But…don’t play with me, Paolo.” She wondered what she was doing and why her heart was talking so much louder than her common sense.
“This isn’t a game, Kari. I’ve never wanted anything or anyone more than I want you.”
The resistance faded for Kari and eventually, she drifted off to sleep, her body exhausted from the bliss that had invaded it.
Morning came and Paolo woke up to the warmth of a golden sun splashing through his window. He glanced over to the clock and saw that is was already 8:35 AM. Then he looked over to the beauty next to him and stared at her, appreciating the moment to watch her while she slept. So fucking beautiful. I’m the luckiest bastard alive, he thought.
Her eyes fluttered open and Kari saw Paolo looking at her. “Good morning,” she said, smiling and stretching.
“Morning,
She looked at him and he lessened his hold on her wrist as they laced their fingers together. He pulled her closer and kissed her lips and it was more than convincing. It was what she wanted to hear and she wasn’t sure if it was wise to play with fire, but she was already addicted to him in some way that was almost inexplicable.
“Would you have broken it off with her if we hadn’t met?” she asked, pulling away.
“First of all, I’ve always wanted to meet you,” he confessed, shrugging his shoulders. “I want you, Karisma. And for that, I will do what I need to do.”
“You’ve always wanted to meet me? Why? Because I’m rich? Famous? Or is it because you like the way I look?” she asked, suddenly feeling stung. That was a familiar conversation—get close and find out that it was the illusion of her life, not her.
“I have money, Kari, as you can see,” he said, his accent quite evident. “And I don’t chase fame, I create it. And as for your looks, well, you’re beautiful and everyone knows that. It’s rather hard to miss. Of course it’s what attracted me to you before I knew you, but it took just one conversation for me to see that you are more than your looks. You have got to be one of the most talented people alive. Look at what you’ve accomplished. You write and arrange music. You have had over fifty songs hit the Billboard Top 100 Chart. Your group, Goldust, is the biggest selling group of all time. And you’re just twenty-four. It’s still more than that. We’re just getting to know each other and I feel so drawn to you. You’re not jaded by all of this Kari. Hell, you’re on a commission with the freakin’ Pope to end world hunger. At his request. And look at all the things you do for charity.” Oh yeah, he’d kept up with her for years. He stopped and stared at her. Softly, he said, “And you’ve got me feeling things, sweetheart, that I’ve never felt before. I like it. I’m asking you to trust me, Kari. I’ll handle this. I have every reason to, and no reason to let you down.”
His eyes bore into hers. Unable to break his stare, she nodded. “This is crazy, Paolo, we just met. I don’t want you to do anything that you’ll regret. You say you don’t want her. But you’re engaged to marry her. Will she just give you up?”
“She’ll have no choice. It’s a relationship that should have ended long ago.”
“When are you supposed to get married?” she asked, wishing she hadn’t.
She noticed his hesitation, immediately. “Shit. I’m leaving,” she said, rising.
“I’m not getting married,” he said adamantly, standing with her.
He lowered his face and touched his forehead to hers. “I want to get to know you better, Karisma.”
She sighed. “I want that, too,” she said. “But…don’t play with me, Paolo.” She wondered what she was doing and why her heart was talking so much louder than her common sense.
“This isn’t a game, Kari. I’ve never wanted anything or anyone more than I want you.”
The resistance faded for Kari and eventually, she drifted off to sleep, her body exhausted from the bliss that had invaded it.
Morning came and Paolo woke up to the warmth of a golden sun splashing through his window. He glanced over to the clock and saw that is was already 8:35 AM. Then he looked over to the beauty next to him and stared at her, appreciating the moment to watch her while she slept. So fucking beautiful. I’m the luckiest bastard alive, he thought.
Her eyes fluttered open and Kari saw Paolo looking at her. “Good morning,” she said, smiling and stretching.
“Morning,
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