In the Midst of Love

"Fucking hell," Sarah cussed as she dashed across the parking lot and into the quaint building. In those few moments under the unsheltered rain, her jeans had been soaked through, the fault of the ice-laced water that had spewed from the dark, unforgiving Italian skies. Her frazzled curly brown hair lay in drenched strands over her cheeks. She was breathing heavily from her impromptu run to the inn which left her mouth slightly parted and her cheeks flushed. Grappling with her tote, she didn't notice the figure behind the counter staring at her with undisguised lust.

Fabian watched unblinkingly at the whirlwind that had just entered his inn. Within a few seconds, she had her hair brushed away from her dark eyes, baggage parked in a corner and her wallet in her hand. Her movements were so quick and precise; Fabian began to wonder if she had practiced it just to turn him on. Her simultaneous movements made him fantasize about this woman in his bed. Would she be as fast then, too?

Realizing the path that his thoughts took, Fabian shook himself out of his reverie. He was irked as no woman had made him react to her like that upon first sight, not even the strippers who worked in the 'discreet' districts in town. Well, it was no wonder. She was beautiful! No, more than beautiful, she was stunning! Her baggy jeans didn't fool him; he knew that under all that denim she was as female as he was male. Her shirt only failed to emphasize what he could see beneath her rain-pelted clothes.

She looked to be in her twenties, not near ready for marriage, which suited him, just fine.

Sarah noticed him as she turned towards the counter. He was staring at her in a way she couldn't begin to appreciate. She had had those stares directed at her quite a few times, but she had never returned any of them. Walking up to the counter, she pushed her credit card and passport towards him, requesting for a single room.

"Miss Fredrick, I only have a double room left. You do not mind, yes?" Fabian asked, his voice as thick as fresh honey. He couldn't seem to stop staring at her. She was bombarding his senses with her smell, her nearness.

"No, not at all," Sarah spat, her back stiff. She hated his tone; his subtle hints. Couldn't a woman be more than a pair of walking breasts?

It was then that Fabian realized that the woman didn't like him. Shocked to the edges of his heart, he made himself look away from her perfectly sculpted face and concentrate on the task of assigning her a room- a task he could've done in his sleep. He was deeply hurt for some peculiar reason and could not fathom why the woman didn't take to him.

He recognized disinterest when he saw it.

Fabian had to walk her to her room, duffel bag in one hand. It was two in the morning and he had told the porters who worked for him to head off to bed. His ego was bruised and his mood was sour. So what if this woman didn't like him? She was nothing special anyway.

At least, that's what he made himself believe.

Sarah heard the door close softly behind her. Truth to tell, she was surprised. She had almost convinced herself that he would make an advance. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him to fuck off. Maybe he wasn't that sort after all, she thought. If she didn't know herself better, she would call herself paranoid. Ever since her break-up with Jim, her ex-fiancé, she had hated the heated looks that men gave her, for Jim had given her those looks too, before he had found another. If not for Jim, if not for her messed up, screwed up life, she would never have found herself in this rustic village, north of Italy with a receptionist who had eyes the colour of the clearest of skies...

It was her last thought before sleep claimed her.

Fabian spent his night with a soccer game. His favourite team was losing but he wasn't really following the game anyhow. His thoughts were entrapped by the woman, Sarah, and her lovely, succulent body. The fact that she hated his guts only added to his determination to get her in his bed.

From the day he had turned fourteen, Fabian had had no trouble with the ladies. He attracted them like honey attracted flies. Smirking, he realized that Sarah was different. She was probably his queen bee.

He was, however, as determined as hell to conquer her hive.

During the course of the next day, Fabian was driven to the brink of insanity and back. He impugned himself as to whether Sarah had really checked in to his inn or if she was just a figment of his overactive imagination. The woman had not come out of her room for exactly seventeen hours and thirty-three minutes! Only her neat signature on his record book reminded him that she was real and most probably, alive.

Sarah slept like the dead, haunted by dreams of sapphire eyes that promised sex, hard and fast. She made full use of the king sized bed, tossing about restlessly and only woke up when she accidentally rolled over and fell to the floor, hurting her head in the process. Cursing, she sat up and took in her surroundings.

The room was lovely, if not beautiful. Almost all of the furniture was made of wood and she was willing to bet that it was one of his relatives who had carved them for the inn. She groaned. Just the thought of him reminded of her dreams, which were still fresh in her mind. She didn't need this! This frustration, this irritation, this nagging need for release.

She briefly thought about fingering herself as she stepped into the shower, but told herself that she was above that. If she wanted a man, she could get one. One who promised her a good, uncomplicated fuck with no recriminations afterwards. Sarah shook her head. What was wrong with her?

That was the exact question that Fabian asked himself as well. He had no idea why he was so worried about Sarah. For all he knew about her, she could be a drug addict, for God's sake! But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't picture Sarah curled up in a little ball, inhaling pleasure from a few crushed leaves. It just wasn't like her.

Hell, how did he know that?

He lost his train of thought as he caught a glimpse of her descending the stairway. His breath caught in his throat as he took in what she was wearing. A sundress, with read and yellow swirly details. The tight bodice of the dress pushed her ample breasts against the seams and he had to swallow the saliva that had pooled in his mouth. In his eyes, she looked like a sun-goddess, sent only to tease and taunt him, all the while chiding him for being sexually aroused by her lithe form. Which was exactly what was happening, for his manhood had already become swollen and hard, throbbing in between his thighs.

"Hello Mr..." Sarah trailed off, having made up her mind about one thing. She was going to have one man to forget another. Looking at the hunk, she didn't think the task would be too difficult.

"Fabian. Call me Fabian," was his throaty reply. His voice was raspy, as though he had just run a ten-mile race and was desperately in need of water.

"Would you like dinner, ma'am? It is being served at the moment," he continued, ever the gracious host.

"That would be nice, Fabian. Frankly, I can't remember the last time I ate," Sarah laughed, a husky sound that has his stomach muscles clenching. He didn't understand women. One minute they'd bite and the next, they'd want to cuddle. Shaking his head, he led her to the dining area, a place that used to be the kid's playroom when his father was but a boy. It was an old room, but richly furnished with hand-made curtains and tablecloths. It wasn't very large and could only seat thirty at any one time. As Fabian looked over the crowd locating a seat for Sarah, he felt her grip his forearm and lead him to a seat in a cozy corner of the room.

"You will keep me company?" the request sounded more like a demand. Sarah was taking a risk and she knew it. Fabian might just simply tell her no, he didn't want to, and stalk out of the room. But something told her that he would agree to her simple demand.

"Far be it for me to deny anything to a pretty lady," Fabian teased, his charming manner returning to the surface after the initial shock of her appearance. He motioned to Antonio, his cousin, to man the reception while he held the chair out for Sarah. Sarah smiled, his manners a refreshment to her worn out soul.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd smiled and laughed as much as she did that night. Maybe it was the fine wine, or the fine man, she couldn't tell the difference, really. Both elements were playing with her mind, making her feel just a tad bit light-headed.

Dessert was one of the sweetest treats that Sarah had ever had in her life! The honey that coated the rich home-made chocolate and biscuit crumbs was so sinful that she actually sighed her delight at being able to partake with a spoonful.

"Now that was probably the purest of all honey," Sarah said after her first taste.

"I beg to differ," Fabian replied, a very ungodly twinkle in his eye.

Sarah just smiled, her eyes telling him that she knew exactly what he meant. Her black eyes dared him to move beyond the boundaries of propriety. Fabian felt himself twitching because of the searing look of lust in her eyes. What the hell was wrong with him? He had never been so easily aroused in his life! Fabian leaned back onto his chair, the wicker material giving him little comfort in his state. He just watched as Sarah licked her spoon clean with the grace of a cat.

Ha, Sarah thought. She had him melting in her hands now! All she needed to do was to find a way to get him to her room as soon as possible. The dinner had been pleasant, delightful, but she couldn't wait till they hit the sheets. Her panties were probably already wet from the devastating tingles that spread from her core every time he looked at her as though he wanted nothing more than to devour her wholly.

Fabian knew her game as soon as he caught an insight to the anticipation in her eyes. He was onto her now. The manipulative sprite. Well, if she wanted to warm his bed, she would have to wait till he was ready. It was probably a male thing, but he just had to be the one to set the time and do the wooing. She just couldn't flaunt her extremely succulent body in front of him and expect him to fall into bed with her! Her plan would've worked with any other man, but not with him. Not with Fabian De Luca.

He walked her to her door, fully intending to let her go with only a peck on her lightly freckled cheek. However, as his lips met her skin, a need exploded within him, blocking out all reason and he crushed her mouth under his, uncaring to the damage he caused to those luscious lips. All he knew was that she wasn't fighting him and had become quite limp in his arms. Her fingers were clutching his jaw as she intertwined her tongue with his, the friction created making her whimper.

Fabian felt himself being drawn into the room and his senses returned. God, this wasn't supposed to happen! But she tasted heavenly. A mixture of honey and woman was his Sarah. His lips traced a pathway first to her jaw, then to her ear. Nibbling lightly on it, he felt her shiver and whispered, "Goodnight, Sarah," before withdrawing from her embrace and closing the door behind him.

Sarah stood at the same spot for two minutes, drawing in air to her oxygen-starved lungs as she fought with the desolation she felt at his rejection. What was wrong with her? Wasn't she passably pretty? Desirable, in the least? Why did men shy away from her like that? His onslaught had made her think that there was chemistry between them, but her stupidity in thinking that only made her heart ache more and her body cry out from the knot of tension that had formed in her stomach. Not wanting to discern her thoughts at the moment, Sarah fell into bed and into a liaison with sleep.

Fabian wasn't as lucky. Every time he shut his eyes in a vain attempt to sleep, Sarah's sexy whimpers haunted his mind, his senses, his body; the feeling of her nipples hardening as she arched her back and raked her nails across his jaw line. Rock hard and throbbing, he wondered if he should drive down town to Shelly, a 'bus-girl' at Ronda's who always welcomed him with opened legs, um, arms. He knew, however, that his body only longed for one woman and that woman was probably snuggled up in his grandma's quilts at the inn, only two streets away from his holding.

It was a long time before sleep entrapped him but even the peace of slumber could not shield him from her smile.

The sun had long-past risen when Fabian awoke the next afternoon. Sleep hadn't done much to erase the memory of Sarah's passion, her body, her response. His muscles were taut as he crawled out of bed.

The cold shower helped to ease the tension out of his body, but the milk tea was the magic solute that slowed down his heart rate. He took a large mug of it to the balcony and stood there for a moment, admiring the expanse of land. His land. The sound of waves crashing into rocks reached his ears and he smiled at the childhood memories that surfaced at that soothing sound. He sighed his contentment just as he saw the familiar figure walking through a narrow road that led to his land.

Tugging on a shirt, Fabian jogged towards her, hoping to catch her by surprise. He took a shortcut and ended up leaning against a tree, waiting for her to arrive, knowing she had to cross his path.

Sarah was bent on avoiding him. She had already concluded that he didn't want her and knew that if she had stayed at the inn and watched soccer with the other guests, she would've seen him around. At least by coming out here, she wouldn't have to face him...

The thought died a small death in her mind as she saw him lounging against an oak tree, barely five feet away from her. Her dark eyes widened and she swallowed visibly, accidentally choking on her saliva. Sarah coughed, in a vain attempt to dislodge the contents in her throat. Suddenly, she felt hands on her back, giving her nice, hard thwacks to help her ease the discomfort.

The impact slowly subsided and she found herself in the arms of the very man that she had been so determined to avoid. She licked her lips to restore the moisture to them, for they felt as dry as sand. Her eyes focused on his chest for she couldn't muster the courage to look into his eyes. She was afraid that he might set her away like he had done last night. The thought of that sent arrows of hurt lancing through her and she made a move to separate herself from him.

He wouldn't let her go. Fabian held her tightly as she squirmed in his embrace. The timing felt right and so did the place. He let himself go, letting his senses overrule his mind. Molding her lips with his, he felt her stiffen at first then relax, letting out a little sigh as he used his tongue to trace the shape of her lips. He coaxed her to open her mouth and dipped his tongue in, savouring the molten honey. Sarah pressed herself closer, needing, wanting more of him. She let out a ragged moan as he backed her up against the old oak tree, his hands making circles over her exposed hip bone.

She clawed her nails into his shoulders, demanding more from him but he seemed to be moving at his own leisurely pace, driving her insane with want. Her panties were already soaked with her overflowing juices and her nipples were tight little buds, awaiting his touch.

Fabian took his time in kissing her senseless before his tongue snaked down to her collar bone. He lightly bit the pulse that throbbed desperately under his caresses. Her squeak of delight only excited him more.

The call of a bird made Fabian snap out of his dream and realize that he was about to bed Sarah amidst bushes and trees. With a chuckle that made Sarah question his sanity, he picked her up and carried her like a baby towards his house.

She didn't fight him; she couldn't. Her head was awhirl and her breath ragged as she snuggled closer to him and bit him on the base of his neck. The only visible result of that was his doubled pace and the tightening of his hold on her. Sarah hid a smug smile when she saw that her spontaneous bite had left a puncture mark on his flawless skin. She then leaned forward and gave the sore area a tiny, bold lick.

Fabian made a small sound at the back of his throat, too aroused to do much more than hold one thought in his head. He had to get her back to his place or they would surely be frolicking on the grass.

He slammed the door shut with his foot and let her gain her footing once he set foot in his living room. She turned to him then, all the different shades of her hair highlighted by the late-afternoon sun. His loins tightened as he watched her watch him with eyes that could tempt a saint.

Sarah would be his, if only for tonight.

Sarah felt him take her hand and raise it to his lips. A single kiss he placed on the back of her hand before he led her into his bedroom. The room was much like the ones at the inn, all wood and hand-made quilts. She, however, didn't notice anything but the heat in his eyes, the proof of his desire straining against the zipper of his pants.

Fabian gathered her in his arms, and kissed her, ordering her to open her mouth. When she complied, his tongue raked across her teeth and made her shiver with unsuppressed desire. He then touched the tip of her tongue, coaching it into a response. Sarah's tongue invaded his mouth and all thoughts of control vanished in an instant.

His hands fumbled as he pulled her shirt over her head. The bra that she wore was a plain, black one but the sight of her in it inflamed him more than he cared to think about. He ran his fingers over the top of the bra, against the swell of her breasts. Sarah's eyes closed and her mouth parted in half gasps that she couldn't retain. Fabian's hands snaked around and unclasped her bra and the restrictive material fell to the floor, baring her nude torso to his ravenous gaze.

Sarah's nipples were already rock hard and they stood out proudly even as he cupped them in his hands. Using his thumbs, he stroked her gently, all the while whispering love words in her ears. His thumb and forefinger became instruments of pleasure as he used them to squeeze her nipple once. Then twice. A rush of goose bumps broke out on her body as Sarah entwined her fingers in his hair, pulling on the dark strands.

His caresses were just a little more urgent now, his kisses more ardent. Grabbing her around the waist, they descended as one onto the feather mattress. Her jeans and underwear were discarded and kicked to an unknown hollow of the room as he drank in the vision of the sexy, enchanting woman lying in front of him in a wanton sprawl. Sarah's fingers were tugging at the hem of his shirt, needing to admire his flesh as he was admiring hers. The muscles on his abdomen tensed and shifted as she, in turn, took in her fill of him. Her nails moved over his dark skin, scraping across the flat male nipples. She pulled him closer and her tongue lashed out, covering his skin in hot lava.

As retribution to that attack, Fabian's devil fingers traced a path down to Sarah's womanhood. He stroked her bud lightly and heard her moan of pleasure. Once, twice, three times, he stroked her. Each time, his fingers entering her deeper than the first. Sarah's hips began to thrust into his fingers on their own volition, the need for release only making her wilder in his earthy siege.

She gasped as she felt him enter her with his fingers. Grabbing his shoulders, she arched into his hand, on the verge of her own orgasm.

Fabian knew she was close, but he wanted her to remember this night and planned to draw out her climax for her. He pleasured her slowly, his thumb grazing her swollen bud and his finger moved in and out of her. She was writhing beneath him and her movements made it hard for him to hold himself back. He doubled his rhythm, his fingers entering her faster, faster until she came in waves after waves of liquid honey.