The Devil Served Desire Read Online Free

too, because she fully intended to diet down to someone resembling the cheerleader he remembered. The way he'd said "pom-poms" on the phone had left her weak in the knees.
    Clearly, two months without sex was one month and twenty-nine days too long.
    Then, there was Dante. She'd seen the way he'd looked at her chest, like a barracuda spying a beefy scuba diver. He was definitely interested. He'd even offered to feed her, and in Maria's book, that practically equaled a marriage proposal.
    Dante was a few inches taller than she, and walked with a confidence that said he was a man used to being in command. He had broad, powerful shoulders, tapering down to a lean waist, and powerful legs that flexed beneath the denim. The washboard of his stomach stretched at his T-shirt, and the bulge of his arms said he could lift a woman with ease.
    And have a hell of a lot more duration than Harvey, who'd complained about his biceps cramping up halfway through.
    Dante finished his conversation with Franco and returned, taking her by the elbow and leading her gently toward a table.
    Antonio was hundreds of miles and two more, very long months away.
    Dante, however, was right here. Right now.
    Maria Pagliano was not a patient woman. She wanted a dress, she charged it. She wanted to eat, she grabbed the nearest available nourishment. She wanted a man, she told him. And Dante Del Rosso was definitely a want-able man.
    He stopped and turned to face her. Dark hair, dark eyes, slightly olive skin, punctuated by a grin that seemed to tease and flatter her, all at once.
    She swallowed when he came closer, resisting the urge to throw him on the floor and demand he end her nine-week celibacy.
    "Hungry?" he asked in a voice that to Maria didn't mean salad.
    "Starved." Her heart began to race. Franco had faded into the background. The restaurant was deserted, not even so much as a waiter to interrupt them. Around her, the scents of the food acted like an aphrodisiac, giving her a heady rush that propelled her toward him another step.
    "Then I won't keep you waiting."
    "Oh," she said, almost on a sigh. "Good." Her lips parted and her breath became ragged.
    "Right here is a great spot." He motioned toward the vinyl banquette, handing her a menu.
    Damn . He really had meant food.
    She slid into the booth and opened the menu, wondering if she was due for her Depo shot again. Her hormones were completely off track, raging through her like an out-of-control train.
    She glanced at her watch and realized she hadn't eaten in eight hours. Stomach first, Dante later.
    But maybe ... she should replace food with sex. Get a little exercise, keep the calorie count down while burning a few hundred. The idea did have merit.
    Plus, that approach didn't come with unnecessary heart involvement, which was how Maria usually liked to handle dating. Get in, get what she wanted, then get out and never, ever get too attached. Ever since David the Gynecologist, she'd realized monogamy and men went together about as well as chocolate and tuna.
    Dante had taken the opposite seat and was waiting for her decision, his hands clasped. His eyes were wide and deep, crinkled a bit at the corners, as if he laughed often. She liked that.
    A lot.
    "What do you recommend?" she asked. "Is the chef good?"
    He smiled. "His food will take you on a journey you'll never forget."
    She rolled her eyes at the hyperbole, then returned her attention to the menu. "How about the antipasto?"
    Dante kissed the tips of his fingers. "Heaven."
    Maria folded the menu and slid it to the side. "Then I'll have the antipasto and a Diet Coke." Not quite a low-calorie meal, but she figured the soda helped reduce the damage.
    "No wine?"
    She shook her head. The only thing Maria did in moderation was drink. Alcohol had a way of rushing straight to her brain, obliterating all common sense, and leading her to do incredibly stupid things, like go to bed with Harvey the Exterminator.
    "I'll be right back." Dante left and