breath sharp and fast, grunting with ferocity. Neil stroked and caressed her until she sagged down on her forearms and rolled her face in his crotch. Feeling how hard he was, she lithely swung her body around so that her backside faced him. She pulled her skirt up over her hips.
"Please, now..."
Neil quickly pulled his pants down, knelt behind her, took hold of her and then thrust into her. Such dizzying pleasure, laced with a passing spasm of sharp pain. Marisa cried out urgently.
"Harder, harder..."
She swung her head back and forth in the air again. Neil grabbed her long hair in one hand, carefully pulling it taut. She tilted her head back, and then he could see the wild smile, the roaring look on her face-her eyes open and fiery, urging him, challenging him.
"Harder harder... make me feel you ... more... MORE!"
Her cries were so loud now. Sweat stung Neil's eyes as he slammed into her again and again, and Marisa went down, her face pressed against the towel, her arms splayed out, hands clutching the cotton, her eyes closed again now, and he forced her hips down to the ground too, his body pressed on hers as he came, his face buried in her hair.
"My lover..."
"My lover," Neil said, stroking her face.
"Ah." Marisa put on an impish smile. "I think maybe you better not say anything more right now."
"Will you come to Rome? At least to visit?"
Her eyes widened in mock-surprise. "See what I mean?" She pressed her finger to his lips. "Sssh. Who knows?" She kissed him again.
It was the middle of the afternoon by the time Neil and Marisa arrived back at the house. They found two men pondering Neil's radiator, which was on a large sheet of plastic on the ground. They were daubing it with a tar-like substance. Much of the front end of the car had been dismantled, with loose parts scattered all around. One of the men launched into a long and detailed explanation- to Marisa-that involved hand-waving and pointing to various tricky places on the radiator. Neil didn't understand a word they spoke but it was quite obvious that he wasn't going anywhere that day. He didn't mind, in fact he felt a distinct sense of relief.
"It's difficult," Marisa explained. "There's so much corrosion, so many spots for them to patch up."
Neil nodded. "I can see how bad it is."
"Maybe by tomorrow?"
"Okay."
"Anyhow, if they can't get it working again, my brother will be home by the end of the week."
"Even better."
Marisa tried not to smile. "It's a good thing they don't speak English. You're very naughty!"
Neil smiled at her. "I'm trying."
The Last Night
Neil was exhausted by the long walk and their intense lovemaking, so he was glad when Marisa suggested another late afternoon siesta. She led him back to his room, promising to return for him later. He was also grateful to hear that they were excused from dinner with the family that night. He had no desire to find out what might be on the menu this time. Though in all fairness to them, it was their house and he was the intruder, and Marisa's family probably felt just as uncomfortable as Neil had.
But what a bizarre, sad household it was. What would he make of all this without Marisa? As Neil stretched out on the bed and nestled his head in the soft pillow, he realized that since he had arrived there yesterday he'd had almost no time to think about anything. The one instance when he had a few moments alone, Neil had heard the unusual metal scraping sound and he had discovered that peculiar alcove, which may or may not have had the body of a young man in it. Otherwise, Marisa was with him, occupying his thoughts and attention, or else he was too tired and sleepy to think.
Marisa was wonderful. He loved the way she made him respond naturally, instinctively-without the need for thought or analysis. She had such a gift and an appetite for living, it seemed to him. It was a terrible thing that
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