She wriggled on his lap, suddenly acutely aware of the fact that she was sitting astride him, that her most sensitive place was open to him if he chose to touch her.
Just the thought of his fingertips exploring that place made her heart rate accelerate and she shifted position again, the muscled strength of his legs hard under her thighs. She looked down and found herself staring at the shape of his erection pressing against the fabric of his jeans.
‘Would you help me?’ Marco’s voice took her by surprise and, before she fully realised what he was doing, he had lifted her to one side, unfastened her trousers and pulled them off, taking her briefs at the same time. He stood up, discarding jeans and boxers in the process, and reached to a small packet. Then he sat back again and lifted her into her position astride his lap.
Claudia took the condom with shaking fingers and rolled it on to him. The feel of his hard masculine flesh beneath her hands set her body trembling afresh. She drew in an uneven breath, suddenly desperate to feel him moving inside her.
But instead of rolling her over onto her back on the sofa, Marco slid his hand between her legs, seeking out the place that had been longing for his touch only moments before.
Exquisite sensations flowed through her with every gentle stroke of his fingertips. She closed her eyes and let her head fall forward, surrendering to the pleasure he was giving her. Then he started to increase the pressure and tempo of his touch, and wave after wave of fire burned through her veins, setting her nerve-endings alight so that it felt as if her whole body was shimmering with delight.
She heard her own breath coming in faster and faster gasps. Then she was panting, small moaning sounds escaping every time she exhaled. She began to writhe on Marco’s lap, unable to contain the extraordinary feelings that were continuing to grow.
The whole wonderful experience was building, like a mighty crescendo rising within her, swelling to fill her entire awareness. Then, suddenly, her climax crashed over her and unstoppable waves of blissful sensation rolled through her.
‘Marco! Marco!’ she cried, trembling uncontrollably. She gasped for breath, soaring through the heights of all-consuming pleasure.
His arms were round her, holding her shaking body, supporting her as she slowly started to drift back to earth. Then, suddenly, before the sublime rapture of her orgasm had faded, his hands slid to her waist and he lifted her up, holding her so that she was poised above him, his hard erection pressing ready against her pulsing flesh.
Claudia’s eyes flew open as she registered her new position, her body already reacting to the new stimulation, the promise of more bliss to come.
Marco’s gaze was fixed on her face and she knew he was watching her, sharing in the experience of her climax. And now he was about to take her back to those unsurpassed heights.
She gasped as he pulled down on her hips, guiding her so that his hard masculine length slid smoothly into place.
A renewed surge of excitement shook her body. And, as she felt him inside her, somehow everything seemed different, somehow even more amazing than before.
Her knees were on either side of him, supporting her weight, and she lifted and then lowered herself back down, feeling him sliding intimately within her body. She repeated the movement, rolling her hips to increase the friction between them, and she heard a low rumble of pleasure come from Marco.
Her own body was rapidly responding to the new stimulation and she found herself shaking. Her movements were becoming uneven, as every wave of pleasure crashing through her seemed to weaken her leg muscles.
Suddenly Marco took hold of her waist and pulled her tightly to him. Then, holding her close so that they were still joined, he lifted her and rolled them over so that she was lying on her back.
Claudia moaned out loud as her body sank back into the sofa, her legs wrapped around Marco. For a moment he lay still, his male hardness bedded deep within her. Her inner muscles clenched, as if she wanted to hold on to that moment, to him, for as long as possible.
Then he started to move, thrusting into her again and again. And every powerful thrust sent magnificent feelings surging through her. Once again she felt herself building towards a climax. Marco was an incredible lover and she was in thrall to his mastery of her body. Every move he made carried her higher and higher.
Then, suddenly, wonderfully, she pushed through the clouds into the heavens. Another orgasm, stronger and more intense than the first, took hold of her, carrying her away into a world of overwhelming fulfilment.
A moment later Marco arched up above her, a triumphant cry coming from deep within him as he gave a mighty shudder and reached his own powerful release.
He collapsed on top of her, his weight partially supported by his elbows, and she wrapped her arms tightly around him, enjoying her slow descent back to earth. She could feel his heart beating strongly beneath his ribs and for an instant she couldn’t distinguish between his heartbeat and her own.
She sighed, feeling closer to him than ever before. Their two hearts were beating together, and somehow that made her feel a profound connection to him that was even stronger than the bond that had been created by sharing such rapturous lovemaking.
CHAPTER SEVEN
CLAUDIA awoke to the sound of the front door slamming, and then she heard footsteps crunching over the gravel outside the cottage. She was lying on the sofa, cocooned in the soft warmth of the duvet.
‘The fog’s cleared. We can get going at once,’ Marco said, coming back inside with a blast of icy air.
Claudia struggled to sit up, still half asleep, and pulled the duvet tighter round her naked body.
She blinked and gazed blurrily at Marco. He was already dressed and looked as if he’d been up for hours. He’d always been like that, she remembered suddenly. He went from deep sleep to being fully awake in a split second. In the time they’d been together, he’d never once used an alarm clock.
She was the complete opposite—slow to wake up properly, even with an alarm buzzing. And she hated getting up in the cold. Marco, apparently, did not mind the cold.
‘I won’t take long to get ready,’ she said, trying to gather the energy to move.
Marco looked down at Claudia as she turned sideways on the sofa to look up at him, dipping her head so that her hair fell forward past her shoulders to partially cover her breasts.
She looked the perfect image of a demure young lady who felt awkward and slightly bewildered at finding herself sitting naked next to a man the morning after a wild sexual encounter, now that the heat of the moment had passed.
Something about her innocent expression slid through Marco’s nerves like a steel blade. He would never forget what she had done, or that she was preparing to marry Vasile.
Her face was still flushed from sleep as she stood up and stumbled round the room wrapped in the duvet, collecting her clothes. Then she headed to the bathroom.
Marco watched her go with an uncomfortable feeling of arousal burning through him.
The thought that he still wanted her disturbed him. He’d followed her to Wales and bedded her for revenge—to seek retribution for the way she had duped him. His intention had been to set the balance of power right—not to find himself driven to seek the delights of her body again, and again.
He knew what kind of woman she was.
He knew she had brought danger and corruption into his innocent sister’s life. And right now—at this very moment—she was planning to marry the bastard who had destroyed his family, simply to get her hands on a large amount of money.
How could he want her in his bed, knowing that?
Because it was just sex. Incredible, mind-blowing sex.
Suddenly a nasty bolt of possessiveness surged through him. Primo Vasile would never have her! Not her money. And definitely not her body.
The money was not important to Marco—except that by keeping it from Vasile he would continue to hound his enemy further into desperate dire straits. But Claudia’s body was a different matter. That
would be his. Entirely his. Until he was utterly finished with it.
A few minutes later they were driving away from the cottage along the winding Pembrokeshire roads. A wind had picked up, blowing the fog away, and it was a bright, clear morning. A thick hoar-frost encrusted everything, covering the landscape with a silvery white hue, and when she turned round for one farewell glance Claudia saw that the sea was a dazzling cobalt blue.
Everything felt different from the day before. She was leaving the cottage in Marco’s sports car, and would soon reach the airport where his private aeroplane was waiting for them. It was quite a change from the InterCity train and local bus she had travelled to Pembrokeshire in.
Later that day she would see her father. A whisper of dread coiled through her at the thought of how much he might have deteriorated since her last visit. But Marco would be there to talk to the doctors. Knowing he would be there, translating for her, gave her more strength.
Then the next day she would fly to the Caribbean to keep her end of her bargain with Vasile.
Part of her wanted to tell Marco. She felt guilty keeping it from him. But then, although they had spent the night together, she had no reason to trust him with such a huge personal secret. In fact, after what he’d said last night, she had every reason to believe that tomorrow he would be out of her life again, as completely as he had been four years ago.
A nasty, cold feeling of emptiness hung threateningly at the back of her mind, pressing forward whenever her thoughts strayed to the inevitable moment when he would leave her. But she tried to ignore it. Although she had taken comfort from being with Marco, and experienced bliss in his arms, she must not mistake their time together as more than it was. She had made that error four years ago and ended up with a broken heart.
Apart from just one night, Marco didn’t want her. For her own protection, she must always remember that.
At least with Vasile she knew where she stood. He couldn’t hurt her because she would never make herself vulnerable by opening her heart to him. He just wanted her money. He would never let her down, because she would never hope for more from him. There was nothing to lose except the money, which was meaningless to her.
She’d already lost everything that ever meant anything. And now she was losing her father. She had to do anything and everything possible to keep him safe and content during his final weeks and months.
Claudia sipped the velvety thick hot chocolate and closed her eyes in a moment of sheer, unadulterated pleasure. The deliciously rich hot chocolate was a matter of local pride in Turin. And it never failed to deliver—always providing comfort and a few minutes of escape from whatever life had thrown at her. She didn’t know the recipe but it tasted just like pure melted chocolate, with maybe a dash of cream thrown in for good measure.
She’d first discovered it not long after coming to live in Italy. Her grandmother had just died, taking with her the only link she had with her real mother, and her father had recently become the business partner of a man called Primo Vasile—someone her stepmother, Francesca, had introduced him to. Claudia always had the impression that her father did not care for Vasile, but he seemed unable to refuse Francesca anything.
At first Claudia hadn’t really liked Turin. Uprooted from her life in London, mourning the loss of her beloved grandmother and missing all her friends, Turin had seemed alien and unwelcoming. Francesca had brought her into the city on frequent shopping expeditions, under the pretence of helping her to adjust to her new life. But in reality she still had no time for her stepdaughter and usually left her alone, drinking hot chocolate, while she spent hours moving from one designer boutique on Via Roma to another.
After a while Claudia had become more confident and began to explore the city on her own. The first thing she realised was how friendly the people were. The next thing was that you could literally walk for miles under the elegant porticoes that lined so many of the grand streets around the city centre. In the height of the Italian summer they were always shady and cool, and on rainy or overcast days, when the clouds pressed in and you’d never know that the city was built so close to the looming mountains, you could still get about without needing an umbrella.
Now she was sitting in her favourite café in the Quadrilatero Romano, drinking hot chocolate while she waited for Marco to finish his business meeting. Then he would accompany her to the hospital and talk to her father’s doctors.
It was a crisp clear day and the café was situated in an enchanting piazza in the shadow of an ancient bell tower. It was bustling with people and suddenly she was glad to be back in Turin. She liked it inside the traditional café. The jars of old-fashioned sweets lined up so colourfully behind the counter reminded her of her childhood, and the caring motherly ladies who ran the café made her feel safe.
Today she sat facing the door, looking out at the sunny piazza. She wanted to be able to see Marco approaching. At last she spotted him walking across the piazza towards the café. Her heart gave a little leap of pleasure and suddenly, despite the crowds of people, it was as if there was no one else in the piazza.
He looked so impressive, dressed impeccably in a dark suit with a crisp white shirt. A gold watch and cufflinks glinted at his wrists and his Italian leather shoes gleamed. As he walked, people seemed to flow naturally out of his way. She sat up a little straighter, a feeling of pride swelling through her. That gorgeous man was walking towards her.
‘Ciao.’ He greeted her with a kiss and almost immediately a waitress was beside them, ready to take their order.
‘How was your meeting?’ Claudia asked once the waitress had gone, suppressing a smile at the admiring glances Marco was drawing from all the women in the café. She’d almost forgotten what it was like to be out in public with him, how every female eye turned his way, how every man he encountered seemed to jump to do his bidding.
‘Excellent,’ Marco said. ‘In fact, I’m very pleased—I have everything I need to complete something I’ve been working towards for a long time.’
‘You don’t look all that pleased.’ Claudia spoke without thinking as she took in the grim set of his face.
‘It’s not over yet.’ He turned his gaze on to her and she was startled by the intensity in his dark eyes. ‘I’ll celebrate when it’s done.’
She stared back at him and the coldness in his expression made an icy feeling wash over her. The thought crossed her mind that he seemed like a stranger, but then she’d always known he hadn’t risen so high in the global business arena by being warm and fuzzy. She knew that he had a ruthless streak, a steely determination to get what he wanted.
‘Will you be happy when it’s done?’ she asked. ‘Or will you just start work on another deal?’ It had never occurred to her before to wonder if Marco was happy. He’d always seemed so dynamic and in control that his happiness was something that she’d never questioned.
‘This is not just any deal,’ he said. Something in his voice told her that it really was something of great importance to him. It seemed strange to her that, given how intimate they had been, that she didn’t know what it was that was so important to him.
‘So you’ll be extra happy when it’s over?’ she pushed.
‘Happiness has nothing to do with it,’ Marco grated. A muscle suddenly pulsed on his jaw line and a dangerous glint lit his eye. Claudia bit her lip, realising that she had intruded too far into matters that didn’t concern her.
‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘I didn’t mean to pry.’
Just at that moment the waitress arrived, carrying a tray with their drinks.
Claudia fell silent and watched her place two short-stemmed glasses of the famous bicerin on the table, followed by two glasses of water.
‘Now I know I’m in Turin.’ Claudia slid her drink towards her, trying to lighten the atmosphere between them. After all, Marco was about to do her a great favour when he spoke to her father’s doctors.
‘We’ll go straight to the hospital when we’re finished here.
’ The tone of Marco’s voice was back to normal and his expression was bland. But it was clear that he did not want to let their conversation return to the previous subject.
Claudia picked up her drink and took a sip, thinking about their approaching visit to the hospital. The bicerin was a Turinese speciality, a sublime creation of rich hot chocolate, espresso and whipped cream, carefully poured in layers into a glass. It was very rich and strong, and she had never tasted anything like it anywhere else.
Suddenly the coffee and chocolate mixture was too rich and strong for her.
‘I’m sorry,’ Claudia said, pushing the scarcely touched drink away from her and taking a sip of the water instead. ‘I already had hot chocolate—I shouldn’t have ordered anything else.’
Marco shrugged. Despite being a speciality of his home town, the bicerin wasn’t to his taste—a double espresso was more his style. He’d been distracted when he’d ordered, thinking about the excellent report his legal team had given him.
Everything was in place now for him to take Vasile down. One phone call to the police was all it would take for Vasile and Francesca to be taken away for good.
But he wanted more than that. He wanted to be there when Vasile’s world fell apart—to let him know that it was he, Marco De Luca, who had totally annihilated him, destroying everything he cared about in the process.
‘Shall we go?’ Marco tossed more than enough euros on to the table to cover their bill.
Claudia nodded and rose to her feet, looking pale and nervous. He realised she really was anxious about visiting her father. A strangely protective feeling ran through him, but he pushed it aside. He would not let her vulnerability blind him to what she was really like. He knew what she’d done in the past. And he knew what she was planning to do any day now—marry a man old enough to be her father, just to get her hands on her trust fund a few years early.
Marco stood up and followed her out of the café.
‘He looked a lot better today,’ Claudia said as she and Marco walked away from the hospital.
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