One hand stroked up to the engorged tip of her breast and once more his mouth descended to it. His teeth bit lightly and she jerked involuntarily; she was lost in a wild sensuous game where only Jake knew the rules. He brought her to the brink of pleasure-pain over and over again as he explored every inch of her with a salacious intimacy she had never known was possible. His mouth once more covered hers, his tongue thrusting in a insinuating rhythm, but still he held back. He broke the kiss and raised his head, his black eyes, molten with desire and something more, fixed on her love-swollen lips.
'How many other men have seen you like this, I wonder...' a hard sheen of sweat glistened on his bronzed skin '... have made you feel like this?'
She stared up into his harsh face, and wondered at the bitterness edging his tone. None... she wanted to tell him, but bit back the word. Then his hand touched her intimately again, sending shock waves crashing through her. 'Please...' She closed her eyes; she didn't care what he thought of her. She could stand it no longer, and her hands stroked down his chest, around his waist, and lower over his taut buttocks. Her questing fingers slid down his inner thighs and closed around the male core of him. 'Please,' she begged again.
'I love to hear you beg, Katy; I need to.' His voice was a deep growl of masculine triumph.
She did not hear her own whimpering cry. She pressed hot kisses on his chest, her white teeth finding the small male nipple and biting in a frenzy of need.
Jake caught her hands and pulled them away from him, and drove into her with a fierce savage thrust.
She felt a brief moment of discomfort, but this was no forced possession—she had begged him to take her.
For a moment he was still, and then slowly he withdrew from her.
'No,' she moaned, and suddenly she was clinging to him as he thrust once again, his massive body taking her in a hard fast rhythm that sent her to a shattering climax in seconds. She felt his shuddering release as he collapsed on top of her, his huge frame moving spasmodically, the tortured sound of their breathing the only sound in the sudden stillness of the room.
Later, although how much later she was incapable of knowing, Jake rolled over on to his back, and with his familiar weight gone the cold reality of her situation hit her.
'You're a devious, cold-blooded, callous swine, and I loathe you.' Her voice echoed in the silence. Was it possible to hate and love someone at the same time? her brain pondered as her eyelids closed.
CHAPTER SEVEN
A long way off a bell was ringing. Katy stirred, half opened her eyes, and closed them again. She was warm and comfortable and content. The ringing had stopped. It can't have been important, she thought, sleepily snuggling closer to the source of heat.
She came alert with an unnatural abruptness, disorientated until her heart slammed against her ribs in shock as she recognised she wasn't alone in the bed. Jake was beside her, his muscular thigh pressed lightly against her side as he sat up. It had been his movement in answering the phone that had fully awakened her.
His deep voice, speaking in rapid-fire Italian, grated on her over-sensitive nerves. Carefully she eased herself away from him in the wide bed. Her face flamed as the events of the night returned to haunt her.
'Sorry about that, Katy.' The sheets rustled as Jake pushed them aside and flung his long legs to the floor. 'But it was an important call. We are going to have to go to Venice this afternoon.'
It was a repeat of the previous morning, with one significant difference. Katy's huge green eyes followed Jake around the room, mesmerised by the glowing perfection of his naked form, only today she didn't have the consolation of knowing nothing had happened; instead the memory of their passionate lovemaking, her abandoned response, made her whole body burn with shame.
Jake, completely unconcerned, was once again rattling off his orders. 'Mrs Charles knows what to pack for me, so you can take care of your own luggage. You won't need much. I can probably get the business sorted out in a day or so.' He withdrew a pair of briefs from a drawer and straightened up, his glance brushing over where she lay. 'Katy, are you listening?' he demanded, his voice terse with impatience.
'How could I avoid it? You're barking out your orders like a general to his troops!' she retorted, stung by his actions. The lover had disappeared and he was all super-efficient businessman. She had no experience of morning-after scenarios with one's lover, but even she could see Jake's attitude would not warrant a one out of ten. She supposed she should be relieved; her own emotions were in such a turmoil that she was in no state to examine them too closely, and Jake's prancing around naked wasn't helping.
Jake paused at the door of the bathroom. Brown eyes caught green and he sent her a rueful smile. 'A general, hmm? I take your point, we'll talk after I've showered. Stay in bed and I'll bring you a coffee.'
Katy pulled herself up into a sitting position. She spied her rumpled nightdress on the floor and it took a matter of moments to leap out of bed, pick it up and put it back on. Her instinct was to run and hide from Jake, and from herself, but something held her back.
She climbed back into bed and lay on her back, her eyes fixed sightlessly on the stark white ceiling. She had been running for years and it had done her no good. She was back where she had started, sharing a bed with Jake, and if she was honest it was where she had always longed to be.
Last night... she moved restlessly beneath the duvet... she had let Jake make love to her, and afterwards she had accused him of being a cold-blooded, callous swine. Had she really said that to him? Yes. But she knew it wasn't true.
There had been nothing cold-blooded about Jake's loving. True, he was a skilful lover, but there had been desire, passion, in his touch as well, and he had been as hopelessly out of control as she had in the final shattering climax. Reliving the previous evening in her mind, she was forced to admit Jake had not been callous, but in a way quite caring.
They had dined under the disapproving eye of Mrs Charles, and Katy had barely spoken two words to Jake, her thoughts full of the night ahead. She'd had no illusions; she had made a deal, and very shortly Jake would expect the first payment. Fear and a tingling excitement had held her equally in their thrall.
They had retired to the lounge for coffee, and watched a documentary on television. Katy couldn't have said what it was about, the tension in the air blocking her ability to concentrate.
Jake had sat in a brooding silence for about half an hour before telling her he had work to do in his study and abruptly leaving the room. She had breathed a sigh of relief, and when the clock had reached midnight she'd been falling asleep where she sat. Finally she had gathered enough courage to walk to the bedroom...
Katy was just beginning to relax under the soothing spray of the shower when she heard the bathroom door open. She jumped out of the shower and grabbed a towel, holding it protectively in front of her.
'Jake, what are you doing?' she squeaked. She knew the answer before she had finished speaking. He had undressed down to his briefs and seemed to fill the bathroom.
'Sharing your shower appeals,' he declared throatily. His brown eyes darkened to black as his gaze swept her virtually naked body.
She stared at him, her legs almost failing her at the fierce predatory look she saw in his eyes. 'No,' she whispered.
'Yes.' One tanned hand stretched out and flicked the towel from her trembling fingers. His eyes followed a trickle of water sliding down between her full breasts. 'You're even more beautiful than I remember,' Jake said under his breath, and his voice hardened as he went on, 'I've waited a long time for this. Last night I played the gentleman for you, but not any more!'
Katy shrank away from him until her back was against the wall and she had nowhere to go. His voice was not the only thing that had hardened, she realised as she dropped her eyes. He was fully, magnificently aroused. 'Get away from me!' she squealed as his hand once more reached towards her. Acting on instinct alone, she knocked his hand away.
'Is this how you inten
d to keep your side of our bargain, Katy?' His eyes leapt with temper. 'You made a deal, you took the money, you pay the price,' he sneered, adding sarcastically, 'You are protected, I take it?'
Her heart pounded, the blood rushed through her veins, and her skin broke out in sweat. God, no, she wasn't. But to admit as much to Jake... How could she explain her almost virginal fear to him? True, they had been lovers once, but it had been a tender loving in the dark and secret. His hands clamped on her shoulders and he dragged her towards him. His mouth captured hers in a fierce, angry kiss. She tried to push him away, her hands beating against his broad muscular chest.
'No, I can't. It will be rape!' she cried.
Jake raised his head, only the pulse beating furiously in his clenched jaw betraying the enormous effort it took to retain his self-control. 'You're not laying that one on me, Katy. I may have forced you to live in my home, and share my bed, but I have never forced a woman to make love, and I am not going to start with you, but God knows you could drive a man to it.'
He glanced down at her breasts, and Katy folded her arms around herself in protection and shame. She knew what he could see: her nipples, taut and aroused.
'You want me as much as I want you; eventually you will admit it,' he drawled contemptuously and, turning, walked into the shower stall.
Katy scuttled out of the bathroom like a scalded cat, threw on her nightgown and stopped. Where did she go from here? she thought frantically.
Jake strolled into the room, clad in a navy towelling robe. Maybe he saw something in her expression because in a remarkably gentle voice he commanded, 'Get into bed, Katy. I won't hurt you.'
She looked up, their glances fused, and somehow Katy felt her anger and fear drain away.
In the harsh light of day, lying in the bed they had so recently shared, Katy was forced to admit he had not hurt her. He had lain down beside her and immediately gone to sleep.
He was clever, or perhaps devious was a better word, she thought wryly. He was an expert lover with a deep knowledge of women. Later, completely relaxed in sleep, she had slowly awakened to the touch of his lips and the heat of his body, and gloried in his lovemaking.
She loved him... she always had, and she could no longer fool herself. Common sense told her she should hate him, but the past, Monica, faded into insignificance against the pleasure she found in Jake's arms. It was what she'd been born for. She had missed the chance to be his wife—he no longer saw her in that capacity. She understood his character better now; he was more Latin than she had realised. When he married it would be to an innocent young woman.
With stark clarity she saw it all. Jake would never marry a woman like Monica; a mistress.. yes. But a wife? No... And now he considered Katy in the same category. She had no one to blame but herself; she had deliberately given him the impression she was an experienced, sophisticated woman.
A bitter smile twisted her love-swollen lips. She was no actress, but she was about to embark on the greatest challenge of her life. She would play the part of mistress to the hilt. She loved him, and she would take anything he had to offer, but he must never know her real feelings. She recalled Mrs le Tour years ago, advising her to walk away with her pride intact. She would again; when Jake tired of her she would leave with her head held high...
The door opened and Jake entered, carrying a tray loaded with coffee and croissants. His black hair was wet from the shower and combed severely back from his handsome face. He had dressed. A grey suit fitted his broad frame to perfection; the white shirt enhanced the golden tan of his strong throat. She swallowed hard. He looked absolutely devastating...
Her eyes followed him as he walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. His added weight depressed the mattress, shifting Katy closer to him. The fresh-smelling masculine scent of him teased her nostrils, and her pulse leapt in a thump of sensual excitement.
'Coffee, as promised, Katy,' and, setting the tray down on the bedside cabinet, he proceeded to fill a large cup with the steaming liquid. His dark eyes flashed a sidelong glance in her direction. 'I decided to pamper you this morning: Continental breakfast in bed.' He handed her the cup.
Katy's hand shook as she took the cup. Their fingers touched, and she almost dropped it, the familiar tingling awareness shooting up her arm. "Thank you,' she murmured, raising her eyes to his.
One dark brow arched knowingly. 'Nervous, Katy? You have no need to be. Much as I would like to leap back into bed with you, we haven't time.'
She gulped a great mouthful of coffee and almost choked. How did he do it—walk into her mind like that... ? 'We, you said,' she prompted, ignoring the implication of the rest.
'Yes, we.' And, handing her a plate with a hot freshly baked croissant on it, he deftly removed her cup from her other hand and replaced it on the tray. 'Eat,' he commanded.
She did as she was told, and the crumbly pastry tasted delicious. Katy had eaten very little last night, but now she felt ravenous.
Jake continued, 'I have to be in Venice by tonight, and you're coming with me. I have family and business interests there. That was my grandmother on the telephone—some problem has arisen at the plant. I'm meeting your father in an hour to sign some documents, so I will explain to him why you can't make it to the office for a few days.
Let me see; it's Thursday today— a day to sort things out at the factory. We'll have to stop for the weekend. Then we'll probably need to rest when we return. A day in bed maybe!' His brown eyes flashed wickedly down at her for a second as his hand carelessly stroked the length of her leg outlined by the fine cotton sheet. 'Yes, I'll tell him Tuesday at the earliest. OK... ?'
Infuriatingly she felt her flesh tremble where his hand had rested on her thigh. Katy fought to crush her involuntary response. Slowly she chewed the last of the croissant, resentment building up inside her with each bite. He hadn't so much as stopped for breath as he'd arrogantly arranged her life. His mocking 'a day in bed' rankled. Was she so transparent?
Her fingers were greasy from the pastry. She looked at Jake. He had the smug, serf-satisfied look of a physically replete male, confidently anticipating further pleasure when it was convenient for him...
'OK?' he repeated, his brown eyes shaded slightly with impatience, awaiting her response.
She looked at him. The arrogant swine had not so much as mentioned last night—not even a peck on the cheek. Why was she disappointed? He had spelt out very clearly the duties of a mistress.
'I said, is that OK?' He drew the word out slowly as though he were talking to a child, and Katy saw red.
'Fine, Jake.' She smiled brilliantly into his dark eyes, and, reaching across him, carefully placed the plate down on the cabinet. She turned and deliberately trailed her greasy fingers straight down the front of his immaculate silver-grey jacket. 'Perfect.' She viewed the long dirty streaks with glee, and, turning limpid green eyes up to his, she reiterated, 'Just perfect.'
Katy chuckled. Jake's expression was comical. He looked down at his jacket, up at Katy, then back to the jacket again. Her chuckle turned to a full-blown laugh. Served him right...
'I don't believe you did that.' The puzzlement in his tone set Katy off laughing harder. 'This is a new Armani suit. You've ruined it.'
'Oh, you poor boy!' she managed to drawl between giggles. 'But then a mistress is a notoriously expensive item, and you have to keep her amused.' She collapsed back down on the bed; she felt guilty about spoiling his suit, but it had been worth it for the look on his face, and it had certainly got his attention.
'You little devil!' Jake roared; it was like a volcano erupting. 'Want a laugh? I'll show you. Laugh!' And, flinging himself across the bed, he trapped her beneath him. 'I seem to remember you are ticklish here, and here.' One hand curved round her side and the other stroked down and around her knee.
'No, no! I'm sorry, truly sorry!' she cried, then laughed.
They rolled around the bed in a hilarious game of catch and tickle. It was as though the years had r
olled back and they were young lovers again. Suddenly the laughter stopped and they stared at each other.
An hour later Jake once again sat down on the edge of the bed, a navy three-piece gracing his magnificent body. His dark eyes roamed lazily over the lovely woman lying there.
Huge seductive green eyes stared back at him. 'You're going to be very late, Jake.'
'And whose fault is that?' Dropping a hard kiss on the softly pouting lips, he stood up. 'Witch.'
Jake had dismissed all her arguments against going to Venice with him, and now, after a smooth flight in, to Katy's amazement, Jake's private plane, which he piloted himself, they were now seated in a motor launch, heading for his grandmother's home.
Katy was sitting on the edge of the seat, incapable of relaxing. It was dark, and the lights of the buildings danced in a multitude of colours on the water, but she was unable to appreciate the beauty of her surroundings. She was too tense, and Jake, lounging in negligent ease beside her, his long legs stuck out in front of him, was not helping at all.
She had dressed carefully for the journey, and she knew she was looking good; the winter white wool suit with the black trim was a Claude original. She had teamed it with a plain black silk blouse and matching black bag and shoes.
She had aimed for a smart conservative look, because she was dreading meeting his relatives. It could only be humiliating for her as her place in Jake's life became apparent to them. In fact she could not understand why Jake would introduce his mistress to his grandmother.
'Where is your grandmother's home, Jake? Are you sure she won't object to my presence? I-----'
'Stop worrying, Katy,' he cut in. 'We aren't going there tonight in any case. We are staying at the Cipriani,' and, putting an arm around her shoulder, he pulled her back in the seat.
Katy turned her puzzled gaze towards him. 'I understood it was an emergency. You were needed urgently.'
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