Inwardly he cursed. The idea behind bringing her to his villa was to be somewhere the ghost of her brother’s memory couldn’t reach. Whatever had happened last night wasn’t about Seb—or the car. It was about them and the hot lust which zipped between them from just one look. After last night the temperature of that lust had risen instead of cooling, as he’d thought it would have done.
‘Benvenuti Villa Dell Angelo.’ Pushing his doubts and thoughts of Seb aside, he pulled off the road and into the driveway of his villa, perched on the hillside. Beyond it, Lake Garda glittered like a thousand jewels in the midday sun. This was his new place of sanctuary and Charlie was the first woman he’d ever brought here.
‘It’s beautiful.’ Her soft gasp of pleasure did untold things to his body and he tried to keep his mind on the here and now instead of roaming back to last night or fast forwarding to the pleasures that would await him as darkness fell once more.
‘Sì, grazie.’ He stopped the car, turned off the engine and looked across at her. ‘But not as beautiful as you.’
She blushed and dropped her gaze, amazing him that a woman who had been so bold in the bedroom just hours ago could be so shy from his compliment. That boldness did, however, salve his conscience and ease the guilt he felt at breaking his promise. Whilst it was true he had needed little invitation last night, she had instigated it, even warning him she didn’t do for ever. She’d wanted last night as much as he had, despite the innocent blushes which now coloured her cheeks.
He got out of the car before he gave in to the temptation to kiss her again. ‘I have arranged for lunch on the terrace, then we will drive down to the local town of Desenzano for the afternoon, maybe take a ferry across the lake.’ If he didn’t take her out he knew they would spend the whole afternoon in bed and, whilst the sex was amazing, he wanted to know her better. That thought shocked him and he frowned as he watched her taking in the view. She was beginning to get to him, tear down his wall of protection.
‘Sounds lovely.’ Her heels tapped out a gentle beat as she walked towards the terrace, the warm wind pressing her white sundress against her body, making him draw in a sharp breath as he fought for control. He’d never been this affected by a woman before, not even the woman he’d married, foolishly believing he loved her.
‘I’m glad you approve,’ he said with a smile as he watched her walk and pushed the memories from the past to the back of his mind where they belonged.
* * *
Charlie couldn’t help but stop as they rounded the corner of the ornate villa. A large infinity pool stretched away, blending with the views of the lake far below, becoming one with it. Under the shade of trees, a table was laid out for lunch, looking so luxurious she felt as if she’d stepped into another world. This was on another level to the glamour her career had showed her so far. It was pure indulgence.
‘If we take a ferry maybe we should do a little exploring before returning to dine in Desenzano.’ He gestured her to sit and then took his seat opposite her. Beyond him the view seduced her almost as much as the man himself and she tried hard to keep her mind focused on the here and now, instead of allowing it to drift towards thoughts of what their time together would bring.
‘And then?’ What was the matter with her? Why did she need to act the seductress still? Because that’s what you were last night and that’s what he’s expecting. The reprimand shot swiftly through her mind. She had been brazen, but they’d both agreed this was just an affair, a short dalliance. Right now she might be someone she’d never been before, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy it. Once it was over and the launch complete she would return to her life in England and try to move on.
He raised his brows, leant back in his chair and smiled—a slow lazy smile that was so sexy she almost couldn’t breathe—but his next words made that breath catch in her throat. ‘Then we spend the night making love.’
His bluntness shocked her, but she smiled teasingly back at him, enjoying the freedom to be different from normal. It was as if he’d unlocked a new and completely unexpected version of herself, one that lived a carefree and happy existence. ‘Promises, promises.’
‘All night, cara, you will be mine, that I do promise, but first we eat.’ He watched her with a steadfast gaze that dissolved the few remaining doubts which lingered in her mind. He wanted her, she wanted him. Was it so wrong to put aside everything else and enjoy the mutual attraction until it fizzled out?
It was wrong. It went against everything she believed in. She didn’t do affairs and certainly didn’t want a relationship with anyone and definitely not with Alessandro, but the connection between them was impossible to ignore. For the first time in her life she was throwing caution to the wind, almost seeing it being snatched away to float above the blue waters of the lake.
She picked up her glass of wine and lifted it to him. ‘To tonight,’ she toasted, enjoying the smile that tugged at his lips and the hum of anticipation that warmed her body.
‘Salute!’ He raised his glass to her and she watched his eyes become as black as midnight, the desire-laden and smouldering look on his face making her heart constrict and her body heat.
* * *
The ferry from Desenzano to Sirmione offered a cool breeze which was a welcome relief from the heat of the afternoon. Charlie, feeling like a child, wanted to sit at the front of the paddle steamer to gain a prime view of the lake and surrounding countryside and Alessandro seemed happy to indulge her. He made her feel special and cherished with his attention.
Passengers chatted and laughed all around them but still she felt as if she were in a bubble, just the two of them, wrapped up in the attraction which sizzled stronger than ever between them. He put his arm around her as they sat, pulling her close, and the moment took on a magical quality, as if they were in love and not just lovers.
In love.
The words rang in her mind. It couldn’t be possible to be in love so soon. She was just being seduced by the sunshine, the luxury of this life she’d stepped into, but most of all by the man himself. Love didn’t just happen. It grew and flourished within a happy relationship and this wasn’t a relationship. It was an affair.
‘I suppose this is a regular trip for you.’ She tried to quell the unease of her emotions and distract her thoughts. She was probably just one of many. A man like Alessandro would never be short of female company.
‘I bought the villa a year ago but have been too busy with the car to use it.’ He looked ahead of them, the wind playing in his hair, his eyes hidden by dark glasses, then suddenly he turned to look at her. She saw herself reflected in his sunglasses and hated that she couldn’t see the expression in his eyes.
‘Did Seb ever come here?’ The light question made his mouth set in a firm line and she wondered what she’d said wrong.
‘No. It’s why I brought you here. I wanted it to be just the two of us. No memories. There will be enough of those when we return to Milan.’ His voice was hard and the clipped edge to it warned her off further questions.
He had at least confirmed one thing. This was still nothing more than a weekend affair. Once they were back in Milan it would be over and just a few days after she would leave for England and the life she needed to get back together. A brief affair was all she’d wanted, so why did it hurt to know she could so easily be dispensed with?
‘I’m glad you brought me here. It has been a hard year and right now I feel I have a reprieve from thinking about Seb and the accident,’ she said honestly. Certain aspects of her time in Italy had been painful. ‘It’s time to put the past behind me.’
The sound of the ferry’s motor as it manoeuvred towards the shore halted further conversation, something she was grateful for. She didn’t want to admit to him he’d been right, that being at the launch was not just what Seb had wanted but what she’d wanted.
She looked ah
ead of her as the ferry docked with a bump. The medieval castle dominating the town of Sirmione as it rose up from the blue waters of the lake unleashed a childlike need to explore. She pushed aside all other thoughts, determined to enjoy the day and Alessandro’s company. ‘I can’t believe you’ve never been here or done this,’ she said as she stood up, trying to lighten the mood.
‘No, but now I will share the experience with you.’ The smile on his lips almost melted her heart; it was far hotter than the sun. As the holiday-makers scurried off the ferry he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. The passion in that kiss must have been obvious to anyone who saw them, but she didn’t care. All she wanted was to lose herself in his desire, to enjoy the short time they would have together before reality intervened.
‘Sandro,’ she murmured against his lips as her eyes fluttered open.
‘We need to go now.’ His voice was gravelly. He lifted his sunglasses onto his head and looked into her eyes, leaving her in no doubt as to why they had to go.
He took her hand and led her off the ferry. A knowing smile from a crew member was cast their way, making her blush again. Could everyone tell how much they wanted one another?
‘The castle is the place to see,’ he said as they walked alongside the walled moat of the impressive building. Swans moved gracefully over the rippling water and she wished she could be as free as them. Free to let go and love, to pair for life. But she couldn’t, and certainly not with Sandro. She’d set the boundaries and he’d set the time limit. They would be lovers—for the weekend only.
Swept along with the tourists, they walked over the long bridge towards the impressive arched entrance and into the courtyard of the castle, its thick and high walls offering respite from the sun. He pulled her close, his arm around her waist, and she shivered, but not from being in the shade.
She feigned an interest in the history which oozed from the walls, desperate not to look at him or show just how much she wanted him. With his arm around her, they walked slowly over the cobbled courtyard and towards the steps up to the wall. As they reached the top, applause and cheers caught her attention and she turned to look back down into the courtyard, where a radiant bride posed with her new husband for photographs.
‘Wouldn’t it be fantastic to be married here?’ She said the words aloud, without thinking how they would sound to him.
‘If you find the right partner, yes.’ His brittle words snagged her attention but she didn’t look at him; instead she kept her attention on the happy scene playing out below them—a scene she’d always secretly hankered after. That was until her mother had destroyed all faith in fairy tales and happy ever afters.
‘Sorry.’ She was. A moment ago they’d been happy—smiling, laughing and kissing like lovers without a care in the world—and now she’d said the wrong thing.
‘You have nothing to be sorry about, cara. Mine was a marriage that should never have happened. We were too young and wanted such different things.’ She glanced at him to see that he too was watching the happy couple, his face set in hard lines of repressed anger.
‘Love can deceive all of us,’ she said and leant against the railings, preferring to look at him instead of the bride and groom.
‘It wasn’t love.’ He snapped the words out and looked down at her. ‘It was deception.’
‘Deception?’
‘We had known each other since childhood,’ he began, keeping his attention focused on the events unfolding in the castle courtyard. ‘It stood the test of time when I moved to Milan. Marriage seemed the normal progression and very much expected by our families.’
‘So what went wrong?’ She asked the question quietly, sensing his simmering anger.
‘It wasn’t me she really wanted, but the lifestyle she thought I could give her. What she hadn’t accounted for in her scheming was that I would be putting every last cent back into my uncle’s business. She soon tired of my frugal ways and found a man who could give her what she wanted.’
Charlie touched his arm, compelled to reach out, and he turned quickly to look at her, his eyes hard and glacial. She understood his feelings of betrayal. They almost mirrored hers.
For a moment he was silent, looking at her with unguarded curiosity. She held his gaze, trapped by the intensity of it.
‘Seb told me you were once engaged.’ Her heart plummeted but she smiled up at him, keeping her expression emotionless.
‘Yes and, like you, we were too young. I was also far too naïve.’ The sudden need to talk about something she’d hidden away surprised her. Was it his honesty that had triggered it? Whatever was happening between them, she was conscious of the earlier buoyant mood deflating as vulnerabilities were exposed. ‘Let’s not talk about it now; let’s just enjoy our time together.’
‘That is why you don’t do for ever? Your heart has been broken?’ He ignored her attempt to change the subject and lifted her chin with his fingers, brushing a kiss on her lips, sending her already distracted body into overdrive.
‘I’d much prefer a wildly passionate affair,’ she lied and moved closer to him, pressing her lips against his. A broken heart was only part of it and for the first time she realised what was really holding her back. What if she had the same capability to leave as her mother had?
‘My sentiments exactly.’ He deepened the kiss and she was vaguely aware of people passing them on the walkway and the wedding celebrations below moving away.
‘Come on, let’s explore.’ Finally she pulled away from him, a teasing note in her voice. A little bit of distance between them was needed. Her heart was pounding and imagining all sorts of happy-ever-after scenarios with him.
‘We shall go back a much faster way,’ he said as they emerged from the castle, his voice full of laughter but the intent in his words clear. ‘I’ve arranged for a private trip back; that way I can kiss you without feeling the world is watching.’
Excitement fizzed inside her at the thought of being alone with him but, as they stepped into the small speedboat waiting within the moat of the castle, the reality was very different. It was compact, forcing them close together, but it also meant they were very near to the driver.
Heat from Sandro seeped into her as she sat next to him. The boat made its way under the small castle bridges which reminded her of Venice, out of the medieval port and onto the lake. Soon they were speeding across the water and quickly she knotted her hair into a ponytail as they rushed back towards the small town of Desenzano. Alessandro pulled her tight against him and she closed her eyes, relishing the rush of air past her as the boat sped along and the feel of his strength. This was like a dream, so romantic and loving it would be easy to get carried away.
‘I have a table booked at the best lakeside restaurant,’ Alessandro said as the powerboat slowed and pulled alongside the quay. Flags flapped erratically in the wind and she grabbed her hair again with one hand to stop it from blowing all over her face as he took the other and helped her from the boat.
Time was passing too quickly. It hardly seemed possible they’d been together all day, but already the sun was slipping lower in the sky. Once dinner was over they would go back to his villa, a thought which sent shivers of anticipation zipping rapidly through her.
* * *
All through dinner Alessandro had fought the urge to take her back to his villa. The tension had mounted rapidly, almost to boiling point. She felt it too, of that he was sure, and, as she’d sipped her coffee, her eyes became as dark as moss, suggestion in their depths as to what the night would bring.
They were kindred spirits, both healing from failed relationships, both wanting only the here and now. But, as they made their way back to his car, he imagined what it would be like to be with Charlie every day, to spend weekend after weekend like this.
Such thoughts had to be stamped out. She didn’t do for ever, she’d made tha
t perfectly clear, and the promise he’d made Seb to look after her as if she were his sister loomed over him, mocking him as his desire for the one woman he couldn’t have raged ever stronger.
Now he powered the car along the road, the setting sun casting an orange glow all around them. He’d enjoyed his day with her but he knew he would enjoy the night much more. Here in his villa he was free to let go and love her. No promises hung over him, taunting him with guilt at what he was doing. Hurt from the past couldn’t reach him any more and for just one more night she was his.
He sensed her watching him and glanced over at her. Did she guess at his eagerness to get her home?
‘We have all night, Sandro.’ She smiled lightly but the passion in her eyes told a very different story, as did the sexy purr when she said his name.
Would it be enough? he asked himself as he turned into the driveway of the villa, the last glimmer of the sun slipping beneath the horizon before them. Sunrise would mean their last day. They could only be lovers for the weekend. A weekend that was drawing rapidly to a close.
‘Ma per amare una donna...’ He tried hard to bring English to the fore as images of them together made his pulse race. Finally he managed to. ‘But to love a woman like you I need more than one night.’
She reached up and touched his face, her fingertips snagging over his light growth of stubble. ‘We only have tonight, Sandro. This can never be anything more. We don’t belong together.’
Reminded of her earlier warning, he caught her hand and kissed her palm. ‘Tonight only, but it will be one you will remember for ever.’
CHAPTER NINE
IF THAT FIRST morning waking in Alessandro’s bed had been amazing, this morning was delicious. Charlie luxuriated against the warmth of his body like a kitten, content and sleepy. She lingered on the edge of sleep a moment longer, her back against his chest and his arms possessively keeping her close.
Craving Her Enemy's Touch Page 11