Giorganni's Proposal

n how anyone else feels. You disgust me.'

She had gone too far. Dex caught her wrist and twisted it around her back, bringing her flush against his hard body. 'Disgust you?' he said, with deadly coldness. 'It wasn't disgust but pure lust you felt in my arms in your bed. And I can prove it,' he grated harshly.

Beth stared at him, her anger dying fast as his grey gaze roamed insolently over her. She saw the hunger in his eyes as his dark head lowered. She raised a hand to ward him off, but he simply hauled her tighter to him, her hand pressed to his chest. Wildly she shook her head. 'Don't!' she gasped.

But Dex merely laughed. 'Why not? I have nothing to lose.' His other hand gently caught her long hair and wrapped it around his wrist. His mouth poised above hers, Dex watched her ruthlessly. 'You've made a fool of me and you're going to pay.'

Beth shivered, her tongue slipping out to moisten sud- denly dry lips. He had her trapped. She moved her head back with a jerk as his mouth ground down on hers and he began kissing her with a savage, urgent passion. She tried to prevent her lips parting in response, her body from arching against his, but desire sharp as a knife flared up inside her, and helplessly she found herself responding.

Her lips moved under his as she kissed him back. She was beyond thinking sensibly any more. His hand stroked down to curve over her bottom and pull her hard against his thighs. A moan escaped her and she trembled at the evidence of his masculine arousal pressed against her soft female mound. She heard his swift intake of breath as her hips moved involuntarily against him, and rejoiced in the knowledge of how she affected him.

When he thrust her away from him she almost fell. A steadying hand on her shoulder kept her upright, but his touch was hard and impersonal.

'We have to go back—I to apologise to your godfather and you to gloat.'

She glanced up at his hard face and knew he was as disgusted with himself as she was.

CHAPTER NINE

Dex held open the car door and gestured for her to get in.

Beth hesitated. Dex was wrong. She had no desire to gloat. Instead she felt an overwhelming sadness for what she had lost.

He mistook her hesitation for fear. 'You have nothing to be afraid of, Beth. I wouldn't deliberately harm a hair of your head. Now get in. I promise I will not drive fast.'

The journey back to the villa was short and completed in absolute silence. Until Dex turned the car into the drive and saw another car parked in front of the entrance.

'Dio!' Dex groaned, and for a second rested his head on the steering wheel.

Beth glanced at him and for a moment felt some sympathy for him, but then she saw again Dex lashing out at the unsuspecting Paul, and she checked herself in time. He did not deserve her sympathy. Opening the door, she jumped out of the car and started towards the house.

Suddenly a woman came flying out, a woman Beth immediately recognised as Dex's sister, and she looked just as excitable as the only other time Beth had seen her. She shot past Beth and yelled at Dex.

Beth looked back in amazement as Dex stood granite-faced while his sister Anna bawled him out. She jumped when a hand fell on her shoulder. Turning around, she looked up into the familiar face of Paul.

'Are you all right, Bethany?' he asked quietly. The beginning of a magnificent black eye was marring his handsome features. 'In the excitement of the past few weeks, I forgot I saw you with Dexter at the casino until he dragged you off today. I was worried about you. Is there something going on between you two I don't know about?'

'No, of course not. I met him with Mike and he offered to show me his new casino—full stop.' Beth couldn't tell Paul the truth. 'And you have no need to worry, I'm fi—' That was as far as she got, before Paul cut across her.

'What the hell did you think you were playing at, Giordanni? Aiming a punch at me I can understand— maybe I deserved it—but dragging off my goddaughter. . .'

Beth spun around to find Dex standing stiffly behind her. One look at his dark face and she knew he had overheard her conversation with Paul. But he looked straight over the top of her head at Paul, his face a grim mask. Anna moved to link her arm through Paul's while smiling rather shamefacedly at Beth.

'Paul,' Dex said curtly, acknowledging the other man's outburst before continuing, 'I thought I was protecting my sister's honour. But nothing I say can possibly excuse my disgraceful actions. I apologise from the bottom of my heart. I should not have lashed out at you. I am deeply sorry and ashamed. I can only beg your forgiveness and hope in time you can forget my appalling behaviour. I have already apologised to my sister, and of course to Bethany.'

Beth slanted a glance at him from beneath her thick lashes. As apologies went it was a sizzler, and there was no mistaking the sincerity in Dex's dark eyes. But she did not remember him apologising to her, she thought mutinously. She was about to say so when Anna held out her hand towards her, and, nudging Paul, said, 'Please introduce me.'

The introductions made, Anna bent to kiss Beth's cheek. By the time the social niceties were completed, they were walking into the drawing room.

Beth hesitated, slightly overawed by the opulence of her surroundings. 'This is a wonderful house.' She turned to Paul. 'Have you rented it or what?' she asked, more for something to say than anything else. There was still tension in the air, undercurrents she did not understand.

'Good heavens, no.' Paul chuckled and led her to a cream silk-covered sofa, one of a pair, placed at either side of a massive marble fireplace. 'Dexter owns the villa, though according to Anna he's rarely here. Anna works and lives in Naples. That's where we met. Anna decided to get married from here because there's more room to accommodate the few close friends who are attending the wedding. At my age, and in the circumstances, a big wedding would be out of place.'

Dex really had been secretive with her, Beth thought. Not once had he mentioned a home in Capri. It only confirmed what she already knew: he didn't give a damn about her. But if she had known it was Dex's villa Paul had invited her to stay in, she would never have come—much as she loved her godfather. She didn't want to be beholden to Dex in any way whatsoever.

Dinner was served in a huge formal dining room, and was fraught to say the least! Beth ached to escape to her room. Revenge was not sweet, she realised, sitting at the table, eating the exquisitely prepared food and waited on by a houseboy wearing white gloves! She might not understand Italian, but it was pretty obvious Anna had not forgiven Dex for assaulting her fiancé.

Paul explained the arrangements for the simple wedding service the next day, but after that it was heavy going. Paul's eye had turned purple, and as far as Beth could gather Dex was being blamed for ruining tomorrow's wedding before it had even taken place.