He stretched out, the long, powerful length of him at ease, but his hooded eyes were watchful on her. ‘You know it’s true,’ he drawled. ‘You proved it on one memorable occasion when you gave me the relief I craved, but afterwards I felt guilty, less of a man because I could not do the same for you at the time. But now there are no such restrictions and, if the other night is anything to go by, you are desperate. You obviously want me as badly as I want you.’
Kelly clenched her teeth and slammed her cup down on the table. She would not rise to his bait, she vowed, and counted to ten under her breath.
‘No denial. Very sensible,’ Gianfranco prompted, and at that she did swing back to face him.
‘I suppose you are now going to try and tell me you loved me all along and not Olivia?’ she sneered.
His mouth twisted in a mockery of a smile. ‘No, I am not. You never trusted me before. Why should now be any different? As for love—it does not come into it.’ His expression hardened. ‘The first time we made love or had sex…whatever, you drove me crazy, and you still do. This time we will share a bed, and we will enjoy each other until such time as the passion fades. It will be fun with no consequences.’
He laughed without humour, his dark eyes sardonically appraising her stiffly held figure in the childish white nightgown, her long hair falling down her back in a tumbling mass. ‘You may look like an innocent but we both know you are an experienced lady now. How many have there been besides Tom?’
Kelly’s hands clenched into fists, anger rising like a tidal wave. ‘Why, you…’
‘No, don’t answer that.’ He held up a large hand. ‘We will not talk of the past—it is enough Tom is dead,’ he reminded her brutally. ‘And you and I are very much alive.’
Her eyes met his and she flinched at the implacable intent she saw in them. ‘You can’t be serious.’
‘Never more so, mia cara.’ Gianfranco’s mocking voice echoed in the tense silence. He swung his long legs off the bed and stood up, totally unconcerned at his nudity.
It wasn’t fair, Kelly thought helplessly, that the sight of his naked body could arouse her, and she was shamed at her weakness. She didn’t hesitate. She ran for the bathroom and locked the door behind her, her heart pounding like a jackhammer in her breast.
It was half an hour later before she ventured out of the bathroom; showered and wearing a white towelling robe, she peered anxiously around the bedroom, but it was empty. In a matter of minutes Kelly was dressed in a blue cotton summer dress, and with sandals on her feet went looking for her daughter.
The sight that met her eyes as she descended the stairs brought a reluctant smile to her lips. Gianfranco was on all fours and Annalou was straddling his back, her tiny hands knotted in his hair, yelling, ‘Faster, faster, Daddy.’
As Kelly reached the bottom step Gianfranco stopped at her feet and lifted his head. ‘Get her off me before she tears every hair from my head. I’m begging you on my knees.’
He quite literally was, and Kelly laughed and lifted Annalou off her father’s back and onto her feet. ‘What’s all this about?’ She tried to sound serious but the light in her eyes gave her away.
‘Daddy said he would buy me a pony, and I was practising. He is going to take me riding some time.’
It was obvious Annalou was completely at ease with her daddy and her new home. Kelly bent down and gave her a quick hug, and, straightening up, wistfully wished she could feel as comfortable in Gianfranco’s presence. He had risen to his feet, and, casually dressed in cream cotton trousers and a white shirt, he took her breath away.
‘I promised to take Annalou out for the day to buy her a pony.’
‘What? A pony?’ Kelly said, pulling her thoughts back from the wayward track they were heading. ‘To ride, you mean?’
Gianfranco’s grin slashed across his face. ‘Yes, a pony and yes, to ride,’ he said blandly. ‘You had better come with us, to make sure you approve of the purchase. I thought we could make a day of it and have lunch in Verona. Perhaps buy some summer clothes for you both.’
‘Please, Mummy, yes.’ Annalou pulled at her skirt.
Kelly cast a fulminating look at Gianfranco. So their clothes were not good enough and he was going to spoil the child rotten. But her voice was steady as she said, ‘If you can spare the time that would be nice.’ She wasn’t going to argue in front of Annalou.
Taking Kelly by the arm, he said softly, ‘I have a lot of time to make up, and we both know why.’
His lean, elegant fingers, lightly restraining her arm, heated her skin. The threat inherent in his comment silenced Kelly. A narrowed glance up into his darkly handsome face told her she had no choice, and, grasping Annalou with her free hand, she allowed herself to be ushered out of the house.
He took them to stables on the outskirts of Verona. And to Kelly’s amazement the owner actually had a tiny Shetland pony. Annalou was delighted, but took a fit of the sulks when her father explained the pony could not go with them, but had to be transported later by horsebox. The little girl soon brightened when they arrived in Verona. After buying a host of toys and clothes, Gianfranco suggested a drive to Lake Garda and the hunting lodge, with its small private beach.
Kelly’s mouth went dry as he took off his shirt and sat down beside her, his eyes fixed on Annalou paddling around in the shallows. Kelly looked away from his bronzed torso rippling with muscle and swallowed hard. It brought back the disturbing memory of the last time she’d been here with Gianni, when she’d been innocent and in love. Sure she’d been loved in return, she had felt free to touch him, caress him.
Suddenly she was blinded by tears, and was thankful for the sunglasses that hid her eyes. Kelly blinked and stared sightlessly out over the lake, hating to admit it, but knowing it was true: whether he was commoner or count, betrayer or betrayed by her desertion, she still felt the same. She ached for him with the same agony of need, the same hunger, and the same love…
They had been married and lived together for six short months and slept together for little more than one. Perhaps this time it would be better—at least there was no Olivia…
Alarmed at where her thoughts were leading her—straight back into his bed—she said quickly, ‘Time to go; it’s getting late, and Annalou has had enough excitement for one day.’
Gianfranco nodded his head, and she saw the amusement lurking in his dark eyes. As though he had read her mind and understood exactly how she felt.