The Italian's Price

His head came up, his stunning eyes holding hers as he denied ‘I forget nothing, cara mia. If you were your sister I would not be here. I would not be wanting you as I have never wanted any woman.'

His hands slid down to her narrow waist as he eased her closer to make her discover for herself exactly how much he wanted her and ignoring her gasp, he elaborated his voice thickening, ‘stop comparing yourself unfavourably to her. 'You are beautiful in a way she could never be. It comes from within you. She is base metal you are pure gold. Remember that.'

His words filled her head until she felt dizzy. AII of her life people had rated Jilly above her. She didn't think anyone had meant to, but when her sister walked into a room, a flash of bright colour, a stream of animated chatter she dominated the space, all attention fixed on her.

Without a jealous bone in her body, Milly had always accepted her subordinate position as a fact of life that had no hope of changing. But now-now this fantastically charismatic sexy man actually put her first! Something twisted tightly inside her. She trembled violently and coiled her arms around his neck, knowing she had fallen in love with him and not afraid now to recognise that fact. It was a glorious heady feeling and she would never regret it even though she knew he would never feel the same way.

B0th his hands snaked up to the back of her head, his fingers deep in the soft brightness of her silken hair as he bent his mouth to hers, lightly at first, a mere brush of butterfly wings against her quivering lips, and then as those lips parted the pressure increased and his tongue sought and found hers. He felt her body go up in flames as she kissed him back with all the fervour of an addict and he was lost he who never lost himself was drowning in this perfect woman.

He drew back closing his eyes as her body squirmed with wanton eagerness against his and said thickly, ‘I burn for you.'

Her response was a mew of pleasure the exploration of her small hands beneath the shirt that had somehow become unbuttoned. A shudder of driven need raked through him as he lifted her in his arms and strode with her to the bedroom

CHAPTER ELEVEN

THE ARRIVAL OF Room Service woke Milly from the scant two hours of slumber she'd managed' she had fallen asleep with the dawn in Cesare's strong arms.

She knew instantly that she was alone in the wildly rumpled bed and she could see morning sunlight behind her closed eyelids but was reluctant to acknowledge the waiter, to face the day that would surely have Cesare making arrangements for her return to England because without doubt Filomena would not waste time in seeing the back of her.

And much as he might have preferred her to stay on at the villa, available until he decided he wanted to hunt in pastures new he would always bow to his beloved grandmother's wishes. Much as that reminder turned her sick inside she knew a swift departure a clean break and no regrets on her part would be for the best.

The thought of leaving him now was pretty near unendurable. How much worse would it be if she stayed on as his lover for weeks maybe even months? So she would remain in her drowsy state for just a little while longer and blissfully relive every ecstatic moment of the most wonderful night of her life with Cesare, the man who had lodged himself firmly in her heart for all time.

She would never regret a single precious moment of their closeness she vowed as she turned over and buried her face in the pillow and she would never forget him what he meant to her.

She'd been an obvious novice to start with but Cesare had been so patient his tenderness bringing tears to her eyes and making her love for him assume massive proportions. When he'd turned away to use protection it had given her pause as she'd wondered if he'd been that sure of making a conquest.

But that small doubt had vanished like morning mist, blown away by her sensible thought that he was simply being careful. He wouldn't want a pregnancy, though she wouldn't mind having his child. In truth she would welcome his child with all of her being. The difficulties of being a single parent would be as nothing beside the joy of having part of him with her for always.

Then even that thought had been blasted into orbit as he'd turned back to her, parting her thighs and trailing tiny kisses up the quivering length of them until her mind had been blown to pieces as he'd found the secret, damp heart of her femininity.

Her entire body glowed beneath the thin covering as she recalled how, after that first shatteringly magical time she hadn't been able to get enough of him all untutored eagerness that she recalled now with a secret catlike smile, had seemed to drive him wild.

‘Cara. ' A kiss on her naked shoulder had her snaking round to feast her eyes on him her sleep-flushed features wreathed with a smile of loving welcome.

His midnight hair was wet from the shower, his bronzed skin spangled with water droplets and his only covering was a towel hooked around his lean hips.

Her eyes limpid with adoration, Milly raised her arms to him, marvelling at the way daylight did nothing to dispel the intoxicating intimacy of the night hours as the sheet fell away to reveal breasts that were tight and swollen, aching for his touch.

Dark colour banded his sculpted cheekbones as he sank down on the bed beside her took her hands and muttered raggedly, 'You are an invitation that's hard to resist! However ' he released her hands and reached to the night table handing her a bowl-like cup of coffee and announced prosaically, ‘I need to head back to the villa, speak with my PA and call a meeting of all heads of department in New York for next week.'

Instead of offering her hot coffee he might just as well have doused her with icy water, Milly mourned regretful that something that had been so wonderful for her was for him obviously an interlude that could be so easily blanked out his world-spanning business empire uppermost in his mind, everything back to normal. The earth-shattering intimacies of the night were forgotten in the light of day with a single-minded masculine drive to get on with the important things of his life.

Was that what happened after a one night stand? With her free hand she tugged the sheet up to conceal her nakedness. How was she to know? She had never played that game before and didn't know the rules. At least she had more pride than to whine and cling, and aback to normal' raised a knotty problem.

Avoiding his stunning eyes because they always robbed her of her dwindling reserves of common sense, she asked, 'What do I tell Filomena? She'll be so upset to know she's been the victim of a con-trick. I don't want to go on deceiving her-l've felt truly bad about it.' Distress flooded her voice.

‘But I will, just for a week or two, if you think we should keep the truth from her until she's properly well again.' She raised her eyes at last. 'What do you think'?'

‘I think. . . ' he said slowly, lush ebony lashes not hiding the warm golden gleam in the eyes that could reduce her to a quivering state of absolute longing in the space of a single millisecond. A smile played now on his beautiful sensual mouth. ‘I think that we should tell her that you are to be my wife.'

In a state of deep shock, her soft mouth fell open and her skin crawled with

hot colour. ‘Be serious ' she demanded unsteadily. As a joke it wasn't funny', it wasn't funny at aII!

In reply Cesare took the untouched coffee from her nerveless fingers, replaced it beside his on the night table then took her hands in his. ‘I have never been more serious in my entire life amole ' he vowed softly, lifting her hands his lips grazing her knuckles. ‘I want you. Your exquisite body, your gentle heart. I want it all-the whole package. To be able to care for you, protect you, adore you, cherish you and spoil you. To be your husband to give you my children.'

Her eyes widening, Milly shook her head slightly. Was she dreaming? How could the most wonderful man in the whole world want her to be his wife? She put out an unsteady hand to touch his face her fingers trailing over one high proud cheekbone the hollow beneath the corner of his so sexy mouth trying to convince herself that this was real and not some fantasy born of her overwhelming love for him.