An Invitation to Sin

‘One of the advantages of being engaged to the head of a fashion house is that clothes aren’t a problem.’ He sent a quick message on his phone. ‘If we’re going to be seen together, you might as well showcase something from Corretti.’

‘So now you’re using me for free publicity?’

‘Of course I’m using you. That’s what this is all about. I’m using you. You’re using me.’

Of course I’m using you.

Taylor ignored the uneasy feeling in her stomach. She told herself this was different. Yes, she’d been used before but Luca was right—this time she was using him too.

And that made this different from all the times people had used her before.

CHAPTER FIVE

LUCA DREW UP in a no-parking zone in front of the pretty waterside restaurant.

‘You can’t park here.’ Taylor turned her head, the sun glinting on her sleek, shiny hair. She’d twisted it skilfully into an elaborate confection on the back of her head and fastened it with a jewelled pin that made her look very much the movie star. ‘It says no parking.’

‘Do you always obey rules?’ The artist in Luca admired the perfect lines of her jaw and cheekbones, those beautiful cat-like eyes and the hint of a pout on that kissable mouth. ‘That dress looks good on you.’

‘I know. That’s why I picked it.’ Her cool, confident response threw him.

Raised by a woman who had needed constant reassurance and working in an industry defined by its dedication to narcissism, he was conditioned to offer praise and reassurance. These days it fell from his lips unprompted, but Taylor appeared to have no need for his approval. Presented with a choice of dresses, she’d selected one instantly, without hesitation or consultation. The only help she’d needed from him was fastening the zip.

‘Of course you’d look better out of that dress.’

‘I try not to trigger horrible headlines.’

‘Really? I try and trigger horrible headlines on a daily basis. If I don’t read at least one bad thing about myself every day I take a long look at my behaviour and try harder to be shocking.’

Her response to that was to roll her eyes but he could see she was holding back laughter and he hid his own smile because he didn’t want her to know she made him laugh.

She held everything back, he thought, remembering the way she’d tried to resist the explosive chemistry in the maze. Always up for a challenge, he wondered how hard he’d have to push before that control cracked.

She glanced towards the restaurant. ‘Isn’t this place a bit obvious? I would have chosen somewhere more discreet. That would have been my normal behaviour.’

‘But not mine, dolcezza.’ He flipped her chin gently with the tip of his finger. ‘You’re with me and I refuse to slink around like a criminal. You’re living by my list now and your idea of forbidden is my idea of compulsory. Get used to it.’

‘If we’re a couple then my list is as important and valid as yours.’

‘Not if it contains things like “don’t speed” and “never park in a no-parking zone.” The idea of marriage isn’t to die of boredom.’ Reaching across, he unfastened her seat belt, the backs of his fingers brushing against the softness of her breasts as he released the strap. The punch of desire was so powerful he sucked in a breath at the exact moment Taylor flattened herself to the seat.

‘Hey, don’t push your luck.’

‘We’re engaged. That means my luck ran out a long time ago. And what is the point of an engagement if you can’t touch? Or is it simply to leave an enormous hole in a guy’s bank account and set one lucky jeweller up for early retirement?’ Gripped by a flash of instantaneous lust, Luca found himself looking at her mouth and that mouth was so smooth, so feminine, it seemed like a terrible waste not to just go ahead and kiss it. Never one to deny himself, he did just that.

Fire and flame licked around the edges of his nerve endings. Within seconds he was rock hard. What had started as exploration shifted to something so primal and basic that he forgot everything except the urge to strip her naked and get his hands on her glorious body. He wanted to drive into her and watch all those restrictions she placed on herself unravel.

His tongue was in her mouth, tangling with hers, when she shoved at his chest.

‘This is an engagement, not a one-night stand. You don’t have to cram the entire relationship into six hours.’ She was out of the car so quickly she almost stumbled and Luca stared after her for a moment, his mind temporarily wiped. She was as jumpy as a kangaroo on a trampoline and yet she was the one who had lectured him on playing his part properly. How the hell was he expected to play his part when she was running away from him? He didn’t claim to be an expert on being engaged but was willing to bet sprinting in the opposite direction during a kiss counted as less than convincing behaviour.