Forgiven but Not Forgotten?

He knew Siena had seen the beautician, and inevitably his mind wandered to the parts of her body that would be sleek, smooth. He hadn’t noticed any discernible physical difference but then, he reminded himself cynically, it was hard to improve on perfection. And even as she was now, asleep on a couch in jeans and a T-shirt, she was perfection.

Andreas saw her hands now and bent down. They looked softer already, and he could see that her bitten nails had been cleaned up, but they had been filed very short. He felt that constriction in his chest again at noticing that.

And then suddenly she was awake, looking up at him with those huge startling blue eyes. For a moment something crackled between them, alive and powerful. And then he saw Siena register where she was and with whom. The way she grew tense and her eyes became wary. He straightened up.

Siena struggled to a sitting position, more than discomfited to find Andreas watching her so coolly while she slept. ‘What time is it?’ Her voice felt scratchy.

He flicked a glance at his watch. ‘After midnight.’

Siena stood up and only realised then how close she was to Andreas, and how tall he was when she was in bare feet. ‘I should go to bed.’

‘Yes,’ he observed. ‘You seem to be extremely tired. It must have been all that pampering and choosing dresses today.’

Siena was about to protest at the unfairness of his attack, and inform him of just how hard she had been working, but the words died in her throat. He was too close all of a sudden, those dark navy eyes looking at her and reminding her of another time when they’d stood so close and she’d breathed, ‘Andreas…’

She moved back suddenly, but forgot about the couch behind her and felt herself falling back. With the reflexes of a panther Andreas reached out and circled her waist with his hands, hauling her against him.

The breath whooshed out of Siena’s mouth. Her hands were on his chest and he felt hot to the touch even through his shirt. ‘What…’ Her mouth went dry at the thought that he might kiss her. ‘What are you doing?’

‘What I’m doing, Siena, is…’ He stopped and the moment stretched between them.

Siena fancied she could hear both their hearts beating in unison. In that moment she wanted him with a sudden fierce longing deep in her abdomen. She was mesmerised by his mouth. She wanted him to kiss her. And that knowledge burned inside her…

‘…letting you go to bed.’

CHAPTER FIVE

ANDREAS HAD PUT Siena away from him before she’d realised what he was doing and instantly she felt foolish. She blushed and he raised a brow.

‘That really is some skill—to be able to blush at will. But you forget that it’s wasted on me, Siena. I’m a sure thing. You don’t have to pretend with me.’

Siena’s betraying flush increased—with anger now. ‘That’s good to know. I won’t waste my energy, then.’

She whirled around to leave but was caught when Andreas reached out to take her hand. Electricity shot up her arm. She looked back warily.

‘Actually, I have something for you. Come with me.’

Curious, Siena followed Andreas into his huge dimly lit study. It was a beautiful room, very masculine, with floor-to-ceiling shelves that heaved with books. He had the latest high-spec computers and printers.

He’d gone to a picture in the corner and pulled it out from the wall to reveal that it hid a safe. He entered the combination and pulled out a long velvet box. He came over and opened it, so that Siena could see that it was a stunningly simple yet obviously very expensive diamond bracelet.

Her heart thumped once, hard, and she felt a little sick. Andreas was taking it out and reaching for her wrist so that he could put it on. He said coolly, ‘You’ve been here for one night already. I don’t see why I can’t reward you.’

Feeling very prickly, and not liking the way the cool platinum and stones sat against her pale wrist, winking brilliantly, Siena said acerbically, ‘You don’t have to reward me as if I’m a child, Andreas.’

He dropped her wrist and looked at her, his eyes turning dark. ‘I know you’re not a child, Siena. I’m rewarding you because you asked me to. Tomorrow evening we are going to a charity function in town…tonight will be the last night you sleep alone.’

Trepidation and fear were immediate. The thought of being seen and recognised, having people point and whisper about the disgraced DePieros… But Siena wouldn’t let Andreas see how much it terrified her, or let him see how even more terrifying she found the thought that this time tomorrow night she would be in his bed…

Siena backed away. ‘I can’t wait.’

She’d almost got to the door when Andreas called her name again. She took a deep breath and turned around.

‘I’ve arranged for one of London’s top jewellers to come to the apartment tomorrow morning.’ His jaw tightened. ‘You can choose a selection of jewels to your hard little heart’s content.’

Siena said nothing. She suddenly looked starkly pale and whirled around, walking quickly out of the room. Andreas watched her go and had to relax his hands because they’d clenched to fists. Once again he wasn’t sure what kind of reaction he’d expected, but it hadn’t been that.

He had to take a deep breath, and he wondered why he