‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Charlotte said, clearing her throat. This was just another ploy to try and get what he wanted, whatever the cost! She pushed herself up and looked at her watch. ‘When would you like to next visit Gina?’
‘You still haven’t told me what you intend to do about the boyfriend.’
‘I’ll obviously think about what you’ve asked, Riccardo, but I won’t be turning my life upside down just to suit you. You might sneer at Ben because he’s not like you, but you might also want to stop and think that he’s exactly what I need. And want!’ she added belatedly. She folded her arms and backed towards the kitchen door, bumping into the doorframe as Riccardo took a step towards her. She dearly hoped that the madness swirling around inside her wasn’t reflected on her face.
‘Hmm. Interesting,’ Riccardo drawled. One step closer. ‘Because you don’t look all that convinced of what you’re saying.’
‘I mean…’ now he was standing right in front of her, trapping her with her back pressed hard against the wall ‘…your colour’s all up.’
‘What can you expect?’ Charlotte said wildly. ‘I mean, you sit there asking all sorts of impossible things!’
‘Making all sorts of impossible allusions,’ Riccardo agreed on a husky note. ‘Daring to suggest that we can still do things to each other…’ He reached out and feathered a finger along her cheek. To Charlotte, it was like being brushed by a flame. She twisted her head away but her heart was pounding and her body…Her body was on fire, alive with a whirlwind of responses that she hadn’t felt for anyone since him!
She breathed in deeply, nostrils flaring, made herself remember the crucial footnote to his behaviour which was that he was using her to get what he desperately wanted. He wasn’t attracted to her!
‘I’ll call you, Riccardo.’
‘Not good enough, I’m afraid. You’re trembling. Why? Does the boyfriend make you tremble like this? Do you know that I can breathe you in? I remember the smell—of Italy and summer and your skin.’
‘Don’t!’ It had meant to sound like a forceful command. Instead it sounded like a plea. She placed one hand squarely on his chest, which was a bit of a tactical error, because instantly she was flooded with memories of how he looked bare-backed, his muscles tightly packed.
‘Why not? Scared?’
‘You can’t just come in here and do whatever you want.’
‘No, but I am happy to do whatever you want.’ And she wanted him. Riccardo could feel it. He was also achingly aware of how much he wanted her. Quite honestly, he had felt the pull the minute he had clapped eyes on her. He wondered now if he had ever really stopped wanting her. Yes he had turned away, because at the time he’d been convinced that a serious relationship was not what he wanted, least of all with a kid who had lied to him about his age, but he had never sought to replace her, had he? He should have forgotten about her, moved on to have a stable relationship with someone; Lord knew it was what his mother had spent years clamouring for. But he hadn’t. Instead, he had littered his life with a series of pointless bimbos. Now, here, breathing this woman in, he felt at ease with himself.
He leaned down, brushed her lips with his, and she tried to wriggle free but not with any conviction.
This was madness! She wanted to pull him to her and sink herself into his kiss. Instead, she pushed him away and found that she was panting as he straightened up and looked down at her.
‘Tomorrow,’ Riccardo said.