‘I’m making perfect sense. Is your passport in your handbag?’
‘Yes, but—Alessio, you just said you were going to marry me!’
‘I am going to marry you. But first I want to get you back to Rome.’ His tone raw, he sank his long fingers into his glossy dark hair in a gesture of frustration. ‘I can’t protect you here.’
Her legs failing to hold her, Lindsay plopped back onto the bed. ‘You can’t be serious—’
‘It’s just too exposed. I own a villa outside Rome. I’m taking you there.’
‘No, I mean—about marrying me.’ She gave a disbelieving laugh and tried to sort out her muddled head. ‘What is this? A sudden rush of chivalry? You think because our affair is all over the newspapers, you have to marry me?’
‘It has nothing to do with the newspapers.’ He crossed the room and hauled her to her feet again. ‘You’re going to marry me because I want you with me. Always.’
‘Alessio—’
‘Have you any idea what the last two weeks have been like for me?’
‘I thought you said you hadn’t seen the newspapers—’
‘I’m not talking about the newspapers.’ He cupped her face in his hands, his eyes fierce as he looked down at her. ‘I’m talking about just not being with you. I—missed you.’
The words were so unexpected that for a moment she didn’t reply. ‘You missed me in your bed.’
‘Well, yes, obviously—’ he gave a brief frown ‘—but not just that. I missed having you around. I like what you have to say—’
‘You disagree with me—’
‘Invariably—’ his eyes gleamed with sardonic humour ‘—but always I find you interesting.’
‘You do? You find me interesting?’ Her heart was thudding hard against her chest and he gave a groan and lowered his mouth to hers.
‘Yes. You’re the only woman who has ever been truly honest with me and the sex is amazing. I’ve missed doing this.’ He kissed her slowly and surely and Lindsay sagged against him, her head spinning and her heart so full she felt as though it might burst through her chest.
‘You’ve missed the sex.’ She muttered the words against his mouth and he lifted his head and gave a slow, dangerous smile.
‘Of course.’ And then the smile faded and he stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. ‘But most of all I missed you. I missed the way you talk and the way you listen. I missed your honesty and your sweetness.’
‘Alessio—’
‘I want you with me permanently.’
Everything inside her softened and emotion rushed through her. ‘You’re blaming yourself—’
‘Sì, I am. This whole situation is my fault. But I’ll make it up to you.’
She reminded herself that it was just his guilty conscience talking. ‘Alessio, I don’t want to build my business again. What do I know about relationships? Nothing. I was so convinced that if I could just help people talk to each other, they could sort things out. But all I was really doing was trying to compensate for not being able to sort my parents’ marriage out.’ Having admitted that, she pulled away from him, finding the whole thing really difficult. ‘The truth is that relationships come in all shapes and sizes, and what works for some won’t work for others. And sometimes passion on its own can be enough. Marriage isn’t everything.’
‘You don’t believe that.’ Alessio picked up the clothes and stuffed them into her hands. ‘If you’re not dressed in the next two minutes then I’ll dress you myself.’
Wondering what had got into him, Lindsay pulled on her trousers, fastened her shirt and pinned her hair into a neat coil. ‘There. Satisfied?’
‘I won’t be satisfied until you’re wearing my ring every day and lying in my bed every night,’ Alessio breathed and her heart skipped a beat as she looked into his eyes.
‘That’s a pretty big gesture,’ she said shakily, ‘even for a guy with a guilty conscience.’
‘It isn’t a gesture.’
‘Oh, Alessio, this isn’t fair.’ She covered her face with her hands. ‘Please, for once, see it from my point of view. This gorgeous, sexy guy who I—This gorgeous sexy guy offers me marriage, but I know it’s never going to work so I have to turn him down.’