The Forbidden Ferrara

‘If we do this—’ she left the word hanging vaguely ‘—what about the family you dreamed of having?’

‘You are the family I dreamed of having and as for the rest—’ ignoring the dogs, he leaned forward, removed the book from her hands and pulled her to her feet ‘—we’ll find a way through it. But we’ll find it together, not separately. Whatever you’re thinking, you must share with me and this time I will be listening with both ears. Ti amo. I love you.’ He scooped her face into his hands, feeling the softness of her skin against his palms. ‘By the time I’ve finished proving it to you there will be no room for doubt in your head.’

There was a long silence and he discovered the true meaning of the word suspense.

He wondered what he was going to do if she backed off because he knew he was never going to accept no.

Those sea-green eyes held his. ‘Hurt me again and there will be no second chances.’

‘If I hurt you again, Terminator will eat me,’ he drawled, opening a hand that wasn’t quite steady to produce her wedding ring. ‘This lives on your finger, not in your purse. Put it back on. And don’t ever take it off again.’

CHAPTER NINE

‘THIS is part of your plan to make me trust you? You’re going to dangle me over the mouth of a volcano?’ Laurel clutched the seat of the helicopter as she stared down at the lava fields and the mouth of the volcano with a mixture of fear and fascination. From here it was possible to see the main crater and she gave a shiver as she contemplated the raw, elemental power of nature and the potential for disaster.

Cristiano’s pilot had flown the company helicopter from Palermo and picked them up for

an aerial tour of this part of the island.

‘Are we landing?’

‘Not today. Today we are sightseeing in comfort.’ His smile was so sinfully sexy that she couldn’t look away from his mouth and that single glance was the catalyst for a blast of attraction so powerful that her head spun.

The days since they’d arrived had merged into one long, indulgent expression of their feeling for each other.

‘Maybe that’s enough sightseeing for one day,’ she murmured, hating herself for being so weak. ‘Shall we just go home?’ Her heart increased its rhythm in the anticipation of what going home would mean. They were both insatiable, she thought. No matter how long they spent in bed they just couldn’t get enough of each other. He was as hungry for her body as she was for his, which made his sudden tension all the more perplexing.

‘We can’t go home yet.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because I’m planning a surprise back at the house. I’m making a few changes.’ More than that he wouldn’t say and Laurel was intrigued. Over the days since he’d slid her wedding ring back onto her finger, they’d rarely spent any time in the house. He’d absented himself from her a few times to make some phone calls that she’d assumed had been business-related. Now she wasn’t sure. What could he possibly be doing to an already perfect house that required her to be out of the way?

He already had a gym and a cinema room. What else was there in a house where life was mostly lived outdoors?

As the pilot took another sweep across the crater of the volcano she forgot about what was at home and instead just enjoyed being with Cristiano. He was a knowledgeable guide, his extensive knowledge of Etna derived from the geologists who worked with him as part of his company’s expansion programme.

‘We didn’t do enough of this,’ he said roughly when the helicopter finally landed back in the grounds of the house. ‘We didn’t spend enough time doing things together. Even when we were talking over dinner we were often discussing work.’

They strolled slowly back to the sun-baked terrace and Laurel accepted a glass of chilled Sicilian lemonade from one of the staff with a grateful smile.

‘You don’t have to apologise for being committed to your business. I’m as much of a workaholic as you are but yes, I agree that we failed to find a balance.’ As a loud noise disturbed the peace, she turned her head towards the house. ‘What’s that banging?’

‘It’s part of your surprise.’ He frowned impatiently and finished his drink. ‘The noise is driving me mad. Let’s go for a stroll.’

Laurel would have been quite happy to flop by the pool but caught the expression on his face and realised that he genuinely wanted to surprise her with whatever it was he was planning.

Intrigued as to what could possibly be happening in the house that required major refurbishment and secrecy, Laurel allowed him to propel her up the path that led through the citrus grove and together they walked towards the ruins of the Greco-Roman amphitheatre.

‘Is your breathing all right?’ He reached out and adjusted her hat to give her more protection from the fierce sun.

‘Yes. Exercise isn’t a trigger for me.’ She paused to admire a tiny lizard, basking in the heat of the sun. ‘Which is a relief or I’d have to give up my job.’

‘Why did you choose fitness as a profession? Particularly with asthma.’

‘The asthma was the reason.’ The hot sun burned the back of her neck. ‘I was determined to be as fit as possible. After that couple decided not to adopt me I tried ignoring the fact that I had asthma. I stopped using my inhaler, a decision that landed me in hospital a few times. After that I decided that it was more sensible to take a different approach so, instead of pretending I didn’t have it, I tried to find out as much information as I could. One of the nurses in the hospital helped me. Everyone’s asthma is different, of course, but for me exercise made a difference. The fitter I was, the healthier I was. For me the biggest trigger has always been stress.’

With a groan of remorse he pulled her against him. ‘I feel like a brute for triggering that attack the night before Dani’s wedding.’