A Proposal to Remember

His touch was totally addictive and when he finally dragged his mouth away from hers she sucked in some air, so shaken by her own reaction that she couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eye.

She’d never been kissed by anyone as skilled as him before.

He slid his strong fingers through her hair and tilted her head so that she was forced to look at him.

His dark eyes shimmered with raw hunger, but he veiled it quickly and gave a lopsided smile.

‘I don’t think we’d better do that for too long, cara mia,’ he said dryly. ‘We might both explode.’

Totally blown away by his kiss, Zan tried to speak and failed.

He touched her cheek with a gentle finger. ‘You know what?’ He was totally relaxed and easy with himself. ‘I could really do with taking a shower. My jeans are soaked because someone threw me on my back in a puddle.’

She loved the way he took the seriousness out of every situation. ‘You’re joking! Who would do an evil thing like that?’

‘I can’t imagine, but when I track them down they’re going to be punished.’ He pulled her against him and gave her another lingering kiss. ‘Maybe we should get out of these wet clothes before we both freeze. Can I put my jeans in your tumble-drier and take a shower?’

She nodded and gestured towards the kitchen. ‘It’s through there. Help yourself.’

His eyes were very dark. ‘Are you going to join me?’

No.

Resolving to be more daring was all very well, but you couldn’t change the habit of a lifetime in an hour!

It was all too fast.

Zan shook her head and he gave her a warm smile and strolled into her kitchen, emerging moments later with an apologetic look on his face and his jeans dangling from one hand.

‘I don’t know how to use a tumble-drier.’

Carlo’s humble confession broke the ice and she laughed, trying not to look at his tanned, strong legs. He had an incredible physique—athletic and powerful.

No wonder the muggers had run.

‘More of the macho Italian guy stuff, I suppose? Who does your washing at home? Or maybe I shouldn’t ask that question.’

‘I have a housekeeper,’ he told her, and she walked over to him and took the wet jeans out of his hand, still keeping her eyes averted.

‘Well, she hasn’t trained you very well.’ She popped them into the tumble-drier, turned the dial and started the machine. ‘I assume you know how the shower works, or does your housekeeper do that bit, too?’

His midnight-dark eyes gleamed wickedly. ‘I’m OK with the shower, but I’ve never really got the hang of undressing myself.’

No man should be allowed to have a smile that sexy. It had a lethal effect on her pulse-rate.

‘Well, if you don’t want another black eye you’d better learn quickly,’ she said, ignoring his laughter and hurrying past him. ‘I’ll fetch you a towel.’

The shower was running by the time she returned with the towel and she half opened the door and talked through the crack.

‘I’ll leave the towel on the floor.’

‘Pardon?’ His voice was muffled from the water and she leaned in slightly further, averting her eyes from the shower cubicle.

‘I said I’ll leave the towel on the floor.’

‘I can’t hear you.’

She sidled in a bit further and strong arms grabbed her and hauled her under the steaming jet of water.