Marriage Made of Secrets

‘Monday morning. I have meetings in the afternoon.’

‘How long will you be gone?’

He drained his coffee. ‘If you agree, Annabelle will spend the night with my parents on Monday. I’ll pick her up on Tuesday and we’ll return on Wednesday.’

‘Two nights...’ She would miss her child but the time away would help her put her feelings regarding Cesare into some sort of perspective.

Being constantly around him, waging a seemingly hopeless battle with her feelings had become draining. In a way, this was a blessing in disguise.

The time would also be useful for a drive down to Amalfi to scout out some more locations for the wedding catalogue.

She tried not to be distracted by the play of his hair-dusted bicep as he reached over and plucked a peach from the bowl. ‘I suppose two nights isn’t so bad. Is Lucia coming with you?’

‘No, she isn’t.’

She frowned. ‘I don’t think it’s a good idea—’

‘You think I’m incapable of taking care of our child?’ A hard glint entered his eyes, chilling the skin on her arms.

‘It’s not that,’ she answered truthfully.

‘Then what is it?’

‘Annabelle can be a handful, especially when she gets tired. I just think it’s a good idea to have some help, that’s all.’

‘Which is why you’re coming with us,’ he said.

‘Me? But I wasn’t—I didn’t...’

‘Wasn’t that the agreement? We spend every day with our daughter?’

‘Yes, but what about my work? I have a meeting with Reynaldo and Tina on Monday morning.’

He frowned. ‘What time will you be done?’

‘About eleven.’

‘Bene, we’ll leave at midday.’ He turned to his daughter. ‘If you want a swim with Papà after breakfast, then go easy on those pancakes, piccola mia.’

‘Will you swim too, Mummy?’ her daughter asked.

‘Yes, she will,’ Cesare answered for her. ‘Mummy is not in any danger because she’s barely eaten a thing.’ His disapproving gaze moved from her barely touched plate to her face, and challenged her to refute his words.

The discreet but extremely rude finger gesture she used in his direction produced an amused smile. Then his gaze released hers to travel at leisure down her face to the frantic pulse beating at her throat.

Unable to stand the sensual heat any more, she set back her chair and stood.

‘I’ll just go and change.’ As she walked away, a saucy thought entered her head. Since she’d got here, Cesare had teased and taunted her sexually.

Well, two could play that game.

In her room, she quickly selected her skimpiest bikini, one bought for her trip to Bali when she’d been under the delusion that she could save her marriage.

She tried it on now and nearly lost her nerve. The bright green Lycra material—where there was any—clung to her skin in a blatantly provocative caress.

Flushing, she pulled a matching green shirt over it, grabbed a bottle of sun protection and hurried out of the room before she changed her mind. With each step towards the pool, she reiterated to herself the purpose of her actions.

She’d never been a pushover. On the contrary, she’d learned very early on in life to push back when pushed. Cesare had pushed her buttons enough.

The moment she shrugged off her shirt and caught his gaze, her heartbeat screamed out of control. Where sexual heat had burned lazily in his eyes before, this time they blazed with pure volcanic heat. The sheer power of it made her stumble to a halt. Heat rushed up and engulfed her whole body. Uncertain, she stood at the edge of the pool.

Cesare’s face set into hardened lines. His nostrils were pinched and his jaw was clamped tight as if holding himself by a bare thread. He couldn’t have made it plainer that she’d succeeded in pushing him to his very limit.

She wanted to run as fast as she could back to her room, tear the bikini off and burn the damned thing. But she couldn’t move. Concrete-heavy limbs remained riveted to the tiles, her whole body drenched in a need so strong it took her breath away.

His gaze slid downward, his expression growing tighter as it travelled over her and back to her face.

Finally, he turned to his daughter, made sure her armbands were secured, then he swam to the side of the pool.

In one vault he was beside her. ‘What the hell are you trying to do to me?’

She fought to hold a smile in place. ‘Payback’s a bitch, isn’t it?’