‘Amazing is acceptable, but I prefer paradise.’
She relaxed at the return of his arrogance. ‘Big promises.’ She arched her eyebrows at him. ‘Is paradise another plane ride away?’
‘Are you finding that relentless round-the-world travel isn’t everything?’ He chuckled. ‘Don’t worry, it’s just a short hop by helicopter.’ He glanced down at the almost sheer wrap she’d covered herself with. ‘You can stay in the bikini if you want. I don’t mind.’
She wasn’t staying in the bikini.
‘Did you have fun today?’ he asked slyly as he accompanied her back to their suite.
‘Actually, I think I spent too much,’ she confessed in a breathless guilty rush. ‘Far too much. I think I got a bit excited by it all and just said yes to everything.’
He laughed. ‘Excellent. That is good practice.’
‘I’m sorry...’
‘Of course you are sorry, dolcezza,’ he murmured. ‘And here I was, thinking you were making progress.’
She frowned, unsure what he meant. ‘I’ll pay you back.’
‘I’m sure you will think of a way.’ He chuckled again, as her blush burned like a fever, and lifted a finger to feel the heat flaming her cheeks for himself. ‘Your mind, Katie... I’m beginning to think it’s filthy.’
‘No, it’s the way you say everything that makes it all seem so...naughty,’ she grumbled awkwardly. ‘You’re a tease.’
‘Yes.’ He nodded. ‘I suppose I am. But it’s just words. My payment is the pleasure I get from seeing you like this.’ He gazed into her eyes. ‘Confident and smiling,’ he explained softly. ‘Nothing more. You don’t have to please me. You have only to please yourself.’
He expected nothing more from her?
Katie fought off an absurd feeling of disappointment. He might want her, but he didn’t have the desperate desire she did. Somehow she needed to rein in her own pulse.
CHAPTER SEVEN
AS THE HELICOPTER rose up from the roof of the hotel Katie’s death grip on her safety belt slackened, as did her jaw, because the view was so stunning she forgot her first-time flier nerves. Speechless, she stared at the sparkling water, studded with sleek, gleaming boats. It was a vast crystalline playground for the ultra-stylish, famous and fabulous, and it went on for as far as she could see.
For almost twenty minutes they flew high and fast, and she gazed in wonder at the emerald coast and the scattered array of small islands. Then they began descending, right above one. High cliffs rose on one side, while stone walls bracketed a small beach on the other. In the middle a breathtaking building stood amongst verdant perfectly planted gardens. Hewn from traditional stone, accented with tiles and glass, it was a modern architectural masterpiece, designed to enhance and appreciate the majestic vista.
Katie’s heart skidded at the beauty of it. And at the isolation.
She caught a glimpse of a couple of smaller structures in the distance before they landed on the helipad. Then Katie’s stomach fluttered as she ducked and ran alongside Alessandro, conscious of his firm arm across her shoulders. Only moments later the helicopter lifted up again.
‘Please don’t tell me you own this island,’ she breathed, conscious of the sudden silence.
‘What should I say instead?’ His smile chased the remnants of a frown from his face and he drew in a deep breath.
But Katie’s lungs had tightened. ‘You have staff?’ she asked, trying to sound casual.
‘A couple who usually live onsite act as caretakers.’ He scooped up the bags the co-pilot had left for them. ‘They’ve gone to the mainland for a few days.’
Leaving her utterly alone with him?
Her nerves flipped from that light flutter to a loud jangle.
Ironic speculation turned his eyes an even more brilliant blue. ‘Shall I show you around?’
Katie followed him along the path towards the house. The gardens were gorgeous—established trees offered shade and privacy, while flowers filled the air with a sweet, summery scent.
‘It’s big for just you,’ she murmured, trying to distract herself from her too-intense thoughts.
‘I sometimes lease it out when I’m not here,’ he answered lightly. ‘It’s an investment as much as anything.’
Yes, people would pay huge amounts to spend time in such a private, perfect escape. It was architecturally impressive and luxurious, offering a rare level of comfort with space enough for a party.
A shard of cold reality pierced the sweet air. She’d bet he’d had some hedonistic, decadent parties here. She could just imagine millions of beautiful women in their bikinis, draped around the pool.
Alessandro didn’t take her to the towering main entrance, but led her to a vast, plant-lined terrace, with a beautiful blue swimming pool that ran down the side of the building. He walked half the length of the terrace, then opened the fourth set of double doors and stood back to let her enter.
‘This is your bedroom.’
She felt a quicksilver urge to flee, but instead she stepped through. The room was airy, light and luxurious, with soft-looking furnishings and a huge bed. Transfixed, she licked her dry lips, trying to stop the immediate surge of rampantly inappropriate thoughts in her head.
‘It’s beautiful, thank you.’
Too awkward to move, she watched him set her bags at the end of the bed. ‘I’m down the hall,’ he said. ‘Near if you need me.’
She shot him a quick look and glanced back to her bags, half wishing she could snatch them up and escape. Yet at the same time the last thing she wanted to do was run from him.
‘You didn’t want to be alone last night,’ Alessandro reminded her softly when she failed to reply.
That had been different. She’d been overtired and overwrought and, frankly, freaked out. She wasn’t freaked out now. She was something else altogether.
Slowly, irresistibly, she looked at him. Her gaze was instantly ensnared by his. Her breath stalled. So did time. Unable to look away, unable to move, she was intensely aware of the irregular skip of her heart as heat rose. In these last days she’d somehow been restrung inside—all her senses were working more acutely, making her even more aware of him—of his size, his strength, his scent...his sensuality.
And his sinfully delicious humour.
She’d never met anyone who made her smile the way he did. And all she wanted was to stay near to him. He was a source of fascination and fun and she didn’t want to be alone at all any more. She’d had the smalle
st of tastes on the plane, and now she was starving—craving more of that contact.
But she couldn’t speak...couldn’t ask. Katie had never asked for anything like that in her life. Not intimacy. Nothing personal. And while he’d said he wanted her, he’d wanted lots of women. It didn’t make her special in any way.
‘Come on. I’ll show you the rest.’ He abruptly turned and stalked out of the room.
She followed, trying to breathe out and release the tension that tightened every muscle.
The magnificent kitchen provided the perfect distraction. She actually laughed aloud when she realised there were many fantastic appliances to stare at instead of gazing at him.
‘Oh, Alessandro, this is gorgeous.’
‘You’re turned on by my oven?’ He leaned back against the marble bench and laughed briefly, only to pause and shoot her a deliberately smouldering glance. ‘Good, I’m hungry. Are you hungry?’
He’s just teasing.
His mouth twitched as she didn’t—couldn’t—reply.
He eventually relented and broke the silence. ‘There are vegetables prepared, and fresh fish in the fridge. I’ll get on the grill.’
She glanced out of the window and saw a well-planted kitchen garden conveniently near. ‘I could find some herbs or something...?’
‘Perfect. Run away and hide, dolcezza. I’ll be waiting here.’
She shot him a look, but left the room. She wasn’t going to run and hide—she was going to do what she was good at.
Outside and alone, she sucked in a gulp of fresh summer sea air to clear her head. His effect on her was increasing with every moment and it was mortifying.
Pull it together.
Just because they were married, it didn’t mean anything. All that flirtation was just talk—nothing to be taken seriously.
She plucked at plants almost at random, then determinedly walked back into the kitchen, armed with fresh herbs and a wide smile.
‘Let me do that.’ She moved next to where he stood preparing the fish at the counter.