Phantom Marriage

Which Veronica resolved not to do. She wasn’t a silly young girl any longer. She was an adult, with a wealth of experience behind her. She knew precisely what she was dealing with.

Leonardo was a playboy and a commitment-phobe. He pretended that one day he would settle down but she very much doubted it. Clearly, he didn’t want to sleep with the same woman for the rest of his life. All he wanted to do with the opposite sex was have fun.

Well, that was what she wanted from him, Veronica decided. Just fun.

To want anything more would be crazy.

And she wasn’t crazy. She was, however, crazy about Leonardo’s body. Oh, Lord he was just so gorgeous. Her stomach lurched as she recalled how it had felt when he’d entered her. She could hardly wait till tomorrow.

Showing her Capri by helicopter wouldn’t take long, Veronica imagined as she hurried inside. She had no doubt that when he brought her home afterwards he would stay for a while. Maybe even for the rest of the day. Things tonight had been so rushed. Thrilling, yes, and very satisfying. Had she ever had an orgasm like it?

All her internal muscles squeezed tight as she tried to relive the moment when she’d splintered apart in his arms. But the memory was already fading.

I needed to experience it again. And again. I don’t want to ever forget.

Veronica reached the master bedroom where she stared at the indentations their bodies had made on the bed. Tomorrow, she vowed, they would not be having a quickie on top of the quilt. They would lie naked together in the bed. She would insist Leonardo make love to her more slowly, with plenty of adventurous foreplay. Veronica had never been into oral sex all that much, but she suspected she would be with Leonardo. Just thinking about going down on him made her quiver with anticipation. She could hardly wait. She would also insist that before he entered her he remembered to use a condom. Then, whilst she was totally protected, she would whisper for him to do everything to her.

A shudder ran through Veronica at this last thought. Her feelings for this man, she finally accepted, were dangerous. And threatening to run out of control.

Get a grip, girl, came her stern warning. You will be going home to Australia in three weeks’ time and Leonardo will become nothing but a memory. Have fun with him, like your mother said, but never forget that this will just be a fling, not a for ever moment.

Veronica went to bed with this warning at the forefront of her mind. She fell asleep surprisingly quickly. And didn’t dream. Which, when she woke, seemed a good portent for the day ahead. The weather looked excellent, the sun already up, the skies clear and cloudless. A good day for sightseeing, especially by air.

Now, what was she going to wear?

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

VERONICA DIDN’T DISOBEY Leonardo’s instruction and wear a dress, despite being tempted, as she’d bought a couple of lovely sundresses for this trip. Instead, she sensibly chose three-quarter-length cuffed blue jeans, teaming them with a peasant-style pink-and-blue blouse and flat brown sandals. She gave in to vanity, however, and left her freshly shampooed hair down, hoping that her straw sunhat would control her sometimes wayward waves.

Not the only wayward thing about her, she accepted as ten o’clock approached. Despite all her warnings of the night before, her heartbeat took off and a perversely delicious tension invaded her lower body. Several deep breaths later, things hadn’t improved.

Leonardo was right on time, his own outfit just as casual as her own. He too was wearing blue jeans, matched with a simple white T-shirt and lightweight navy jacket. The day might be sunny but it wasn’t hot. She suspected his clothes were designer labels, because the fit and materials were superb. But she also suspected he would look just as good in anything. It was a case of the man making the clothes rather than the other way round. Leonardo was a total hunk who just exuded sex appeal. All of a sudden, Veronica wished they weren’t going anywhere. She wanted to grab him and drag him inside. Wanted to spend the whole day in bed with him.

Hopefully, her eyes didn’t say as much. She did have some pride left. Not a lot, she decided ruefully. But enough. Though, it wavered when he said how lovely she looked. Lord, but this was one wickedly seductive man.

‘I’ll just get the rest of my things,’ she said, quickly putting her sunglasses on, then grabbing her straw bag and hat.

Locking up was achieved without any embarrassing fumbling, Veronica depositing the key in the geranium pot before glancing up at Leonardo.

‘Let’s hope all your wine is still there when we get back,’ she quipped drily.

He grinned. ‘It will be. Have you found the cellar yet?’

‘No. I keep forgetting to look.’

‘I’ll show you where it is when we get back. This way,’ he said, and cupped her left elbow, leading her not towards the stone steps but round the back of the house, where a taxi awaited them on the gravel courtyard.

It wasn’t Franco’s yellow convertible. This one was olive-green and much smaller. With a proper

roof.

‘Saturday is Franco’s busiest day,’ Leonardo explained as he steered her towards the already opened back door. ‘This is Ricardo. Ricardo, this is Veronica, Laurence’s long-lost daughter.’

Ricardo smiled at her. ‘She looks like him,’ he said, then just got on with the driving.

‘Does everyone on Capri know who I am?’ she asked quietly.

Leonardo shrugged. ‘Pretty much. You can’t keep any secrets on Capri. Why? Does it bother you?’