The Heat Of Passion

and yanked her up against him. 'Isn't it?3 he had mur

mured fiercely, dark golden eyes searching her furious

face. 'You know how much I want you ‘

'Because you can't have me!' she had rebutted, struggling to pull free from the disturbing proximity of his lean, all male body. 'That's the only reason you say you want me, isn't it? I'm not interested and your ego can't take that lying down!'

'But you are interested,’ Carlo had breathed almost amusedly. 'Do you really think I don't know when a woman wants me, caraV

'I love Simon!' she had slung back.

'Who treats you like a little sister '

'That's not true '

'Then tell me when he last kissed you like this...' And before she could forestall him, Carlo had crushed her mouth under his and it had been like being struck by forked lightning. Terrifying.

Jessica sank back to the present and found her fingers shakily touching her lips. She saw more clearly now than she had seen then. Just as Carlo had, ironically, seen more as an outsider looking on. Carlo alone had registered the lack of sexual tension between Jessica and Simon. But Carlo had cynically misread her behaviour.

He had believed she was using Simon as a weapon against him, using Simon and her fast approaching wedding to pressure him into offering her more. And in return, Carlo had used Amory's to balance the equation.

Lifting the phone, she rang Dr Guthri

e to ask after her father and was delighted to hear that her father was still angrily insisting that he had had no thought of harming himself but that he was, none the less, greatly relieved to be told that he was no longer facing prosecution.

She joined Carlo in the lounge with a ramrod-straight back and a rigidly uncommunicative face, unaware that her amethyst eyes sparkled with all the angry turmoil she was struggling to hide.

Lean and lithe in his dinner-jacket, Carlo strolled forward, a faint flush highlighting his hard cheekbones as he scanned her with hooded eyes. ‘Let your hair down. I don't like it up.’

'Tough.' Jessica tilted her chin.

It was a mistake. Carlo caught her to him with one hard hand and ruthlessly released her hair from the sleek plait she had confined it in. A mass of silver cascaded untidily to her shoulders, framing her outraged face and glittering eyes.

'You look messy now... as if you just got out of my bed,' Carlo delineated in a scorching purr of satisfaction. 'I think that's more the look we're aiming

for... and this ‘ He lifted her hand and tugged off

the diamond ring. 'While I appreciate your enthusiasm, I don't want to see you wearing it until we take off for the Caribbean.’

Colour surged painfully up her slender throat. ‘I hate you, Carlo,' she enunciated with husky clarity.

'If you want your father off the hook, cara.. ‘ Carlo let the smooth words hang threateningly in the air between them. 'You really are going to have to work on your attitude.'

Jessica turned paper-white.

Carlo surveyed her with pitiless dark eyes, his powerful features hard and unyielding. 'You're useless to me if you can't act the part with conviction.'

Shattered by the sheer cruelty of that uncompromising reminder, Jessica couldn't even find her voice, but inside herself she seethed with a combustible mix of mortified pride, thwarted fury and helpless fear.

Carlo let the silence drag. He spread both hands in a fluid motion. 'Do you want to go home again?'

Jessica trembled. She wanted to slap him hard. Her feathery lashes lowered over her expressive eyes. He didn't have to humiliate her like this. He didn't have to hold her father over her as if he were flexing a whip over a wild animal. Hatred powered through her slight frame but with the greatest difficulty she held it in.

'No, I don't want to go home,' she muttered grittily. 'Good,' Carlo retorted drily. He handed her a comb in the limousine. 'You didn't need to threaten me,' she said tightly. 'This isn't a game. I don't want any temperamental displays in my father's home. Your act has to be credible.' But why, she wanted to demand. Why.. .why was such a deception necessary? It could only be for money, she decided. Carlo's father must want him to marry and, unwilling to sacrifice his freedom in the long term, Carlo was prepared to deceive in the short term. Her eyes filled with scorn and disgust.

He took her to a fashionable restaurant where then-entrance attracted a discreet wave of turned heads and murmured comment. Studying the menu, Jessica was vaguely surprised to register that she was really hungry. 'Don't you think it's time you told me something about your father?' she prompted.

'Where do you want me to begin?' His clipped tone was not encouraging.