The Heat Of Passion

'She was fishing,’ Carlo dismissed carelessly.

"Was she? She seemed to be basing her convictions on

the belief that we only met for the first time last

week '

'I wonder where she got that from.' But Carlo did not seem particularly interested in the subject, his veiled dark eyes intent on Jessica as she stood there at the foot of the bed. Her heartbeat skidded at the thickening of the atmosphere.

I told her I'd known you for six years and I think

she then assumed that I was suggesting we had been

having an affair while I was married but she still thought

it was a fairy-story,' Jessica relayed in an increasing rush

as Carlo sprang gracefully off the bed and moved to

wards her. 'What I would like to know is why she was

so convinced that we '

'Ignore her.'

'Carlo, I really would like to go to bed,’ she began.

'Your luggage has already been moved.'

Her eyes widened. 'Moved where?'

'My room...where else?' Carlo responded drily, casting open the door in expectation. 'Do you really think it would be credible that we sleep apart?'

But when she had trekked quite to the far side of the villa it occurred to her that someone had been very keen to keep them apart, by night at least. Marika? • Carlo had an entire suite of rooms, complete with twin bathrooms. like an automaton, Jessica took her night attire into one, changed and ten minutes later slid into the wide, empty bed and over to the furthest edge of it. She doubted that some eleventh-hour miracle would save her tonight. Carlo reappeared and shed his towelling robe in an untidy heap on the floor. He looked at her, blazing all-male satisfaction, and she shrank under the sheet.

He stood half in shadow, half in light, the long, muscular planes of his golden body a glorious vision of rampant masculinity, and she felt her own hunger stirring, insidious as a secret invader. Her skin flushed hotly and she closed her eyes, stricken by that hunger and her own sudden blinding shyness.

As he came down on the bed beside her, her mouth ran dry. She felt boneless, scared. Dear God, how was she going to get out of this? If he made love to her, would he be able to tell she was a virgin? Surely not, she told herself, preferring to think of the aftermath rather than what might come before. She had read that a woman's first experience of sex was often a very big disappointment.

Carlo stared down at her in total silence, smouldering golden eyes hungrily scanning her face. Slowly, he raised a blunt forefinger and skimmed it along the voluptuous line of her lower lip. 'Why are you so shy?' he whispered in wonderment.

‘S-shy?' She forced a jerky laugh. She could have told him. Every other time he had touched her, he had taken

her by surprise. There hadn't been time for considered thought. This was different. 'Don't be ridiculous!'

'You look as if you're running a fever, too.' Leaning over her, Carlo flicked one pink cheek mockingly.

'I don't want to do this,' Jessica said fiercely.

'You're no virgin...' Carlo breathed with sudden

shocking insolence, his starkly handsome features dark

ening, brilliant eyes hard. 'You gave that to him. You

gave to him what should have been mine ‘

He was so damn primitive and arrogant. What should have been his... how dared he say that after the way he had treated her that day? Did her supposed lack of virginity take the edge off his triumph, dull the pleasure of his conquest? Well, he would never hear from her lips that he had been her first lover. She would take that secret to the grave with her.