Phantom Marriage

My sister is as bad as my mother, Leonardo decided. Always matchmaking.

‘I think it is time I took Veronica home,’ he said, and stood up abruptly. ‘She has had a long day, and I’m taking her sightseeing by helicopter tomorrow morning.’ He knew that mentioning this would stop any objections to his escorting Veronica home. His mother and sisters would be satisfied with this news and could plan further matchmaking in their absence.

Not that any of it would work. Firstly, he didn’t really want to ge

t married just yet. And, even if he did, he wasn’t about to marry an Australian girl who would be going home soon, never to return. Yes, he found Veronica extremely attractive. And, yes, he aimed to get her into bed before the weekend was out. Before this night was out, actually. But once she sold him the villa that would be the end of things. She would return to her life in Sydney and he would go on as before.

Leonardo looked down at Veronica who hadn’t made a move to stand up. Surely she wasn’t going to object?

She glanced up at him with those big violet eyes of hers, and once again it zapped between them—the sexual chemistry that had been there from their first meeting, and which he’d been trying to ignore all evening. It was impossible to ignore it any longer. It was like an electric shock, making every muscle in Leonardo’s body contract as he battled to harness his desire into some semblance of control. But he knew, as surely as he knew he was on Capri, that the moment he took this glorious creature into his arms nothing would stop this night from reaching its inevitable conclusion.

And his satisfaction would be sublime!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

VERONICA SUCKED IN her breath sharply. My God, the way he was looking at her. It was downright scary. But, oh, so exciting. And like nothing she’d ever experienced before. Jerome had never looked at her like that, as though he wanted to possess every part of her, body and soul. The thought thrilled her, then turned her on to the max.

Her lips dried as her heartbeat took off. So this was what real lust felt like—and she accepted only in that moment that this was something new to her. Yes, she’d been attracted to men before. Yes, she’d been to bed with a few. And, yes, it had been pleasant enough. But nothing to write home about. Jerome had been an improvement in the bedroom department. But then, she’d imagined herself in love with Jerome. And he’d obviously known what he was doing. He’d been in his late thirties, after all. But she’d never wanted him with this kind of passion, never felt her whole body react this way just to a look.

My God, she was on fire! She regretted putting on her wrap earlier, although she knew, deep down, that one small short-sleeved cardigan wasn’t responsible for the heat gathering in every pore of her body.

‘Come,’ Leonardo commanded, and held out his hand to her.

Yes please, she thought with a jolt of uncharacteristic boldness. Very uncharacteristic. Veronica wasn’t the type of girl whose focus in sex was constantly on having an orgasm. She’d always been more into how she felt about the man making love to her than if she came or not.

Not so with this man. He brought out the female animal in her, not the soul mate. She just wanted him to…

Veronica hated the F-word. But it was appropriate on this occasion. Because that was what Leonardo did to women. He didn’t care about them. Or love them. He just screwed them silly till he got bored, and then he walked away.

His fingers closed around hers and he drew her slowly to her feet, then helped her slide out from behind the seat. Her knees held her upright, thank heavens, but it was a bit of touch and go. Thank heavens he kept a firm hold of her hand or she might have stumbled, a dizzying weakness having overtaken her. Veronica could feel everyone’s eyes upon her. Could they see what was going on in her head? she wondered dazedly. Which was what, exactly? Nothing that children should know. Her mind was filling with R-rated images of herself and Leonardo tumbling together naked in a bed.

There were four bedrooms in the villa. She wasn’t sure which one figured in her fantasy, her mind more on what they were doing, not where they were.

Somehow Veronica managed to say goodnight to everyone, as well as thank Sophia for the wonderful meal. She endured several hugs and kisses, and then Leonardo was leading her away—not hurrying, she noticed, for which she was both grateful and irritated. He obviously wasn’t feeling the same urgency she was.

‘I’ve remembered one of the things I talked to Laurence about that last weekend,’ he said as he led her along the gravel path that led to the stone steps. ‘Mamma’s infernal matchmaking brought it all back to me.’

‘Oh?’ was all she could manage in reply, until guilt arrived. What on earth was wrong with her? She’d come to Capri to find out about her father, not crave hot sex with the executor of his will!

She stopped and turned to face Leonardo. ‘What was it?’ she asked, doing her best not to think how handsome he was in the moonlight. And how sexy.

‘I complained to him about Mamma going on and on about my getting married and having a family. Papa was just as bad that weekend. He said he wanted me to have a son to carry on our family name. The only other Fabrizzi alive is my uncle Stephano and he doesn’t have any children. Papa said it was my duty to get married and have a family.’

‘But you don’t want to get married,’ she pointed out. Leonardo was a playboy. Always had been. Always would be. Hadn’t his parents got that yet?

He pulled a face. ‘I admit the idea of marriage doesn’t appeal at the moment. I like my life the way it is for now.’

‘Have you told them that?’

‘Not exactly. I want to please them, but…’ He shrugged, as though the decision was out of his hands. He turned and they headed up the ancient steps, Leonardo recapturing her hand.

As much as his touch sent an exciting charge shooting up her arm, this time Veronica refused to be totally distracted by it.

‘What did Laurence say?’ she asked. ‘Did he give you any advice?’

‘He said that I would change my mind about marriage when the right girl came along. He said falling in love did that to even the most confirmed bachelor.’

‘That was naive of him, wasn’t it?’ came her slightly caustic comment. Because Veronica wasn’t fooled by this man’s charm, or his avid attentions. She doubted that Leonardo would ever meet the right girl. He was programmed to fall in lust but never in love.