‘But of course. Unfortunately, it is in Milan. I could drive it down one weekend, if you would like me to.’
‘Don’t be silly. I wouldn’t ask you to do that. It’s too far.’
He shrugged. ‘The roads are good. And the car is fast.’
‘I don’t doubt it, with you behind the wheel. You have a thing for speed, don’t you?’
‘Si. It is a passion of mine. To do things fast. I love anything which gets my heart beating. My uncle says I am an adrenalin addict. The only time I slow down is when I’m on Capri.’
‘And not always then,’ she said drily.
He laughed. ‘If you’re referring to what happened last night, then that was more your fault then mine. When we get back to the villa I will show you how relaxed I can be in bed. Sex is one thing I don’t usually rush. I like to take my time with a woman. When she lets me,’ he added, casting her a rueful glance.
Veronica was thankful she wasn’t a blusher, but his pointed remark evoked a blossoming of heat deep inside her. She couldn’t wait for them to get back to Capri. And back to bed.
Lord, but he made her totally shameless. But then he was shameless too. She’d never met a man who spoke so openly about sex, and who just presumed she wouldn’t say no.
Which of course she wouldn’t. She couldn’t. Lust had taken possession of her body, a lust so strong and so fierce that it might have frightened her, if she hadn’t been so turned on. The level of her sexual excitement propelled her past all common sense and conscience. She wanted Leonardo. And she would have him. After all, there was nothing to stop her, least of all Leonardo himself. He wasn’t about to say no, was he?
‘It’s time for lunch,’ he said abruptly. ‘I don’t know about you, but I’m suddenly very hungry.’
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
LEONARDO DIDN’T WANT to bother with lunch. He wanted to take her straight back to Capri. It wasn’t food he was hungry for. It was Veronica.
He didn’t dare look at her again as he flew as fast as he could to Sorrento. That last glance had almost undone him in a way he couldn’t begin to process. Because it was outside even his experience. Over the years he’d had countless sexual adventures with countless beautiful women. But Veronica was unlike any he’d ever encountered, a strange mixture of siren fused with the most bewitching vulnerability.
Uncharacteristically, he wanted to ask her about this man—or men—who’d hurt her in the past, but experience warned him against going down that road. Asking a girl about her emotional baggage was fraught with danger—the danger of getting emotionally involved himself. He didn’t want that, especially with Veronica. Why, he wasn’t sure. A reason hovered at the edge of his mind, a reason which threatened to derail him totally. So he ruthlessly pushed it aside and concentrated on what he was good at where women were concerned.
Sex.
* * *
Veronica had always been able to pick up on people’s emotions by their body language. After she watched them for a while, she could see past their facade and tune into their pain, both physical and mental. It was what made her a good physio: the way she talked to her clients whilst treating them, the way she could find out what was bothering them and subtly offer some advice.
So, when Leonardo suddenly turned all stiff and silent next to her, she knew something was bothering him. But what? This time she had absolutely no idea.
They landed safely, if a little roughly, in Sorrento, a strong breeze off the sea moving the small helicopter around a bit. Strangely, Veronica had ceased to worry about surviving the flight, her focus entirely on the man beside her. She ached to say something which would break the awkward silence that had unexpectedly developed between them. Finally, just as he shut down the engine and the blades started to slow, she thought of something suitably innocuous.
‘Oh, Lord, I forgot to take any photographs,’ she said with true regret as she took off her headset. ‘When I woke this morning to such good weather, I planned to take pictures of everything and send them to Mum.’
When he took off his own headset and smiled over at her, Veronica’s heart squeezed tight with relief.
‘Don’t panic,’ he said, his eyes holding hers. ‘You can take photos on the way back, both of Sorrento and Capri.’
‘You’re right,’ she replied, once again struck by the beauty of Leonardo’s eyes. ‘I can do that. No need to panic.’
But if her thudding heart was anything to go by there was every reason to panic. She didn’t want to fall in love with this man. That would be a disaster!
Keep it light and keep it sexy, she lectured herself. Don’t start worrying about what he was worrying about a minute ago. It probably wasn’t anything serious, anyway. It certainly wasn’t anything to do with you.
‘Gosh, we’re up high here,’ she said as he helped her down from the helicopter.
‘Sorrento is built up on a volcanic shelf. Which reminds me. I didn’t take you over Vesuvius. Sorry. I forgot.’
‘That’s all right. Flying over a volcano in a helicopter isn’t on my bucket list.’
His eyes sparkled with genuine amusement, his earlier worries clearly gone. ‘You’re too young to have a bucket list.’