‘You were nice four years ago. I thought you were one of the nicest men I’d ever met.’
His dark eyes gleamed some more. ‘Even though I practically ripped the clothes from your body and had wild, rough sex with you the first night we met?’
‘Did I complain?’
‘No.’ His frown came back and the ghost of a smile that had been playing about his mouth disappeared. ‘Why did you come up to my room with me that night?’
‘I told you—I was tipsy and jet-lagged and feeling reckless.’
‘You were taking a hell of a risk. I could have been anyone. I could have hurt you—seriously hurt you.’
‘I trusted you.’
‘Foolish, foolish girl.’
Eliza felt a shiver run up along her arms. She could see the desire he had for her. She could feel it pulsing like a current in the air between them. ‘The way I see it, you were taking a similar risk.’
The ghost of a smile was back, wry this time as it tilted up one corner of his mouth. ‘I find it hard to see what you could have possibly done to hurt me. I’m almost twice your weight.’
But I did hurt you, she thought. Isn’t that why I’m here now?
‘Are you going to pour me a drink or do I have to jump through hoops first?’ she asked.
‘No hoops.’ He came to stand right in front of her. ‘Just one kiss.’
She tilted her head back and held his dark brown gaze pertly as the blood all but sizzled in her veins. ‘Is that an order?’
He tugged her against his rock-hard body, his eyes scorching hers. ‘You bet it is.’
CHAPTER ELEVEN
WHEN ELIZA BROUGHT Alessandra downstairs for breakfast the next morning Leo intercepted them at the door. He reached for his daughter and held her close against his broad chest. Seeing such an intensely masculine man hold a tiny child so protectively made Eliza’s heart instantly melt.
Was it her imagination that he seemed a little more relaxed this morning? It wasn’t as if he was particularly rested, but then, neither was she. Their lovemaking last night had been particularly passionate and edgy. She could still feel the little pull of tender muscles where he had thrust so deep and so hard inside her. It was such a heady reminder of the breathtaking mastery he had over her body. But as much as she loved the heart-stopping raciness of his lovemaking, there was a tiny part of her that secretly longed for something a little more emotional. Maybe he didn’t have the capacity to feel emotion during sex. It was just a physical release for him, like any other bodily need being attended to, like hunger and thirst. But it wasn’t like that for her…or at least not now…
‘I thought we could have breakfast out on the water this morning,’ Leo said. ‘Would you like that, mia piccola?’
‘In the pool?’ Alessandra asked.
‘No, on my boat.’
‘You have a boat?’ Eliza asked.
‘It’s moored down at the marina. I thought Alessandra might enjoy being out on the water. I’ve never taken her on it before. Marella’s packing us up a picnic to take with us.’
Eliza could see he was making an effort to spend more time with his daughter. He was relaxing his tight control over where she could go. She could also see what a big step it was for him to take. A trip out on a boat might be a relatively simple and rather enjoyable adventure for a sighted child, but in Alessandra’s case there were many considerations to take into account. Her experience of the outing would be different but hopefully no less enjoyable. Besides, she would be with her father and that was clearly something that made her feel loved and special.
‘Breakfast on the water sounds lovely, doesn’t it, sweetie?’ she addressed the little girl.
Alessandra hugged her arms tightly around her father’s neck and smiled. ‘Can I take Rosie with me?’
‘Who’s Rosie?’ Leo asked.
‘Rosie is the toy puppy Eliza made for me,’ Alessandra said. ‘She has long floppy ears and a tail just like a real puppy.’
Leo met Eliza’s gaze over the top of his daughter’s little head. ‘Eliza is a very clever young lady. She is talented at many things.’
‘I want her to stay with me for ever,’ Alessandra said. ‘Can you make her stay with us, Papà? I want her to be my mamma now. She tucks me in and reads me stories and she cuddles me lots and lots.’
Eliza felt emotion block her throat like a scrubbing brush stuck halfway down. She blinked a couple of times and shifted her gaze from Leo’s. Alessandra needed someone there all of the time, someone she could rely on—someone to love her unconditionally.
Hadn’t she felt the same desperate ache for stability and love as a child? Throughout her lonely childhood she had clutched on to various caregivers in an attempt to feel loved and cherished. Whenever she had been sent to yet another foster placement, she had blamed herself for not being pretty enough, cute enough or lovable enough. The constant pressure of wondering whether she was doing the right thing to make people love her had worn her down. She had eventually stopped trying and at times had deliberately sabotaged the relationships that could have most helped her.