The Sicilian's Bought Cinderella

‘No, they would rather make petty remarks to make them feel small,’ Dante cut in, his contempt undisguised. He got to his feet and took Aislin’s hand. ‘Go back to Giovanni, Katrina, and leave Aislin out of your games. Buona notte.’

Confused at this short confrontation, Aislin let him lead her out of the banquet room, her mind racing at the why of what had just happened.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

AISLIN WAITED UNTIL they walked the deserted corridor towards their room before as

king, ‘What was that about?’

His features were taut. ‘Katrina playing mind games.’

‘Why would she do that?’

‘She’s a bitch.’

‘Is she an ex-lover of yours?’

‘No.’

‘Does she want to be your lover?’

He unlocked their door. ‘Yes.’

For a moment Aislin thought she was going to be sick. ‘Is that why she hates me?’

Dante saw the colour fade from Aislin’s face and sighed as he shut the door. ‘She hates any beautiful woman. Katrina used to be a model. She married an Italian film producer thirty years older than her, thinking it would turn her into a star, but she has no talent. She’s bored and stuck in a loveless marriage and gets her kicks from sleeping around. She’s a predator. This is the world I live in, dolcezza. It’s filled with people who care only for their own pleasure and advancement.’

Having Aislin on the receiving end of the bitchy comments that usually passed him by...

The protectiveness he’d felt towards her...

He tugged his jacket and tie off and threw them on the armchair in the corner of the room.

Riccardo’s observation about Dante’s past lovers had been accurate. His experience of women being all the same was because he had deliberately gone for women of the same mould as each other. He had seen in them what he had wanted to see and it had suited them to play along with it.

Katrina was of that mould. The only thing that had stopped him taking her as a lover was her marital status.

He cradled Aislin’s cheeks in his hands and gazed into the striking grey eyes.

She was everything Katrina and the lovers of his past weren’t.

Aislin was beautiful inside and out.

He brought his mouth to hers and inhaled the sweetness of her breath before claiming her with his kiss.

It was the mind-blow he needed.

Her scent, her arms locking around his waist and the receptive parting of her lips all worked together to drive out the demons Riccardo’s words had dredged in him.

Dragging his fingers across her face to burrow into the knot of her hair, he fought his body’s wild response to devour her as quickly as possible.

This time he was going to take it slow.

This time they were going to do it properly.

Splaying his fingers, he found the pins holding her hair in place and pulled them out.

Her russet locks fell in a messy tumble over her shoulders. He rubbed his nose into it and inhaled the scent of raspberries.