Captive At The Sicilian Billionaire’s Command

‘So he continued to have sex with you as well as with her?’

‘No!’ Julie was too shocked to lie. ‘No, of course not. There was no question of anything like that.’

Enlightenment dawned, and she gave him a bitter smile.

‘If it’s your health you’re worrying about, and the reason for all these questions, I can assure you are quite safe from any contamination from me. I had a full check-up when I fell ill with a virus that I caught from Josh. My local surgery is involved in a government-sponsored drive to do that kind of thing.’

‘You must have found it difficult to go without sex once he’d left you for your sister,’ said Rocco, ignoring her bitter outburst.

His blunt comment made her feel defensive. ‘Why do you say that?’

‘Because you were so hungry for it with me,’ he told her, even more bluntly. ‘More hungry than I’ve ever known any other woman to be.’

‘I’m sorry if you found my…me offensive.’ Her voice was stiff with pride now.

‘I didn’t say that,’ Rocco told her laconically. ‘I simply said that you were desperately hungry for a man’s touch and the satisfaction that goes with it.’

‘I’d really rather we didn’t discuss this subject anymore.’ How prim she sounded. But what he was saying reminded her far too intimately of just how abandoned she had been.

Julie moved uncomfortably in her chair, the small movement watched thoughtfully by Rocco.

It had shocked him at first to discover that she wasn’t the woman he had thought. But he couldn’t deny that the discovery had made sense of several things about her that had puzzled him. Talking to her now had added a certain piquancy to what he already knew—like a delicate sauce added to a dish that was already tempting the appetite.

‘Why didn’t you tell me right from the start that you were not Josh’s mother? It would certainly have saved us both a great deal of aggravation.’

‘You didn’t exactly give me the chance, did you? How could I, when you’d already made up your mind about me? Besides, I was afraid that if Josh did turn out to be your half-brother’s child your family would take him away from me straight away if they knew I wasn’t his mother.’

‘I gave you my word that that would not happen,’ Rocco pointed out.

‘Well, I won’t have to worry about it now, will I? Because Josh isn’t Antonio’s son, thank goodness. I always hoped that James would be his father.’

‘Because you loved him?’

He was too astute.

‘Yes,’ she admitted. ‘Not that I don’t love Josh for his own sake. I

do.’

She meant what she said, Rocco thought, watching her. Josh was very lucky to have a mother figure in his life who was so protective of him.

‘There is still the matter of our recompensing you for coming here,’ Rocco continued. ‘I cannot say how much the sum will be until I have spoken with my eldest brother.’

‘I don’t want any money.’ Julie could feel her heart thudding with angry pride.

‘It has already been agreed that you will be recompensed. It is our duty to do so.’

How arrogant he sounded and looked. Julie’s throat ached with her own painful emotions. It was so easy for her to see how he viewed her. To him she was someone of no account, whose feelings did not matter—someone he could simply pay to disappear from his life.

‘No. I will not take it.’

The ferocity and passion in her voice surprised Rocco.

‘Why not? After all, you were quick enough to agree to come with me when I told you in London that there would be a financial advantage in your agreeing to come to Sicily with me.’

That was different, Julie wanted to tell him. That was before you touched me and I knew… But she must not admit even to herself what she knew.

‘I thought you meant that Antonio had made some kind of financial provision for his child,’ Julie said stiffly. It was in part the truth.