“After such a lovely evening—” Cesare’s amusement was deeper now, his accented English doing even more to make her breathless “—there is only one way to end it, no?”

For an instant he held Carla’s gaze in the dim light, daring her to accept, to concede, to do what he wanted her to do—what he’d wanted of her from the first moment he’d set eyes on her.

“Like this,” he said.

His hand stretched out, long fingers tilting up her face to his as his mouth lowered to hers. Slowly, sensuously, savoring. With skill, with expertise, with a lifetime of experience in how to let his lips glide over hers, his mouth to open hers to his to taste the sweetness within. As soft, as sensual as silk velvet.

She drowned in it. A thousand nerve endings fired as he made free with her mouth, his long fingers still holding her. And when he was done he released her, drew back his hand, let it curve around the driving wheel.

He smiled. “Buone notte,” he said softly.