EXHAUSTED from the lack of sleep, a night of rampant sex and the stress of acting a part, Lindsay sat in the bow of the yacht, facing forwards. The energy required to behave in a bright, happy mood had completely sapped the last of her reserves.
She barely even remembered the storm. For her, the hurricane had been inside her, a wind of change, blowing aside her all her old beliefs and leaving them wrecked and in pieces.
She felt—she felt—
Lindsay lifted her chin and turned her face to the sun. She wasn’t going to ask herself how she felt. She didn’t dare ask herself how she felt because she didn’t want to know the answer.
And what difference did it make, anyway?
He wasn’t going to be interested in her feelings. Alessio Capelli didn’t do feelings. She knew that. He was famous for it, wasn’t he? No ties. No emotions.
And she wasn’t going to allow herself to mind that he hadn’t once mentioned what had happened the previous night—hadn’t even kissed her.
For a brief, disturbing moment her mind flickered back to the intensity of what they’d shared and she clutched the rail more tightly.
‘Lindsay, come here.’ His cool command sent shivers of awareness down her spine and for a moment she hesitated. She wasn’t actually sure that she had the energy to keep up the pretence of normality. But if she didn’t go—
Forcing herself to think neutral thoughts, she turned and strolled to the back of the boat.
He handled the boat with confidence and a sure touch, dark glasses shading his eyes from the harsh rays of the sun. ‘You need to wear a hat. You’ll burn.’ Reaching down, he picked up a hat and slipped it onto her head in a decisive gesture. ‘You’re very fair. You need to be careful.’
Careful?
Lindsay swallowed back the hysterical laugh that almost burst from her throat. Careful? If she’d wanted to be careful, then she wouldn’t have spent the night the way she had. What they’d shared hadn’t been remotely careful. It had been reckless, wild and totally abandoned. ‘I thought you were encouraging me to take more risks.’
‘Sunburn is a certainty,’ he drawled, ‘not a risk. And it’s painful.’
Suddenly she was grateful for the hat. She pulled at the wide brim, shading her features and, hopefully, her facial expression. And she wondered what had made her naïvely think that she’d be able to share one incredible night with him and then walk away as if nothing had happened.
Unable to stop herself, Lindsay risked a sideways glance at him and immediately her eyes collided with his penetrating dark gaze. Her insides tumbled, flames licked through her body and she turned away quickly, knowing that she’d embarrass herself if she looked at him any longer.
No clinging, no sighing and no long, desperate looks, she reminded herself desperately. She’d known it was just for one night.
But when they’d finally connected in the most intimate way possible, she’d wanted it to be for always.
And she knew it was because she was in love with him. She’d known it the moment she awoke and found herself in his arms. For her, it had always been so much more than chemistry. Perhaps she’d always been a little bit in love with him, ever since that evening when he’d come to her rescue.
So in the end, she’d been true to herself, hadn’t she?
Her choice had been sex with love, even though that love wasn’t returned.
Love.
Horrified that he’d see something in her expression, Lindsay kept her eyes fixed on the horizon, desperately hoping that his expertise with women didn’t run to reading minds.
‘Are we going to talk about this?’ His voice was a deep, dark drawl and she kept her eyes on the water, trying to forget the way he’d sounded when he’d breathed soft words of encouragement to her during the night.
‘Talk about what?’
‘Oh, well, let’s see—perhaps because you spent the night having wild sex with a wicked divorce lawyer who you don’t approve of. That might give most women pause for thought.’
‘I made my choice.’
‘You made your choice when you were in an extremely emotional state. Those circumstances frequently lead to regret.’
‘I don’t regret anything.’ And it was true. She would have done the same thing again. Yes, she’d been upset. Confused. Emotional. But for that one night she’d also been—curious. She’d wanted to give in to the amazing chemistry between them and see where it led.
She’d wanted to have that one moment. And now, for the first time, she understood what made other people act in a reckless fashion.
She really understood.
Was this how her mother had felt?
Lindsay stood still, thinking about her mother as a woman for the first time. A sexual woman.
‘Lindsay?’
She dragged her mind back from the confusing mists of her childhood and realised that Alessio was watching her intently. And she knew that even if nothing but pain was to follow, she would have done exactly the same thing again if she’d been given the choice. ‘I’m not blaming you, if that’s what you’re worried about.’
Suddenly she was relieved that she’d made the decision to get up before he awoke. It had removed the temptation to snuggle against him and initiate the type of intimacy that she knew he hated.
It had also removed the utter embarrassment of having to face him for the first time in the revealing spotlight of the morning sunshine.
‘Lindsay—’
‘Can we talk about something else?’ She interrupted him quickly, adjusting the hat again simply because she needed to do something with her hands. Something other than sliding them round his neck. ‘I completely understand that being trapped on a boat with the woman you spent the night before with must be your idea of a nightmare. But you really needn’t worry. I don’t want to talk about it either.’
She waited for him to give some indication that he was grateful for her sensitivity, but he simply studied her in brooding silence until the longing inside her became so acute that she knew that if she didn’t move away she’d do something that would embarrass both of them.
Alessio Capelli has taught me everything about passion, she thought desperately, but what he hasn’t taught me is how to walk away afterwards.
* * *
Three hours later Lindsay lay in a luxuriously scented bath, staring at an unbroken view of smooth white sand and palm trees.
She felt drained after the emotional battering she’d received over the past twenty-four hours, but, strangely enough, she also felt calmer than she’d felt in years.
For the first time ever her heart rate stayed steady when she thought about her mother.
And when she thought of Ruby it was with resignation rather than desperation.
And as for herself—
On the bed next door was her dress, laid out ready for the evening. It was the simplest dress in her new wardrobe. Powder-blue and summery rather than sexy. And that suited her.
The last thing she wanted was Alessio thinking she was trying to engender a repeat performance.
She was painfully aware that if they hadn’t been trapped on an island, she wouldn’t be seeing him again. And clearly he was finding their continued proximity a major cause of irritation.
They’d arrived back at Kingfisher Cay just before lunch. Alessio had immediately leaped from the boat onto the narrow wooden jetty, paused to exchange a few words with the staff member hovering ready to take the boat, and then strode off to his villa without so much as a single smouldering glance in her direction.
It was obvious from his body language that he had no desire to spend another moment in her company.
And had that hurt?
Yes. It had been agony, because no matter how many times she told herself that this was what she’d expected, she’d still wanted something entirely different.
Lindsay sniffed and slowly rubbed the bubbles over her skin. Even though she knew exactly who he was and the rules he played by, she was still human enough—female enough—to have wished that he’d swept her into his arms, carried her to the nearest private place and demanded a repeat performance.
But Alessio Capelli didn’t do repeat performances, did he?
She slid farther under the bubbles, trying to ignore the recurrent buzz of electricity coursing through her body. It was as if he’d flicked a switch, but hadn’t bothered to turn it off again afterwards.
And now she had to live with the consequences.
The next time she chose to have a wild fling, she was going to make sure that she’d planned her escape route. Instead of both being able to go their own ways, pretending that nothing had happened, they were both trapped here in paradise—forced to confront each other. And everything about the setting was designed to make that as hard as possible.
Kingfisher Cay was designed for romance. From its curved soft beaches, to the privacy of its coves, it was a place for lovers.
Exasperated with herself, Lindsay stepped out of the bath and reached for one of the large, soft towels that had been laid out ready for her use.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
She’d known what he was like.
She wasn’t going to turn into one of those sad, deluded women who thought they’d be the one to make a bad boy change his wicked ways.
Wrapping the towel around her body, she sat on the edge of the bath, staring blindly at the smooth, tiled floor.
So that, she thought numbly, was that.
One night with Alessio Capelli.
And now she had to play the game until she could escape from Kingfisher Cay and back to her old life.
A tap on the door made her heart rate double, but it was just Natalya, smiling an apology for having disturbed her.
‘Signor Capelli requests your presence for drinks at the Beach Club at seven.’
Lindsay’s heart performed a series of leaps, but she somehow managed to nod. Horrified by the sudden flash of excitement that came from the realisation that she was going to spend an evening in his company, Lindsay watched Natalya go and gave herself a sharp talking-to.
But despite her best efforts to rein it in, her mind was racing ahead.
He couldn’t be that anxious to remove her from his presence, could he? Not if he was inviting her to join him at the Beach Club for the evening?
The Beach Club at night was the most romantic setting. Built on stilts, the glass floor extended over the shallow water of the cove, allowing guests to feel as though they were walking on the clear, illuminated water. During the day, guests swam up to the bar for a drink; at night it was transformed by flickering candles, soft music, food designed to take the palate on a rollercoaster ride of gastronomic bliss. It was a lovers’ paradise.
And he wanted her to join him there.
She was going to have another night with him.
All right, so another night wasn’t a lifetime, but it was something and it was now.
Lindsay dried her hair and walked past the powder-blue dress on the bed. Heart thumping, she reached into the wardrobe and pulled out the sexy red silk dress that she’d fingered in awe on the first day.
The old Lindsay would never have worn that dress. But she wasn’t the old Lindsay anymore, was she?
She felt—different.
She felt like seizing the moment. Even if it was only one more night, she wanted to make the most of it.
Her hands shaking, she slid it over her scented skin, smoothed it over her hips and then looked at herself in the mirror.
Yes. Oh, yes.
The dress was desperately sexy. Feminine, confident—totally unlike anything she’d ever worn before.
And that was fine. Because she didn’t feel the way she’d ever felt before.
She was going to spend an evening at the Kingfisher Cay Beach Club with Alessio Capelli. It was right that she should look glamorous.
Lindsay applied her make-up, slid her feet into a pair of amazing red silk shoes and took a last look in the mirror.
She barely recognised herself.
On impulse she leaned forward and removed one of the scarlet flowers from the vase on the table. Snapping off the stem, she slid it into her hair and secured it with a pin.
Feeling confident, sexy and excited, she picked up her bag and walked along the path that wound its way towards the Beach Club, smiling as she anticipated Alessio’s reaction to her transformation.
Her excitement lasted right up until the moment she saw him.
He was leaning on the bar looking every inch the billionaire tycoon. Broad-shouldered and powerful, he was deep in conversation with a tall, handsome man who looked extremely familiar.
Lindsay’s heart lurched.
Oh, no—
She knew instinctively that this man must be Alessio’s mysterious and elusive client and the reason he looked familiar was because he was a major Hollywood film star whose films she’d seen on many occasions.
And it was immediately obvious to her that Alessio hadn’t invited her for a romantic evening at all.
He’d invited her because his client had arrived.
Lindsay stopped dead, wanting to slink back to her villa, but knowing that if she moved they’d see her.
What was she supposed to do?
It felt surreal, seeing such a famous man in person, when she was used to seeing him on the big screen. Remembering that guaranteed privacy was one of the many benefits of Kingfisher Cay, Lindsay felt a flash of panic and wondered whether she’d better leave.
The rich and famous obviously had a silent pact not to betray the whereabouts of their set, but she wasn’t one of them, was she?
Uncertain and uncomfortable, she was just about to retreat when Alessio lifted his dark head and saw her.
For a moment his eyes locked on hers, then they slid slowly down over her bare shoulders and down over the dips and curves of her body accentuated so lovingly by the bold red dress.
Heart thumping, Lindsay waited in breathless anticipation for his reaction, but when he finally lifted his eyes back to hers they were blank of expression.
Nothing.
Instead he lifted a hand and beckoned her over and she went, of course, because the delicious red dress was already drawing attention that she didn’t want, and because he wasn’t the sort of man you said ‘no’ to.
It was ironic, she thought miserably, that the only man she’d wanted to notice her didn’t appear to be noticing her.
She’d got it so, so wrong.
He hadn’t invited her to spend a romantic evening with him. He was expecting her to join in a meeting with his client. But what was still more embarrassing was the undeniable fact that he was aware of her mistake. That one single glance had told him that she was dressed for sex and passion, which accounted for the tightening of his hard mouth and the sudden cooling of his gaze.
Alessio knew.
In her mind she could hear him saying, ‘You should be so lucky, tesoro. You had your one night. That was it.’
Mortified, Lindsay was too busy wishing she could crawl back to her villa and hide to feel remotely star struck by meeting the famous actor.
Telling herself that the presence of another person would make the whole difficult evening a great deal easier, Lindsay joined them, noticing that if anything this huge star was even more handsome in real life than he was on the screen. His eyes were bluer and shone with a hint of humour that was usually absent in the roles he played.
Lindsay glanced around her, expecting the other guests to be staring, but then she realised that the people who came here were all similarly famous. She recognised the lead singer from an extremely famous rock band, a supermodel and a billionaire industrialist who was never out of the news.
In this company, the ‘A’ list actor blended comfortably.
She was the odd one out.
It felt surreal, sipping her drink next to a man whose love life had been played out across the pages of the world’s gossip magazines.
Desperately miserable, Lindsay glanced briefly at Alessio, and then wished she hadn’t because once her eyes rested on the sharp lines of his profile it was impossible to look away.
The actor was outlining his personal situation and Alessio angled his dark head, his gaze sharp and acute as he sifted through the facts. You can almost see his brain working, Lindsay thought helplessly, watching his unwavering focus on his client. His astonishing intelligence was evident, not only in the observations that he made, but also in the sharp glitter of his eyes and in every line of his hard, handsome features. He was clever. Clever and strong.
Lindsay’s eyes drifted to the dark shadow of his jaw. He was a man to whom decision-making came easily. Not for him the agonies of ‘shall I shan’t I’ suffered by lesser mortals. No wonder people trusted him with their darkest secrets and their biggest problems. He was coldly analytical and decisive, which explained why he wasn’t remotely impressed or intimidated by the presence of Hollywood’s favourite film star.
Most men would have faded into the background.
Not Alessio.
Lindsay smiled politely as Alessio introduced them, fighting down a spurt of panic as she realised that, although she was with one of America’s biggest film stars, the only man she wanted to stare at was Alessio.
The Sicilian lawyer was actually more startlingly handsome than the man whose presence on the screen had made him the object of fantasy for millions of women worldwide.
Deciding that the only way she was going to make it through the evening was to not look at him, or think about him, Lindsay focused all her attention on the actor and his situation.
So he was the one contemplating divorce—
Does his wife know? she wondered. Or was this just an exploratory meeting to ascertain how much a divorce was going to cost him?
‘I should have listened to the old saying—marry in haste, repent at leisure.’ He drained his glass of champagne. ‘Good sex is never a reason to get married.’
‘You sound uncannily like Lindsay,’ Alessio said in a cool tone, a sardonic gleam in his eyes as he glanced at her. ‘She doesn’t approve of relationships based on sex.’
‘On the contrary—’ she lifted her head and smiled ‘—I have no problem with relationships based on sex, providing the parties involved understand that physical chemistry alone isn’t a good basis for marriage. If sex is all you have in common, then fine. Just don’t get married.’
‘That’s the best advice anyone has ever given me. I only wish I’d met you a couple of years ago. You would have saved me a fortune.’ Draining his glass, the actor looked at her thoughtfully. ‘I take it you’re not married?’
‘No.’
‘And you have no problem with relationships based on sex.’
Was it her imagination or was this gorgeous man who was famed for his liaisons with equally gorgeous women actually smiling at her? Flirting with her?
‘I think it’s important to be realistic.’
‘Where have you been all my life?’ The actor was laughing now, a look of sexy invitation in those famous blue eyes. ‘How long are you here for? Come and spend some time with me in Los Angeles after you leave. I’ll show you the sights.’
‘I might just do that.’ Desperately miserable about Alessio and feeling suddenly reckless, Lindsay smiled back at him. Reckless? Since when had reckless been an adjective that applied to her? A week ago she’d never done anything reckless in her life. Now she seemed to be doing nothing but reckless things.
And on top of that it suddenly seemed desperately important to show Alessio that she wasn’t pining. He’d barely glanced in her direction and the message he was sending her had come across loud and clear.
Not interested.
Unlike the actor who barely seemed able to drag his eyes away from her face and body, Alessio seemed hardly to notice her presence. He didn’t address her directly, his gaze didn’t once linger on her bare shoulder or her cleavage and he seemed totally relaxed.
Clearly whatever wild chemistry had possessed him before last night had been extinguished by the heat of that one single encounter.
For him, there was nothing left.
Suddenly it seemed incredibly important for her pride and self-esteem that he didn’t realise just how bad she felt.
And to be fair, it wasn’t exactly his fault that she felt bad, was it?
He hadn’t once lied to her. He hadn’t promised her anything.
He’d been completely true to his nature, which was to keep relationships light and easy.
She was the one who’d broken the rules—by expecting something she couldn’t have.
The actor was gazing at her mouth with ill-concealed fascination. ‘Have you ever been to Hollywood?’
‘Perhaps we ought to dispense with your current wife before you contemplate a replacement,’ Alessio drawled in a soft tone, putting his empty glass on the bar and gesturing towards a table that had been reserved for them in the most secluded area of the Beach Club. ‘Shall we eat?’
Sensing his black mood, Lindsay glanced at him nervously. Was he still annoyed that she’d misinterpreted the whole situation and dressed for a romantic evening?
His client didn’t seem bothered.
In fact he continued to flirt outrageously.
As the staff served them discreetly Alessio turned the conversation to the issue of divorce and asked a number of blunt, specific questions about the actor’s marriage. Very much the lawyer, he was brief and businesslike, reducing the relationship to a series of cold facts.
Lindsay concentrated on her food, listening while Alessio dealt with the actor’s questions and then summarised his options.
She didn’t feel the slightest inclination to intervene or even urge him to reconsider. What did she know about relationships? After last night, she’d decided that she knew nothing.
And that, Lindsay thought bleakly, was that.
Another celebrity marriage bit the dust.
The actor sat back in his chair, his eyes on the gentle curve and dip of Lindsay’s cleavage. ‘Well, if we’re done, Alessio, I feel like relaxing. You’ve no idea how amazing it feels to be able to chill out, knowing that for once your evening is not going to be replayed in the morning papers. Can you spare your assistant for the rest of the evening?’
‘I’m afraid not. She has work to do.’ Alessio’s tone was smooth and his eyes blank of expression, but something in his manner delivered his message loud and clear because the actor gave a frown and then shrugged.
‘OK. Some other time.’ His eyes lingered on Lindsay’s mouth. ‘Don’t leave without taking my number.’
‘Your number is in the file.’ Very much the one in control, Alessio rose to his feet and extended a hand. ‘My team will contact you when you’re back in L.A. Enjoy your stay. And try not to marry your next co-star.’
Feeling increasingly awkward, Lindsay stood up as well and stammered a goodnight.
And finally, Alessio looked at her. ‘My villa.’ It was a cool command. ‘I want to work on this straight away.’
And it was obvious that he was annoyed with her, Lindsay thought miserably as she followed him up a path that led to a villa out of sight of the rest of the exclusive resort.
He was going to remind her that it had been just the one night.
He didn’t want to see glamorous red dresses or flowers in her hair.
Too tense even to react to the luxurious villa or the stunning setting, she flinched as he yanked open the sliding doors that led from beach to living room.
‘Nice,’ she muttered timidly and then felt suddenly angry with herself because she’d never allowed herself to be intimidated by him before and she just hated the fact that she felt like that now. By nature honest, she decided that it was best to come clean, however awkward that might be. ‘Look—it was a misunderstanding, all right? When I received your message I thought—’ She broke off and he lifted a brow.
‘You thought what? That this was your chance to join the ranks of Hollywood?’
Taken aback by this unexpected verbal attack, Lindsay just stared at him. ‘What are you talking about?’
Dark colour accentuated his cheekbones and he prowled across to her, his eyes stormy. ‘I’m talking about you flirting with my client. I’m talking about the flower in your hair, the sexy red dress and the killer heels. That’s what I’m talking about, Lindsay.’
Her gaze locked with his, she suddenly couldn’t breathe.
He thought the dress was sexy?
Even though she could feel the atmosphere sparking dangerously, she felt a wild thrill of pleasure.
‘Alessio—’
His hands were on her shoulders, tight bands of steel. ‘I’m talking about the fact that you’re a relationship counsellor, but you didn’t once try and talk him out of his divorce. Not once.’ His handsome face hard and unyielding, he powered her back against the enormous bed that dominated the room until she tumbled backwards onto the silken cover.
‘Alessio—’
He came down on top of her, bronzed, muscular and very much the dominant male. ‘Why didn’t you try and talk him out of divorce?’ One strong hand buried itself in her hair and he kept his gaze locked with hers. ‘Why was that, tesoro? Was it because you were hoping that you might be the next candidate?’
‘Don’t be ridiculous—’ Lindsay stared up at him with huge, shocked eyes. Her heart thudding out of control, explosions of excitement turning her body into a simmering cauldron of dangerous sensation. ‘You were the one who told me that you didn’t want me here in my role as relationship counsellor—’
‘You dressed for sex. What happened to those principles of yours?’ With a decisive movement, he slid a hand under her bottom and hauled her against the thickened ridge of his arousal. ‘What happened, tesoro? You meet a film star and suddenly a relationship based on sex seems like a good idea?’
All she could feel was heat. The heat of his body. The heat of his mouth next to hers. The heat of her own desperate need—
‘Alessio—’ Her words were smothered by the force of his kiss, his mouth taking hers in a punishing, demanding, volcanic assault that tipped her into a sensual world that was entirely new to her.
The hot slide of his tongue in her mouth sent a shaft of excitement shooting from brain to belly and her hands clutched at his shirt, tugging it free from his trousers.
She wasn’t thinking. She was no longer able to think. It was all about instinct. Primal, animal instinct.
Swearing in Italian, Alessio shifted his weight so that he had full access to her body. Then he pushed her dress up to her waist in a rough, impatient movement that drew a gasp of shocked excitement from her parted lips.
With no concession to modesty, he slid a demanding hand over her bared body and then pushed her thighs apart and buried his mouth against the most private part of her.
Lindsay choked out a protest, but he held her with firm, confident hands, his mouth warm against the dampened silk of her panties. Then his fingers curled into the flimsy material and he gave a forceful yank, removing that final barrier with determined fingers before focusing all his attention on that one single part of her that he’d exposed specifically for his pleasure.
She felt as though she were back in the storm, the entire force of nature directing its power onto her.
His fingers gentled as he parted her and then she felt the warm, moist flick of his tongue caressing her there and it felt so wickedly good, so maddeningly, impossibly exciting, that for a moment the world went black.
And then her body exploded into a climax so intense that her hands clutched frantically at the sheets and her body arched against his skilful mouth.
Weakened and dizzy, she barely had time to catch her breath before he shifted again, this time so that he was over her, once again in a position of domination. His shirt was hanging loose where she’d torn at it and he reached down and dealt with the zip of his trousers with an impatient hand.
There was a breathless moment of anticipation when she felt the hard silken promise of his masculinity and then he entered her with such a possessive, powerful thrust that her body immediately spun out of control again. Her second climax was as powerful as the first and she heard him groan in disbelief as the rhythmic contractions of her body added to the delicious friction created by his own thrusts. It was blisteringly hot, terrifying and thrilling all at the same time, her body controlled by the primal rhythm he’d set.
And for Lindsay the pleasure didn’t just peak, it went on and on in a glorious shower of ecstasy that was heightened by the warm, silken thickness of his arousal deep inside her.
She wanted to cry out, but she was robbed of breath and she felt his arm slide under her hips, lifting her, demanding still more from her quivering, helplessly aroused body. He surged into her again and then again, each thrust increasing the incredible intimacy and she was so overwhelmed by the power and strength of him, so utterly dominated by his aggressive sexuality and devastating masculinity that she had no choice but to go where he led her.
‘You’re incredible and you feel so good—’He growled the words against her mouth, his voice unsteady as he drove himself deeper. Groaning something in Italian, he slid a hand up her thigh, encouraging her to wrap her legs around him. ‘Sexy, sexy woman—’
Was she?
Maybe she was. All she knew was that her body didn’t feel like her own anymore.
The excitement was so intense that she was almost blind with it, her body meeting the urgent demands of his with the same desperate compulsion that he obviously felt.
It went on and on, explosion after explosion until she was wild with it, until she could do nothing but rake her nails over the smooth muscle of his powerful shoulders, holding on to the one thing that seemed solid. Again and again she lost control and finally he lost control right along with her, thrusting deeply, filling her with the explosive force of his climax.
For endless moments neither of them spoke or moved.
Lindsay lay there stunned, eyes closed, her heart so full of emotion that it stole her breath.
His head was still buried against her shoulder and his breathing was harsh and uneven. Suddenly her fingers ached to stroke that thick, glossy hair. She desperately wanted to lean her face into his shoulder and kiss him, not with passion, but with love.
There were things she wanted to whisper to him.
She wanted to tell him how she felt.
But that wasn’t allowed, was it?
That wasn’t part of the deal.
So she squeezed her eyes tightly shut and forced herself to swallow back all the words that wanted to spill out of her mouth.
And what was there to say anyway? What could words possibly add to what they’d just shared? Their connection had been total. Their intimacy complete. She’d expressed her feelings through her body. She’d given everything and he’d taken and given right back. Everything.
So in the end she hadn’t been able to have sex without love.
She hadn’t been capable of that.
Alessio lifted his head. She could feel him looking at her, but she didn’t dare open her eyes because of what she might reveal.
Then he rolled onto his back and pulled her firmly into his arms, his vastly superior strength giving her no opportunity to resist.
Her head was nestled against his shoulder and her hand lingered on the hard muscle of his abdomen. ‘I should go back to my villa—’
‘You’re not moving.’ His grip tightened on her. ‘Except perhaps to stand up and remove that dress. From now on when you’re in my bed, I want you naked.’
‘Alessio—’
‘I don’t understand you,’ he confessed in a raw tone. ‘You spend your whole life preaching about how sex should be part of a committed relationship and every time we make love, you try to dash off.’
‘We’re not in a committed relationship,’ she muttered, her heart thumping crazily. ‘You don’t do relationships.’
‘Neither do I do one-night stands.’ He turned onto his side and cupped her cheek with his hand, forcing her to look at him. ‘And you’re not doing them, either.’
She stilled. ‘I—I thought that was what you wanted.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘That’s why you were leaving? Because you thought it was what I wanted?’
‘Of course. I didn’t want to embarrass you by still being around in the morning.’
He gave a slow, devilish smile. ‘Do I look embarrassed?’
‘You hate morning-after conversation.’
‘Who said anything about conversation?’ he drawled softly, rolling her onto her back again and bringing his mouth down on hers.
* * *
This time she woke in his arms, feeling warm, safe and sexually sated. If it had been possible to stop time, then she would have picked that moment, because she couldn’t imagine ever wanting to be anywhere else.
Watching him sleep, her eyes drifted to the firm contours of his mouth and instantly she felt her body stir. Despite the physical demands of the previous night, she still wanted him.
Again and again—
Perhaps she was more like her mother than she’d thought.
Driven by an impulse that she didn’t even try and understand, Lindsay slid a hand over his bare chest, dislodging the sheet so that his body was exposed. Then she pressed her lips against his shoulder blade, slid lower and trailed her mouth over his nipple and down to his hard abdomen. For a moment she lingered in that dangerous, tantalising spot and then she moved lower and found him semi-erect.
Without thinking what she was doing, she took him gently in her mouth and felt him harden instantly. She heard his soft groan and felt the bite of his fingers in her hair as she explored his velvet thickness with her lips and tongue, totally addicted to his body.
The harshness of his breathing told her exactly how he felt about her bold exploration, and then he lifted her and she straddled him, her hair falling forward as she bent to kiss his mouth.
‘Maledizione—you’re incredible,’ he groaned and he captured her face in his hands, holding her mouth against his as he kissed her with explicit intent.
Her body was burning and she shifted her pelvis and lowered herself slowly onto his straining shaft, her eyes closing as he filled her. Then his hands dropped to her hips and he held her, guiding her into an erotic rhythm that sent them both rocketing towards another orgasm.
Lindsay flopped onto his chest and he locked his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. His skin was warm against her cheek, the dark hairs of his chest tickling her sensitised flesh.
‘Buon giorno—good morning.’ His voice was huskily amused and his hold on her tightened. ‘That was an incredibly good way to be woken up.’
Slightly shocked by how uninhibited she was with him, Lindsay kept her face buried in his neck. She just adored his body and as for what he did to her body—
‘I could stay on Kingfisher Cay for ever.’ He smells fantastic, she thought dizzily, pressing her mouth against the bronzed skin of his shoulder.
‘You’re enjoying the watersports, tesoro?’ He was still teasing her and this time she lifted her head and looked at him.
‘Not just the watersports.’ It was her turn to tease. ‘Soft sand, turquoise ocean, rainbow fish—’
‘And what about the sex?’ Supremely confident, he flashed her a smile that melted the flesh to her bones. ‘I thought you didn’t want a relationship based on sex—’
Did he know how she felt?
Something shifted inside her, a tiny warning of danger, like a wispy white cloud suddenly appearing in an otherwise perfectly blue sky.
‘We don’t have a relationship, Alessio,’ she breathed, kissing him again before he could say anything else. ‘We’re just having sex.’
And she wasn’t going to think about that now.
Wasn’t going to think what the future held for her.
‘I can’t believe you just said that.’ He sank his hands into her tangled blonde hair and kissed her mouth again. ‘I could play that back to the television networks and make a fortune. Lindsay Lockheart, relationship counsellor, just having sex.’
‘I never said that there was anything wrong with sex,’ she protested lightly, gasping as his warm skilled hand curved over her bottom. ‘Just that it was important not to confuse sex with love and use it as a basis for marriage—Alessio, please—I can’t think when you do that—’
‘I don’t need you to think.’ With a powerful movement he rolled her underneath him and looked at her with raw masculine appreciation. ‘I’ve never wanted a woman as much as I want you.’
And that, she thought to herself, her eyes closing as he lowered his head and started to perform yet another miracle on her body, was as big a compliment as any woman was ever likely to hear from the lips of Alessio Capelli.