‘Maybe our marriage will attract attention, but many aspects of my life are kept completely private. Ultimately, our relationship will be as well,’ he said. ‘Suitability isn’t a reason to say no. You’re just trying to find excuses because you’re scared and I get that. This is unexpected and overwhelming but you can trust me.’
She stared at him, speechless. Shecouldn’t. She couldn’t count on anyone other than herself. And how could he not see how completely wrong of a fit she would be in his life?
‘We should watch the race.’ She pushed away from the table, drawn towards the windows. The sky had darkened; now those buildings were even more spectacular and she could see the extra bright lights of the track. Far below them the water moved gently in a dark, sultry celebration. It was truly beautiful.
‘Emiliano is on pole,’ she said. ‘He might make his first podium.’
‘I’ll find out later—’
‘He’s your cousin.’
‘You’re my future wife.’
‘Don’t, Massimo.’
His whispered promise of priority hit her weakest spot. But independence was her absolute bedrock and she couldn’t concede it. Even when he looked at her like this—so intense, sohot.
‘Lily.’ He moved to stand right in front of her. His breathing was ragged and his hands were flexed into fists the same way hers were. ‘Do you think we could pause the argument for a while? Neither of us are at our best.’
She could laugh and cry at the same time. ‘Are you not?’
Because he looked it to her.
‘I’m hopelessly distracted,’ he confessed.
‘By the race?’
‘Not the race, no.’
He was close enough for her to sense his heat, for her to be unable to see anything beyond his taut, muscled body.
His blue eyes burned into her. ‘Do I still have the access-all-areas pass you so generously flung at me the other night?’
Her blood fizzed, smothering every concern in an instant.
‘We have an issue between us, Lily, and I don’t mean the baby.’
No, he meant this inexorable pull, stronger than gravity, as undeniable as the need to breathe. ‘Do you think we should deal with the issue and then discuss the serious matters?’
‘Exactly.’
She should be sensible. She should stop and think. But she didn’t. Instead, she flung herself over the edge.‘Yes.’
But he didn’t sweep her into his arms, didn’t kiss her with the intense, furious abandon of yesterday. No, now he was slow and deliberate and so very vexing.
‘Massimo…’
His hands were light, gentle, slow, carefully sliding the thin straps from her shoulders. With the curtains open, the room received enough light from that vibrant neon skyline—more than enough for her to see his expression, and that was more than enough to keep her still. To savour this.
‘I’ve dreamed of seeing you,’ he muttered. ‘Finally, I get to seeallof you.’
The dress pooled at her feet and he stared. ‘You’re stunning.’ He looked in her eyes and smiled. ‘You don’t believe me?’ He moved faster to shed his own clothes, unashamedly stepping out of his trousers. ‘Look at what you do to me.’
Oh she was looking. She was inhaling his long limbs, the strong muscles. Her mouth dried. Finally naked and he was everything. Drop-dead gorgeous. She began to shake.
In a flurry of movement so fast it was a blur, they both stepped forward. In less than a blink they weretogether. It was frantic. She didn’t just say yes, she surrendered completely. They were both unleashed, all control gone and thus in an instant it was impossibly intimate. Instinct—touch and taste—was everything. She was kindling, a roaring fire in seconds and unable to be contained. He tried. He lifted her and carried her to the bed, not bothering with curtains nor light, just letting that skyline illuminate her skin. There was nowhere to hide but she was too hot to feel self-conscious, too lost to this indulgence, too joyous in her exploration ofhim.
‘Breathe.’ He kissed down her body, tearing her underwear in his frantic haste.‘Breathe.’
