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She tore on to the beach and instantly into the cloaking cover of the trees, struggling desperately not to gasp for oxygen, her hand crammed against her convulsing
mouth.
'Jessica!' Carlo roared, and she froze in her hiding
place.
She watched him stride down the beach, lean hands on hips, a desperate urgency in his very aggressive movement. Maybe he would tie a big rock to her ankle and drown her if he found her. The secret she had learnt was undoubtedly the biggest danger he had ever faced. He moved off towards the jetty and immediately she set off again in the opposite direction.
Her dress tore on a branch, scraping her abdomen, painfully. Pulling free, she kept going until she couldn't^
keep going an
y longer. Her breasts heaving with the effort of breathing, she collapsed where she stood. The agony folded in and she shuddered and shook, hugging herself with trembling arms, rocking back and forth without realising it.
Carlo and Sunny. His father's wife. It was obscene, unbearable. How could she have been so blind? Sunny hadn't been confused when she came to Jessica's room. Sunny had known that Jessica was simply a pawn on the board. Did Lukas suspect that his wife and his son were having an affair? Was that why Jessica had been required as a smoke-screen for this visit?
Jessica covered her face and wanted to die. No wonder Sunny had attempted to hold off the wedding. She was in love with Carlo. Dear God... no wonder Carlo had refused to tell her the truth. No decent human being would have agreed to such a deception.
Carlo was even prepared to go to the lengths of marrying her to be convincing! Carlo had made love to her last night while the woman he really loved slept under the same roof. Jessica was a mass of pain and wounded emotion. Sunny had been responsible for that room miles away from Carlo. Sunny had been jealous. Sunny hadn't wanted the deception to go that far. But then Carlo was cleverer. Carlo had been determined to play the masquerade for real for his shrewd father's benefit. And he hadn't drawn the line at driving poor, stupid Jessica mad with desire and ensuring that she fulfilled the agreement to the very last letter.
A twig snapped. That was her only warning. Her swollen eyes opened. Carlo was hunkered down in front of her. 'Go away!' she gasped.
He ignored her. An unexpectedly gentle hand lifted One of her bare feet and he groaned. 'You've cut your feet to ribbons...you're bleeding!'
Dimly she was aware of the stinging of her maltreated flesh but it was her heart and her pride and her ability
to trust that was causing her the most unimaginable pain. She bowed her head down on her raised knees, tight as a spring with tension.
Carlo swore succinctly. 'Come here!' A powerful hand closed round one scratched forearm.
'No!' Her voice broke right down the middle as she reeled back, desperate to avoid the contact.
‘I have the feeling that I have been condemned to Death Row without the right to appeal.'
"That's w-where you ought to be!' she condemned strickenly. 'It's vile! The two of you waiting like ghouls for him to die... I feel dirty, dear God, I feel soiled and you w-wouldn't believe how dumb and stupid I feel!’
She loved him. That was the full extent of her stupidity. She deserved everything that had happened to her. She deserved to be used and abused. Her own pride and self-discipline should have protected her.
Carlo expelled his breath in a hiss and leapt upright again. His lean powerful length was rigid. 'Just g-get me off this island!' Jessica sobbed. 'Isn't life a bitch?1 Carlo breathed. "The woman I don't want is obsessed by me and the woman I do want spends her whole time running in the wrong direction.'
It was too late. Didn't he see that? Was his estimation of her intelligence so low that he could think he could fool her again?
'Dio... what sort of bastard do you think I am?’ he demanded with sudden ferocious hostility.
‘I suppose if it weren't for the money the two of you would have got together openly a long time ago,’ Jessica mumbled sickly.
'Would you just listen to me?' he demanded rawly.
He was about to tell the truth and she didn't want to
hear it. She did not want to hear how his love for Sunny
had overcome family loyalty and every decent feeling.
'I don't want to know!’ she burst out. 'Not any of it!'
'I could beat you for that,’ Carlo bit out with blatant frustration. "There is nothing between Sunny and me. There never has been. There never will be.'
