AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jake's voice startled her. She swung around on her heel to find him standing only inches away, his dark eyes watching her with a brooding intensity that sent & frisson of awareness tingling down her spine.
'The restaurant.' It would be safer, was her first thought.
'Now how did I know-you would say that?' Jake drawled mockingly.
'Well, it is a lovely hotel, and I'm sure the dining-room must be marvellous, and I like the idea of getting dressed up..." She was babbling, but could not seem to stop.
Jake took a step towards her, and she looked somewhere over his left shoulder, determined to retain her control. Unfortunately her vision was filled with the very large bed. The bed she would very soon share with Jake, and the thought did nothing to help her poise at all...
'You must allow me to help you get "dressed up".' Jake strung the words out as his long fingers deftly unbuttoned the jacket of her suit while his lips softly pressed to her brow, the tip of her nose, and softly, very softly, down to her generous mouth.
She stood stock-still, her heart pounding in her chest as he dealt in the same fashion with her blouse. Katy told herself to move; she lifted her foot to take a step back but unfortunately her body had other ideas and instead she stepped forward.
'I love this outfit, but I much prefer what it's hiding,' Jake mouthed huskily against her lips as his hands eased the jacket and blouse off her shoulders.
'Mmm,' she said dreamily, her slender arms winding around his strong neck. 'It was one of Claude's favourites.'
'I should have guessed.' The harshness of his words pierced the sensual haze that surrounded her. She stared up at him, her senses registering the thick sound of his anger, and stiffened slightly. His hand covered her breasts, and his mouth found hers with a savage bruising passion that within seconds had swamped her slight resistance.
A primitive hunger, a want, a powerful need swept away any lingering inhibitions in Katy's mind.
Jake, with speed and expertise, stripped them both naked, and in a tangle of arms and legs, touching, tasting, they sank to the floor in a wild passionate coupling.
'Jake!'
'Katy!'
Their cries mingled as their bodies fused and ignited in a mutual explosive release.
Jake lay on top of her, his skin hot and damp against her own, his breath rattling deeply in his throat. Katy, eyes closed, trailed her hands lovingly down his shoulders, his broad back. He might never love her, but he had shown her he wanted her with a fierce passion he could not deny after tonight.
'Did I hurt you, Katy?' Jake rasped throatily. He eased his large frame to one side and, leaning over her, with one hand he gently stroked a few strands of hair from her flushed cheek. 'I didn't mean to.'
Her lips parted in a slow wide smile. 'I'm fine; more than fine,' she sighed, her sea-green eyes lazily lingering on his darkly flushed face.
'God, Katy, we never even made it to the bed.' He shook his head as if to dispel some unpleasant thought. 'I'll make it up to you tomorrow—I'll buy you a whole new wardrobe as a present.'
'That's not necessary.' A present reminded her of her position as his mistress and her quick visit that morning to the family planning clinic; she could only pray the Pill acted immediately. It was some consolation that the first time they had made love four years ago there had been no unfortunate repercussions.
Restlessly she moved. 'This floor is rather hard; do you think we could move?' she queried. Keep it light, she told herself and teasingly ran a slender hand down his chest, his stomach.
Immediately Jake stood up and swept her up in his strong arms. 'Sorry, Katy; I promise you I'm not usually so impetuous.' And for the rest of the night he proved it to their mutual satisfaction.
They never made it to dinner; instead at midnight they rang room-service for champagne and sandwiches.
Venice. Katy stared around her in keen fascination as the motor launch sped through the water. Jake laughed at her wide-eyed wonder while pointing out the more famous monuments. He reluctantly refused to allow her to stop at St Mark's Square—there was not time—but promised they would return later.
The private launch sped on. The Grand Canal, lined with magnificent buildings, meandered its way through the unique city on the water. Katy's head flew from side to side as she tried to assimilate the beauty and variety of the buildings. Imposing palaces, dating back to the time of the Venetian Empire, jostled side by side with colourful houses.
The breath caught in her throat as the launch stopped at a private landing stage in front of a genuine pink-washed Venetian palace. The long windows were perfectly arched and intricately decorated in handsomely sculptured plaster and frail lattice woodwork. The delightful romantic balconies reminded her of Romeo and Juliet, although it was the wrong city.
'What is this place?' she asked Jake softly as he helped her off the launch and up a few steps to the massive entrance doors.
'My grandmother's house. The Palace Luzzini.' The door swung open and, hanging on to Jake's arm, Katy walked inside.
She smiled shyly at the old gentleman Jake greeted in Italian, then her eyes widened in amazement as she looked around the enormous hall.
The morning sunlight streamed through lofty windows sparkling like diamonds, and on to a huge, delicate cobweb of a chandelier, the superb glass reflecting every colour of the rainbow. A grand marble staircase curved upwards to the next floor, the stair-rail a masterpiece of the wood-carver's skill.
