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‘You’re just saying that to make me feel better.’ She smiled, knowing he must be lying. But it was a kind lie and his words had lifted her spirits.
‘You look beautiful,’ he said, gazing at her in a way that suddenly made her heart beat faster. He was still holding her head captive in his gentle hands, and he began to pull her slowly towards him.
She gazed at him, thinking he seemed more devastatingly good looking than ever. The firelight was casting a gorgeous glow over his face, his dark eyes were glinting with reflected amber lights and his black hair was gilded with gold.
He was going to kiss her—she knew it with absolute certainty. But then he paused, letting his mouth hover only a fraction away from hers.
At the back of her mind the voice of reason cried out for her to take this chance to back away from him. She knew she shouldn’t get involved with him again. Nothing had changed—he was still the man who had discarded her without a backwards glance. The man who had broken her heart.
She drew in a long shuddering breath and closed her eyes, struggling with her inner turmoil.
Her lips were tingling in expectation of his kiss and her whole body was quivering with the desire that was rising within her, but she knew she shouldn’t give in to it. In a few days time she had to travel to the Caribbean to marry Primo Vasile. That was the hard reality of her life.
Her idyllic time with Marco was a distant memory. It had happened—but it wasn’t real. Not in the way that she remembered it. She had fallen in love with him but although he might have enjoyed spending time with her for a while, it was obvious that he had not felt the same way.
Now he was back in her life and he seemed very different—harder, angrier. She’d never intended to turn to him for comfort over her father. But after the stresses of the last couple of days, looking at the photograph had really got to her. And, although she’d tried, she hadn’t been able to hold back her tears. But just because he had offered her sympathy over her father’s illness did not mean that she had to fall into his arms.
‘I can’t do this.’ Her voice was small, but resolute. She sat up straighter and tried to pull away from him.
‘Yes, you can,’ he said. ‘You want this as much as I do.’
A moment later Marco’s mouth closed over hers.
CHAPTER FIVE
CLAUDIA clung to Marco, giving herself over to his kiss completely. She wanted to lose herself in his arms for a few blissful minutes and forget all the worries that had been weighing so heavily on her. There was no going back now—she didn’t want to go back. She couldn’t let herself think about what she was doing—that might give her rational mind time to protest.
‘I’m going to make you mine again.’
His voice was unbearably sexy—dark and chocolaty, it rippled through her flesh like a physical sensation, making her yearn for him even more.
His hands slipped under her top and moved across her back, his fingers spread wide and his palms hot and smooth against her skin. A deeply expressive sigh escaped her as she felt him caressing her. But she needed more. She needed to feel his naked skin under her fingertips.
It was as if he had read her mind, because he quickly stripped off his sweater.
‘You feel so good,’ she murmured, running her hands up his sides and across his ribs to his chest. She felt his pectoral muscles flex under her fingers and his nipples tighten into small hard points.
Then, Marco took hold of her waist and a split second later they were both standing. The open fire was warm beside her and she couldn’t help running her eyes over his half naked body.
The golden light flickered on his bronzed skin, highlighting the well-defined muscles of his athletic physique and making the fine tangle of black hair on his chest seem more powerfully masculine than ever. Her stomach fluttered with anticipation and she felt a warm wave of desire rolling over her body.
Suddenly the sound of Claudia’s mobile phone ringing jarred through the air.
Marco stiffened, feeling the mood shatter. He turned away and picked up the intrusive item from the coffee table.
He glanced at the caller display and another jolt stabbed through him.
Primo Vasile.
He handed Claudia the phone and walked out of the room.
Marco stood in front of the sink and splashed cold water on to his face. Powerful emotions had surged around his body, taking him completely by surprise. But now he was determined to regain control.
He’d followed Claudia to Wales with the ruthless intention of bedding her out
of revenge.
They’d made love many times in the past—but every time she’d laid in his arms she had been deceiving him. That knowledge was unbearable.
