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don’t know. I hadn’t really thought.’ Lily smoothed her hand over her long hair in sudden consternation. It was going to be strange enough going through with the wedding. And nothing had changed regarding her concerns about keeping up appearances with her mother or best friends being there. ‘You know, I think it would be better to tell them afterwards. Maybe they can visit later.’
‘Ashamed of your fiancé?’ Vito asked. His tone was utterly neutral, and for a disconcerting moment Lily wondered if he was offended or being sardonic.
‘No.’ She looked him squarely in the eye. A couple of months ago she would have been so proud to call him that. ‘I’m just not sure I’ll be able to convince the people I love that this is real. I’m still getting used to it.’
‘All right,’ he said. ‘If you think it would be best, we’ll keep it very small. Just my grandfather—if he’s well enough—and a couple of witnesses.’
He continued to hold her gaze for a long moment, his blue eyes looking smoky in the candlelight, and for a second Lily had a flash of how it used to be between them. She was glad he had accepted what she said without making more of it. She knew she had to make the marriage look normal—and she had very good reasons for going ahead with it. But it was still too soon to be confident that she’d manage in front of the people who loved and knew her best.
The rest of the meal passed smoothly. Vito kept the conversation light, for which she was very grateful, and by the time Lily had finished her ice cream she was surprised to realise that she had actually enjoyed a proper meal for the first time in weeks. Maybe her body was finally settling into the second trimester of her pregnancy and the misery of morning sickness was over.
‘Let’s go home,’ Vito said, signalling for the bill.
Lily looked at him, suddenly remembering what he had said about them both knowing how the evening would end. A dark shiver of anticipation ran through her. She couldn’t deny that she missed the nights of passion they had shared.
Her skin was flushing again, and she stared at the paintings covering the walls to take her mind off making love with Vito. On their earlier visits to the restaurant he had told her how previous owners had sometimes accepted paintings as payment for meals. As a result the walls were covered with an astonishingly eclectic array of artwork that she’d always enjoyed looking at—but right then it wasn’t enough to distract her from the thought of lying in Vito’s arms.
It was dark as they travelled back across the lagoon, and a beautiful crescent moon hung in the sky. Lily shivered, hugging her silk wrap tighter around her—not because she was cold, but because of the way Vito had started looking at her again.
It was too dark to see his features clearly, but she could sense his expression was the one she had seen so many times before when they’d been lovers. The expression that meant very soon they would be making love.
‘You’re cold,’ Vito said, slipping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer to his side.
‘Not really,’ Lily responded, leaning against his hard muscled body with a ripple of pleasure. Half a glass of prosecco had gone to her head—or maybe she was simply intoxicated by her proximity to Vito. His spicy masculine aroma was filling her senses, making her body sing with remembered sensations.
‘You’re trembling,’ Vito murmured, leaning close to her ear. She could feel his lips moving deliciously against her hair. Excitement knotted deep inside her, making her shiver in expectation of what was to happen later.
‘I’m not really cold.’ The words came out in a small, shaky voice, and she realised that although she yearned to lie in his arms again she was also extremely nervous. Would it be as good as she remembered? Would Vito be satisfied with her?
Their physical compatibility was the one thing that might create a genuine bond between them in their marriage of convenience. Or was she placing too much significance on it? Would it ever again be more than just sex to Vito?
‘I’ve missed this, bella mia.’ Vito’s deep, sensual voice rumbled right through her as he lifted his hands to turn her face towards him. His fingers slipped between the silky tresses of her hair, and he inclined her head slightly to one side, as if he was about to kiss her.
Lily gazed at him silently. Her heart was racing and she wanted to feel his lips against hers, experience the mastery of his kiss again. But for a long moment he didn’t move.
‘So have I,’ she whispered, thinking about the time when it had been natural for her to pull him close for a kiss. Before she thought about what she was doing, she leant nearer and pressed a light kiss against his mouth.
For a heartbeat she held her breath. He hadn’t kissed her back. Maybe this wasn’t the way he wanted it to be now. But her lips tingled with the feel of his firm, sensual mouth and she was desperate for him to kiss her properly.
Suddenly Vito began to move and everything seemed to happen at once. His strong hands were under the hem of her full skirt, sliding rapidly up the outside of her legs, making the breath catch in her throat. Then, before she realised what he was doing, he took hold of her hips and lifted her so that she was sitting astride him.
She grabbed hold of his broad shoulders to steady herself as desire flooded through her, pooling at the very centre of her womanhood. Her most sensitive feminine place was now pressed intimately against him. She could feel his erection pushing powerfully against her through his trousers. They were in a perfect position for making love—and sensation stormed through her quivering body, as if that was really what they were doing.
The movement of the boat as it bounced lightly over the waves bumped their bodies together erotically, and Lily felt her breath coming in shorter and shorter gasps. In a distant, rational part of her mind, she couldn’t believe how aroused she was. He’d barely touched her and he hadn’t even kissed her. Yet her body was on fire.
His hands were still under her skirt, resting on her hips and pulling her into close contact with him. She longed to feel those hands glide across her, but for a moment they stayed perfectly still.
‘I want to touch you all over,’ he murmured as his hands started to move.
Her knees on the seat were supporting her, and there was room for him to slide his hands around the curve of her bottom. She bit the tip of her tongue lightly between her teeth. His fingers left a tingling trail in their wake—but she needed more.
‘Kiss me.’ His words were a command, but suddenly she wondered if he was playing a game with her. A moment ago he hadn’t kissed her back. Would he respond this time? Or would he sit there as cold as stone—despite the fact he knew how turned on she was, and that she could feel how hard he was?
Her position astride him meant that her head was slightly higher than his. She leant forward and brushed her lips lightly over his. He was driving her wild with frustrated sexual need—she’d try to give him a taste of his own medicine.
But as soon as their lips made contact another rush of overwhelming desire stormed her body and, almost as if from a distance, she heard a low, sexy moan emerge from deep within her.
Suddenly Vito lifted his hand and cupped the nape of her neck. He pulled her mouth down roughly to his, and kissed her with a furious passion that matched the pent-up energy burning inside her. His tongue plunged in deeply and she took it willingly, inviting the rough, sensual invasion of her mouth. She wanted to taste him, feel him. She wanted to be as close to him as possible.
