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‘You must be so pleased to have her back,’ Luigi said. He still had an assessing look in his eye, making Lily want to move the conversation on as quickly as possible.

‘It’s—good to be here.’ She stumbled over her reply.

‘She’s my wife now,’ Vito added, his voice deep and intense.

‘Molte congratulazioni!’ Luigi beamed, instantly loosing all of his sternness. He called across to a waiter to bring out a bottle of prosecco.

Lily felt Vito’s hand pressing hers, and she lifted her gaze to his face. He looked as drop-dead gorgeous as ever, but she couldn’t read his expression. Was he telling her that he believed that she had not been involved with Luigi?

Or was he simply letting her understand that, despite the fact that he believed she had been unfaithful—if not with Luigi, then with some one else—this was all part of the act he was prepared to play to ensure his grandfather’s happiness?

But, as glasses of sparkling prosecco were poured, and extravagant Italian toasts to the newlyweds were made, she couldn’t dwell on the problem any longer.

‘You look terrible,’ Vito said, rushing to help her up the last few stairs and onto the sofa in his study.

‘Thanks.’ Lily tried to smile, but she really didn’t feel very well.

‘I’ll call the doctor,’ Vito said, dropping down onto one knee in front of her to look at her properly.

‘There’s no need,’ Lily said. ‘I only went for a checkup two days ago. Everything’s fine—it’s just I got so hot walking back from Ca’Salvatore.’

With a muffled curse Vito shot across the room to the bar area, clunked ice into a tumbler and poured mineral water on top.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said as he handed the glass to her. ‘I should have thought of bringing you something to drink right away.’

‘That’s all right,’ Lily said, touched by his concern. ‘The first thing I needed was just to sit down.’

‘You shouldn’t be walking in this heat,’ Vito said. ‘You need to rest for a few days. Then, after you are recovered, if you want to visit my grandfather you must go by boat.’

‘I don’t need a few days’ rest,’ Lily protested. ‘I’ll be all right by tomorrow. And I need to walk or I won’t get any exercise at all, and that can’t be good for me.’

‘I’m calling the doctor.’ From t

he decisive tone of his voice it was clear that he had already made his mind up. ‘I want to know for myself what it is all right for you to do. I won’t let you overdo it.’

Lily stared at him in bewildered consternation. At seven months pregnant she could still be working full-time, if she wasn’t in the privileged position of being married to a rich man.

‘Your ankles are puffy.’ Vito knelt down to pull off her sandals. He sat next to her on the sofa, turned her sideways and lifted her feet up onto his lap. ‘Is that normal?’

‘I think so,’ Lily said as Vito began to stroke gently along her feet, smoothing the slight indentations the straps of her sandals had made, and then massaging up her calves towards her knees. ‘Unless it gets too bad. The midwife always checks for it—but I don’t know what it means.’

‘I’ll ask the doctor.’

‘Really, I’m fine now,’ Lily protested. The glass of water had refreshed her, and she really did feel fine. Better than fine, in fact. The touch of Vito’s fingers, which she was certain he meant to be purely comforting, was already doing things to her libido. Her progression well into her third trimester had not done anything to curb her physical desire for Vito. ‘But I think I might feel better if I freshen up in the shower.’

Before she realised what he was about, Vito swept her up into his strong arms and, holding her cradled against the broad planes of his chest, carried her upstairs to their bedroom.

He took her through into the en suite and set her down on the marble floor. The small mosaic tiles felt deliciously cool under her feet and, as always when she was close to Vito, Lily felt completely aware of her own body. And every inch of her skin or strand of her hair was conscious of Vito—longing to touch or be touched by him.

‘Do you need any help?’ he asked, and Lily could see from the darkening of his blue eyes that he knew exactly what she needed.

‘I’d love some help.’ She sucked in a shaky breath as he brushed past her to turn on the shower. Then, bending to take hold of the hem of her loose-fitting summer dress, he pulled it up and straight over her head.

He shed his own clothes quickly, and kicked them out of the door into the bedroom before turning back to her.

‘You are so beautiful,’ he said, letting his hands caress her seven-month bump as he reached for her lacy underwear.

Lily held onto his powerful shoulders as she stepped out of her briefs. He still showed such adoration of her body, even though her pregnancy was well advanced. And he was very inventive when it came to finding new ways for them to enjoy their love-making despite her changing body. The way he was treating her gave her hope for the future—maybe in time he would come to share her feelings of love.

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