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A muted cough interrupted them from their interlude. Mia, accompanied by one of the movers, stood awkwardly at the top of the stairs. Dara stood back from their sensual embrace, her cheeks flaming.
‘Nice to see you home safe, Mr Valente,’ Mia said and blushed. ‘Shall I book you both into the restaurant for lunch?’
‘I’ve come to steal my wife away, I’m afraid.’
Dara placed a hand against her chest, straightening her blazer as casually as she could manage under the scrutiny of her staff. ‘Leo, I can’t just leave two hours before an event—’
‘Actually, you can,’ Mia interrupted, blushing even more as both Leo and Dara turned to face her. ‘What I mean is, Dara, you’ve been working so hard... What’s the point in being the boss if you can’t take some time off? The rest of the team can see this through perfectly well.’
Leo moved forward, grabbing Dara’s shoes from the floor. ‘Mia, you are the voice of reason.’
Dara shook her head, smiling. ‘This is crazy. I have a million things I should be doing.’
‘That’s what makes stealing you away so much fun.’ He winked, pulling her by the hand. ‘Mia, you are only to call my wife if there is a fire or some other catastrophic event.’
‘Understood, sir.’ The assistant saluted, giggling uncontrollably as Leo commandeered his speechless wife from the room in her bare feet.
* * *
‘Is the blindfold really necessary?’ Dara asked, feeling for Leo’s hand in the close confines of his sleek sports car.
‘Necessary? Perhaps not,’ Leo’s voice purred silkily somewhere next to her ear. ‘But it adds to my enjoyment.’
Dara reached out, her hand coming into contact with his arm: a band of hard muscle covered in the rich silk of his dark shirt. ‘Well, in two years of marriage you’ve never mentioned this particular fantasy.’
Dara’s breath whooshed out of her lungs as a warm hand settled possessively upon her inner thigh. It had been weeks since she’d felt her husband’s hands on her body, and the sensation was just as addictive as she remembered.
‘I’ve never been one for power plays, but I must say I am enjoying the effect so far,’ he murmured seductively.
‘I’m open to the blindfold, but I’m drawing the line at handcuffs,’ she replied, focusing on the agonising slowness of his fingers as they progressed towards the hem of her skirt.
‘We’re hot enough in the bedroom without adding props, carina,’ he rasped, gripping her thigh and squeezing gently. ‘And I’m liable to stop this car on the side of the road if you don’t stop making those delicious little noises.’
Dara smiled to herself, hearing his laboured breathing. ‘I’ll behave myself if it means avoiding an accident. Still, I’m not opposed to you being so out of control.’
He chuckled. ‘I’ll make note of that.’
Less than fifteen minutes later the car had moved off the motorway and onto rougher terrain. She had expected him to take her to the private airfield where they normally housed the jet, but he wouldn’t have needed to blindfold her for that. The past Christmases of their relationship had been spent travelling abroad. Sipping champagne at the top of the Eiffel Tower...exploring deserted beaches in Bali. She wondered what on earth he had planned this year. Curiosity made her stomach jolt with excitement as she felt the car suddenly pull to a smooth stop.
Leo jumped out from the car, ordering her to wait as he opened her door and helped her out into the crisp night air. He gently removed the blindfold, allowing Dara a moment as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings.
She looked up at the familiar facade of Castello Bellamo and felt her breath catch. Thousands of tiny twinkling fairy lights adorned the steps to the double doors. The entrance glowed as though lit up by some kind of magical force.
‘The real surprise is inside.’ Leo took her by the hand and led her up the steps and through the open doors into the grand hallway.
The castello had always been a magical place to her, with its vaulted ceilings and mysterious corridors. But now it simply took her breath away. Thick garlands of flowers adorned each side of the staircase, and tiny ornamental elves sat on a side table surrounded by candlelight. The light from the chandelier above had been left dimmed for maximum effect, and she could see a warm glow emanating from the doorway leading into the front sitting room.
‘Leo, the place looks like something from a fairy tale.’ She sighed, wandering through the archway. Her breath caught as she took in the enormous Christmas tree that dominated the room. The tree had to be at least nine feet tall, and was perfectly decorated in an array of red and gold. ‘Did you do this all by yourself?’ she asked, still stunned by all the effort he’d gone to.
