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‘That’s all,’ he echoed, fixing her with a curious gaze.
She saw the cold calculation which entered his eyes and wondered if she’d imagined his fleeting look of disappointment.
‘And was it as good as you thought it was going to be?’
‘Even better!’ she said, with a rare fervour, and he laughed.
‘You know, you really are turning out to be something of a surprise, Nicola Bennett,’ he murmured. ‘You make me want to do it to you all over again.’
‘And what’s...what’s stopping you?’ she questioned, with shy bravado.
‘Nothing. In fact, I intend making love to you for as long as possible.’ Pushing a handful of hair away from her face, he guided her hand towards one hair-roughened thigh. ‘Though if you’re still intending to catch that commercial flight in the morning, it’s going to eat into the time we have together.’ Curling her fingers around his growing erection, he pressed his lips to her ear. ‘So why don’t you stay on a little longer?’
CHAPTER NINE
OFCOURSENICOLAdidn’t catch the commercial flight the next morning. Instead she eked out every last moment with the Italian billionaire. For two days and three nights, Alessio gave her a taste of paradise—there was no other way to describe it—and she wasn’t someone with an overactive imagination. Yet even in her wildest dreams she had never imagined sex could be like this, or that she was capable of experiencing such pleasure, over and over again.
‘You know—you are very, very good,’ Alessio growled at one point, when she was straddling him on the very sofa they had rejected as too small the previous evening.
‘You almost make that sound like a complaint,’ she murmured, the experimental thrust of her hips making him groan helplessly.
‘Dio.Are you out of your mind?’ His smoky sapphire gaze burned into her. ‘You are an exceptionally fast learner, Nicola.’
Yes. She always had been. It had been one of the things which had helped her leave her humble beginnings behind. And one of the first things she’d learnt was always keep your expectations realistic. So that when Alessio captured her lips and she shattered into pieces yet again, she didn’t start imagining what this would be like on a permanent basis. Because that was never going to happen. None of this was real. She didn’t really know him and he didn’t know her. She didn’t want him to. She was having fun in this delicious vacuum. She had pushed her worries about Stacey and the baby and her brother’s release from her mind. She had left her cares back in England. Why shouldn’t she enjoy this sense of freedom and this brand-new version of herself?
Which was why she kept her face impassive as their plane began its descent towards London and Alessio told her of his plans.
‘As soon as we land, I’m afraid I’m going to have to leave you. I have a business meeting in the city.’ There was a pause. ‘And tomorrow I must fly back to the States.’
‘That’s okay.’ Nicola smiled reassuringly. ‘No worries.’
His sapphire eyes had narrowed. ‘You’re sure?’
What did he imagine she was going to do? she wondered caustically. Cling to his ankles and refuse to let go, just because they’d spent the last forty-eight hours having non-stop sex in the beautiful Italian countryside?
And isn’t that what you’d secretly like to do—hold on to him and never let him go? Aren’t you going to miss those long days and nights, with Alessio feeding you scraps of delicious food which had been delivered every morning by some unseen servant of his rich sheikh mate?
‘I think I’ll just about be able to cope,’ she offered wryly.
His answering look conveyed both surprise and approval and Nicola realised that her refusal to try to pin him down was one of the things which made her attractive to him. He was a man who liked the chase, she recognised. An alpha male. A hunter. Maybe it was that which prompted his next drawled statement.
‘But I’m going to be in London next week,’ he said.
She wondered if he could hear the fierce beating of her heart as she attempted not to sound too delighted. Or too eager. ‘Oh, yeah?’
Reluctantly, Alessio removed his hand from where it had been resting deliciously on her knee. There it was again—that familiar indifference. But whereas before her attitude had irritated him, now he was finding it beguiling. It added to her considerable allure and it was turning him on. In fact,shewas turning him on, just by sitting there. He sucked in an unsteady breath.Especiallyby sitting there, with the sunlight streaming in through the aircraft window and transforming her hair into a shimmering cascade of gold.
He had planned to bid her a civilised farewell once they landed. Maybe give the Mayfair gallery a swerve for a while—at least until things had calmed down, which would obviously be the most sensible outcome. He’d even contemplated sending her something as a memento, because what woman didn’t appreciate a new piece of jewellery? Grey diamonds, perhaps—to match her remarkable eyes. But now that the moment of parting had arrived, he was curiously reluctant to end things. At least, just yet.
As she gazed back at him with that unruffled expression, he found himself wanting to shatter her composure. To see her come apart in his arms. He hadn’t yet had enough of her, he realised hungrily. Not nearly enough.
‘Why don’t I take you out for dinner some time?’ he said.
The pause which followed would surely have insulted any man—but especially a man who was unused to being kept waiting. But eventually, she inclined her head in a manner which was almost regal. ‘Okay. Call me.’
Call me?Alessio could feel the urgent beat of his pulse and wondered if she was playing games with him. Didn’t she realise he was aching so much right now that he wanted to dismiss the crew and tiptoe his fingers up her leg and push her panties aside, and...
‘Alessio?’ She was looking at him, mild concern in her eyes. ‘Is something wrong? You almost look as if you’re in pain.’
