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There was so much humanity in that admission, from the tone of his voice to the guilty flush that slanted his cheekbones. She felt a wave of tenderness wash through her and her expression softened.
‘That’s the sound of a guilty conscience talking, Alessio,’ she said gently. ‘I wasn’t thinking any such thing. In fact, I suppose I was rather pleased that you were prepared to go to such lengths to make sure you didn’t stress him out unduly...’
‘How so?’
Her heart melted further at the quick glance he shot at her, uncertain and questioning. Hewantedto hear what she had to say. How different was this man from the ice-cold stranger she had confronted not that long ago at his offices in London! A man ruled by his watch, eager to see the back of her and disbelieving of what she’d had to say.
‘You’ve changed. You both have. You and your father.’ She gazed at him thoughtfully. ‘You might still circle around one another, but the circles are smaller, and there are times when they’re not there at all. So I appreciate that you didn’t want to jeopardise the bridge that’s being built...’
‘I’m not sure the situation is really as complex as that—’
‘But we’re still left with a problem.’
‘With one or two upsides.’
‘Really?’
‘The past few days have stretched me to breaking point, Sophie.’
Alessio shot her a look of pure, wicked charm that made her blood sizzle.
‘How so?’
‘You know how. Being near you when my father’s around...wanting to touch you and not being able to...’
Sophie reddened. Her body began a steady throb. Yes, she knew exactly what he was talking about. Conscious of Leonard’s watchful gaze, they had moved around one another, keeping their distance, but those quick glances when their eyes had met had made her blood boil. Sometimes, handing her something or moving towards his father, Alessio would brush against her, and when he did every nerve ending in her body had gone into overdrive.
There hadn’t been a single moment during any day when she hadn’t been thinking ahead to when Leonard would be safely in bed and she and Alessio could creep into his room like kids playing truant. She’d caught herself drifting off into fantasy land and picturing them together, turned on by images of what they would do once their clothes were off and they were free to touch one another.
The net result?
They’d thrown caution to the winds and taken chances which had landed them in this current mess.
Sophie was ashamed to admit, even to herself, that still, right now, in this concerning situation, what she really wanted to do was strip off all her stupid clothes, straddle the sexy hunk sitting opposite her and feel him plunge into her wet depths. She wanted to fling herself back and feel his tongue laving her nipples.
She drew in a shaky breath and forced herself back into a position of self-control. ‘When we return to England, things aren’t going to be straightforward,’ she muttered.
‘The house should be up and running,’ Alessio pointed out. ‘Largely. There will still be work to do, but nothing that would impede either you or my father from moving around.’
‘You’ve had updates?’
‘And I’m keeping my father in the loop. He insists on being involved in every decision taken.’
‘Tiring...’ Sophie murmured, momentarily distracted.
‘Tiring for him. Utterly exhausting for everyone else. I had no idea he could be so insistent on choosing what shade of paint he wants the hall done in.’
‘He hasn’t mentioned anything to me...’
‘At any rate, by the time we return to the UK...’
‘You’ll be ready to head back down to London?’ she finished for him.
‘More or less.’
Alessio found that the thought didn’t appeal as much as it should have.
‘Things will fade between us. It happens. Relationships burn, then sizzle, then gradually stutter until there’s nothing left.’
