Robyn Grady - Italian Mavericks - New Year Temptation

‘You know I didn’t want Charlotte to have a nanny. Was that why you presented me with a fait accompli?’

He shrugged laconically. ‘Don’t you like Kate?’

‘That’s nothing to do with it,’ she shot back. ‘You went behind my back. You knew how I felt and yet you didn’t even have the decency to talk it over with me.’

‘We’d already discussed it.’

‘You mean you told me what you’d decided. My feelings didn’t count. You’re a rat, Luigi. I don’t know what I ever saw in you. And I honestly don’t know what I’m doing here. Second to marrying you it’s the biggest mistake of my life.’ She pushed her plate away and jumped up from the table. ‘I can’t even face eating with you.’

She heard Luigi’s swift intake of disbelief before he was on his feet too, his hands on her shoulders, fingers merciless. ‘You don’t mean that.’

‘Don’t I?’ she rasped, looking angrily into the hard darkness of his eyes.

‘You know deep in your heart that it’s for the best,’ he thrust fiercely. ‘We need this time together. In fact, once Charlotte’s got used to Kate, it will do us good to go away for a few days.’

‘And leave my daughter?’ she screeched.

‘Our daughter,’ he corrected harshly. ‘And don’t think I’d dream of leaving her if I wasn’t sure that she’d be in good hands. But we need time together, the two of us, alone, completely. We need to sort out our lives.’

‘And you’ll arrange that, without consulting me yet again?’ she blazed. ‘I think not. I think you’re under a great big delusion. You think that now you’ve got me in your house you can do what the hell you like. It’s not true. I’m tougher than you think. I’ve had to be. If you don’t believe me just wait and see. If you carry on in this vein you might find one day that I’ve disappeared again.’

The grip on her shoulders tightened so much that a sharp pain seared through her bones. ‘Do that at your peril,’ he threatened menacingly. ‘What I’m doing is for your good, for our good. How the hell are we supposed to get back on an even keel with a child at our heels all the time?’

‘A child?’ Megan screamed. ‘Is that how you see Charlotte? A mere child, a nuisance! How dare you? You make her sound like a stranger. She’s your flesh and blood, Luigi. You should be delirious with pleasure. You should be glad to have her around. You should be getting to know her better.’

‘And I think,’ he grated harshly, ‘that we should work on our own relationship before Charlotte’s. Of course I love my daughter; she’s brought life to the house. She’s a beautiful, intelligent little girl and I’m proud of her. But we need to get our own lives in order.’

‘That’s rich, coming from you,’ she riposted. ‘You were the one who let our marriage down. And, to be perfectly honest, I can’t see you changing. Your answer to everything is to pay someone to do your dirty work. Including looking after your daughter. How sad is that?’ And finally, with strength born of desperation, she managed to tear free. But she didn’t leave the room. Instead she stood a few feet away, glaring at Luigi like an enraged tigress.

His eyes narrowed, becoming two glittering slits that reflected the light from the lamps. And his whole body was tense with a rage he was doing his level best to control. Not that Megan cared whether he controlled it or not. She was past caring what Luigi felt. All she was concerned about was her darling daughter’s welfare.

‘I think,’ he said fiercely, ‘that you’re blowing this thing up out of all proportion. It will do you good to have more time to yourself.’

‘And there’ll be lots of that,’ she retorted hostilely, ‘because you’ll still be working all the hours God gave. You’re all talk, Luigi. How could you possibly take time off? Everything would collapse if you weren’t at the helm.’

Her sarcasm wasn’t lost on him. She saw the muscles clench in his jaw, the way his mouth went even straighter and grimmer, and it was a second or two before he answered. And when he did his voice was deadly calm. ‘I’ve said I’ll take you away, Megan, and that’s exactly what I intend to do.’

‘And if I don’t want to come? Charlotte’s never been parted from me. I wouldn’t leave her if I thought she’d be upset.’

He brushed her doubts away. ‘We’ll give her time to get used to Kate. She comes with the highest recommendation; I don’t think we have a problem.’

‘And no doubt you’re paying her the highest wage,’ she retorted. ‘I truly never expected that you’d turn out like this. Money, money, money, all the time. I must have been insane to marry you.’

‘Is it a crime to want to better oneself?’ he asked icily.

‘Of course not, but there’s a limit. You’re taking things a step too far.’

‘In your eyes, not mine.’

‘So you’re happy here in this mausoleum of a home? You enjoy having other people run around after you, pandering to your every whim? Is that the pleasure money brings? It doesn’t seem like pleasure to me.’

‘So tell me, Megan.’ He cocked his head on one side and looked at her consideringly. ‘What does pleasure you?’

Her cheeks flushed beneath that knowing stare, and her heart faltered as she realised that she had left herself wide open.

He moved purposefully towards her. ‘Don’t tell me,’ he said on a low growl. ‘Let me show you.’

Before she could even draw breath she was in his arms, her mouth opening of its own volition beneath the persuasive power of his. Megan knew that she ought to protest—loudly, volubly; she ought to push him away, show him that actions like this got him nowhere. But, fool that she was, she let her senses take over.

She enjoyed the thrill of his hard, sexy body against hers. She revelled in the feelings he aroused deep within her. She wanted more. She wanted all of him! The thought set off alarm bells in her head but she chose to ignore them. Luigi had talked about catching up on the years they’d spent apart, but it was their times in bed that she’d missed. Missed without really knowing it. Was it any wonder that she’d kept herself a man-free zone? No other man was good enough. No other man could possibly arouse her to this extent. They were soulmates as far as good sex was concerned.

Megan oughtn’t to have taunted him. Kissing her at this moment in time was the worst thing he could possibly do—except that she was so damned gorgeous how could he resist? Which begged the question, why hadn’t he made more of an effort to find her? Luigi knew that he could never come up with an answer. He’d been a fool. It was as simple as that. A blind fool, who thought that immersing himself in his work was the answer to everything.

And now he had a lot of making up to do. He was fully aware that it was going to be a long, hard slog and that he mustn’t go too quickly—even if at times like this she actually seemed to welcome his advances. It was pure sex, she’d said, and although he didn’t want to believe her he sometimes felt that she was right. And this was one of those occasions.

With reluctance he drew away. He stepped back a pace and felt virtuous that she looked surprised and a teeny bit disappointed. No, hugely disappointed. She was totally aroused, he could tell by her flushed cheeks and shining eyes, and if he had pushed his luck he could have taken her to bed. Which he wanted to! Very much so! His testosterone levels had risen to danger point. But it was good that he had stopped. It would show her that sex wasn’t the only thing he wanted from their relationship.