His eyes darkened, and she knew she would have to leave the bed before he convinced her otherwise.
‘No, but that’s exactly what I am about to do now.’ She threw back the covers and tried hard to pretend that she didn’t care at all that she was naked and that he was watching her every move.
‘And why would that be?’
A shiver of pleasure slithered down her spine. His voice was tantalisingly sexy but she ignored it and grabbed her robe and headed for the shower.
‘We have things to discuss about our deal and where we go from here.’
She spoke over her shoulder, and without waiting for his response went into the en-suite shower room and turned on the shower, trying not to think too hard about the fact that their engagement would not only help him get the deal he wanted so badly, and salvage his reputation with the charity, it would also involve their families. Neither of them had a father in their lives, but their mothers deserved to know about the baby, be a part of its life.
She discarded her robe and stepped under the warm jets, closing her eyes as the water cascaded over her. She could still hear her mother’s voice when they’d spoken after her arrival in Rome. It had only been then that she’d been brave enough to tell her about Dante, knowing that it might very easily appear in the press, and she still needed to tell her about the baby.
Lost in thought, she didn’t hear Dante as he stepped into the shower, and she gave a startled cry as he pulled her against him. Through the warmth of the water pounding down on her she was in no doubt of his intentions.
‘What are you doing?’ She laughed, never having expected this. It was something lovers would do, wasn’t it? And she and Dante were as far from being lovers as they had ever been.
‘Making the most of this gorgeous body whilst it’s still naked.’ He kissed her—a long, lingering kiss—and her senses became heightened by the water as it spilled over them and she willingly kissed him back, wanting this last moment of passion with him before she broached the subject of their engagement and what it would mean to everyone.
‘Come back to bed,’ he said in a husky voice.
The fire of desire was burning bright in his eyes, fuelling her own even more. He turned off the shower and took her hand and led her out, pausing to wrap her in a large towel. She cuddled into it, sneaking a glance at him as he took a smaller towel and dried his body before wrapping it around his hips. That didn’t quell the throb of desire just being this close to him ignited, and the slow burn of desire rose inside her once more.
Before she could say anything he led her back to the bedroom, back to the large bed and the rumpled cream sheets, tossing aside the distinctly masculine bronze covers.
‘I intend to make love to you again before we discuss anything.’
‘But we should talk.’
‘No talking.’
He pushed her gently back onto the bed, the towel she clutched around her falling open, exposing her to his gaze. But he didn’t take advantage of that for too long. He dropped the towel he’d slung around his hips to the floor and joined her on the bed, kissing down her body.
As he reached her still flat stomach he pressed light feathery kisses to it, and in her lust-drugged stupor she imagined him kissing his child. His hands caressed her waist in the most loving of gestures and she had to squeeze her eyes shut against a tear that threatened to fall.
Piper clutched at the sheets when he moved lower, hardly able to believe the sensations rushing around her. Love and lust were becoming entwined and she knew it was dangerous. This wouldn’t sort things out, but it was certainly a distraction she was prepared to endure. He made her feel alive. He made her feel beautiful. And after years of thinking she didn’t deserve love it was almost too much—because this wasn’t love. It could never be love.
He kissed his way back up, over her stomach to her breasts, teasing each hardened nipple in turn before moving over her, the hardness of his erection encouraging her to become his once more. It was a temptation too much and she welcomed him into her, relished the fizz of desire with each move he made and abandoned herself to the moment once more.
* * *
Dante’s body still hummed from the amazing sex he’d enjoyed with Piper since they’d returned to his villa last night. He’d never intended to take her so roughly, and especially not against the wall in his living room, but she did something to him no other woman had done. Just as she had done that night in his hotel room in London. She made him lose control, made him forget everything. She drove him wild.
Now he watched her cross the living room to join him as he sat in front of a newly lit fire. It might not be winter yet but he wanted the comfort of it and the way it made him relax, and he wanted to share this special time with Piper. For the first time ever he wanted to allow a woman close—for a while at least.
‘Oh, an open fire. Now, that’s something I’m not used to.’ She smiled at him and sat in a large chair, curling her jean-clad legs under her.
‘It’s much better from over here.’ He surprised himself by inviting her to come closer to him. It might be down to the way he always felt relaxed here, or the intimacy they’d shared since arriving, but he wanted her close. He’d never wanted anyone close. What was happening to him?
‘I guess so.’ Shyness entered her voice and a blush spread over her cheeks as she went to sit on the sofa next to him, concentrating intently on the fire as if she couldn’t look at him. ‘It’s quite romantic, really.’
Romantic? Had he been trying for ‘romantic’ when he’d lit it, envisaging them curled up together enjoying each other’s company? He’d wanted to escape everything, just for today, but romance was the last thing he wanted to make her think of. He didn’t believe in romance and definitely didn’t want it in his life. Such things led to more complicated emotions like love, and that was something he didn’t want to tango with—for any price.
‘I find a fire relaxing,’ he said guardedly. ‘It’s one of my winter pleasures when I’m here at the villa.’
‘We do need to talk.’ She spoke with caution and glanced across at him. ‘About last night.’
‘Do you mean the amazing success you made of coaxing Bettino D’Antonio round with your talk of art, or what happened when we returned?’ He also spoke with caution, anxious that she didn’t make too much of the hours they’d spent in bed, the amount of times they’d had sex. He never thought of it as making love. That would give it an entirely different meaning.
‘The dinner.’ Indignation cracked in her voice. ‘Do you really think Bettino was impressed?’
Dante moved across the sofa towards her, took her hand and pressed her fingers to his lips. ‘Mia cara, you positively charmed him, and I am certain that it will be not one but two contracts which will be coming our way.’
He had a good feeling about the deal now, and he knew he had Piper to thank for that. Her talk of art, of wanting to run her own curating business, had been so spontaneous, so full of enthusiasm, D’Antonio had been unable to resist her—and if truth be told neither had he. He’d sat and watched as her eyes had sparkled with genuine joy and shone with pleasure whilst she was talking about art. He’d also been just a little put out that he hadn’t known exactly how important the subject was to her. She’d told him she liked to visit art galleries, but it was obvious it was far more than that.
‘But I’m not qualified. I didn’t finish my course and I don’t have a business.’ She paled as the implications hit her. ‘I can’t take a contract—not when there are good companies out there already. And there’s the baby...’
‘A business can be started right now if you want. Your knowledge of the subject is more than enough.’
‘You don’t know that.’