Forgetting that she was naked as the day she was born, she pushed back the sheet and scrambled out of bed. With a moan of embarrassment, she raced for the bathroom to the sound of his laughter.
”You have five minutes before we eat,’ he warned her cheerfully.
Wrapped in a big towel, her wet hair slicked back from her brow, she emerged again, thoroughly scrubbed, squeaky clean and breathless. He was lounging back on the bed, watching the business news.
A trolley of food awaited them in the room next door. ‘1 should get dressed.; - ‘
‘l forbid it, bella mia. ‘
Pulling out a chair for her occupation, Cristiano dealt her a slow-burning smile of sensual appreciation. ”Why put on clothes that I’m only going to take off again’?’
She blushed, while a tiny wicked twist of anticipation leapt low in her pelvis. Once again her own sensuality took her by surprise and filled her with chagrin. He only had to look at her in a certain way and she was gripped by a fever of wanton longing. He knew it too. That awareness made her cringe, and she focused her attention on her meal and ate with appetite.
‘Wren’t you having anything’?’
‘l dined earlier.’
He cradled a glass of red wine in one lean hand.
‘l’m relieved to see that you can eat a healthy meal. . you skip too many’
‘The last few months have been stressful. But let’s not talk about that,’
she said hastily, for she was reluctant to drag up anything controversial that might spoil the relaxed mood between them.
‘Now you know all about me, isn’t it time for you to talk about you’?’
‘Me…?’ Taken aback, Cristiano frowned.
‘Your mum…your dad-just that sort of basic stuff.’
Lydia pushed her empty plate away.
‘Who were they? Are they still alive?
Cristiano groaned and sprang upright.
”They’re both dead. That’s all a matter of public record.’
‘Well, I don’t know it…please,’ she pressed, rising from her seat as well.
Cristiano closed a hand over hers and walked her back into the bedroom with a distinct air of masculine purpose.
‘Do you want me to start onnce upon a time”’?’
‘Was your childhood like a fairytale’?’
Cristiano settled her down against the pillows and stepped back as though to admire the picture she made.
‘Not at all-although the palazzo is the family castle and money was always plentiful. My mother was an heiress, very rich and very spoilt.’
Lydia was hungry for detail. ‘Did she look like you? Was she beautiful’?’
‘I believe she was considered so.’
His lean dark face had a bleak light as he undid his shirt and stretched out beside her. Even though she tried to resist the urge, his long, lithe powerful physique drew her gaze. she wasn’t the maternal type.
It was an accident, and my nannies knew me better than she ever did. She liked to be amused, and 1 wasn’t an amusing kid.’
”What about your father’?’
‘An entrepreneur of great brilliance and very successful-but he was my mother’s slave.’
Cdstiano couldn’t hide his distaste.
‘she had endless affairs. She dragged his name in the dirt, slept around, and laughed in his face. He couldn’t live with her and he couldn’t live without her. When 1 was eighteen he found her in bed with one of my friends, and that night he shot himself …she didn’t even attend the funeral.’
Lydia flinched, appalled by that flat recitation of the distressing facts and the horrendous scandal that must have marred his youth. She leant over him, sapphire-blue eyes bright with sympathy.
‘1 don’t know what to say…’
He wound two fingers slowly, enticingly, into her hair, and used the silky waves to draw her down to him. Hot dark golden eyes entrapped hers.
‘Cristiano… ‘ she whispered, feeling the sensitive peaks of her breasts tighten and throb below the rough towelling.
He pulled back from her again, and reached up with a leisurely hand to tug loose the towel. He made a ragged sound of appreciation low in his throat when he had bared the pouting swells of her breasts.
‘1 love your body…l love what it does for mine.’
To steady herself, her fingers spread like a starfish on his hard muscular thigh. He stroked a tender candy-pink nipple with skilful fingers that knew a woman’s body as well as his own. He listened to her breath catch, watched her tremble. His scrutiny was so intense that she muttered anxiously,
”What’?’
‘You want me so much and you can’t hide it. I like that,’ he confided thickly.
‘No. You can tell me why you were still a virgin when 1 had my wicked way with you.’
Lydia tensed, her fingers absently stroking over the satin smooth damp skin of his back.
‘1 was very wary, and not very interested when 1 was younger. Maybe 1 took longer to grow up than other girls. My mother had a boyfriend who tried to get into bed with me once. Nothing happened, because 1 screamed the place down, but he really scared me and made me feel bad about myself,’ she shared.
‘Mum said 1 must’ve encouraged him-‘
Cristiano raised his head, his beautiful dark eyes narrowed to gleaming pinpoints of steel.