Italian Mavericks: Carrying The Italian's Heir: Married for the Italian's Heir / The Last Heir of Monterrato / The Surprise Conti Child. Tara Pammi

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       CHAPTER EIGHT

      PIPER LAY CONTENTED in Dante’s arms, her back pressed against him as he held her. She studied the gold signet ring on his right hand as he slept. The elaborate ‘A’ clearly meant something. Was it the initial of a woman who had broken his heart, making it impossible for him to love again? Was that why he was always so cold and calculated?

      Dante stirred and she turned round in his embrace to look at him. With his hair tousled from lovemaking and then sleep he looked irresistible, but she would have to resist him. Now was not the time to risk falling for him and she suspected she was perilously close to doing just that. Right now there were practical issues to discuss.

      ‘Buongiorno, mia cara.’

      His husky voice was as sexy as he looked, and she wondered if she hadn’t left him in that hotel in London whether she would have woken to such a warm greeting. Would he have been as pleased to see her in his bed as he was now? Probably not. She wouldn’t have had anything to offer him then—nothing to barter with as she did now. No, she was right to have left that night. But she was glad she knew what it was like to wake within the warm embrace of this man’s arms.

      ‘Morning.’ Shyness crept over her.

      ‘You didn’t run out on me this time, cara.’

      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 СКАЧАТЬ