Chapter 5
Abby’s stomach churned as they arrived at the villa. Her nerves flared at the prospect of seeing his family after so long. What would she tell them? What would Katarina and his sisters say about her return?
“Come, I’ll take your suitcase to your room. Do you remember the way?”
She nodded.
She followed her husband to the master suite. When they entered the large, antique-filled room, the centerpiece being the huge four-poster bed, memories of what they did together in that bed, on that bed, flooded her.
His grip tightened on her hand and she became very much aware that they were alone in Dante’s bedroom, and he was looking at her with those long-lashed eyes that hypnotized.
“Relax, Abby. I’m not about to pounce and ravish you on the bed.” He gave her a devastating smile. “I can wait until tonight.”
“You agreed to give me time.” His we’ll see raised eyebrow only made her pulse reach supersonic speeds.
“Come, the family is waiting.” He noted her apprehension. “They won’t bite. They know how difficult I can be. If I’m happy with this arrangement, so will they be too.”
“You haven’t told them about our deal, have you?”
“Of course not. We’ll simply tell them you came to your senses and couldn’t live without me.”
“Don’t joke, Dante. They’ll never believe that.”
He moved closer. “They will if you arrive downstairs with a blush on your face as if I’ve just thoroughly ravished you.” Before she could protest, his lips founds hers and he pulled her hard against his body, his tongue sailing lightly across her tense lips, asking her to part for him.
When she didn’t respond, he continued with gentle nibbles and nips, coaxing her mouth to open. When she obliged, his tongue slipped into her mouth and stoked the fire of need that lay dormant inside her.
His scent, like smoky sandalwood, covered her.
Barely breathing, she slid her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.
He took her mouth fully, a deep, gentle mating of tongues.
At the same time, he moved his hands up her rib cage, gently cupping her breasts, filling his hands while he softly kneaded.
In response, she arched against the length of him.
She was trembling, but the tremors running through her had nothing to do with dread.
It was as if the reins of desire she’d held tight for the past three years had snapped. Her dreams of him had come to life.
When at last he drew back, she was actually disappointed.
“There, now we could convince anyone that we’re in love.”
She shook her head. “No. Not love. Never use that word for what this arrangement is. Lust I’ll allow, but not love.”
With that she strode from the room.
As it was, the reunion with the rest of his family was a nonevent.
Katarina had taken her daughters into Florence for the day and they would be spending the night in the Lombardi apartment.
So they had a brief lunch on the terrace and then spent a few hours ensconced in Dante’s study making all the arrangements for her grandmother’s surgery.
Dante arranged for the best cardio surgeon in the world to operate on her grandmother in the private hospital here in Florence. Then her grandmother would convalesce with them at the villa.
She Skyped with her grandmother, and the look on her face told Abby how relieved she was to be having the surgery.
Abby didn’t mention the past or anything about Dante.
Her grandmother wisely didn’t ask why Dante was helping them.
After her operation she had a lot of explaining to do.
Why had Nana not told her about Dante’s phone calls?
The guilty look on her grandmother’s face spoke volumes.
There would be time for recriminations later—she hoped.
For now, all Abby wanted was for her grandmother to stay well and survive until after her surgery.
When she’d disconnected the call, she wandered out to the pool and found Dante swimming.
He halted his laps when he spied her arrival.
She sat on the edge of the pool and dangled her bare feet in the water.
“Thank you for all you did this afternoon.”
“I didn’t do much. I simply made a few phone calls.”
“For which I am eternally grateful.”
He swam toward her. “How grateful?”
She noted the gleam in his eyes. “Don’t you dare pull me in fully clothed! I haven’t got enough clothes with me.”
“Great. You’ll have to walk around naked.”
She felt a tug on her foot, and before she could take a breath, she was under the water.
She came up spluttering and sent her palm skidding over the water, sending a harsh spray over Dante. “I can’t believe you did that. What am I going to wear to meet your family tomorrow? This skirt can only be dry-cleaned!”
He laughed. “Relax, all your clothes are still hanging in our wardrobe. They might be several seasons old but they should fit.” He molded his hands to her breasts. “Although, you’ve filled out a bit over the last few years.”
“Is that your way of informing me I’m fat?” She slapped at his hands while trying to push down the skirt floating around her waist.
“What? No. I like them fuller.” His hands moved from her wet T-shirt to her waist, holding her in the water, keeping her afloat. Pietro arrived.
“There’s an urgent phone call for you, sir.”
Dante cursed. “Thank you, Pietro.” He pulled her close. “Just when I was going to have some fun. I don’t suppose you’ll wait for me?”
She pushed out of his hold. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t think so. And you accuse me of being all about business.”
He swam to the edge and pulled himself out of the pool. Her breath hitched at the sight of all that bronzed, muscled flesh. He was in fabulous shape. The knowledge that she would soon be able to stroke and taste him sent heat curling low in her belly.
He turned and gave her a dazzling smile. “Don’t run away while I’m gone. Why don’t we meet on the terrace at seven for drinks before dinner? Pietro will help you with anything you need in the meantime.”
He left and she was alone in the cool water. She lay back and floated for a bit, trying to cool her heated response to the sight of his nearly naked body. Her head told her to go slowly while her body ached for him. Meanwhile her battered heart continued to thump in her chest.
She swam to the side of the pool and climbed out. She wasn’t looking forward to the sleeping arrangements tonight.
She’d rested in the late afternoon, and now showered and dressed, she felt more in control of her emotions.
That is, until she stepped out onto the terrace and took one look at Dante.
He wore an open-necked deep-blue silk shirt.
It made the blue of his eyes seem paler.
His long, powerful legs were encased in worn denim jeans, and he watched her with an obvious hunger that sent her heart rate rocketing.
Abby had been grateful to find her old wardrobe full of clothes. She’d purposely selected linen trousers and an ivory silk shirt that buttoned high to her neck. But by the look in Dante’s eyes, it hadn’t triggered the reaction she’d hoped for.
“You look every inch my contessa tonight, Abby. I especially like that you’ve covered almost every inch of skin. It allows my imagination to run wild, picturing what lies underneath.”
She felt her face heat, but she wasn’t about to indulge Dante’s flirtatious banter. That would only lead to trouble. He was the expert charmer. She’d never win.
“Champagne?”
She nodded. She’d have to watch what she drank.
Once they were seated, Dante said, “I’m pleased you agreed to our arrangement. Even though times have changed in Italy, I find the prospect of divorce very difficult. I’d be the first in my family to fail.”
“A marriage is not a competition, Dante. It should be a partnership, each supporting the other.”
“Like a business?”
She smiled at his immediate linking of the word partnership and business. “I suppose.”
“What will you do with your little bookstore now that you’ve agreed to take up your proper role by my side?”
“I’m keeping it for now. A friend has agreed to manage it for me. I’m proud of what I’ve created. It may not be in your league, but I’ve turned around a failing business. I’ve given people in my town jobs. I won’t rush into making any decision regarding its future.”
“I didn’t realize success was important to you. Is that what you wanted?”
She took a sip of her drink and thought back to her first months of marriage. “I was so young, Dante. I’m not sure I knew what I wanted. I simply knew I wanted you. You were quite overwhelming, actually.”
“Whereas I thought you were enchanting. Sexy. Desirably innocent.”
She smiled ruefully. “That’s why you picked me, isn’t it?”
“I didn’t ‘pick’ you. I wasn’t thinking about marriage when I first saw you, believe me. It wasn’t until I got to know you that I thought more of it. The first time we made love, and I took your virginity, I knew you were mine.”
“You’re so old-fashioned. You were doing the honorable thing?”
“It wasn’t that. It was more that I knew we’d be perfect together.” His smile died. “I couldn’t have been more wrong. You must have hated me.”
She glanced at him sharply. “I never hated you, Dante. If I’d hated you, it would have been easy to stay and make you miserable.”
Dante touched her hand fleetingly. “Thank you. I can make you happy, if you’ll let me.”
“As long as we’re honest with each other. I know I wasn’t honest in our marriage, just as you weren’t. But I’ve grown up. No more schoolgirl crushes. I’m not infatuated with you any longer.”
Dante wondered why her words were such a disappointment. He did not want her to love him, any more than he wanted to love her. Especially if what his test results indicated was confirmed.
They ate in companionable silence. The sultry night air, combined with good food and excellent wine, put Abby in a mood as mellow as the wine. “Thank you for making this deal not as cold-blooded as it could have been.”
His eyes met hers, their glitter intensified by the candle flames. “With you I’m always hot-blooded.”
Abby found it hard to breathe under his intense stare.
“Don’t, Dante.”
“Don’t what? Want my wife? Because I do. Ferociously.”
“Do you want me or a child?” She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. His eyes narrowed in anger. She’d ruined a lovely evening with bitterness.
“I’m sorry.” The tension in his jaw eased. “This is why I wanted to go slowly. I still have issues to work through.”
Dante drained his glass and flicked a look of disdain her way. “Go to bed, Abby. I’ve got some work to do since we’ll be at the hospital tomorrow. I’ll sleep in the spare room so there is no need to lock your door.” He rose and left the table without so much as a good night.
Abby bit her lip, uncertain if she should go after him. She’d hurt him when all he’d done was provide her with a pleasant meal.
Later when she was brushing her teeth and getting ready for bed, she reminded herself that this was a business deal. Emotions didn’t come into it.
Then why did she take so long to fall asleep? Emotions were certainly at play. She just couldn’t work out which ones.