pendant suspended on a fine gold chain. How long had he saved to buy the aquamarine surrounded by tiny diamonds? Months? Perhaps a year?
Her fingers tightened around the necklace. It looked insignificant paired with this dress that cost more than two months’wages. But then Stefano’s friend was Vanni—a new yet much desired designer!
“Ah, I see you do have jewelry,” Stefano said from the doorway of her dressing room, startling her by his boldness. “I hadn’t noticed earlier.”
“How dare you barge in here!”
His sculpted lips curved into a devilish smile. “You will find I dare many things.”
She dreaded to imagine what else he had in store for her.
“The dress fits you to perfection,” he said.
She refused to warm to the compliment. “I don’t wear daring necklines.”
“You should,” he said. “It is a shame to cover such beauty.”
“Such flattery,” she said, trying to sound glib though she trembled inside with anger and that damning sensual pull. “I’m sure you flirt outrageously with every woman you meet.”
“ Sì , but I only compliment the ones who justly deserve it.”
She couldn’t think of a thing to say to that remark so she just affected a calm she didn’t feel and smiled up at him. Meeting his gaze head-on was a mistake.
His dark eyes glittered with amusement and passion, and the firm line of his mouth curved into a disarming smile, transforming him from the hard resolute man into a devilish charmer. Her knees went weak and her insides trembled in an erotic hum of desire.
He reached out and stroked a finger down her cheek, and the control she’d fought to maintain shattered into a billion shards of new sensations. “You are beautiful, mio caro .”
She reached behind her and grasped the dressing room curtain to steady herself when every fiber in her body ached to reach out to him. What was happening to her?
Yes, he was devastatingly attractive, but she hated what hestood for. She hated the power he wielded over her. She hated him for storming into her peaceful, quiet life and turning it into a maelstrom of emotions in just one day.
“Thank you, but I’d like to try on something else.” Something less revealing. Something that wouldn’t make her feel sophisticated and desirable.
“There is no time. Come.”
She bit her lip, torn between protesting or going meekly along as a lamb to the slaughter. “I refuse to leave here in this dress.”
“Very well, but make it a short moment.” He backed from the dressing room, but the spice of his cologne remained to tease her senses.
Gemma drew in a shaky breath and then another, angry and aroused and confused in turn. She felt vulnerable. Alone.
Silly emotions to feel since they’d be surrounded by other people in the restaurant. It wouldn’t be long and her brother would join them and she’d meet Stefano’s first payment.
And if Emilio didn’t show up ?
She refused to think that as she donned her sensible clothes and left the dressing room with the new dress hanging on the hook.
Stefano was waiting for her, but instead of hurrying her out the door, he waited until the assistant hurried forward with his purchase carefully covered in an opaque garment bag.
She certainly didn’t want him buying anything for her. This dress far exceeded any bonus she’d earned from her job and was far too revealing to wear to work. And what was he thinking anyway by buying her clothes when she was already indebted to him?
“You should have foregone this bit of shopping,” she said as Stefano escorted her to the sleek silver car that had attracteda small crowd. “The delay will make you late for your business meeting.”
“It’s nothing that can’t be made up in driving time,” he said as he helped her into the butter-soft leather passenger seat and then quickly slid behind the wheel.
The thought of racing to their destination sent alarm zinging along her nerves. But as the car sped along the highway, she found
Her fingers tightened around the necklace. It looked insignificant paired with this dress that cost more than two months’wages. But then Stefano’s friend was Vanni—a new yet much desired designer!
“Ah, I see you do have jewelry,” Stefano said from the doorway of her dressing room, startling her by his boldness. “I hadn’t noticed earlier.”
“How dare you barge in here!”
His sculpted lips curved into a devilish smile. “You will find I dare many things.”
She dreaded to imagine what else he had in store for her.
“The dress fits you to perfection,” he said.
She refused to warm to the compliment. “I don’t wear daring necklines.”
“You should,” he said. “It is a shame to cover such beauty.”
“Such flattery,” she said, trying to sound glib though she trembled inside with anger and that damning sensual pull. “I’m sure you flirt outrageously with every woman you meet.”
“ Sì , but I only compliment the ones who justly deserve it.”
She couldn’t think of a thing to say to that remark so she just affected a calm she didn’t feel and smiled up at him. Meeting his gaze head-on was a mistake.
His dark eyes glittered with amusement and passion, and the firm line of his mouth curved into a disarming smile, transforming him from the hard resolute man into a devilish charmer. Her knees went weak and her insides trembled in an erotic hum of desire.
He reached out and stroked a finger down her cheek, and the control she’d fought to maintain shattered into a billion shards of new sensations. “You are beautiful, mio caro .”
She reached behind her and grasped the dressing room curtain to steady herself when every fiber in her body ached to reach out to him. What was happening to her?
Yes, he was devastatingly attractive, but she hated what hestood for. She hated the power he wielded over her. She hated him for storming into her peaceful, quiet life and turning it into a maelstrom of emotions in just one day.
“Thank you, but I’d like to try on something else.” Something less revealing. Something that wouldn’t make her feel sophisticated and desirable.
“There is no time. Come.”
She bit her lip, torn between protesting or going meekly along as a lamb to the slaughter. “I refuse to leave here in this dress.”
“Very well, but make it a short moment.” He backed from the dressing room, but the spice of his cologne remained to tease her senses.
Gemma drew in a shaky breath and then another, angry and aroused and confused in turn. She felt vulnerable. Alone.
Silly emotions to feel since they’d be surrounded by other people in the restaurant. It wouldn’t be long and her brother would join them and she’d meet Stefano’s first payment.
And if Emilio didn’t show up ?
She refused to think that as she donned her sensible clothes and left the dressing room with the new dress hanging on the hook.
Stefano was waiting for her, but instead of hurrying her out the door, he waited until the assistant hurried forward with his purchase carefully covered in an opaque garment bag.
She certainly didn’t want him buying anything for her. This dress far exceeded any bonus she’d earned from her job and was far too revealing to wear to work. And what was he thinking anyway by buying her clothes when she was already indebted to him?
“You should have foregone this bit of shopping,” she said as Stefano escorted her to the sleek silver car that had attracteda small crowd. “The delay will make you late for your business meeting.”
“It’s nothing that can’t be made up in driving time,” he said as he helped her into the butter-soft leather passenger seat and then quickly slid behind the wheel.
The thought of racing to their destination sent alarm zinging along her nerves. But as the car sped along the highway, she found
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