the skin-and-bone women he usually dated. The thought of that king-sized bed just a few metres away hammered at his mind. He groaned inwardly and battled the image of Sienna writhing beneath him.
‘You look beautiful tonight.’
She leant back slightly, but didn’t pull away from his grasp completely. A positive step. They wouldn’t be fooling anybody if Sienna yanked away every time he touched her.
‘We’re going to the opera?’ she asked.
‘Yes, but dinner first,’ he said, leading her into the suite.
‘Great, I’m starving.’
A woman with an appetite. How unusual – and refreshing.
‘Before we go, I have something for you.’
Her eyebrows shot up as he pulled a royal blue velvet–covered box from his pocket.
‘Antonio, I don’t need anything more.’ She swished her dress. His breathing quickened again as he glimpsed her thigh through the split in her dress.
‘These clothes are already too much,’ she said.
‘You’re my fiancée —’
‘
Pretend
fiancée,’ she corrected.
‘Nevertheless, gifts are required.’ He opened the box.
Sienna simply stared, open-mouthed. He took her hand, but she stepped back. He placed the box on the table and drew out the diamond necklace. ‘Come here,’ he directed.
She shook her head. ‘It’s too much.’
He held up the necklace and beckoned her forward.
She hesitated. A light breeze fluttered through the room. Loose strands of hair danced about her face. The spice of her perfume assailed his nostrils, the scent wild and enticing. His body stiffened.
Is she trying to kill me?
‘What if I lose it?’ Her voice was unsteady.
He frowned, trying to focus on her words as erotic images flooded his mind. ‘I’ll get you another one.’
She laughed nervously. ‘No, you wouldn’t.’
‘I would. Now, turn around,’ he said a little harshly, to disguise the desire threatening to sabotage his will.
She did as instructed. The halterneck dress hugged her body – a body designed for temptation and seduction. As he reached around her neck his fingers brushed her shoulders. He heard her gasp. An instant response coursed through his body as his mind broke at least a dozen of the rules Sienna had insisted be included in their contract.
He fastened the necklace. Turning her around, he stroked his hands down her arms and held her hands. They trembled slightly. Crimson flooded her cheeks.
‘This is too much,’ she insisted.
‘Sienna.’ He stepped in close. The largest diamond lay slightly askew. He slowly lifted it from her chest and saw her hold her breath as he placed the rock dead centre between her breasts. He trailed his fingers down to her waist and drew her in.
‘You look wonderful.’ His eyes dropped to her mouth, her red lips so captivating, so close.
‘It’s amazing what a load of money and some experts can do.’ Sienna’s glib remark didn’t mask the huskiness in her voice. ‘We should —’ Her voice faltered. ‘Um . . . Get going?’
‘Soon,’ he said in a low, deep voice as he pulled her near.
She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him gently away. ‘This is not a good idea. Things would . . . get confusing.’
‘I might like confusing,’ he said, slipping his hands a little lower down her back.
‘You’d hate confusing,’ she said, stepping deftly from his grasp.
‘Maybe I wouldn’t,’ he said, catching her hand.
She turned her dazzling eyes upon him. ‘You love to control everything to the finest detail. Confusing isn’t in your nature.’
She was right. But at this moment, he could defy nature.
‘Let’s go,’ she said, slipping her hand from his grasp.
‘The earrings,’ he said, reaching for the box.
She got there first. ‘I’ll do them,’ she said quickly, taking one of the diamond drop earrings from the box and fixing it to her earlobe. ‘I don’t think I can take any more confusion tonight.’
‘There’s always tomorrow,’ he said smoothly.
She looked at him. ‘The rules
‘You look beautiful tonight.’
She leant back slightly, but didn’t pull away from his grasp completely. A positive step. They wouldn’t be fooling anybody if Sienna yanked away every time he touched her.
‘We’re going to the opera?’ she asked.
‘Yes, but dinner first,’ he said, leading her into the suite.
‘Great, I’m starving.’
A woman with an appetite. How unusual – and refreshing.
‘Before we go, I have something for you.’
Her eyebrows shot up as he pulled a royal blue velvet–covered box from his pocket.
‘Antonio, I don’t need anything more.’ She swished her dress. His breathing quickened again as he glimpsed her thigh through the split in her dress.
‘These clothes are already too much,’ she said.
‘You’re my fiancée —’
‘
Pretend
fiancée,’ she corrected.
‘Nevertheless, gifts are required.’ He opened the box.
Sienna simply stared, open-mouthed. He took her hand, but she stepped back. He placed the box on the table and drew out the diamond necklace. ‘Come here,’ he directed.
She shook her head. ‘It’s too much.’
He held up the necklace and beckoned her forward.
She hesitated. A light breeze fluttered through the room. Loose strands of hair danced about her face. The spice of her perfume assailed his nostrils, the scent wild and enticing. His body stiffened.
Is she trying to kill me?
‘What if I lose it?’ Her voice was unsteady.
He frowned, trying to focus on her words as erotic images flooded his mind. ‘I’ll get you another one.’
She laughed nervously. ‘No, you wouldn’t.’
‘I would. Now, turn around,’ he said a little harshly, to disguise the desire threatening to sabotage his will.
She did as instructed. The halterneck dress hugged her body – a body designed for temptation and seduction. As he reached around her neck his fingers brushed her shoulders. He heard her gasp. An instant response coursed through his body as his mind broke at least a dozen of the rules Sienna had insisted be included in their contract.
He fastened the necklace. Turning her around, he stroked his hands down her arms and held her hands. They trembled slightly. Crimson flooded her cheeks.
‘This is too much,’ she insisted.
‘Sienna.’ He stepped in close. The largest diamond lay slightly askew. He slowly lifted it from her chest and saw her hold her breath as he placed the rock dead centre between her breasts. He trailed his fingers down to her waist and drew her in.
‘You look wonderful.’ His eyes dropped to her mouth, her red lips so captivating, so close.
‘It’s amazing what a load of money and some experts can do.’ Sienna’s glib remark didn’t mask the huskiness in her voice. ‘We should —’ Her voice faltered. ‘Um . . . Get going?’
‘Soon,’ he said in a low, deep voice as he pulled her near.
She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him gently away. ‘This is not a good idea. Things would . . . get confusing.’
‘I might like confusing,’ he said, slipping his hands a little lower down her back.
‘You’d hate confusing,’ she said, stepping deftly from his grasp.
‘Maybe I wouldn’t,’ he said, catching her hand.
She turned her dazzling eyes upon him. ‘You love to control everything to the finest detail. Confusing isn’t in your nature.’
She was right. But at this moment, he could defy nature.
‘Let’s go,’ she said, slipping her hand from his grasp.
‘The earrings,’ he said, reaching for the box.
She got there first. ‘I’ll do them,’ she said quickly, taking one of the diamond drop earrings from the box and fixing it to her earlobe. ‘I don’t think I can take any more confusion tonight.’
‘There’s always tomorrow,’ he said smoothly.
She looked at him. ‘The rules
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