take her lips again.
‘Yes …’ she breathed in reply, not wanting him to stop. His response was a sigh almost absorbed by the silence. ‘Please, Dario …’
After all, as he had said, there was no one about to see … and no one but Josie’s conscience to know what happened out here among the trees. Her mind had tortured her for too long already. Rising on tiptoe, she searched for his lips with her own and tasted his skin.
All the time her hands roamed over his body, he stood as still as stone. It was only when her hands slid around his waist that he stirred and gave a wordless moan of longing and regret. Then he reached around and grasped her wrists. That one simple movement woke Josie from her trance. With a spasm of alarm, she realised how close she had come to total surrender. She stood back and stared at him, shocked.
Dario’s expression was a mask of regret, his eyes squeezed shut as he whispered, ‘No … I can’t … I’m sorry …
Arietta
…’
Josie’s longing drained away, replaced by the old, familiar mix of anger, shame and humiliation.
‘You could at least call me by the right name!’ she spat.
That broke the spell.
‘I should never have done anything at all,’ he said grimly, dropping her hands and striding away across the glade towards his horse.
Josie watched him go in silent horror. If only she had trusted her instincts. For years, she had been careful to stay out of harm’s way. On that principle, she should have kept right away from Dario. She had suspected there must be a girl in his life, and now she knew—
and no wonder
, she added,
he’s irresistible!
Instantly, she regretted the terrible thought. It catapulted her straight back to the dark, awful moment when she’d discovered Andy had been cheating on her. Back then, she hadn’t been able to understand how any woman could inflict such agony on another and here she was, guilty of almost exactly the same thing.
I’ve always said I couldn’t bear to put anyone through what I’ve suffered
, she thought.
Not even for a man with kisses like that …
She had to get away. Snatching up her bag and camera, she plunged out of the glade and into the sunshine. The thought of investigating that fountainhead now made her feel sick with guilt. It would always be linked in her mind with the first time Dario had touched her, and where that wonderful sensation had led.
If I hadn’t succumbed to him, hadn’t
encouraged
him, if he hadn’t moved in on me …
Desperate for distraction, she scrambled back up the slope, away from that seductively shady woodland glade. The sun beat down mercilessly and she had left the sun hat behind. Tough, dry grasses scratched at her hands and the dusty hot air kept catching in her throat. By the time she reached the crest of the hill, her breath was tearing holes in her chest but she still couldn’t forget the feel of Dario’s hands and the exciting insistence of his lips.
Dropping to the ground in the meagre shade of a juniper, she looked down on the scene she had left behind. Dario had returned to the woodland edge. He was half in shadow, half in sunlight. Shielding her eyes against the sun, she studied him. His hands were on his hips and he was staring up the hill towards her. As she watched, waiting for him to jeer at her, he did something quite unexpected. His head dropped, he rubbed his hands over his face as if trying to scrub off something dirty—and then he turned away.
It was an indignity too far.
Josie was only too aware that she used work as an excuse to retreat from real life.
And this is why!
she thought furiously.
Is it any wonder I keep myself to myself when there are men like Dario about?
She took out her notebook and looked around for something new to study, determined to try to carry on as normal. It was hopeless. She could only think of one thing, and it wasn’t work.
It seemed to Josie that whenever she tried to taste life as other people lived it, she came unstuck. She
‘Yes …’ she breathed in reply, not wanting him to stop. His response was a sigh almost absorbed by the silence. ‘Please, Dario …’
After all, as he had said, there was no one about to see … and no one but Josie’s conscience to know what happened out here among the trees. Her mind had tortured her for too long already. Rising on tiptoe, she searched for his lips with her own and tasted his skin.
All the time her hands roamed over his body, he stood as still as stone. It was only when her hands slid around his waist that he stirred and gave a wordless moan of longing and regret. Then he reached around and grasped her wrists. That one simple movement woke Josie from her trance. With a spasm of alarm, she realised how close she had come to total surrender. She stood back and stared at him, shocked.
Dario’s expression was a mask of regret, his eyes squeezed shut as he whispered, ‘No … I can’t … I’m sorry …
Arietta
…’
Josie’s longing drained away, replaced by the old, familiar mix of anger, shame and humiliation.
‘You could at least call me by the right name!’ she spat.
That broke the spell.
‘I should never have done anything at all,’ he said grimly, dropping her hands and striding away across the glade towards his horse.
Josie watched him go in silent horror. If only she had trusted her instincts. For years, she had been careful to stay out of harm’s way. On that principle, she should have kept right away from Dario. She had suspected there must be a girl in his life, and now she knew—
and no wonder
, she added,
he’s irresistible!
Instantly, she regretted the terrible thought. It catapulted her straight back to the dark, awful moment when she’d discovered Andy had been cheating on her. Back then, she hadn’t been able to understand how any woman could inflict such agony on another and here she was, guilty of almost exactly the same thing.
I’ve always said I couldn’t bear to put anyone through what I’ve suffered
, she thought.
Not even for a man with kisses like that …
She had to get away. Snatching up her bag and camera, she plunged out of the glade and into the sunshine. The thought of investigating that fountainhead now made her feel sick with guilt. It would always be linked in her mind with the first time Dario had touched her, and where that wonderful sensation had led.
If I hadn’t succumbed to him, hadn’t
encouraged
him, if he hadn’t moved in on me …
Desperate for distraction, she scrambled back up the slope, away from that seductively shady woodland glade. The sun beat down mercilessly and she had left the sun hat behind. Tough, dry grasses scratched at her hands and the dusty hot air kept catching in her throat. By the time she reached the crest of the hill, her breath was tearing holes in her chest but she still couldn’t forget the feel of Dario’s hands and the exciting insistence of his lips.
Dropping to the ground in the meagre shade of a juniper, she looked down on the scene she had left behind. Dario had returned to the woodland edge. He was half in shadow, half in sunlight. Shielding her eyes against the sun, she studied him. His hands were on his hips and he was staring up the hill towards her. As she watched, waiting for him to jeer at her, he did something quite unexpected. His head dropped, he rubbed his hands over his face as if trying to scrub off something dirty—and then he turned away.
It was an indignity too far.
Josie was only too aware that she used work as an excuse to retreat from real life.
And this is why!
she thought furiously.
Is it any wonder I keep myself to myself when there are men like Dario about?
She took out her notebook and looked around for something new to study, determined to try to carry on as normal. It was hopeless. She could only think of one thing, and it wasn’t work.
It seemed to Josie that whenever she tried to taste life as other people lived it, she came unstuck. She
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