Bought: Destitute Yet Defiant (10 page)

He turned to look at her, a thunderous expression on his face. ‘Do you realise that my entire security team have been looking for you? We were about to involve the local police in the search.’

Stunned by his aggressive tone and the revelation that people had been looking for her, Jessie stared at him blankly. ‘Looking for me? Why?’

‘Why? Because you went missing,’ he said thickly, his voice unsteady and his eyes shadowed. ‘No one could find you.’

‘I wasn’t missing. If they couldn’t find me then it’s because they weren’t looking in the right places.’ Acutely aware of the huge bed in the centre of the room, Jessie wished he’d chosen somewhere less intimate for this confrontation. Suddenly she couldn’t get the woman’s words out of her head—
he knows exactly how to satisfy a woman in bed
.

His gaze held hers with the lethal accuracy of a laser-guided missile and he undid the top button of his shirt with shaking fingers as if he was finding the atmosphere as oppressive as she was. ‘It didn’t occur to anyone that you’d be in the galley.’

Jessie angled her body so that she couldn’t see the bed. ‘I wanted a drink of water.’ Her explanation drew a glance of blatant incomprehension.

‘You don’t have to run the tap yourself! If you wanted water, you could have asked one of the staff—’

‘No, actually, I couldn’t.’ His comment made her feel even more gauche. ‘They had enough to do running around after your demanding friends.’

Did he even realise that he was standing as far away from her as the room allowed? Was she really that embarrassing? Any further and he’d be standing on the glass-bottomed balcony that was suspended over the water. Her confidence in pieces, Jessie suddenly wished she was back in the alleyway, facing the men who had come looking for her.

At least then she’d known how she was supposed to behave.

‘So you thought you’d help them wash up? You’re not working in the café now, Jessie. You can do more than that!’

‘There’s nothing wrong with working in a café. At least in the café people are friendly. They talk to you and they don’t look down their noses at you.’ Hurt by his obvious desire to
keep her at a distance, her insecurities exploded to the surface. ‘At the café I know what I’m supposed to be doing!’

‘You weren’t supposed to be doing anything,’ Silvio said harshly. ‘I have a large team of staff employed to crew this yacht. All you had to do was enjoy yourself.’

‘Enjoy myself? How could I enjoy myself when everyone was staring at me? How do you think I felt up there at your champagne reception, Silvio?’

He lifted his shoulders in an exasperated shrug, as if the answer was obvious. ‘Excited? Privileged?’

‘Privileged? Where’s the privilege in being publicly humiliated?’ This time it was her voice that was unsteady and her hand tightened on the door handle, holding it like a lifeline. ‘You brought me here, you made me attend an event where you knew I’d stick out and then you just left me! Th-this whole thing was a really stupid idea and I never should have said yes because it was obvious from the beginning that it was never going to work. I don’t fit in here and buying me a posh dress isn’t going to change that.’ She was shaking with anger and she watched his face change as it finally dawned on him that he wasn’t handling this well.

‘What makes you think you don’t fit?’ His tone was suddenly cautious and he stared at her the way a parent stared at a child who was on the verge of a major tantrum. ‘Did someone say something to you?’

‘No—no one said anything, that’s the point! They all just ignored me and I stood on my own knowing that they were all talking about me and wondering what I was doing there. I felt like an exhibit in the zoo. They stared so hard I could have charged them for tickets.’ Her body was shaking and Jessie fought for control, not wanting him to witness just how bad she felt. ‘That’s why I went to hide in the galley—I couldn’t bear being stared at any longer.’

He drew in a long breath. ‘You’re being over-sensitive—’

‘I am not over-sensitive! Everyone was staring at me and I don’t even blame them because they probably took their lead from you. You’re so ashamed to be seen with me that you put as much space between us as possible.’

Silvio stilled, a stunned expression on his handsome face. ‘You think I’m ashamed to be seen with you? Why would you think that?’

‘Apart from the fact that you’re standing at the far end of the room right now? Well, let’s see…’ Jessie tilted her head to one side, her tone sarcastic. ‘Possibly something to do with the look on your face when you first saw me, or maybe the fact that you jumped a mile when I kissed you because that’s what I thought we were supposed to be doing, or possibly the fact that you ran for cover to the opposite side of the boat, putting as much distance as possible between us. I’m not stupid, Silvio. I know you find me embarrassing.’

‘You don’t know anything—’

‘And you don’t have to think up excuses because I know it’s all my fault.’ She interrupted him before he could say something to make it worse. ‘I never should have agreed to this. I’m just a really normal girl who does really ordinary jobs and dressing me up in fancy clothes doesn’t change that. I should have known it would never work from the way you reacted when we were in that shop this morning. You couldn’t bear to look at me. I am who I am, Silvio, and putting a posh dress on me doesn’t change that.’

The sudden flare in his eyes was a reminder of his volatile temperament. ‘I am not trying to change who you are.’

‘Then why am I dressed like this?’

‘Because I thought the clothes would make you feel more comfortable!’

‘You mean you didn’t want to risk being seen with me
when I was wearing my tight gold dress. It’s just a shame I seem to embarrass you no matter what I’m wearing.’

Jaw set, mouth hard, Silvio stared at her from the other side of the room. ‘Let’s get one thing straight. At no point have you ever embarrassed me. That isn’t what’s going on here.’ Even standing still he exuded raw male virility and something about the way he was looking at her made her heart thud uncomfortably against her chest.

‘Then what is going on? Up there on the deck you were making a point of not looking at me! You had your back to me, Silvio—you—’

‘
Maledezione
, why do you think I had my back to you?’

‘Because you’re embarrassed that—’

‘Don’t give me “embarrassed”.
Don’t
use that word again,’ he warned in a driven tone, his voice unsteady and his fingers curled into a fist by his side. There was no evidence of his usual cool control. Instead he looked as though he was on the edge. ‘Does no other explanation present itself?’ Aggravated to the point of explosion, he simmered like a nuclear reactor on the brink of meltdown. ‘You are surely not that naïve,
tesoro
. You know what there is between us. You know what it is that I’m fighting.’

Did she?

Jessie’s heart was thundering like a drum roll building up to some startling climax. ‘You hate the fact you’re attracted to someone like me…?’

‘Someone like you?’ His tongue barely made it around the words before he finally lost control and blasted her in Italian. Before she could point out that she didn’t have a clue what he was talking about, he was across the room. ‘Why do you put yourself down all the time? Why do you do that to yourself?’ His eyes were narrowed to slits and he planted his arms either side of her, trapping her against the door. ‘The
reason I stay away from you is not because you embarrass me, or because you don’t fit some preordained stereotype, as you seem to think, it’s because I’ve never allowed myself to think of you like that. But I’ve discovered I’m not as strong as I thought I was.’

‘Silvio—’

‘Where you’re concerned, I’m not strong.’ His mouth brushed against hers—a subtle warning, like a predator testing the scent of his prey before devouring it. ‘And I can’t stay away from you any longer.’

J
ESSIE
was mesmerised by the hot blaze of sexual intent in his eyes—
by the tantalising brush of his sensual mouth against hers
.

Her stomach curled in delicious awareness and her excitement level rocketed skywards, making her quiver with anticipation as his hard body flattened her to the wall. His muscles were pumped up and hard, his jaw shadowed by stubble, his open shirt showing a hint of bronzed skin and dark body hair. He was irrevocably, unapologetically male and Jessie was completely transfixed by him, so shockingly aroused that she felt as though she was burning alive. The shocking thrill of sexual chemistry arced through her body. When he took her mouth in a hot, demanding kiss she moaned at the erotic slide of his tongue taking the last of the strength from her knees.

Her insides swooped. It was like being back on the helicopter—her senses tumbling over one another, caught in a vortex of excitement so intense that it was almost unbearable.

His hands sank into her hair, his grip almost painful as he held her fast and kissed her as she’d never been kissed before.

And Jessie kissed him back, her response to the explosive chemistry every bit as fierce as his. Her fingers clutched the
front of his shirt, her knuckles grazing the hard muscle of his chest, her thighs pressed hard against his.

When he lifted his head, she opened her eyes in shock and tried to focus, only to feel the warmth of his breath on her throat.

‘You think you embarrass me,
tesoro
?’ He growled the words against her skin, his hands sliding confidently down her back to the base of her spine. ‘Do you have any idea how much self-control it has taken not to do this before now?’

Her eyes had closed again and she was panting for air.

With a soft moan, Jessie tore at his shirt and his hands covered hers, completing the task with ruthless efficiency as his mouth found hers again. His kiss was urgent and demanding and she answered that demand with her own. She slid her arms around his neck and rose on her toes to try and get closer, dimly aware that her dress was now in a heap on the floor and she was wearing nothing but a tiny pair of panties. And she didn’t even care. She just wanted this wild, delicious excitement to continue for ever.

Without taking his mouth from hers, Silvio scooped her up swiftly and carried her across to the enormous bed. Still kissing her, he deposited her on the centre of the satin cover and came down over her, the weight of his powerful body sending her pulse rate flying.

The pace of it took her breath away and suddenly he reminded her of his Ferrari—super-charged, super-powered, in a different league from others.

Somehow he’d managed to dim the lights in the room and a soft glow came from the illuminated glass balcony and the full moon. Through the open doors she could hear the soothing sound of the sea lapping against the yacht and in the distance the sound of music and laughter. Here, in the intimacy of the master’s cabin, it was just the two of them. Nothing but breathing and heartbeats as he kissed her with
relentless expertise. And he gave her no time to think, reason or falter.

When his hand covered the swell of her breast, she gasped, and as his fingers gently teased the soft peak the gasp turned to a moan. And when he dragged his lips from hers and took her nipple into his mouth it was as if someone had plunged a burning sword from her neck to her pelvis and she curled her fingers into the silk sheets and arched her body against his.

Governed by the sensations he’d unleashed in her body, her only focus was relieving the intolerable ache that was building low in her abdomen.

Stunned, shaken and transported to a different world, Jessie was one step behind him all the way so that when she felt him slide down her body and spread her thighs with determined hands, she was unable to do anything except comply.

She felt his strong fingers snap the delicate fabric protecting her, his warm breath tantalisingly close. And then there was only the unerring accuracy of his tongue and each skilled stroke was so maddeningly good that Jessie almost exploded. She shifted and struggled against the silk sheets, desperate to relieve the almost agonising ache, but he gripped her thighs hard, holding her where he wanted her as he continued his erotic feast.

It was too much. Too intense, too shockingly good, and Jessie sobbed his name in desperation as the sensations in her body rocketed skywards. And then he was above her again, and he slid his hand under her bottom and lifted her against him.

‘Look at me.’ His husky command penetrated the sensual fog that surrounded her brain and her eyes flew to his.

His eyes were fierce, the scar a vivid reminder that this man wasn’t the gentle, civilised sort who would buy you dinner and then drop you safely at your door.

And for a single second she was afraid.

‘Silvio—’

Still holding her gaze, he lowered his mouth gently to hers, his kiss every bit as explicit and intimate as before, but slower, more measured.

Jessie just had time to reassure herself that he wasn’t scary with her when his gaze darkened and he slid his hand under
her
thigh, coaxing her with subtle pressure to wind her leg over his back. She felt the silken heat of him scorch the very centre of her and then he was inside her and it was such an incredible feeling that she cried out his name and dug her fingers into the sleek muscle of his shoulders. He was all raw power and male dominance, his breathing ragged as he thrust deeper still, the primal rhythm joining them completely. Jessie felt a flash of pain so sharp that for a moment she couldn’t breathe or move.

Her body tensed and he must have sensed her discomfort because he stilled above her, his breathing harsh as he struggled for control. Visibly challenged by the effort required to hold back, his jaw was tense and his eyes locked on hers.

‘Jessie?’ He spoke her name through gritted teeth, the muscles in his shoulders rippling as he supported his weight. ‘Talk to me…’

But she wasn’t capable of speech, shocked into silence by the unexpected pain and unfamiliar intimacy. Then she became aware that he was withdrawing and she slid her hands around his back and arched her hips to stop him. ‘No.’ She forced herself to relax, rejecting her body’s instinct to fight against the strength of his masculine invasion and immediately the pain was replaced by white-hot sexual excitement. She’d never been more aware of the differences between them than she was now—
never more aware of how strong he was and how fragile she was by comparison
.

His hand cupped her face, his gaze irresistibly compelling
as he surged into her again, his mouth hovering above hers but not quite touching. They breathed the same air, shared their thoughts through a look rather than words, each oblivious to everything except the other.

Her heart hammered against her chest and she was lost in the delicious world he’d created, a world where there was just the two of them, a world where he protected her and kept her safe—a world of unadulterated pleasure.

Each skilled thrust of his body intensified the excitement, delaying the pleasure until Jessie thought she’d go crazy. Her body fluttered against the length of him and he gave a groan and slowed his rhythm slightly, prolonging the agony for both of them. But she’d been given a brief glimpse of paradise and suddenly she couldn’t wait any longer.

Lifting her head slightly, she bit his lower lip and he gave a wicked smile and surged deeper, his mouth taking hers in a hard, demanding kiss. Jessie spun higher and higher, overwhelmed and out of control, until the sensual bonds that had been holding her back snapped and she flew free. She felt herself tighten around him, heard him mutter something in Italian as he powered into her and she felt the hot liquid force of his own release.

It was scorching, intense and utterly consuming, the pulsating pleasure holding them both captive until finally he murmured something in Italian against her neck and rolled onto his back, taking her with him.

He tugged at the silk bedspread and covered them both, even though the evening was warm.

Dazed and shaken, Jessie wondered why he’d done that and then realised that she was shivering.

His strong hand stroked her back gently, warming her, calming her, and she wondered if he’d guessed that her trembling had nothing to do with the temperature of the room.

Now that the wild, crazy storm had passed and her mind had cleared, she was faced with the stark truth.

She hadn’t just spent a wild, erotic interlude with an impossibly sexy man.

She’d slept with her enemy
.

Silvio looked at the woman lying in his arms and knew she wasn’t asleep. She was too still for that.

Never one to avoid a difficult situation, he gave a frustrated sigh and shifted onto his side so that he was facing her. ‘Jessie?’

Her eyes remained closed and his mouth tightened. ‘You used to do this when you were young,’ he muttered. ‘You kept your eyes closed whenever something you didn’t like was happening.’ Her hair was covering part of her face and he moved it with his hand, the scent and the silky softness disturbing his concentration. And he knew his touch affected her too, because there was an almost imperceptible change in her breathing.

‘You’re going to talk to me eventually, Jess,’ he said evenly, stroking her cheek with the back of his fingers, ‘so it might as well be now.’

‘What do you want to talk about? ’ She turned and stared straight at him, her green eyes revealing nothing. It was like looking down into the deepest part of the ocean—the surface of the water was just a gateway, concealing a private world beneath. ‘Most men want to sleep after sex, not have a conversation. Why do you have to be different?’

‘How would you know what men want?’ His voice rough, Silvio cupped her face in his hand. Her skin was smooth and soft and he felt a pang of guilt and regret. ‘I hurt you, didn’t I?’ He sensed her immediate withdrawal and instantly regretted both his rough tone and the directness of his question.

‘No.’ Her eyes were blank of expression. ‘You didn’t hurt
me.’ There was no emotion in her tone and Silvio felt a surge of frustration and a flicker of concern.

Suddenly he wished he could read her mind.

‘Don’t lie to me, Jess, and don’t block me out. I want honesty.’

‘Do you? All right—I’ll be honest.’ She pulled away from him and sat up, her tangled hair falling over one shoulder, her gaze fixed straight ahead rather than on him. ‘I regret every minute of what we just did. And I hate myself almost as much as I hate you.’

Still shaken by the knowledge that she hadn’t slept with a man before and unaccustomed to finding himself in situations where he had no idea how to react, Silvio ignored the part of his brain that was telling him to haul her back into his arms. ‘I can understand why you blame me, but—’

‘I don’t blame you. It was as much my fault as yours. I’m not a child, Silvio. I take responsibility for what I do.’ As if she couldn’t bear being close to him any more, she slid off the bed and reached for her red dress, every delicious curve visible in the moonlight as she stretched and wriggled back into the crimson tube.

It was like watching an erotic floor show and within seconds he was hard again. It took all his willpower not to drag her back onto the bed, roll her underneath him and repeat the ‘mistake’ until both of them were too exhausted to analyse anything.

‘Why are you getting dressed? It’s the middle of the night and the guests went home hours ago.’

‘This is the master suite.’ Her voice was steady but she didn’t look at him, her hair tumbling over her face as she dipped her head. ‘You sleep here. I’ll sleep somewhere else. I’m sure this isn’t the only bedroom on the yacht.’

In the grip of a volcanic eruption of male hormones, Silvio found it impossible to think clearly. Never before had a woman chosen to leave his bed before he wanted her to, so
he had no experience with this type of conversation. ‘You sleep where I sleep.’

‘No one is watching us now, Silvio. It’s just you and me.’ She lifted the torn remains of her panties, her face scarlet as she realised they were no longer wearable. Her eyes met his briefly, and Silvio felt the heat sear his flesh because he had an all-too-vivid memory of the moment he’d removed them from her overheated body.

‘You’re not sleeping in a different bedroom,’ he said thickly, his anger with himself turning onto her.

‘This charade is over, Silvio. You decided that tonight when you ignored me in public and made love to me in private.’

She was prickly and defensive and nothing like the soft, yielding woman who had responded so passionately.

Was she pushing him away on purpose?

He knew she was hurting badly. And he knew he was the reason. Again.

‘I can’t imagine what’s going through your head right now and I don’t pretend to be an expert at reading the female mind,’ he breathed, ‘so why don’t you just tell me?’

‘I don’t believe in post-mortems, Silvio. If I make a mistake I prefer to move on—leave it behind. It’s not a big deal.’

He might even have believed her if he hadn’t known her so well. But he saw the pulse beating in her throat and the way her hands shook as she struggled with her zip. The effort required to look indifferent was draining her.

‘The first time you have sex should be a big deal.’ His voice soft, he watched the colour seep into her cheeks. ‘If you’d told me, I would have been gentler with you.’ He could have said that if she’d told him, he would have stopped, but he wasn’t sure that would have been the truth.

Had he really been capable of that degree of restraint?

She didn’t look at him. ‘It wasn’t the first time I’ve had sex. Don’t be ridiculous.’ She yanked impatiently at the zip. ‘One minute you think I’m a prostitute, the next you think I’m a virgin—you go from one extreme to the other. And neither is correct. Not that my sex life is any of your business.’

‘It’s just become my business.’

‘Give me a break, Silvio. The one thing I don’t need right now is chest-thumping and over-possessiveness. What I do need is air and space. So please don’t follow me.’ Like a trapped animal making a frantic attempt to escape from captivity, she shot out of the room and Silvio covered his eyes with his forearm and swore long and fluently in Italian.