Page 38 of His Wedding Day Revenge

CHAPTER NINE

DRACOAPPEAREDLATERthat day just as she was settling Mattie for his afternoon nap, or trying to.

‘Did you enjoy your morning?’

‘Very much. It was good to get away.’ And the local town, with its historic cobbled streets and harbour, was really beautiful.

‘Good to get away from me?’

Soon every day would be away from Draco. She felt her stomach tighten and pushed away the thought, painting on a smile as she surreptitiously studied his face, observing that the same indefinable thing she had heard in his voice echoed in his lean features.

Had he got out of the wrong side of the bed?

It had not been hers.

When Mattie had kicked off she had wheeled his crib to beside her bed. Draco had been lying there, the sheet low over his hips to reveal the light dusting of dark hair on his flat, muscle-ridged belly and broad bronzed chest, one hand behind his head, looking gloriously tousled and, with the stubble on his jaw, even more mind-numbingly sexy than normal as he’d watched her.

He hadn’t said a thing.

He hadn’t needed to. Having caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, Jane could imagine what he’d been thinking! Her hair a wild mess of curls, dark shadows under her eyes and her hip bones visible through the thin robe she had quickly pulled on.

She had tried to sound as if she didn’t care when she had suggested in a scratchy, impatient voice that if he wanted any sleep he should make the trip through the interconnecting door to his own bedroom suite. Would he make the same trip when his own children were here, or would the nanny be in the nursery while Draco made love to his perfect wife?

Later, when Mattie had settled and she had rolled over to sleep, missing the warm body beside her, she had regretted her generosity.

She ignored the lingering sick feeling in the pit of her stomach and managed to respond to his question with a teasing smile and a negligent shrug. ‘Oh, absolutely, you weren’t there to cramp my style.’

‘You did the usual tourist stuff. You ate?’ he added.

‘Well, I am pretty much a tourist,’ she pointed out. ‘And of course I ate. I know you think I’m too skinny, but I do not have to be force-fed.’

‘You are not too skinny! You are—’ Tough and vulnerable, and the combination shook loose some uncomfortable emotions in him that he was not prepared to own. ‘I like watching you eat. When you remember, you eat like you make love—with total commitment.’

The frown melted from her face. ‘Yes, well, I love the local cuisine and it’s quite nice not to have to cook. I’m a terrible cook,’ she confided with a rueful grin. ‘Actually Luciana showed me a few places only the locals would know about.’ She glanced at the dress, hanging up behind the door, she had found in the incredible vintage shop down a side alley. It had been an Aladdin’s cave, a treasure trove of vintage and rare, owned by an equally fascinating woman.

In her mind’s eye Jane could see the dress as it would be shortly. Her fingers itched to get to work on it.

‘You didn’t have to go on the minibus. I would have taken you and Mattie if you’d asked,’ Draco observed, continuing to sound disgruntled.

‘Mattie was fine. He’s a very sociable baby.’ Though not, admittedly, today. He was not his usual cheery self. ‘And you weren’t there,’ she said, keeping her tone neutral, then adding brightly before he responded, ‘It was actually nice to be part of the group and not the woman who is staying at the palazzo.’

‘Has that been an issue?’

She shrugged. ‘People are initially wary of the person being given preferential treatment, but Mattie is always a vote winner.’ And everyone could see that it made sense they had been given more baby-friendly rooms.

Of course, if they had realised that she was sleeping with Draco she could imagine that situation would change very quickly! Which was a very good reason, one among many, to stick to the rules and keep the sleeping arrangement under the radar. It was important to her for people to know she was here on her own merits, which she liked to think she was, or at least deserved to be.

There were some fascinating characters, and she was learning a lot, some of which would be transferable when she got back home.

Some days...home seemed a very long way away, in another life, but she had to keep her feet on the ground and remember the life she was living now was not real. A week and a half and she would be back home.

‘Everyone is very excited about the party tonight.’

He raised a sceptical brow as he looked at her with narrowed eyes. ‘Everyone?’

She shrugged. The truth was, when Draco had said that there was to be a cocktail party to celebrate the first of what he intended would be a yearly course and conference and he was inviting some people, she had been concerned that someone there might have been at the wedding and might recognise her. She didn’t want to be outed as the runaway bride!

‘I’m not really a party person, but yes, I’m sure it will be...interesting. Will there be many of your friends there?’ To her dismay she did not pull off the casual part of her question.

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