Page 20 of Modern Romance Collection February 2025, 5-8

‘I was only confirming your prejudices, Romano. You always did seem determined to think the worst of me—especially when I dropped out of art school, or so Flo told me.’ She shrugged. ‘Why should I be the one to spoil your fun?’

Romano tightened his lips, because that shrug didn’t help. It reminded him that she was naked and it made those glorious breasts move with unfettered provocation, the nipples dancing as if to invite the lick of his tongue. With an effort he tore his gaze away and met the question in her eyes. ‘If I’m such an abhorrent and prejudiced person,’ he continued coolly, ‘then why have sex with me—particularly when it was your first time?’

There was a pause.

‘Is your ego in such need of a boost that you want me to tell you you’re irresistible?’

‘My ego needs no such reassurance. And I guess you’ve got what you’ve always wanted. You’ve realised your schoolgirl ambition to have your wicked way with me,’ he added with soft mockery.

‘That’s right. I have,’ she agreed, and he wondered if he’d imagined the brief disappointment which clouded her eyes before it was replaced by the defiance he had always associated with her and, once again, he felt the unwilling twist of desire.

‘You were a hunger I had to feed, that’s all,’ she continued insouciantly. ‘A hunger which never really went away. There you go again, looking so shocked. You’re terribly old-fashioned at heart, aren’t you, Romano?’

‘My principles remain constant.’

‘How very admirable.’

‘So, it was simply sexual desire?’ he elucidated deliberately, in an attempt to distract himself from the fact that they seemed to be flirting again. ‘Nothing else?’

‘Why, should it have been?’ She wriggled a little on the bed, as if the direct fire of his eyes was making her self-conscious. ‘Is it a prerequisite for taking a woman to bed that they need to be in love with you?’

‘On the contrary,’ he bit out, the words leaving his mouth as if they were poison. ‘I thought I’d made my views onloveabundantly clear.’

She looked puzzled and he braced himself for what he knew was coming.

‘I don’t understand why you’re so…vehement about it.’

‘You aren’t intended to understand. And the why is irrelevant. If a woman believes she’s “in love” with me—with absolutely no encouragement on my part—then I’m afraid she’s history.’

She expelled a sigh and shook her head a little. ‘Wow,’ she said at last. ‘That’s probably the most cold-hearted thing I’ve ever heard you say—and it’s a pretty crowded field to choose from.’

But Romano refused to rise to the barb. He wasn’t particularly offended by her accusation, because it was true. The subterfuge and deceit of his early years had always made obfuscation particularly abhorrent to him. In business as well as in personal matters, he was known for plain speaking, even if it gathered a few enemies along the way. ‘I’m just telling you the truth, Kelly, in case—’

‘What? In case I join that vast number of women you’ve left weeping into their pillow? Rest assured, Romano—look! My eyes are completely dry.’

In an attempt to deflect another unwanted smile, which was hovering at the edges of his lips, he scowled. Whatdidhe want from her? Especially now. More sex? Yes, that, of course. The hard pound of his heart was reinforcing just how much he would like to be inside her again, only, this time, to take it more slowly. He would like to prolong the pleasure until she was sobbing out his name, over and over again. For, despite her spiky words, he could see the tremble of her lips, just as he could almost taste the undercurrent of desire which was rippling through the air towards him. But he closed his thoughts to the possibility of a repeat performance, even though her fleshy curves were outlined so invitingly beneath the rumpled bedding.

Because Kelly was different from other lovers and not just because she had been a virgin. She’d been on the periphery of his life for a long time and her role as his sister’s friend and his niece’s godmother would guarantee she’d be rocking up to family events a long way into the future. This one episode could be safely contained,sì. They could write it off as a hot-blooded moment of impetuosity. But having sex with her again would complicate matters and no way should he be contemplating further intimacy just to demonstrate his sexual prowess.

Averting his eyes from the glow of her body, he rose from the bed, determined to put some distance between them and although he couldn’t help notice the disappointment which briefly clouded her features, she didn’t try to stop him. Reaching for his jeans, he forced his mind to race through a calendar of the days ahead. ‘Floriana and her family will be flying to Rome with my stepmother tomorrow—’

‘Which I suppose is when my employment as your cleaner officially begins.’ She tucked her hair behind her ears and gave him an exaggerated smile. ‘I can hardly wait!’

And oh, how he wished she would suddenly announce that she was no longer able to fulfil her obligations. Didn’t hewanther to flounce back to England and tell him she never wanted to see him again because of what had just happened? Of course he did. But if she was determined to see the deal through, he could hardly renege on it simply because her beauty and her defiance had called out to something deep within him and he had been weak enough to answer that siren call.

‘Obviously, we are going to have to negotiate how to behave around each other when we are alone in thecastello,’ he said carefully.

‘Is that code for wanting me to appear servile whenever I’m in your presence?’

‘No, it is not,’ he snapped, his conciliatory mood vanquished by her too-smart response. ‘I’m talking about keeping expectations real.’

‘Go on,’ she said.

He nodded, observing her sudden stillness and knowing now was the perfect moment to dash any futile hopes she might be nurturing. ‘I can’t offer you anything permanent, Kelly.’

‘I assume this isn’t about the cleaning job?’

‘You know damned well it isn’t.’ He gave an impatient click of his tongue. ‘I don’t want marriage, or children. I don’t want a family. I’m not looking for someone to share my life.’

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