Page 21 of Modern Romance Collection February 2025, 5-8

He waited for her to challenge him. Or pout. Or do that thing of pillowing her hands behind her head to accentuate her breasts so the pert thrust of her nipples would be outlined provocatively beneath the concealing sheet.

But she didn’t. She didn’t say another word. For how could she possibly be familiar with the post-sexual ploys women used when they were trying to get you to change your mind, when she had been such an innocent?

And he had been the one to take that innocence.

Turing his back on her, he pulled on his jeans, telling himself it was pointless to keep staring into those fathomless eyes, with all their soft green promise.

But wasn’t the real reason for presenting his forbidding back view that he didn’t want her to get any inkling of her sensual power over him? Or to witness the hard spring of his erection and realise just how much he wanted her.

CHAPTER SEVEN

DETERMINED NOT TOrepeat yesterday’s sin of oversleeping, Kelly was up with the lark, creeping along the corridor to the bathroom and submerging herself in a deep bath. But the hot water and scented bubbles did little to relieve the aching deep inside her, no matter how hard she scrubbed her skin with the fancy bergamot soap. She could still feel him. Smell him. Taste him.

What had shedone?

She swallowed.

Lost her virginity…

No. That phrase implied carelessness and there had been nothing remotely careless in her reaction to the Italian billionaire who, up until last night, she had always considered her enemy. He’d given her plenty of opportunity to dismiss their passionate kiss in the kitchen, but she hadn’t taken it, had she? On the contrary. She had left the light on in her room, burning like a bright flag of welcome—as she had lain in bed waiting for him. She’d thought that sort of thing only happened in films. Although she supposed that if it had been a film, she would have been wearing something a bit more flattering than a pair of winceyette pyjamas.

The sex had surpassed all her wildest expectations and then some. But after it was all over and she had been lying there, trembling with the sweet aftermath of all that passion, he had unleashed his insulting conclusion.

‘You’ve got what you’ve always wanted.’

In some ways he was right, but in other ways he was wrong. Shehadalways wanted him—she wasn’t hypocritical enough to deny that. A fumbling pass she’d made all those years ago had planted an unwanted seed inside her. Yes, she’d always fancied him, even if she didn’t want to feel that way. But hadn’t she thought that the fulfilment of all that reluctant longing would bring about some kind of satisfaction—maybe even a sense of peace? Of course she had. Ticking that particular box was supposed to have freed her from his sexy influence, leaving her able to move on with her life. Whereas this morning she felt restless and empty. As if she had left something unfinished.

No.

Hehad been the one to do that—and it had been deliberate. He’d made it plain he regarded the sex as a mistake. He had spelt out in the most coldly emphatic terms that he wasn’t looking for a relationship and then had turned his back on her and walked out of the room, and she was going to have to live with that. In time she would learn to forget Romano Castelliari and all the pleasure he had given her, and time was a great healer. At least, that was what everyone said, and surely they couldn’t all be wrong.

Pulling on the jeans and sweater which had dried on the radiator, she plaited her hair, reached for a pair of silver earrings, and went downstairs. Floriana and Max were just finishing breakfast but, thankfully, there was no sign of Romano. In a corner of the sunlit dining room, the baby was sleeping peacefully and, as Kelly wandered over, her heart gave an inexplicable wrench as she gazed down at her dozing goddaughter. Was this what first-time sex did to you? she wondered. Did it make you aware of all the possibilities which lay open to you as a woman and question whether you would ever have a baby of your own?

And why should it fill her with a terrible sadness to think that perhaps she wouldn’t?

‘Are you going to have acornetto?’ Floriana asked, breaking into her reverie as she proffered the basket of pastries. ‘Max went down to the bakery for them first thing. I always forget how good they are here…stuffed full ofmarmellataand absolutely scrumptious.’

But Kelly shook her head as she walked over to the table. Her stomach was far too knotted to be able to contemplate eating and the thought that Romano might suddenly stroll into the dining room was making her jumpy. ‘I’ll get something in a while,’ she prevaricated, pouring herself a glass of juice. ‘Thought I’d go out for a walk round the estate. Anyone like to join me?’

‘I’d love to, but Allegra’s due a feed and there’s a whole stack of christening presents to open. Let’s have coffee when you get back.’ Floriana smiled. ‘And at least the nanny has taken Rocco off to play—that child has so much energy. Oh, and before I forget—’ She reached into the back pocket of her jeans and withdrew a familiar piece of black velvet, which she dangled from her finger. ‘This wouldn’t happen to be yours, would it?’

Kelly’s heart started pounding. ‘Y-yes, it’s mine,’ she said, her fingers closing around the hairband as she remembered Romano’s eager fingers loosening it. ‘Wh-where did you find it?’

‘The housekeeper said it was lying on the scullery floor when she arrived for work this morning. She wasn’t quite sure how it got there. Kelly? Are you okay? You’ve gone really red in the face.’

‘That’s because it’s very…hot in here,’ croaked Kelly, fanning her face like an old-fashioned Victorian heroine.

‘You think so? Must be your English blood.’ Floriana laughed. ‘Feels more like the North Pole to me, but of course that’s what happens when it’s uninhabited for most of the winter—doesn’t matter how much you try to whack up the heating, it never really warms up. I’m going to tell Romano that if he isn’t going to live here, then at least he could rent it out.’

‘Or you could move in here yourself,’ drawled a deliciously deep voice as Romano strolled into the dining room.

Kelly didn’t want to stare but surely it would have looked odd—and rude—if she continued to study her glass ofsuccoas if it were a crystal ball and ignored the man who had just walked in. Trying to behave naturally, she nodded him a polite greeting, doing her best not to react to the oxygen-draining power of his presence. But even a block of stone would be turned on by him, she thought grimly. Particularly when he looked like the very personification of sexual fantasy.

He was dressed in riding clothes—leather boots, old-fashioned breeches and a pale shirt, which clung damply to his torso. His ruffled hair was damp too and his face had the soft glow of exertion. He looked as if he’d stepped from another age, when the custodian of acastellolike this would have total authority over everyone and everything.

And doesn’t he?she asked herself frantically.Doesn’t he? Not much has really changed since his ancestors pitched up here and started constructing these ancient towers and thick walls.

‘It’s a very kind offer, Romano,’ Floriana was saying to her half-brother. ‘But we told you we could never move in here, not with you acting like mission control from wherever you happen to be in the world. Ask Kelly what she thinks.’

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