Page 35 of Modern Romance Collection February 2025, 5-8

‘Try it,’ he said, forking into a slice oftortaand extending it towards her. ‘Go on. Turin is famous for hazelnuts,’ he added as she began to nibble on the rich cake. ‘Ever since Napoleon banned chocolate imports from England in the nineteenth century and the local chefs had to find something else to use in their desserts.’

‘Is that so?’ she said, holding back a smile as he delivered another forkful into her waiting mouth.

‘Would you like to hear more about the history of Turinese cuisine, Kelly?’ he questioned gravely.

‘Absolutely. I’m sitting on the edge of my seat waiting,’ she said, meeting the playful gleam in his black eyes.

It was the most delicious and frustrating meal she’d ever eaten and it seemed to take a lifetime before they were back in the limousine and he could push her back against the soft leather seat, his mouth on her neck, his hand on her thigh.

‘Now then,’ he murmured hungrily. ‘Where was I?’

‘I think you know. But just for the avoidance of doubt.’ Instinctively, she wriggled her hips to position herself. ‘You’re in exactly the right place.’

‘Who taught you to be so bold, Kelly Butler?’ he growled.

‘Why, I think that would have to be you, Romano Castelliari.’

With a low laugh, he raised the darkened sound-proof window between them and the chauffeur as he brought her to an ecstatic climax and then, back in the apartment, he stripped off their clothes with unsteady impatience before tumbling them down on his vast bed.

‘Porca miseria, what is it that you do to me?’ he uttered, his hands moulding themselves over her quivering breasts before tracing down to the moist bud between her spreading thighs.

‘Was that a serious question?’ she gasped as she felt his erection nudge impatiently against her.

‘No,’ he husked, his big body positioning itself over her before empaling her with one hard and emphatic thrust.

Rocking in time to his glorious rhythm, she soon felt the ecstatic squeeze of her approaching climax, her back arching helplessly as she pulsed with pleasure beneath him. And afterwards Kelly had to be super-vigilant as he held her tightly in his embrace, her cheek resting against the muscled silk of his shoulder. She wanted to whisper that she had never felt so wanted, nor so cherished, and she wanted to tell him that she was frightened she might be carrying his baby. But the insane thing was that part of herlongedto carry his baby. Was that the natural projection you made when a man had managed to burrow his way into your heart and you were terrified you were falling in love with him?

They spent most of the afternoon in bed and then a lot of time in the bath before he left her to wash her hair and then laboriously dry it into glossy ringlets. She had just finished putting on the silver dress and a pair of matching strappy shoes when Romano walked into the bedroom, wearing a black tux, which made him look impossibly handsome and yet somehow…remote.

His face was serious as he handed her a slim leather box.

‘What’s this?’

‘Why not have a look inside?’ he suggested.

She did as he asked, blinking in surprise as she flipped open the lid to see a pair of dangly diamond earrings dazzling against a backdrop of indigo velvet. Kelly was a silversmith who knew practically nothing about diamonds—apart from the words she’d heard used to describe them, likeAshokaandbrilliantandmarquise. But anyone could see that these were pretty special. It made her feel quite faint to think how much they must have cost.

‘Are these on loan, or something?’ she joked.

‘No. I bought them. I thought you could wear them to the opera tonight,’ he said, the gleam of his ebony gaze sweeping over her. ‘They work well with that dress.’

‘But…surely some of my own would work better? I mean, mine are silver, like the dress. And you never know…somebody might see them and commission a pair!’

‘I would prefer you to wear these,’ he insisted, holding one out towards her, the white fire of the precious gems flaming over his olive skin.

She opened her mouth to object before asking herself if this was a battle really worth fighting, before obediently clipping them in to stare at herself in the mirror. But it hurt that he didn’t want her to wear the jewellery she’d made herself. As if he was rejecting the person she really was. Did he worry that the silver danglies might look cheap and downmarket in the lavish setting of the city opera house?

She stared at the incandescent rainbow flash of diamonds which could certainly never be accused of falling into that particular category. In any other circumstances she might have quipped that she hoped they were properly insured, because what if one fell off while she was in the loo? Yet there was something about his proprietorial expression which stopped her and, indeed, something about the whole occasion which felt skewed. He’d thrown a lot of money at her to change the way she looked and he’d succeeded. But as she saw the priceless stones flashing at her ears she recognised that the transformation was now complete…she reallywasn’tKelly Butler any more.

And if she wasn’t herself, then who was she?

A rich man’s mistress with a terrible secret nagging away inside her.

A secret she dared not share.

‘Let’s go,’ he said softly as he opened the bedroom door for her to exit before him.

Romano frowned as she nodded her head without really looking at him and found himself wondering if he had offended her in some way. Yet how could he have done? There wasn’t a woman in the world who didn’t like diamonds, and the bigger, the better. He’d had enough hints dropped to him in the past, though he’d never actually bought a lover jewellery before. And they were an investment, weren’t they? Kelly would be able to take the earrings with her. Because he didn’t want to see her broke, or struggling in the future. He would have no problem with her selling them as soon as she went back to England and gaining a comfortable financial cushion.

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