Page 48 of Innocent in the Sicilian’s Palazzo

It was agony!

‘Choose for me,’ she said, thinking,Words I never thought I’d hear myself say.

He dragged his eyes away from the sensual promise of her plump lips. ‘That doesn’t sound like you.’

She looked straight at him. ‘I don’t feel like me.’

In his mind he saw himself swiping the crockery from the table and taking her right there and then as he laid down the menu, gave the order and said, ‘They do the best prawns here.’

The food was delicious, and the wine, which Soren, as designated driver, didn’t touch, helped take a few of the kinks from her spine and the panic out of her eyes. It also inevitably made her quite talkative.

She looked at her empty pudding bowl and up at him, realisation settling and bringing a worried frown to her forehead. ‘I’ve probably been boring you, but the library really is...amazing.’

Boring, no, driving him insane, yes, the way her beautiful little face lit up with animation when she spoke of the books she loved... He could have watched that for ever and as for her voice...For ever?

When did that happen?

He dragged a hand across his jaw as his blue stare skidded away from hers. ‘Do you want coffee or shall we...?’

His abruptness and his obvious desire to get the hell out made her wonder...was their first date going to be their last?

Of course, if the stars had been out and the drive had been moonlit on their way back, the sexual electricity zigzagging back and forth in the car would have had an inevitable ending. But there were no stars or moon and Soren had turned his mobile on speaker and their return journey involved a three-way conversation in a foreign language to which she was a miserable listener-in.

If he had wanted to kill the mood, he could not have arranged things better.

Anna got the call from the Merlin just as they got back.

She glanced at Soren.

‘It’s the Merlin. Grandpa had some blood tests yesterday. I have to take it.’

He watched as she walked up the path, the receiver pressed to her ear. He could see the worried stiffness in her spine and found himself wanting to lighten the burden she was carrying.

What happened to simply wanting to take her to bed?

Anna spent the evening in the library, heading there like a homing pigeon seeking the solace of the books. It was several hours before she became so engrossed she stopped waiting for Soren to come and invite her to share dinner with him.

The next day she decided not to wait. If he wanted her, he would have to do the looking; she was not hanging around for him. Feeling rebellious and miserable, she took a coffee and croissant into the library and had barely sipped the scalding liquid when Soren appeared.

She fought to retain the coolness she had decided to treat him with and lost. After all, he hadn’t actually done anything to justify her resentment except not touch her.

Remembering how his touch had made her feel things, had sent her deep into herself to a place she hadn’t known existed, caused her to choke on her hot coffee.

‘You weren’t at breakfast.’

‘You noticed.’ She closed her eyes and winced, opening them and offering a twisted smile and—?Sorry.’

‘I was wondering about your grandfather’s blood tests...?’

She was touched by his concern; her forced smile became genuine. ‘They were OK, actually, and the clinic have taken on extra security, which makes me feel easier, but I worry.’

‘Why?’ Her worries were his... The admission hovered somewhere unacknowledged in the back of his mind.

‘Well, security doesn’t come cheap, but they haven’t even suggested Grandpa leave and I thought they might,’ she admitted.

‘Why would they? He’s fetching them a lot of publicity and there’s no such thing as bad publicity.’

‘They have been very understanding.’

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