Page 45 of The Housekeeper and the Brooding Billionaire

Her eyes opened in a flash of blue, brighter than any gem in the Dal Lago treasure vault.

‘Are you all right, Charlotte?’

She blinked, that sweet mouth turning up. ‘More than all right. I feel fabulous.’

The stirring guilt in his gut eased. It shouldn’t have been him taking her innocence and initiating her into the world of erotic delights, but he’d done no immediate harm.

With relief came a rush of other feelings. He slid his hand to her hip, shaping that delicious arc, before sliding his fingers along her silky thigh.

‘You absolutely do feel fantastic.’

Another ripple of sensation, except this time in a part of his anatomy that should be completely dormant after that stunning climax. Alessio’s brows twitched in a perplexed frown.

Gently but firmly, because her hands clung, he withdrew before she could realise the effect she still had on him. He needed time to think.

Alessio headed to the bathroom to dispose of the condom. But instead of lingering to get his head straight, within minutes he was back in the bedroom, drawn by a force stronger than the need to master himself.

Charlotte lay on her side in exactly the same position as when he’d left, except she cuddled a pillow to her chest. Missing him? Something shifted in Alessio’s chest.

Wearing that blissed-out smile, totally naked in his bed, she was irresistible. He moved the pillow and climbed in next to her, pulling her to him.

Instantly she shaped herself against him, one knee between his, a palm open on his chest, her other arm around his waist as she settled her head under his chin.

Alessio closed his eyes and savoured the sensation of body against body, the thrum of her heart against him, the gentle caress of her breath.

It felt peaceful. Special.

Only because you’ve had no physical contact with another person in over three years. This is just you relishing the comfort of an embrace.

But since when had he needed such comfort? As a kid he’d learned never to expect cuddles from absent parents intent on their pleasure-seeking lives. As an adult he enjoyed the company of lovers and friends but neverneededanyone.

Hewas the one who comforted others, most notably Antonia. Though towards the end she’d avoided physical contact. His breathing stalled on acrid memories until gentle fingers smoothed along his chest as if massaging his reluctant lungs back into motion. As if Charlotte sensed his distress.

He allowed himself a moment’s stillness to absorb the comfort of her touch, realising how rare it was.

How different from past experience.

Antonia had set a benchmark for him. He’d never been closer to any woman than her. Not because they’d fallen deeply in love as the world thought. The strength of their relationship had been a friendship built over years. They’d fallen into sex, becoming friends with benefits rather than soul mates. So that when the world fell apart, they’d drawn on that friendship and trust.

Not that it had been enough to save her.

‘Areyouall right, Alessio?’

He found Charlotte regarding him steadily and realised she’d quoted his own question back at him. There was something so genuine about her gaze that pierced too deep.

‘Never better.’ Yet her palm against his chest meant she felt his heart pounding.

Alessio didn’t do vulnerable. He’d been trained from childhood to be self-sufficient and strong. So he followed a lifetime’s training and took charge of the situation, changing the subject. ‘Why me, Charlotte? Out of all the men you might have slept with?

No woman stayed a virgin until her midtwenties without good reason. Choosing to lose her virginity had to be a major decision.

It was only because they were so near and he watched so closely that he saw the minuscule change in her expression, the way her gaze darted away, then back again.

Despite the heat of their bodies against each other, he felt his bones frost. He knew that look.

Prevarication. Evasiveness.

She is about to lie.

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