Page 47 of Bound By The Italian’s 'I Do'

He had to swallow to make his throat move but before he could speak, she said, ‘I’m glad.’

‘You are?’

To his horror, tears filled her eyes. She nodded. ‘I’m sorry for what we tried to do to you. Really sorry.’

His lungs compressed. ‘I know you are.’

‘Please forgive me.’

Sitting on the bed, he brushed away the tear that rolled down her cheek. ‘It’s already forgiven.’

Issy tried desperately hard to stop any more tears from leaking. She didn’t want to cry in front of him but reality had just inserted itself into the dream of their life. She’d refused to think of anything but Gianni since they’d become lovers. It had been the same for him too, she was certain. It had been the two of them in a private, dreamy bubble. When not making love they’d spoken about so many things, had long, laughter-filled discussions about their lives and interests, getting to know each other as who they really were, but by unspoken agreement there had been no mention of his cousin or business—other than generically—or her sister or parents. What they’d found together was too special, toomagical, to allow the things that meant it had to come to an end spoil it for the time they had.

He wiped another tear. ‘You are free to go home now.’

But that only made her want to cry harder. ‘Do you want me to go?’

He shook his head with vehemence. ‘No.’

‘Good,’ she said in a whisper. ‘Because I don’t want to go either.’

He closed his eyes as if in relief, his shoulders rising before he locked them back on hers. ‘Your phone is in my dressing room.’

That made her smile. ‘I’d forgotten all about it.’

‘You can call your sister.’

But there was a reason Issy hadn’t allowed herself to think of her sister let alone talk about her. ‘You said she was safe.’

‘She is.’

‘Then I don’t need to call her. Not yet.’

From the way Gianni’s eyes were searching hers, she had the feeling he knew exactly how torn she was about Amelia.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him down for a heady, passion-filled kiss.

The man who made her feel so, so much didn’t have to return to his real life for another four of five days...oh, hell, she was losing track of time...and she would extract every ounce of the pleasure and joy being with him brought her until their time ran out.

Reality could wait a while longer.

The sea was much warmer than Issy anticipated, and she didn’t even flinch when it reached the top of her legs. When it reached her bellybutton, she stopped. ‘This is as far as I go,’ she declared.

‘Wimp,’ Gianni teased with that smile that never failed to make her heart go all squidgy.

‘I am not a wimp!’

He threw the beach ball at her. ‘Yes, you are.’

She caught it and threw it back. ‘No, I’m not.’

His grin widened. ‘How am I supposed to pull you under if you won’t go any further than your stomach?’

‘You want me to drown?’ she asked in mock outrage.

‘No.’ He lobbed the ball hard at her. ‘I want to save you from drowning so I can give you the kiss of life.’

‘You need one of those banana float things if you’re going to act as lifeguard again,’ she reminded him.

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