Page 20 of His Innocent's Passionate Awakening

But how could he when the taste of her mouth was still on his lips? The feel of her body pressed against him was branded on his flesh. The ache of desire still hot and tight and heavy in his groin.

The castello was huge, and Artie’s bedroom was a long, wide corridor away from his, but his awareness of her had never been more heightened and his self-control never more tested. What was it about her that made him so tempted to throw his rules to one side? Her unworldly youth? Her innocence? Her sensual allure? It was all those things and more besides. Things he couldn’t quite name but he was aware of them all the same. He felt it in his body when he kissed her. A sense of rightness, as if every kiss he’d experienced before had been erased from his memory so that her mouth could be the new benchmark of what a kiss should be. He felt it when he touched her face and the creamy perfection of her skin made his fingers tingle in a way they had never done when touching anyone else. He felt it when he held her close to his body, the sense that her body was a perfect match for his.

Luca turned away from the window with a sigh of frustration. He needed his laptop so he could immerse himself in work but he’d left it in the car. He knew there wouldn’t be too many bridegrooms tapping away on their laptops on their wedding night, but he was not a normal bridegroom.

And he needed to keep reminding his body of that too.

* * *

When Artie came downstairs the following morning, Rosa was laying out breakfast in the morning room, but not with her usual energy and vigour. Her face was pale and there were lines of tiredness around her eyes.

‘Are you okay?’ Artie asked, going to her.

Rosa put a hand to her forehead and winced. ‘I have the most dreadful headache.’

‘Then you must go straight back to bed. I’ll call the doctor and—’

‘No, I’ll be fine. It’s just a headache. I’ve had them before.’

Artie frowned at the housekeeper’s pallor and bloodshot eyes. ‘You don’t look at all well. I insist you go upstairs to bed. I’ll manage things down here. It’s about time you had some time to yourself. You’ve been going non-stop since Papa died. And well before that too.’ Artie didn’t like admitting how dependent she had become on the housekeeper but she wouldn’t have been able to cope without Rosa running errands for her.

Rosa began to untie her apron, her expression etched with uncertainty. ‘Are you sure?’

Artie took the apron from the housekeeper and tossed it to one side. ‘Upstairs. Now. I’ll check on you in a couple of hours. And if you’re not feeling better by then, I’m calling the doctor.’

‘Sì, sì, Signora Ferrantelli.’ Rosa mock-saluted Artie and then she left the room.

Artie released a sigh and pulled out a chair to sit down at the breakfast table but her appetite had completely deserted her. What would she do without Rosa? The housekeeper was her link to the outside world. Her only true friend. If anything happened to Rosa she would be even more isolated.

Stranded.

But you have a husband now...

The sound of firm footsteps approaching sent a tingle down Artie’s spine. She swivelled in her chair to see Luca enter the breakfast room. His hair was still damp from a shower, his face cleanly shaven, the sharp tang of his citrus-based aftershave teasing her nostrils. He was wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt that lovingly hugged his muscular chest and ridged abdomen.

‘Good morning.’ Her tone was betrayingly breathless and her cheeks grew warm. ‘Did you sleep well?’

‘Morning.’ He pulled out the chair opposite, sat down and spread his napkin over his lap. ‘I ran into Rosa when I was coming down. She didn’t look well.’

Artie picked up the jug of fresh orange juice and poured some into her glass. ‘I’ve sent her back to bed. She’s got a bad headache. She gets them occasionally.’ She offered him the juice but he shook his head and reached for the coffee pot. The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air.

Luca picked up his cup, glancing at her over the rim. ‘Has she got plans to retire? This is a big place to take care of. Does anyone come in to help her?’

Artie chewed at the side of her mouth. ‘They used to but we had to cut back the staff a while back. I help her. I enjoy it, actually. It’s a way of thanking her for helping me all these years.’

‘And how does she help you?’ His gaze was unwavering, almost interrogating in its intensity.

Artie lowered her gaze and stared at the beads of condensation on her glass of orange juice. ‘Rosa runs errands for me. She picks up shopping for me, the stuff I can’t get online, I mean. She’s been with my family for a long time. This is her home. Here, with me.’

Luca put down his cup with a clatter on the saucer. ‘She can’t stay here for ever, Artie. And neither can you.’ His tone was gentle but firm, speaking a truth she recognised but didn’t want to face.

She pushed back her chair and tossed her napkin on the table. ‘Will you excuse me? I want to check on Rosa.’

‘Sit down, cara.’ There was a thread of steel underlining each word. The same steel glinting in his eyes and in the uncompromising line of his jaw.

Artie toyed with the idea of defying him, a secret thrill shooting through her at the thought of what he might do to stop her flouncing out of the room. Grasp her by the wrists? Hold her to his tempting body? Bring that firm mouth down on hers in another toe-curlingly passionate kiss? She held his gaze for a heart-stopping moment, her pulse picking up its pace, the backs of her knees fizzing. But then she sat heavily in the chair, whipped her napkin across her lap and threw him a look so sour it could have curdled the milk in the jug. ‘I hope you’re not going to make a habit of ordering me about like I’m some sort of submissive slave.’

His eyes continued to hold hers in a battle of wills. ‘I want to talk to you about your relationship with Rosa. I get that she’s been supportive for a long time and you see her as a friend you can rely on, but what if she’s actually holding you back from developing more autonomy?’

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