Page 25 of The Italian's Marriage Bargain

‘It is no big deal to turn a blind eye. Rosa is a good woman; you’ll see that for yourself soon enough.’

‘Well, I won’t hold my breath! I’m sure Rosa’s adorable where you’re concerned, Luca, but I doubt that goodwill is going to extend to your wife.’

‘I’m sorry for what Ricardo said.’

Felicity gave a tight shrug.

‘He judges everyone by his own rules.’

‘Does he have a mistress?’ Felicity asked, wide-eyed, but Luca shook his head.

‘Ricardo is in poor health now. I expect he has enough trouble keeping up with Anna, let alone a mistress. But with his last wife he did.’

Felicity gave a weary sigh; it was all too damned complicated for her.

‘You are exhausted,’ Luca said gently. ‘Come, I will take you upstairs.’

She went to stand, only Luca beat her to it, and this time when he swooped her up in his arms she offered no resistance. This time she let her body curve into him, rested her head on his strong chest as he carried her up the impressive staircase, kicking open the bedroom door with his foot and gently lowering her onto a massive wooden bed.

‘Poor Felice,’ he whispered tenderly as with infinite tenderness he undressed her, caressing her aching feet as he pulled off her heels. ‘My poor baby, it is all so confusing for you.’ Massaging her shoulders, he slipped the straps of her dress down and removed her bra with all the skill and precision of a man who knew what women wanted. And while it was reassurance Felicity craved, not endearments, and though the row still resonated in her mind, it was so much easier to take the comfort Luca offered, to drown in the only succour available, to die a little in his arms as he held her.

To silence her fears with his touch.

CHAPTER SIX

‘WHATare you doing today?’

‘Studying,’ Felicity said determinedly, ignoring the black look Rosa flashed at her as she wandered into the kitchen in her short robe, her blonde hair tumbling. Luca rushed around, gulping down impossibly strong coffee and trying to load his briefcase at the same time. ‘I’m already seriously behind. What time do you think you’ll be back?’

‘Late.’ Luca pulled a face. ‘I shouldn’t ask you to wait up for me, really, but if you knew how adorable you looked this morning you’d understand why I am being so selfish.’

‘Luca,’ Felicity admonished, rolling her eyes towards Rosa and brushing aside his intimate observation. Luca, used to servants, didn’t give a damn who was in the room, didn’t lower his voice or alter his comments one iota, while Felicity felt as if she were in a perpetual restaurant—lowering her voice each and every time a waiter appeared, pausing in conversation when a napkin was placed in her lap.

And it irritated the hell out of Luca.

‘Why don’t you come?’ he suggested ‘Come on—you could do some shopping and meet me for lunch. You must be sick of being cooped up here.’

‘I need to study, Luca.’ Selecting a pastry from the plate Rosa pushed towards her, she took a half-hearted bite. A sickly sweet pastry was the last thing she felt like right now, but it was that or choosing from the massive tray of salami and ham Rosa always prepared, and the sight of it this morning literally turned her stomach.

‘You no like?’ Rosa asked accusingly.

‘It’s lovely,’ Felicity said brightly, taking what she hoped was a more enthusiastic bite, determined to hit the local shops and find the Italian equivalent to corn-flakes. A cup of tea wouldn’t go amiss either, she thought, taking a sip of the strong, sweet coffee that Italians seemed to survive on.

‘Can’t you give the books a miss for once?’ Luca pushed, but Felicity shook her head.

‘I have to work, Luca; I’ve got an assignment due in next week. You know how important my studies are.’

Or had been, Felicity mentally corrected. The assignments that waited for her upstairs were nowhere near as inviting as a shopping spree in Rome, but she hadn’t been lying when she’d said her studies were falling seriously behind and it unnerved her. She missed the safety net of lectures, the rigid timetable of university. Studying by correspondence, it was all too easy to put things off—particularly with a distraction as gorgeous as Luca. Night after night he would arrive home late, uncork a bottle of red wine and sigh with impatience as she tapped away on the computer, or run himself a long bath and then invite her to join him…

A date with her books was long overdue.

‘You could bring your laptop.’ Luca’s voice was more insistent now. ‘There’s nothing you can do here that can’t be done there. Come on, Felice. We could stay overnight; I’ll finish work around six and we can actually have an evening together.’

The phone was ringing in the hall, and though she’d clearly rather have stayed Rosa reluctantly went to answer it as Luca grew more insistent.

‘Go and grab your books and computer and get dressed.’ He gave a low laugh. ‘Or on second thoughts come just as you are.’

His hand toyed with edge of her robe, melting her resistance like ice cream in the sun. Taking a deep breath, she nodded, rewarded tenfold by the smile he returned.

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