Читать книгу The Royal House of Niroli Collection - Кейт Хьюит, Пенни Джордан - Страница 40

AMELIA couldn’t wait for her shift to be over the next day. She checked her watch for the tenth time in as many minutes, scoring yet another speculative look from Lucia.

‘You seem very impatient to be out of here,’ the nurse observed. ‘Could it be that you have something special planned for this evening?’

‘No…no, nothing special.’

Lucia smiled knowingly. ‘I don’t think Dr Hunter would like to hear you describe your date with him as “nothing special".’

Amelia stared at her. ‘He told you about that?’

‘Not in as many words,’ Lucia said. ‘I just put two and two together. I saw the way he looked at you every time he was on the ward today. I met him in the canteen and asked him how he was enjoying the island and whether he’d been to any of the beaches. He said he was taking a friend this evening for a sunset picnic.’

‘So you immediately thought that friend was me?’

Lucia’s smile widened. ‘It was a good guess, I thought, and, judging by the colour of your cheeks—spot on.’

Amelia considered denying it just for the sake of it, but she knew Lucia well enough to know she wouldn’t be fooled.

‘You went to the palace with him last night, didn’t you?’ Lucia said.

‘How do you find out all this stuff?’

Lucia grinned. ‘I have connections.’

‘Well, tell your connections to mind their own business,’ Amelia said. ‘I don’t want the whole island talking about one casual date.’

‘Two if you count the other night, which, young lady, I am quite peeved that you didn’t tell me about.’ She leaned closer and added, ‘Did he kiss you?’

Amelia frowned. ‘I’m not going to answer that.’

‘No, you don’t need to as your face just did it for you,’ Lucia said with another cheeky grin.

Amelia sent her a reproving glance. ‘Don’t go ordering the invitations and caterers. He’s only on the island for a month.’

‘So who’s counting the days?’

‘I’m just being realistic,’ Amelia said. ‘Besides, he comes from a totally different world. We have hardly anything in common.’

‘He’s a man—you’re a woman. That’s all that matters,’ Lucia said. ‘You of all people deserve to have a little fling. Who cares how long it lasts?’

I care, Amelia thought as she reached for her bag. I care too much.

Alex watched as she came towards him in the hospital car park, her small bag in one hand and a worried frown disturbing the elfin perfection of her face.

He eased himself away from the car and took her bag, smiling down at her. ‘Hi.’

She looked up at him with a nervous smile. ‘Hi.’

‘Are you OK?’

She moistened her mouth. ‘Yes.’

‘Hey—’ he pushed up her chin ‘—I’m just Alex tonight. Got that?’

She gave him a rueful look. ‘Yes, and I’m aprincess,’ she said.

He laughed. ‘Yeah, that’s right. You are.’

‘Alex.’

‘Stop worrying about it,’ he said as he helped her into the car. ‘I’ve got it all under control.’

She waited until he was behind the driver’s wheel before speaking. ‘Have you found out anything yet?’

He started the engine and backed out of the space, swinging a quick glance her way as he drove out of the hospital grounds. ‘I have someone working on it as we speak. But just for tonight let’s forget all about it, OK?’

‘If that’s what you’d prefer.’

He sent her a warm smile that momentarily suppressed the dark shadows she’d seen in his eyes. ‘It’s what I prefer,’ he said.

Amelia sat in silence as he drove the short distance to his cottage, her senses on high alert. She could smell the sexy musk of his body intermingled with the lingering fragrance of his citrus aftershave, and her skin began to prickle all over at the thought of feeling his kiss, his touch and his intimate caresses.

How would it feel to have his arms around her, his skin on her skin, his body within hers again?

She knew their relationship was being conducted on borrowed time, but the sense of urgency only heightened her attraction to him and she wondered if he felt it too.

She sneaked a look at him as he drove, his long-fingered hands steady on the wheel, his face showing nothing of the inner turmoil he surely must be going through.

Alex caught her looking at him. ‘I hope you’re not having second thoughts.’

‘About what?’

‘About us.’

She looked down at her hands. ‘This is temporary, Alex. You and I both know that.’

‘You’re putting up obstacles that don’t need to be there.’

‘But they are there,’ she insisted. ‘Pretending they’re not isn’t going to make them go away.’

His jaw tightened. ‘I don’t want to talk about it tonight, remember? Tonight we’re just a man and a woman who are attracted to each other.’

‘I’m not denying that, but I think we both should be realistic.’

‘You’re being fatalistic, not realistic,’ he said.

‘I’m trying to protect myself from hurt.’

He let out a deep sigh and reached for her hand, bringing it up to his mouth to press a soft kiss to her fingertips. ‘I don’t want to hurt you, Amelia.’

‘You won’t be able to avoid it.’

He met her troubled gaze. ‘I will do everything in my power to avoid it. Trust me.’

Could she risk her heart another time? She had spent the last eleven years regretting the one and only time she had let her guard slip.

‘Trust me?’ he said again.

She gave him a tremulous smile. ‘I know I’m going to regret this, but I do trust you.’

‘Good girl,’ he said. ‘Now we’re getting somewhere.’

Amelia used the bathroom to change out of her uniform while Alex organised the picnic and within a few minutes they were on their way to a beach at the far end of Santa Fiera where the sandy shore was less frequented by tourists.

‘How about a swim first?’ Alex suggested once he’d laid a blanket on the sand and anchored it with the picnic basket.

‘You go. I’ll sit here and watch for a while,’ Amelia said.

Alex could sense her self-consciousness. In spite of the evening’s warmth she was dressed in a shapeless cotton shift that looked at least three sizes too big. He could also see the thick straps of the dark one-piece bathing costume she was wearing, its unflattering lines suggesting she hadn’t been to the beach in a very long time.

He wondered if he’d done the right thing in bringing her here, but he’d figured that at least on a picnic she hadn’t had to worry about dressing up. Besides, he wanted time with her away from other people and their increasingly speculative stares.

He still couldn’t get his head around the circumstances surrounding his infancy. At first he had hoped it was all a mistake but the investigations he’d set in motion so far had led him to suspect the opposite. The legal people he’d engaged to work on it had already come across one or two discrepancies in the paperwork regarding his adoption and had hinted that there could be even more. He couldn’t bear the thought of informing his parents of what he’d discovered. He knew it would hurt them immeasurably to find they had inadvertently adopted a child who had had parents who had loved him and desperately longed for his return.

Alex felt as if he was in limbo; he couldn’t go back and neither could he go forward until he knew for sure what was expected of him. But for the time being he had a responsibility to get the king through his surgery; that was a main priority—everything else would have to wait.

He had even shelved his earlier concerns about Amelia’s family connections, unable to accept her as anything other than a young woman who was learning how to live again after a bitter let-down, not unlike his own. He had found it hard to become involved with anyone since his break-up with Sarah and instead had thrown himself into work as a distraction. The hurt he had felt about her affair with another man had niggled at him for so long and yet when he was with Amelia he completely forgot about it.

He let out a small sigh as he walked down towards the ocean. The water was refreshing after the heat of the day and he struck out vigorously, hoping to exercise some of his tension away.

* * *

Amelia sat on the sand hugging her bent knees, watching as Alex swam further than most people could walk. He was a picture of health and vitality, his tanned, muscular body carving through the water like a streamlined torpedo.

She couldn’t help a little sigh of envy. She had never learned to swim with any proficiency. Her family circumstances had ruled out swimming lessons during her childhood and as she’d grown older she’d become too embarrassed to admit to her inability.

Her mother’s bathing costume felt scratchy and uncomfortable and she longed to remove it. This end of the beach was deserted, but the thought of sitting next to Alex with nothing on but her thin shift was too disturbing.

She saw him make his way towards her, his strong legs slicing through the shallows, the crystal droplets of salt-water making his whole body glisten in the evening sunlight.

‘Come on in,’ he said, offering her a hand.

‘No…I’m fine here.’

‘Come on, Amelia. It’s not the least bit cold.’

‘Please…I’d rather not.’ She hugged her knees even tighter.

He frowned as he joined her on the sand. ‘What’s the problem?’

‘Nothing.’

He grazed her cheek with the back of his fingers. ‘Look at me, Amelia.’

She met his dark gaze and suddenly found herself confessing, ‘I…I can’t swim.’

His eyes softened like melted chocolate. ‘That’s nothing to be ashamed of. It can take a long time to learn to swim properly.’

She chewed at her lip. ‘I’ve never had lessons.’

‘Well, then, now’s a perfect time to start. I can teach you. It’s like riding a bike—once you learn, you learn for life.’

He got to his feet and hauled her upright before she could protest. ‘Take off your dress and let’s go in to our knees.’

Amelia self-consciously wriggled out of her cotton dress and followed him to the water’s edge, stepping into the water tentatively, her toes looking for stability in the shifting sand. After a moment or two she felt more secure and went in a little farther, this time up to her thighs as she held tightly to Alex’s hand.

‘That’s great. Now let’s go to your waist,’ he said.

She took a deep breath and walked in a little farther, wincing as the water swirled around her middle and almost made her lose her balance.

‘Easy does it,’ he said, holding her waist with his hands from behind.

Amelia could feel his body behind her like a strong wall of muscle, his legs braced against the frothing surf. It was the most erotic sensation having his hard body so close to hers. She could even feel the beginnings of his arousal, the gradual thickening of his body, a heady reminder of all that set them apart as man and woman. Her breasts felt tight and heavy, her legs felt insecure and weak and her heart began to race.

They were totally alone on the beach.

They were practically skin on skin.

All she had to do was turn around and his mouth would find hers….

She turned around and met his glittering gaze, her throat locking up at the desire she could see reflected there. He brought her closer so there was no room, not even for water to separate them.

His head came down, his mouth capturing hers in a searing kiss that swept her away on a rushing tide of rapture. It felt so good to be crushed against him, his tongue swooping and meeting hers, his body pressing urgently against her.

She felt his hands leave her hips to explore the curves of her breasts, his thumbs rolling over each tight nipple until she was mindless with sensation. Without taking his mouth off hers, he pushed the straps of her bathing costume aside to access her naked breasts with the warmth of his palms. The feel of his hands caressing her stole her breath and made her legs wobble beneath her.

The pulse of the ocean around them only added to the swirl of sensual feelings swamping her; no part of her was unaffected by his touch. With her bathers practically around her waist she knew she should be calling some sort of halt to this onslaught of sensuality, but there was nothing she could do to pull away.

His mouth left hers and began to kiss its way down the side of her neck on a slow but steady passage towards her aching, swollen breasts. She could feel her skin tightening all over in tiny goose-bumps at the erotic press of his lips as they made their way down…down…

‘Oh…’ She let out a hoarse gasp as his hot mouth closed over her engorged nipple, the rasp of his tongue turning her insides to liquid. She clutched at his head to hold herself upright, her breath coming in stunted little bursts as he suckled on each of her breasts in turn.

He brought his mouth back to hers and her loose bathers slipped even farther so that she could feel his erection on the bare skin of her quivering stomach. It was shockingly intimate, but she couldn’t stop herself from reaching down and tracing his rigid contours with the tips of her fingers, tentatively at first and then with increasing boldness as his throaty groans filled her mouth.

His kiss became more urgent, the mastery of his tongue leaving her in no doubt of his expertise as a lover. She could almost feel him inside her again as she stood there in the rocking ocean with him, his body burning into hers with unmistakable purpose. She had never felt anything like the passion filling her; it consumed her totally, leaving no room for common sense.

Alex tore his mouth off hers and looked down at her with passion-glazed eyes, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to regain control. ‘I guess I’m not the world’s best swimming teacher, huh?’

She gave him a shy smile and covered her naked breasts with her hands. ‘I don’t know about that—I certainly felt like I was floating there for a while.’

He smiled. ‘Me too, especially when you did that little thing with your fingers.’

She felt her colour rise and bit her bottom lip in embarrassment. ‘I don’t know what came over me.’

‘Hey, do you hear me complaining?’ He removed her hands from her breasts, running his dark gaze over her hungrily.

‘Alex…’

‘Mmm?’ He pressed a burning kiss to the top of her right breast, so close to her aching nipple she could barely think.

She squirmed and tried again. ‘My…er…bathers are slipping.’

She felt his smile on the side of her other breast. ‘Want a hand to take them off?’ he asked.

She clutched at his head again, her voice totally breathless as his tongue rasped over her puckered nipple. ‘N-no….no….someone might see us.’

He lifted his head and glanced around them. ‘There’s no one around for miles. Come on, if you take yours off, I’ll take off mine.’

She stared at him in alarm. ‘You’re surely not serious?’

He gave her a stomach-flipping smile. ‘As your very own personal swimming coach I insist you get a feel for the water. Believe me, it makes the world of difference. Besides, that costume of yours is like a diving weight belt. You’d sink to the bottom in two strokes.’

Amelia hesitated for a moment. What harm would it do? she wondered. Wasn’t it about time she learned to put the past aside and enjoy life for once? Lucia was right: Alex was a man and she was a woman. This was the twenty-first century; women were entitled to have temporary lovers. It didn’t mean they were promiscuous or bad people. It was natural to feel desire; it was even healthy.

She took an unsteady breath and pushed the bathers down with her hands and stepped out of them. She felt Alex’s gaze sweeping over her and her heart kicked in response to the almost palpable desire she could feel coming off him.

‘Now it’s your turn,’ she said huskily.

His gaze locked down on hers challengingly. ‘You do it.’

She swallowed and squeaked, ‘Me?’

He nodded.

She moistened her mouth and reached blindly with unsteady hands for the waist of his black bathers, her fingers curling into the fabric for purchase as she pulled them down past his lean hips. She felt him spring against her nakedness, the length and strength of him sending shock waves of delight between her legs. She could feel her womb pulsing with need, her whole body coming alive with escalating desire.

The wild sea air crawled with tension as he brought his hands to her hips, gently pulling her against him, his hardened length slipping between her legs in an erotically teasing embrace that sent her senses into uncontrollable mayhem.

She raised herself on tiptoe to accommodate him, her breath rushing out of her when he probed her intimately. She felt the separation of her tender flesh as he surged forwards, his deep, rumbling groan of pleasure as he filled her drowning out the breathless gasp of her own.

His movements quickened, carrying her with him on a roller coaster of feeling as her sensitive nerves responded with increasing fervour to each of his determined thrusts. She felt her body tingling as it steadily climbed towards the summit of release, the inner muscles clamping on his thick- ness made slippery with the dew of her desire. His mouth crushed hers once more, his hot breath filling her as he plunged again and again until she was hovering in the balance—the pleasure she craved was close, but not quite close enough. She whimpered against his lips, unable to express her need, but in the end she didn’t need to; he felt it for himself. She quivered against his searching fingers, the engorged pearl of her womanhood responding with a heady rush, triggering a volley of panting cries from her throat as the waves of delight crashed in and over her. Her body rocked and shuddered against his until she felt him, too, tumble into the abyss of pleasure with deep, pumping thrusts that nudged her womb and made her skin prickle all over with sensation.

Alex gradually eased himself away, his hands still holding her to counteract the swell of the ocean. ‘I guess you’re not going to believe me when I tell you I didn’t really intend for that to happen,’ he said with a wry grimace, ‘or at least not without protection.’

Her eyes clouded and her cheeks went a delicate shade of pink as she bent down to retrieve her bathers. ‘It was just as much my fault as yours,’ she said as she wriggled back into them.

‘It was no one’s fault,’ he said, holding on to her arm to steady her. ‘I guess sooner or later I knew it was going to be like this.’

She looked up at him. ‘Y-you did?’

‘Sure I did. It’s called chemistry.’ He smiled at her as he took her hand and led her to the picnic blanket on the sand.

Amelia curled up beside him with a sigh of contentment, his arms holding her loosely as they watched the waves rolling to the shore. She pressed a kiss to his neck, the salt of his skin and the sea making her lips tingle.

‘You must be getting hungry,’ Alex said, dropping a swift, hard kiss to her mouth.

‘What makes you say that?’ she asked with a twinkling smile.

‘You’re starting to gnaw on me.’

‘You don’t like the feel of my mouth on you?’

He pushed her back down and covered her with his body, a teasing smile playing at the corners of his mouth. ‘Do you hear me complaining?’

‘I guess not,’ she breathed as his lips claimed hers in a searing kiss.