Читать книгу Italian Mavericks: New Year Temptation - Robyn Grady - Страница 13

‘NOT on your life,’ rasped Luigi. She hadn’t a cat in hell’s chance of him giving her a divorce.

Megan flashed her magnificent eyes. ‘You’re nothing more than a materialistic, selfish, uncaring brute. You haven’t a loving bone in your body and I want rid of you.’

‘Well, think again, sweet wife of mine,’ he answered grimly. ‘Neither of us is going anywhere. Your place is with me.’

‘And wasn’t your place with me for the three years I spent with you?’ she tossed back scornfully.

For goodness’ sake! Why couldn’t Megan understand that he had done it solely for her benefit? And he wanted her back—now. He wanted Charlotte because she was his daughter, but he wanted his wife because he needed her in bed beside him each night.

How he had missed making love to her. No one else had managed to arouse him as deeply as Megan. Right from the day he’d met her he had desired her, in fact they had constantly devoured each other with their passion. He’d been destroyed when she walked out.

Never for one moment had he thought that it was because of the hours he spent working. He’d provided for her every need, she’d wanted for nothing, and they’d made love with amazing frequency no matter how tired he felt, so had that really been the reason? Or was she making excuses?

Had she fallen for someone else? That guy she was now living with, for instance. Only one thing pleased him about that relationship; Charlotte didn’t call him Daddy. Otherwise she wouldn’t have wished for a daddy for Christmas.

And what did her boyfriend think about Megan coming here for the holiday period? Was he angry or understanding? He had to be the reason Megan wanted to keep her visit as short as possible. Maybe he ought to talk to him. Tell him he was wasting his time, that Megan belonged to him and he was taking her back.

‘Things are different,’ he told her now, trying to keep his voice low. ‘I don’t need to work so hard. I have people who do it for me. Believe me, Megan, you can come up with all the excuses in the world but none of them hold any water.’

‘How do I know you’re not saying this simply to get me to change my mind?’ she demanded fiercely.

Lord, how beautiful she looked on this Christmas morning in her button-through red dress, which fitted her narrow waist and flared elegantly over her hips and thighs. She had gorgeous legs, long and slender, and he couldn’t help remembering the times she had wrapped them around him as they made love. He could even imagine the feel of her against him now and he made a half move towards her, his heart hammering against his ribcage.

But the glare in her lovely eyes stopped him. ‘We shouldn’t be having this conversation,’ he said. ‘I want this day to be as perfect for you and Charlotte as possible.’

‘Some hope of that,’ she hissed beneath her breath but he ignored it and turned to his daughter instead, who was skipping from one present to another, unsure of which to play with first. It filled his heart with joy and pride to watch her, and he knew in that moment that he was never going to let her go. He would fight Megan tooth and nail if necessary.

All of a sudden Megan glanced through the window. ‘Charlotte, look,’ she said urgently, ‘it’s snowing.’

They all three went to watch as big white flakes settled on the lawn and then melted again just as quickly.

‘Can we go outside?’ asked Charlotte excitedly.

‘Of course, sweetheart,’ answered Megan, thankful for the distraction. But Luigi came too and he and Charlotte tried to catch the falling flakes. He was a little awkward at first, playing with her, but after a while he began to relax and ran around the garden while she chased him.

But all too soon the snow stopped, there was not even enough to cover the ground, and they all trooped back indoors. By this time they were thoroughly late for breakfast and Cook tutted as she served their meal. ‘I bet it’s ruined,’ she complained.

‘It’s not your fault, Edwina,’ said Luigi, trying to placate her. ‘We didn’t want to miss the snow, did we, Charlotte?’

Charlotte, suddenly shy again, shook her head, staring with wide blue eyes at the plump motherly woman who was standing arms akimbo watching to see whether their bacon and eggs were edible.

Megan took a mouthful and smiled. ‘It’s perfect. Thank you very much, and I’m sorry we held you up.’

The woman suddenly beamed. ‘That’s all right, lass, it is Christmas after all.’

The whole day passed in a whirl of talking and eating and playing and Megan began to feel that it might not be so bad after all living with Luigi. He was undoubtedly making an effort. The question was, would it last?

It was not until Charlotte was in bed that Megan and Luigi were finally alone.

‘Have you enjoyed your day?’ she asked as she curled up on a chair in Luigi’s den. ‘Has Charlotte worn you out? Did you find it easy coping?’

‘If you’re asking whether I’ve changed my mind the answer’s no,’ he retorted sharply, his eyes narrowed on her face. ‘I’m even more determined now. This is the ideal place for a child. She’s had the time of her life, surely even you can see that?’

‘She enjoys herself every day,’ flashed Megan, not having expected such a sharp rejoinder. ‘A palace or a cottage, it makes no difference. What wouldn’t be good for Charlotte is you spoiling her. You’ve bought her far too many toys, and as for the computer, how old do you think she is, for goodness’ sake?’

Luigi shrugged. ‘I simply instructed my toy department to pack up whatever they thought suitable for a nearly four-year-old.’

‘You did what?’ exclaimed Megan disgustedly. ‘You didn’t even choose one thing yourself? How appalling is that? Did you issue the same instructions for my presents? Damn you, Luigi! You can take the whole lot back after the holiday. I don’t need them and I don’t want them.’

A muscle jerked in his jaw, telling her that she had hit a raw nerve, but she didn’t care; it was true. What sort of a cop out was that?

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ he snorted. ‘You’re overreacting. How the hell am I supposed to know what a young child likes?’

‘You could have made it your business to find out. Or would that have been too much trouble?’ she demanded coldly. ‘It seems to me that you’ve grown too big for your boots. It’s easier to pay someone else to do your chores. I don’t think I want to hear any more of this. I’m going to my room. I should have known that Christmas would turn out to be a disaster.’

But she hadn’t even reached the door before Luigi was on his feet barring her exit. And when she tried to push her way past him he enclosed her in his strong arms. ‘I refuse to spend the evening alone,’ he told her tersely. ‘You’re not walking out on me.’ And before she could even begin to struggle, before she could even guess his intentions, his mouth possessed hers.

It was Megan’s undoing. It sent a whole storm of sensations spiralling through her and although she knew that she ought to push him away she did nothing, she actually revelled in the feelings he created. He always had been a fantastic lover and it took her no more than a few seconds to realise what she’d been missing. Lord, if this kept up she would be begging him to make love to her. What sort of a Christmas present would that be?

And, excitingly, it did keep up. She hadn’t the willpower to stop him. Every vein and artery went on to red alert, responding and leaping out of control. She kept telling herself to fight him, to put an end to this joy, but how could she? Her body was starved. She hadn’t realised it until this moment but it was now telling her that it wasn’t natural to go so long without the attention of a man.

That the man should prove to be Luigi was ironic to say the least, but better the devil you know came the immediate thought, and Megan returned his kiss, parting her lips to allow him entry, moving her body against his, feeling the source of his own passion. He groaned deep within his throat and took advantage of the fact that she wasn’t rejecting him.

Just this one kiss, decided Megan, then she would carry on up to her room. Easier said than done. That one kiss lasted for an infinite period of time. That one kiss turned into a full-scale sex alert.

‘You’re still the sexiest woman in the universe,’ Luigi said in a hoarse passion-filled voice. ‘I must have been crazy to let you go.’

Not half as crazy as she felt at this moment, decided Megan, her hands on the back of Luigi’s head, her fingertips digging in, unconsciously revealing the fact that she didn’t want this moment to stop.

Luigi’s hands slid down to her bottom and pulled her firmly against him, his deep groans revealing the desire that raged in his tautly honed body. When she didn’t object he swung her up into his arms and carried her over to the soft leather sofa.

Megan lay there and looked at him, her breathing unsteady, her grey eyes luminous and filled with a sexual hunger that she hadn’t felt in years. Ought she to put a stop to it, or let nature and their animal hunger take its course? Would she live to regret it, or would she view this occasion as a fitting end to their tragic marriage? Maybe she could even use it as a form of revenge? Let Luigi see exactly what he was missing. Allow him this one last chance to make love to her and then leave him high and dry. She smiled at the thought.

‘What’s funny?’ he asked as he sat on the edge of the sofa and stroked a gentle finger over her lips.

‘Private thoughts; nothing you’d understand.’ Or appreciate, she added silently, nibbling the end of his finger.

He drew in a swift breath. ‘How I’ve missed you,’ he murmured, his eyes darkening, his hand sliding possessively over her breast.

It hardened beneath his touch, her nipple leaping into ecstatic response, and Megan closed her eyes, her mind suddenly confused. This was a dangerous game. She ought to get out now while she still had the strength. But already it was too late. Luigi had popped the buttons on her dress and with a speed perhaps born of desperation he sucked first one and then the other nipple into his mouth right through the thin fabric of her bra.

Megan was lost. She had always loved him doing this to her. It created the most exquisite feelings, making her arch towards him, giving freely, wanting everything that he had to offer.

The sane part of her mind told her that she was making a mistake when he moved her from the sofa to the softly carpeted floor, when he stripped off his clothes with indecent haste and then began to undress her somewhat more leisurely. At least that was his intention but Megan couldn’t wait. She tore off her dress, swiftly followed by her undies, and they fell on each other with a hunger created by the years they’d spent apart.

Luigi had always been a brilliant lover, she couldn’t deny that, and nothing had changed. Although he was desperate he was still solicitous of her needs, making sure that she had no last minute regrets.

How could she when her body raged with desire so deep that it almost hurt? Their bodies moved together in a rhythm as ancient as time and he allowed her to reach her climax first, to revel in wave after wave of exquisite sensation, before he too gave up the fight and wrestled with his own delirious torture.

As the convulsive movements of his body slowed and finally came to a stop he turned to her with a smile. ‘Just like old times, eh?’

Megan nodded. How could she deny it? Nevertheless it wasn’t going to happen again. She had succumbed to her bodily needs without consulting her head. A major mistake. Not that she regretted it; how could she regret such feverish passion? She had missed this part of their relationship without even realising it. Her body had become almost barren and now it was alive again.

‘Do you still want to go up to your room?’

‘No,’ she whispered, her throat aching with the pleasure she’d just experienced.

And as they lay there in each other’s arms Luigi reached for her again. This time there was no urgency; they were able to take their time rekindling all the delicious excitement that had once been theirs.

When Megan finally lay in her bed she felt as if she were floating on air. Her body had been taken over by forces beyond her control. There was no thought in her mind about escaping back to her own home; her place was here with Luigi.

Luigi, who was in bed beside her!

He’d wanted her to join him in his own bed but Megan had refused. ‘What if Charlotte wakes and can’t find me? She’ll panic.’

‘Then,’ he’d announced in a deep, sexy growl, ‘I’ll share yours.’ And there had been no hope of saying no to him.

He lay on one elbow now looking at her, a gentle finger exploring the contours of her breasts, his eyes, so dark with pleasure, stirring fresh emotions. Where they all came from Megan had no idea. She couldn’t quench her thirst for him. Nor could he, for that matter.

‘We have a lot of time to make up,’ he murmured, honing in on her thoughts.

Megan smiled, her eyes softening and warming. ‘And you propose doing it all at once?’

‘I intend to try.’

‘How do you suggest we cope with a spirited child tomorrow if we have no sleep?’

‘Uh oh!’ He slapped a hand to his head. ‘I’d forgotten. I’d imagined spending the whole of Boxing Day in bed. Edwina bringing us up our meals while we did our best to catch up on the missing years.’

‘Think you could manage?’ she taunted, her eyes alight with wicked pleasure. She had never in her wildest dreams imagined that this was how the holiday would turn out. And the most amazing thing was that she didn’t mind. She was actually enjoying it. She had shut out of her mind the fact that all too soon Luigi would be back at work and this honeymoon period, if she could call it that, would be over. She was taking every minute as it came and making the most of it. It was the wrong time of the month for her to conceive, so she wasn’t even worrying about that.

Luigi couldn’t believe his good fortune. He hadn’t even had to work on Megan; she had fallen into his arms as naturally as if they had never parted. Elation filled his very soul and there was no doubt in his mind that she would now move in with him and they would become a proper family.

It would change his life. He was a father! He wanted to shout it from the rooftops. And what a gorgeous little girl she was. Megan had done a brilliant job bringing her up so far, and now he would be here to help. Long hours would be a thing of the past. Charlotte needed him. And he needed Megan!

Hungrily he reached for her again but she had fallen asleep. He smiled and with his arm across her body he too drifted into the world of the unconscious.

They were woken by Charlotte’s highly excited voice. ‘Mummy, wake up! It’s snowing again. Daddy, it’s snowing. Come and look.’

As they were both naked under the bedcovers they waited until Charlotte had turned to the window before Megan dived for her dressing gown and Luigi whipped a sheet off the bed and tucked it around his loins in double-quick time.

They were laughing as they joined Charlotte and it pleased him that his daughter had made no comment about finding them in bed together. It meant that she’d accepted him unreservedly as her father, and as Megan had welcomed him with open arms too the future looked good.

The snow fell more heavily than the day before and began to stick to the ground. It was so rare to have a white Christmas, thought Megan, that it had to be a good omen. In fact she was glad that she’d let Luigi persuade her to join him.

Later in the day they snowballed each other and made a snowman and Luigi let his hair down more than Megan had ever seen before—except in bed, of course. There were no inhibitions there. He was, if anything, a better lover.

There was the faint niggling doubt in her mind that he had gained extra experience with other girls, but she swept it away—it was her fault if he had—and if he had enhanced his sexual prowess then she ought to be grateful. The many different ways he’d pleasured her had been utterly fantastic. She only had to think about it to experience a resurgence of the feelings that had danced excitedly inside her.

Her eyes sparkled whenever she looked at him and Luigi gave her slow, intimate smiles that told her he knew exactly what she was thinking. ‘Later,’ he mouthed and Megan hugged the precious thought to her. She couldn’t wait. It was like a replay of when they first met and couldn’t get enough of each other.

Before he had become a tycoon and work was more important!

She dismissed the thought as immediately as it entered her head. Luigi was a father now, he had a different set of responsibilities. He wouldn’t let Charlotte down.

Neither of them could wait for their daughter’s bedtime. Luigi followed Megan to the bathroom and watched her bathing Charlotte. What an amazing mother she was, so gentle, with a glow about her that touched his heart. But his fingers curled into his palms when he recalled how she had cheated him out of seeing his daughter born, of sharing the first few precious years of her life, even preparing for the birth. Not that he was going to let that spoil his pleasure this evening.

He’d been looking forward all day to making love to Megan. She had matched him step for step last night and judging by the way she kept looking at him, her beautiful eyes full of passion and desire, she was quite willing to allow him into her bed again.

And he was not disappointed. From the very moment he slid his arms around her the years they had spent apart dissolved into the mists of time. She was his again, completely, urging herself against him, her hunger as deep as his own.

She kissed him with the sensuality that only a woman deeply in love could give. And it amused him to let her take the lead—for now! She touched and kissed and stroked, enjoying the fact that she could arouse him by a simple kiss, or the lightest touch of her fingertips, her actions becoming more and more urgent until in the end he could contain himself no longer.

‘No more,’ he growled, laying her on her back and positioning himself over her. Then he took her, instantly and fiercely, and her cries of pleasure matched his as the intense joy of making love filled their hearts and minds. It was a long time before their sweat-slicked bodies stopped writhing in the aftermath of exquisite pleasure, before their breathing returned to normal.

‘That was quite something,’ he muttered hoarsely. ‘Lord, am I glad I found you again.’

Megan didn’t answer. She had her eyes closed and a blissful expression on her face. In fact he had never seen her look more beautiful. Every feature was softened, and her skin had a lustrous glow. She looked like a woman who was extremely satisfied. He was sure now that she wouldn’t walk away from him again.

They made love twice more before falling asleep in each other’s arms. And for the first time in his life Luigi didn’t feel the urge to be up at dawn and at his desk. He had a woman at his side whom he had almost lost; he wasn’t going to risk it again. He would go, eventually, and he would work sensible hours, but for the moment Megan was more important.

Except that it didn’t work out like that.

Halfway through the morning he and Charlotte were snowballing each other once again, when Megan, who had gone indoors for a handkerchief for her daughter, marched out of the house with her face as black as a thundercloud and slammed the phone into his hand. ‘A call for you.’

He frowned. ‘Who is it?’

‘Find out for yourself,’ she snapped, and taking Charlotte’s hand she dragged her protestingly into the house. He faintly heard her say, ‘Come on, let’s get packed, we’re leaving.’

One half of him wanted to chase after her, find out what was going on, the other needed to know who was on the other end of the phone. Whoever it was had clearly upset his wife.

‘Can I speak to Luigi, please?’ The woman’s husky voice still echoed in Megan’s ears.

‘May I ask who’s calling?’

‘Tell him it’s Serena,’ came the sultry answer. ‘And hurry please; I haven’t got all day.’

Serena! So she was still on the scene! The thought sent her sick to the pit of her stomach. ‘How dare you speak to me like that?’ retorted Megan. ‘I’m not one of his servants.’

‘I don’t care who you are,’ riposted the woman. ‘I want Luigi.’

‘You want him, do you?’ snapped Megan, unable to keep the anger out of her voice. ‘Then it’s bad luck you’re having because he’s not available.’

‘I think Luigi will be available if you tell him who I am.’

‘You think you’d take preference over his wife?’ It crucified Megan to think that Luigi had jumped into bed with her while still carrying on an affair with his PA. But she wasn’t going to let Serena know that.

‘He and his wife are long since parted,’ sneered the other woman. ‘He’s a fool not to have divorced her. How she could walk out on him, I have no idea. He’s—’

‘Actually she’s walked back into his life,’ rasped Megan. ‘You’re speaking to her right now.’

There was a long silence.

‘But I’ll still get him for you, if that’s what you want,’ she added, her voice sickly sweet. ‘Just one moment.’ And she didn’t stop to listen to what else the girl had to say. She was sick to the bottom of her heart as she walked out of the house and tossed the phone to him.

His eyes said it all. He was torn two ways. And it told her what she needed to know. If he truly cared about her, if he truly wanted them to get back together, he would have ignored Serena’s call and followed her. Instead she heard him speak softly into the phone, turning away so that she wouldn’t hear.