She huffed out a relieved laugh. ‘Absolutamente,’ she murmured, her fledging Italian making his lips curve.
‘I apologise for not informing you of my plans sooner,’ he added, the tone strained as the smile died. Even so, it felt like a major concession that he’d at least acknowledged she deserved to know what the hell was going on. ‘But I want you to come to Capri with me.’
It wasn’t really a request, more like a statement of purpose, but it felt vindicating nonetheless—that he had also acknowledged she deserved a choice.
‘I… I’ll come on one condition,’ she countered, determined not to be a total pushover.
She couldn’t spend a whole month getting jiggy with Dario Lorenti on Capri without consequences, because that amount of quality time with him was bound to make it next to impossible for her to keep their fling in perspective. He was just so hot and fascinating and demanding, and so unlike any other man she had ever met. Giving herself some time-outs during their not-so-fake honeymoon to visit the team at Westwick and keep abreast of the renovations would help ground her, while also reminding her of the main reason why she had agreed to this arrangement in the first place—to save Westwick, andnotto indulge in a flaming hot affair with its owner. That was merely a fringe benefit, which she could only come out of unscathed, if she didn’t get overinvested in it…and him.
His jaw tensed. He did not look pleased about having to negotiate with her, but instead of attempting to ride roughshod over her wishes for once, which she knew was his default, he simply said, ‘And what is this condition?’
She smiled, because it felt like another big win for Team Take-No-Shit Tali.
‘I need to return to Westwick for a couple of days each week during our month together on Capri. I want to oversee the new investments being made to the infrastructure in person as well as over the internet,’ she rushed on when he frowned, determined to make her request all about Westwick’s future andnotabout her insecurities, because it totally was…mostly. ‘I can do some of that remotely, but my staff also need me to be present.’
The muscle in his jaw hardened. ‘You may return once,’ he said. ‘And for no longer than two days. And not in the first week.’
She sighed, forcing herself to ignore the silly leap in her pulse at how keen he seemed to keep her with him for the whole month.
It’s all about fooling the Trustees so he can acquire his palazzo, Tali. It’s not you he needs. He just wants to make this marriage look convincing.
She needed to stay focussed now, so she didn’t start getting delusional again, and remember her ‘marriage’ to Dario was a diversion, an adventure, an adrenaline-pumping thrill ride which would end soon enough…
‘Okay,’ she said. ‘I guess I can live with that.’ But when she held out her hand for them to shake on it, he grasped her fingers and tugged her into his arms. Cupping her bottom, he caressed her through the satin.
‘Our guests are watching, Tallulah,’ he said, his gaze fierce with the heated promise which made her pulse bounce, her nipples peak and arousal swell and pound between her thighs.
Then he kissed her so thoroughly, her focus shattered.Completely.
Because all she could feel was the insistent erection rising against her belly. And all she could think about was what tonight would hold, once they were finally alone together—and she could climb aboard the adrenaline-pumping thrill ride that was Dario Lorenti…again.
Chapter Twelve
‘IT’S STUNNING, DARIO…’
Pride pushed against Dario’s chest at Tallulah’s awed comment as the helicopter circled the Palazzo di Constanzo. He tried to catalogue the improvements which had been made since his last visit: the terraces built into the hillside behind the house to create vegetable gardens; the double-level infinity pool which now replaced the old pool which had lain empty and derelict for years; the ornate plastering on the colonnades which had been painstakingly repaired; the recent planting which had come into bloom, the profusion of wisteria and orange blossom adding vibrant splashes of colour to the villa’s fanciful frontage.
But his concentration was shot, because his attention was fixed on the woman beside him, and the concerning emotions stirred by the vulnerabilities she had revealed to him on the terrazzo of his Milan penthouse four hours ago.
His heart pulsed, her expression when she had told him about her bastard of a father, was still so vivid—so fierce and yet so open.
The man sounded like even more of a bastard than his own father. How could he have discarded her so easily? But imagining Tallulah as a girl had given him the strange sense that if he could have known her then, he would have wanted to protect her from that rejection, which wasn’t just concerning—it was nothing short of ludicrous. Because he had lost the ability to be that man a long time ago, and he had no wish to become that man now.
The flight to Naples had been torture, as he pretended to be engrossed in his cell phone, while being far too aware of his new bride’s every sigh, every movement, every breath. Just as he had been forty-eight long hours ago on their return to Milan from Sicily.
Keeping his hands off her until their wedding night had been an exercise in diversion and distraction—and painful denial. It was frustrating to realise starving himself of her company for two days had done nothing to control his addiction.
How could he want her now even more than he had on their night in Sicily?
Especially now he knew how vulnerable she was.
The decision to spend a month at the palazzo had been made after waking up with her lush body wrapped around his in the summer house, his cock so needy it was a miracle he had managed to leave her sleeping. But despite that moment of saintly forbearance, he’d moved the civil ceremony forward as soon as they’d arrived back in Milan, because he’d known he could not wait a whole week to feed this addiction again.
Dio, at least this torture would be over soon.
The helicopter set down on the palazzo’s clifftop heliport.
He had wanted to stay at the villa for seven long years but had only had the time for a few cursory site visits—forced to book into a luxury hotel in Ana Capri, the nearby town, while the extensive renovations had been under way. Perhaps seeing the house finally ready was the real cause of this pressure in his chest, as he descended the chopper’s steps and held his hand out for Tallulah to follow him—and not the anticipation of a wedding night which only felt real because his new bride looked so perfect.
