Rocco quirked a smile. ‘Strangely enough, not as much as I would have expected.’ He faced her fully then, and asked, ‘That folder in your case, with the sketchings and text … what is it?’
Gracie flushed and her heart constricted. Reality intruded on the halcyon moment, reminding her why she was there. ‘I should have known you’d looked at that too. Did you expect to find plans for a bank raid?’
She looked away, and then back when Rocco caught her chin with his fingers. He actually looked uncomfortable for a moment.
‘I might have suspected finding something like that before … but now I don’t know …’
Something inside Gracie swooped dangerously. She took a breath, and a leap into this very tenuous evidence of Rocco’s trust before it disappeared. ‘I did a basic art degree. I want to write children’s books some day. It’s just a few sketches and ideas. Nothing special.’
‘I thought they looked pretty good.’
Gracie looked at him, a curious melting feeling in her chest. ‘Really?’
He nodded. Gracie’s heart kicked once, hard. He took his hand from her chin.
‘What made you want to write children’s books?’
Gracie’s hands played with her bag. She’d never really told anyone this before and felt ridiculously exposed. ‘I was never very good at school … not like—’ She stopped herself from saying Steven, not wanting to jeopardise the fragile truce that seemed to exist between her and Rocco now. ‘Not like most of the other kids … I always loved reading and books—the way they could they could transport you into another world.’ She shrugged now, feeling silly, and avoided Rocco’s piercing black gaze. ‘It struck a chord and I wanted to recreate that.’
Rocco looked at Gracie’s downbent head. Her hair shone like gold fire. He could imagine only too well how tantalising it must have been to lose herself in stories and magic as a child when she’d been living in such an inconstant world.
Rocco said nothing and Gracie looked up, nearly taking a step backwards at the intensity of his expression. She quickly became transfixed by his mouth, wanting to relax it from the taut line it had become.
‘Don’t look at me like that,’ he growled.
‘Or what?’ Gracie asked, suddenly feeling confident in a way she never had before. It was a confidence that came from Rocco not laughing at her ambition and from being desired.
‘Or I’ll take you out of here right now and do something about it.’
Gracie looked up at him, feeling bold. ‘I’m not stopping you.’
With a half-muttered curse Gracie felt her hand being taken in Rocco’s and she was being led back through the throng. She felt buoyant that she could have this singular effect on Rocco. She felt buoyant with this growing ease between them.
Within minutes they were in the back of his car, the privacy window was up, and Gracie turned unquestioningly into Rocco’s arms, her mouth searching desperately for his …
A short while later, when they got into the lift back at the hotel, Rocco could see Gracie’s face, pink with embarrassment, reflected in the steel surface. She’d stopped him just as he’d been stepping from the car and whispered, ‘They’ll know.’
Her hair was down and dishevelled, her mouth swollen. And her hand was clasped tight in his. He’d almost taken her in the back seat of the car, a simple kiss having exploded into something much hotter within seconds.
Gracie’s eyes were downcast, and he had to curb the concern he felt. He was struggling to rein in anger mixed with desire. He didn’t do this. He didn’t become so transfixed with a woman that he left functions early. And he didn’t make love to women in the backs of cars. It was as if any enclosed space automatically became a provocation, an enticement to seduce her.
Only the tiniest sliver of sanity was preventing him from hitting the Stop button in the lift so he could hike up that dress and touch her. And also the knowledge that his friend Sebastian would not appreciate the X-rated CCTV elevator show.
When they reached the penthouse suite Gracie moved skittishly away, taking her hand out of his. Rocco’s body throbbed to continue what they’d started.
He saw her hands go to the necklace. He frowned. ‘What are you doing?’
‘I want to take this off.’
She sounded breathless and husky and vulnerable all at once, and Rocco’s chest tightened. Maybe he wasn’t the only one feeling off-kilter because of this insatiable desire.
He stepped forward and gritted his teeth as her scent, musky with arousal, hit his nostrils. He told himself harshly that he could control himself. He took off the necklace and she handed him the earrings too.
She was looking around, still avoiding his eye. ‘We should put them in the safe or something.’
Rocco sighed with impatience at her pragmatism, but duly found the box and put the jewellery in the suite’s safe. As he went back out to the living area he yanked off his bow tie and shed his jacket. Gracie had disappeared, but the sliding doors were open. He went out. She was standing at the edge of the shimmering pool in her bare feet, shoes tumbled nearby.
Her dress glittered against the dusky night sky, her skin glowed like a pearl, and he felt as if he was falling.
Gracie heard Rocco’s footfall behind her. She finally felt a little more in control. As they’d walked through the hotel lobby she’d felt as if everyone could see her shame all over her skin. How had she morphed into this person who felt confident enough to entice Rocco away from a party and then jump on him in the back of his car like a sex-starved groupie?
In the lift on the way up to the suite she’d been so hungry for him that she’d ached for him to stop the lift and take her right there, with her dress pushed up around her waist and her knickers ripped off.
The strength of her desire had shocked her so much that she’d felt as if she might break apart if Rocco touched her as soon as they got into the apartment. She’d focused on the jewellery to stall him, even for a moment, too embarrassed even to look at him.
Rocco was standing beside her now and she glanced at him, feeling shy all of a sudden. He was looking down at the water.
She wondered if he felt overwhelmed by this intensity too, and then had to berate herself. Rocco wouldn’t feel overwhelmed by anything.
She spoke to break the tense silence. ‘The air feels denser … more humid.’
Rocco glanced up at the sky. ‘A storm is about to hit. The rain will start again any minute now.’
Gracie looked up and saw threatening clouds overhead. She heard the clap of thunder and flinched minutely. ‘Is it really warm when it falls?’
‘Yes.’
Gracie felt as if her nerve-endings were exposed. She took a breath and turned towards Rocco. ‘What happened back there … at the function … and in the car. It scares me a little—the way things escalate so fast between us.’
The air went still around them, and another distant clap of thunder came.
Rocco said carefully, without looking at her, ‘What do you mean?’
Gracie shrugged and turned back to curl her bare unvarnished toes over the edge of the pool. She looked down. ‘I’m not sure. I just … I want you to know that I don’t … I’ve never felt like this before.’
She felt him turn towards her and looked up. He seemed angry.
‘You think this is normal for me? This … insane desire?’
Hurt lanced Gracie. ‘I don’t think it’s insane. It’s just … it feels like it’s not entirely in our control …’
‘You’ve got that right,’ he said broodingly, and looked away again.
Something clicked into place and Gracie felt as if she had just stumbled on something that was fundamentally a part of Rocco’s psyche. She could sense the wildness in him that he denied, and how much he hated not being in control of it; much the same thing scared her. But he really resented it. She only had to remember the icy-cool beauty of Honora Winthrop to know which he would ultimately prefer. Gracie was a mere indulgence in his dark
side.
Gracie looked back at the placid surface of the water and felt Rocco’s crackling tension beside her. That placid surface seemed to mock her now. A flicker of rebellion at Rocco’s evident distaste of this lack of control came to life deep within her and she stepped back deliberately from the pool’s edge.
Rocco said hesitantly, ‘Gracie …?’
And then she ran and dived right in, barely breaking the surface, the flash of intense colour in her dress gliding away under the surface to the other end.
CHAPTER NINE
ROCCO stared after Gracie, shocked. The irritation and anger he’d felt sparking when she’d tried to articulate what was between them was fading. Something else was blooming inside him, along with remorse for lashing out just now. It was a feeling of euphoria. The kind of euphoria he’d felt only once before, when he’d seen horror and disbelief dawn in his father’s eyes at knowing that his worthless bastard son had surpassed even his own phenomenal wealth.
Gracie’s head broke the surface of the water at the other end of the pool at that moment. Her dress, magnified under the water in a cascade of different colours, rippled out around her body. She looked impossibly wild and free, like a sea nymph, her hair slicked back in a stain of dark red.
Rocco felt the first fat drops of monsoon rain fall as he bent and pulled off his shoes and socks.
He dived in expertly, crossing the length of the pool in half the time it had taken Gracie. He saw those slim pale legs, the dress billowing around them, and reached for her underwater and pulled her down. Her eyes were wide when Rocco pressed his mouth to hers.
When they broke the surface of the water together, a few long seconds later, Gracie tore her mouth away and sucked in deep breaths. The rain was torrential now, and she tipped back her head and laughed out loud. Her arms were tight around Rocco’s neck and his hands were on her waist.
She looked at him, giddy from the shock of diving into the pool and then seeing him do the same. ‘The rain is warm!’
‘Why do you believe nothing I say?’ he growled, and kissed her again.
Gracie pushed away the dart of hurt at the thought it was more apt for her to say that to him, and gave up and lost herself in the kiss. She didn’t want to think about what had just passed between them moments before. She didn’t want to think about what it meant to lose control like this with Rocco. She just wanted to give herself up to it.
When Rocco backed her against the wall of the pool and started to peel down the stretchy material of the dress she trembled with anticipation. Even though the rain was as warm as the pool, goosebumps came up on her skin.
He pulled her dress down her arms and all the way to her waist, so that her breasts were bared, nipples tight. As he bent his head to pay homage to those peaks Gracie had to breathe in deep at the sight of Rocco, in a shirt which was now completely see-through and plastered to his strong back. His dark skin shone through in patches. Hair slicked back against his skull.
His mouth was relentless. Gracie leant back against the wall, the rain coming down into her face. The sensuality of the weather and the moment was intoxicating. The sounds of the busy city drifted up from the streets far, far below. Gracie put her arms out along the wall of the pool and arched into Rocco even more. She felt him yank the dress down over her hips and off. She could see it drift off along the floor of the pool like a puddle of bright colours.
His hand was in her panties now, his palm putting pressure on her clitoris, and one long finger delved through her secret folds, seeking where her body was already clenching in anticipation. Gracie’s lower body thrust against him, silently urging him on as she lifted her hands to reach for his shirt, ripping it open in her haste. He released his hand and arms to let her yank it off, and then he pulled her panties down her legs.
Gracie was now completely naked, while Rocco still wore his trousers. His hand was between her legs again and his mouth on her breast. Warm rain drenched them, and the pool water lapped around them with increasing intensity.
‘Rocco,’ she said brokenly, when he slid two fingers inside her, stroking back and forth. ‘I need more. I need you.’
He pulled his head back, fingers stilling. Eyes dazed, cheeks flushed. His fingers were deep inside Gracie, he could feel the wet clamp of her body, and his own ache became urgent. With a swift move he’d lifted her out of the pool to sit on the ledge. Then he pulled himself out with the minimum of effort.
He gently lifted her up into his arms and laid her down on a nearby sunbed. Pressing a swift kiss to her mouth, he muttered something about protection and disappeared for a second, only to return just as swiftly. Gracie took in the stark planes of his face. The glitter in his eyes. He put the foil-wrapped protection between his teeth for a moment as he jerkily yanked off of his soaked trousers and briefs. Ripping open the package, he smoothed the sheath onto his erection and came back to Gracie.
She felt as if she’d become one with the elements. Rocco came between her legs and said gutturally, ‘I want to taste you so badly, but I need this more …’
‘What do you—? Ohhhh …’ Gracie moaned when she felt him thrust into her. She gave up all attempts to speak or think and wrapped her legs around his waist, locking her feet behind him, urging him deeper and deeper, until they both splintered apart under the stormy clouds and driving rain.
They lay for a long time like that, with Rocco still deep within her. Little aftershocks made her tremble uncontrollably every few seconds. Eventually Rocco moved, coming up on his arms. He disengaged himself and Gracie winced slightly because she was sensitive.
He pressed a kiss to her mouth. ‘I hurt you …’
She shook her head. ‘No. You didn’t hurt me.’ Her conscience pricked at that—perhaps not physically but emotionally … she didn’t want to go there.
Rocco got up and disappeared for a moment, and then came back. He held out a fluffy robe for Gracie, who took it gratefully and sat up to put it on. Rocco had tied a towel around his waist and looked down at her.
‘I’m going to take a shower, join me?’
Gracie shook her head even as her traitorous mind was screaming yes! She needed space for a moment. ‘I think I might sit out here for a bit.’
He shrugged. ‘As you wish,’ he said, and went inside. Gracie couldn’t stop her eyes greedily devouring his lean form as he went. When he’d disappeared she sighed and pulled the robe tight around her, drawing her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around herself. The rain had stopped and the clouds had moved off. Stars were twinkling again. The humid air was sucking up all the excess moisture. It was as if the storm had materialised just to accompany that mad passion, and now that it was over the storm was too.
She saw the detritus of what had just happened around them. The colourful shimmer of her dress at the bottom of the pool. Her coral-coloured panties floating on the surface of the water along with Rocco’s shirt. His trousers and briefs strewn on the ground. She groaned and dropped her head to her knees. One minute she’d been standing there, telling him she didn’t normally do this, and within seconds she’d been ripping his shirt off like a woman possessed.
He was right. It was insane. She didn’t doubt that with his other women—his usual women—he was a lot more civilised and restrained. None of this messy passion.
No wonder he resented it.
She’d seen the look on his face just before he’d jumped into the pool, as if he were battling with something inside himself.
Gracie felt a yearning welling up inside her. She didn’t want Rocco to resent this—or her. She wanted a chance to make him change his mind about her properly, not just this tenuous sliver of trust that could break at any moment. She wanted to persuade him that she and her brother weren’t just some opportunists who came from a dubious background.
She heard a noise and looked up to see him re-emerging from the suite. He had a fresh towel wrapped around his waist and was rubbing at his hair with another towel. Gracie felt exposed all over
again, as if he might read that awful yearning on her face.
Brightly she asked, ‘Nice shower?’
He nodded, and then smiled wickedly. ‘Would have been nicer with you in it.’
He came and sat down on the lounger next to hers and his clean scent washed over her, making her belly tighten with a shaft of need. Inexplicably Gracie felt dirty all of a sudden, when she recalled their explosion of passion.
She glanced away, feeling prickly. ‘I like it out here.’
His voice was wry. ‘You can’t stay out here all night.’
She shrugged minutely. ‘To be honest, the suite … the hotel … it’s all a bit intimidating. I feel like I’m tainting it with my presence.’
Rocco went still. ‘That’s crazy … what are you talking about?’
She glanced at him. and then away again when she saw him frowning. ‘It’s like I’m not meant to be here. When I was about nine one of our foster parents took Steven and I to a stately home.’ Gracie smiled and said self-consciously, ‘She was one of the good ones … It was a grand old house. We had to get the train from London. It had these huge rooms—so beautiful, full of antiques and paintings. After a while I got lost. The group had gone on and I couldn’t find them. I wandered into a room full of tiny porcelain dolls.’
Gracie grimaced a little, remembering.
‘Obviously the people who owned the house had some kind of collection. I was fascinated, and picked one up to look at. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder and I got such a fright I dropped it and it smashed on the ground. This woman was standing over me, shrieking about how I was a common little thief and to get out.’ She shivered at the memory. ‘I was so terrified I ran and ran, and finally found the group. I kept expecting to feel that hand on my shoulder again.’
Gracie felt embarrassed. Why on earth had she even started telling this story? But Rocco just looked at her, his face obscured in the dark.
She shrugged again, properly embarrassed now. ‘Earlier, when we came in, and at the function too, I felt as if a hand was going to land on my shoulder at any moment and someone would ask how I’d got in.’
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