A Shocking Proposal In Sicily (HQR Presents)

by Rachael Thomas

  He moved closer. Very close. The mood of the moment had changed as quickly as the desert wind. ‘I’m looking forward to creating that baby.’ His voice was soft, every syllable caressing her. Stoking the desire she’d been suppressing since that kiss at the charity event.

  Birds chattered in the trees around them, cicadas chirped and Kaliana’s mind whirled, her body shimmering with heat which had nothing to do with the hot sunshine. Rafe reached out to touch her face and Kaliana held her breath as he gently brushed her windswept hair from her face. ‘Making that obligatory heir will not be a hardship, no?’

  ‘Don’t,’ she whispered, wanting to get away, wanting to move back from his touch. ‘Everything is so complicated.’

  ‘Dio mio, complicated isn’t the right description. But this can save us.’ He caressed her cheek with the backs of his fingers. ‘This passion, this desire, can distract us.’

  ‘Can it?’

  ‘It’s still there, Kaliana, that connection. That chemistry. You can feel it too, can’t you?’ His voice was husky, the caress of his thumb against her cheek hard to ignore. So hard to resist. But she had to; she couldn’t allow herself to dream. To hope.

  ‘It’s just lust,’ she said quickly, horrified at how husky her voice had become.

  ‘You want me, no?’ How could she admit that when it would give him all the power?

  ‘No.’ The indignant word shot from her lips.

  ‘If I kiss you now, your heart rate won’t speed up? Your breath won’t catch in your throat? And your eyes won’t darken until they look like the midnight sky? Just as they did when you kissed me in London.’

  ‘Stop it.’

  He laughed. ‘I don’t think you really want me to, do you, Kaliana?’

  She lifted her chin defiantly. ‘Then kiss me so I can prove you wrong.’

  His lips lifted into a slow sexy smile, his pupils enlarging, darkening his eyes as his fingers brushed back and forth on her cheek. Just as he’d claimed, her pulse raced. Her breath caught audibly in her throat and she was sure her eyes were giving away everything.

  ‘Very well, cara, I will kiss you.’

  She smelt the delicious citrus tang of his aftershave as he brushed his lips over hers, forcing her eyes closed as the onslaught of desire stampeded over her. She dragged in a long ragged breath, waiting for his arms to hold her, waiting to feel his body against hers. She wanted all that and more.

  He drew back. ‘I think that proves my point.’

  She blinked rapidly in shock, unable to stand the smug satisfaction on his face. Anger raged through her, mixing with the heady pulse of desire that light touch of his lips had ignited once more. ‘That proves nothing.’

  ‘It proves you want me. It proves what we had in London is still very much alive.’

  ‘But that’s not what our deal, our marriage, is about.’

  ‘We can make it about whatever we like.’ The suggestion in those dark and sexy eyes was all too clear.

  Kaliana wanted to believe him. Wanted more nights like that night which seemed so long ago now. Like a dream which had dimmed over time. The weight of the afternoon’s discussion lifted as he smiled at her, taking her right back to that moment in the bar in London. The moment she’d known he would be the man she’d give herself to.

  ‘How can I say no?’

  ‘You can’t,’ he said, gently bringing her against him.

  She lifted herself onto her tiptoes, brushing her lips over his, the fight she’d been trying to keep alive in her body slipping away as the need to kiss him took over. ‘I don’t want to either.’

  * * *

  Rafe squeezed Kaliana’s hand as they entered Villa Casella later that afternoon. The potent kiss they’d shared had broken the tension between them, but he still sensed her apprehension at meeting his father. ‘It will be fine.’

  She looked up at him and he could almost forget this was an arrangement. For that moment it was as if something real drew and held them together. Something more than just convenience. More than sexual chemistry.

  ‘Okay,’ she said, pressing her lips together. ‘Let’s do this.’

  The sensation of reality evaporated.

  ‘Father, this is Kaliana,’ Rafe said as his father met them on the terrace.

  ‘Sì, the Princess. Benvenuto.’ He embraced Kaliana warmly and Rafe saw the relief on her face. It really mattered that he accepted her. His father let Kaliana go and looked at him. ‘You will, of course, have the engagement party here. I cannot yet travel.’

  ‘It will be here,’ Kaliana said without even glancing at him for approval. ‘Especially as the wedding will have to be in Ardu Safra.’

  ‘And what of your preparations for the big day?’ he asked and Rafe watched, bemused, as his father took an interest. Had he finally done something that pleased his father? Earnt his respect?

  ‘It’s going well, thank you,’ Kaliana said with a smile.

  ‘And Franco?’ His father turned his attention to Rafe. ‘Is he to be your best man?’

  ‘He is,’ Rafe said and looked at Kaliana. ‘In fact, we will be flying to Rome for a few days to meet him and his wife, Francesca.’

  ‘We are?’ Kaliana asked, looking up at him with astonishment.

  ‘Franco is looking forward to meeting you, as is his wife.’ Rafe had little choice. After all the support Franco had given since he’d first met Kaliana, getting his bride and friend together was something he needed to do.

  ‘Then I guess we are,’ Kaliana said, laughing conspiratorially with his father, and Rafe found himself looking forward to a few days—and nights—in Kaliana’s company.

  CHAPTER SIX

  THEIR ARRIVAL IN Rome had created a fresh flurry of interest from the world’s press but Rafe’s luxury apartment gave him and Kaliana the peace they sought. Rafe had watched as Kaliana marvelled at the ornate painted ceilings and the vastness of the three-storey apartment.

  ‘This place is amazing.’ Kaliana turned, smiling at him, looking more relaxed than he’d ever seen her.

  ‘It is pretty special,’ Rafe said, amused at her pleasure at the classical Italian architecture. ‘And perfect to enjoy some peace. An escape from all those curious eyes.’

  Kaliana frowned, a serious expression slipping over her face. ‘Where will we live once we are married?’

  Rafe had barely given a thought to the logistics of their marriage. He’d been so focused on achieving all he and the Casella family needed from their union that their future as a married couple hadn’t demanded any of his attention.

  ‘I am often in London on business. I see no reason why we cannot spend some time there. We are making a marriage that is more convenient to our families than us.’

  Kaliana flinched at his words. Had he been too honest? Too brutal?

  ‘Would that really work?’ she asked firmly, then smiled as if trying to return to the teasing lightness of moments ago. ‘Between each of our commitments in our homelands, it will be difficult for us to be together much.’

  Had she read his mind? Or was that what she wanted?

  ‘Something else we will have to work out. But first we need to continue the show of our whirlwind romance and to do that you need an engagement ring before we meet Franco and Francesca this evening.’ Rafe spoke his thoughts aloud as he watched the woman who would soon be his wife walk across their suite to look out over Rome.

  Her shoulder-length hair bobbing jauntily reminded him of the time it had fallen in a curtain around her face as he’d made her his that first night. A night he hoped would be repeated. He’d never experienced such a strong attraction to a woman. Not even Emma had fired such an intense desire through his veins. At least that part of his deal with Kaliana was right.

  Kaliana turned from surveying the view of the city. She didn’t speak, but the arch of her brow left him in no doubt s
he was still annoyed at him for insisting they put on such an act as part of their deal. Her silence had hummed with annoyance as he’d watched her, her sexy figure highlighted in the late-summer sunshine lighting the room.

  That annoyance was still palpable as she looked at him, that haughty air he couldn’t help but find sexy radiating from her. ‘A ring that is also part of the act?’ Her quick reply fired back at him.

  He walked towards her, determined to thaw her increasingly icy mood. ‘A ring that will seal our deal, mia cara.’

  She lifted her chin, looking up at him, challenge clearly in her eyes.

  ‘And there I was thinking we were in Rome for a romantic week together. That you wanted to rekindle the passion between us.’ Her flippant reply, laced with seductive teasing, made it almost impossible to suppress his laughter. He couldn’t yet understand why just being with Kaliana, even when she challenged him, made him want to laugh.

  She made him feel carefree in a way he hadn’t felt since he’d lost Emma to his brother. Just as she had that first night, Kaliana made him believe he could have more. That he was worthy of love. That if he could let go of the past, she was the one who would unlock his heart. He could almost believe something meaningful could grow between them—if only he opened himself to the possibility.

  But could he trust that instinct, that elusive sensation, when he’d got it so wrong once before?

  Whatever it was, Kaliana was the perfect antidote to Enzo’s betrayal and the situation he now faced. The standby heir forced to perform like a stud horse. Forced to step up to his duty.

  ‘Those were the terms of our arrangement, Kaliana. It is what we agreed.’ Mentioning the word arrangement pushed those far-fetched ideas from his mind. Romance was the last thing he needed. And love was the one thing he didn’t want. Such emotions destroyed you. Left you vulnerable to pain. Disappointment.

  At least he and Kaliana were on the same page. She wasn’t harbouring notions of love and those non-existent happy-ever-afters. He could still recall her now, full of confidence, as she’d claimed she’d had her chance at love. That she didn’t want to find it again.

  ‘Naturally I wish to show off my fiancée. I want the world to see the beautiful woman I am to marry.’

  ‘Then we had better get the biggest ring possible,’ she taunted him, that wicked glint of mischief in her eyes sending fire hurtling through him. ‘Make sure it’s flashy and bold enough to leave no one in doubt.’

  ‘If that’s what you want, then so be it.’ He entered into her game, the memory of the outcome of that seductive game she’d first played with him so fresh it was as if it had just happened. As if time had been turned back.

  Rafe laughed. ‘I can see our marriage will be entertaining at the very least.’

  He kept that thought with him as he sat in one of Rome’s most exclusive jewellers, an array of glittering rings before them. The staff were falling over themselves to get what Kaliana wanted and she was certainly doing as she’d threatened, demandingly ensuring she got the biggest and flashiest ring.

  His mind raced back to the night she’d arrived in the bar, demanding champagne. How could he have been so stupid not to have realised she was a woman of such high calibre? Such breeding. A woman who demanded her exacting standards to be met. Did the version of Kaliana he’d walked among the olive groves with last weekend really exist? The woman whose lips he’d brushed with his. Tasting passion and desire as well as her fight to conceal it.

  This sexy, spirited vision of confidence was the real Kaliana. Not at all the kind of woman he’d envisioned would one day become his wife once he’d accepted marriage was something he couldn’t avoid. He’d always thought that woman would be soft, gentle and kind. Like his mother. A woman who would be able to heal his wounds and show him how to love. Give him the confidence to set his heart free from its prison.

  Was that Kaliana? Sometimes. But right now she was exactly what he needed if he was to keep Pietra Bianca and prevent his cousin and her greedy husband from taking the Casella fortune and adding it permanently to the Romano name. No matter what else happened, he wanted that.

  ‘What about this one?’ Kaliana held her hand out, showcasing a small subtle ring on her long slender finger.

  ‘An excellent choice,’ the assistant said. ‘The vintage raspberry tourmaline and diamond is quite stunning and so delicate.’

  ‘It’s not what I expected you to select.’ Her earlier threat of buying the biggest ring possible rang in his ears. She’d been toying with him. Like a cat who had just brought in a mouse.

  She smiled at him, softness lighting her eyes like the first rays of sun at dawn. ‘This one would be my choice.’

  ‘I thought you wanted a statement ring.’ Rafe watched her with mock suspicion.

  She laughed. ‘That’s not me, Rafe.’ She looked down at the ring on her finger. ‘But this is.’

  ‘Then that is the one.’ Her smile, her genuine pleasure at the dainty ring dragged him back to the place where he could almost wish it was real. Wish they were getting engaged for love.

  He leaned forward, brushing his lips lingeringly over hers. He felt her hesitation, her initial resistance, then she placed her palm against his cheek and kissed him back, unleashing the powerful attraction he had for her. Attraction that was merely lust. Merely the need to make her his once more.

  * * *

  As Kaliana prepared for a night at the opera with Rafe she tried to maintain the demanding Princess act. She’d only been able to hide behind it for a while whilst trying on big bright diamonds which glittered like stars. Then she’d seen her ring. It had caught her attention. Teasing Rafe had been fun, but a large flashy ring wasn’t her at all. She smiled at his stunned silence as she’d showed him the ring she wanted.

  When she’d kissed him as part of the act, the shock which had zipped round her body made her realise how much she wanted him. She wanted him as much, if not more, than she had that first night. As if they really were already lovers. She was in danger of falling for him, becoming seduced by the passionate desire. Worse than that, she was in danger of handing over something equally as precious as her virginity. If she allowed herself to, she could easily hand this man her heart.

  She was falling for him—not just the man she’d shared that amazing night with in London, but this man. She knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help it.

  She pushed back those traitorous thoughts, emerging from her room wearing a sapphire-blue full-length gown befitting the Princess she was. A zing of satisfaction rushed through her as Rafe looked up from his paperwork briefly, only to look back up a second time, his work forgotten. The plunging sweetheart neckline and diamanté-encrusted shoulder straps had got the reaction she wanted.

  ‘You look...’ He stood up from his desk, walking towards her, seeming to choose his words carefully. She’d never seen him lost for words.

  ‘Good enough to convince your friend our engagement is real?’ she finished for him, giving him a slow twirl to ensure he noticed the criss-cross diamanté straps across her bare back due to the low cut of the gown. She had no idea why, but she wanted to torment him, tease the desire they’d once shared back out into the open.

  Slowly she turned, feeling his gaze on her. Feeling the burning of her skin as he watched her. Feeling the crackle in the air as the tension increased. Feeling in control. Just as she had been in the bar the first time they’d met. But had she really been in control?

  The question made her pause briefly, but when she looked back up at him her breath nearly left her. The heavy desire in his eyes was too much, taking her back to the moment she’d looked into his eyes for the first time, knowing even then there was no going back. She’d known that her spontaneous rebellion to lose her virginity was going to happen. She’d wanted him then and she wanted him now with a carnal need she’d never known. Never believed possible.

 
That night in London she hadn’t been in control; her desire had. Just as it was now.

  She fought it. She couldn’t allow it to take over.

  ‘Beautiful,’ he whispered. The air crackled as if fireworks were sparking around them. Kaliana held her breath. She couldn’t move. Her heart was thudding.

  Rafe moved towards her, that intoxicating darkness in his desire-laden eyes. ‘Very beautiful.’ His voice was thick and heavy. Her heart pounded with anticipation. Anticipation of his kiss. Only this time she didn’t think she could turn it off, deny it, as she had done in the olive groves.

  This time she wanted to stay. To taste his kiss and so much more.

  ‘I have a role to play, that of a loving and willing fiancée.’ Kaliana fought the sensation he’d set off inside her as he moved closer, but her words only intensified the desire in Rafe’s eyes. She didn’t think she could take such a hot sultry look from him for much longer and not act on it.

  ‘A loving and willing fiancée?’ Rafe repeated her words, following her lead.

  She couldn’t keep the sadness from her voice. ‘Those were your terms to our deal, were they not? A deal born of duty.’

  Once she and Rafe were married, all her father’s problems would be over. She’d been so relieved to hear the worry had gone from her father’s voice last week as they’d talked wedding details she’d almost forgotten the terms of the marriage she’d been forced to make. Terms Rafe had dictated after kissing her so passionately in front of everyone.

  She’d made a deal to marry a man so very dangerous to her naive and innocent heart. He could make her heart light, her tummy flutter with just a smile. Worse than that, he made her want to believe in something she’d thought impossible to find again. Love.

  ‘Only duty?’ Rafe’s words cut through her like an unexpected bolt of thunder. ‘What about desire? The powerful pull of attraction?’