The Count's Prize

by Christina Hollis

  Josie looked down. The fleshy white sepals of her flowers had been crushed against his broad chest. They were bruised and brown. Hoping they weren’t a sign that he would leave her heart just as crushed, Josie sighed. ‘That’s such a shame. I was going to get them preserved as a souvenir of this wonderful evening. They won’t keep now.’

  Dario’s hand moved again, but this time to take her arm. ‘Then you’ll need a replacement. There are plenty of flowers out in the rose garden.’

  He drew her gently in the direction of a door set into the high stone wall surrounding the courtyard. Opening it, the first thing she experienced was a wave of birdsong, rising up from the distance. Then the overwhelming perfume of a thousand roses swept her away.

  At her gasp, he smiled. ‘Nightingale Valley is living up to its name tonight.’

  ‘My goodness,’ she breathed. Dario looked at her, admiring the purity of her profile in the moonlight, her eyes alight with joy. The flowers forgotten, he linked his hands around her waist and drew her near again.

  ‘I have a confession to make, Josie.’

  She looked up at him questioningly.

  ‘The fact is, I had a very selfish reason for holding this party. And, as a man who has become used to having anything he wants, I couldn’t deny myself.’

  She looked up. He was smiling.

  ‘So? What was the reason?’ Surely not just to seduce me! she thought breathlessly.

  ‘You’ll think it’s really stupid.’

  She clapped her hands flat to his chest. ‘Try me.’

  He gave a humourless laugh. ‘Remember what I said about birthdays, and how Antonia and I were always forgotten? Well, when I inherited the castello I swore to make every birthday really special. I’m beyond the age when I make the date public, but that doesn’t mean I have to deny myself a party. And today’s the day.’

  Josie was enchanted. ‘Oh, Dario! Happy birthday! But why didn’t you or Toni tell me? I would have got you a present and a card—instead, I’ve got nothing …’

  Somewhere, in the back of her mind, the penny dropped. It had been tossed across that designer’s salon by Antonia and now bounced around inside her brain, but Josie was far more concerned with the look on Dario’s face.

  He grimaced again. ‘That’s another reason why I don’t broadcast the date. As you’ve said yourself, anything I want, I already have. Why should I put my friends to the trouble and expense of buying me things?’

  Josie was shocked and couldn’t help showing it. ‘Birthdays have got nothing to do with money. That’s not what presents are about!’

  He stared at her, genuinely intrigued. ‘Isn’t it?’

  ‘No!’ Josie pulled away from him emphatically. ‘They’re a way of reminding people that their friends care enough about them to give them something in honour of the day.’

  He gave her a look, as though he was waiting for further explanation.

  ‘I would have taken the time to choose something you really wanted. Something for your studio, maybe. I’m sure there are all sorts of little things you need—new colours, brushes … the sort of thing that it would be too much of a bother for you to break off and go out and buy for yourself.’

  ‘That’s what the Internet is for—and why I employ staff.’

  Josie sighed with annoyance. ‘It’s the gesture that matters, not the thing itself.’

  His mouth moved, but then he must have thought better of saying anything and stayed silent. She thought of all the gestures they had shared, the looks, the touches and those kisses …

  ‘Sometimes the greatest gifts cost nothing at all,’ she added thoughtfully.

  Dario waved his hand, as if brushing away the subject. ‘We’re not here to talk about me. Come and experience the di Sirena night, Josie.’

  Taking her by the hand, he led her into the fragrance-drenched air of Nightingale Valley. One deep breath filled her full of enchantment.

  ‘Dario … it’s wonderful …’ she whispered.

  He chuckled. ‘I thought you’d done a grand tour of the estate and would know all about this place.’

  ‘Yes, but that was during the day, while I was working. It has taken you to open my eyes to its natural wonders. All of them,’ she said, a thoughtful look on her face.

  ‘It’s a pleasure—and I would love to give you more,’ he said, drawing her gently towards his body again. Unable to wait a moment longer, he lowered his head and kissed her full on the lips. It was a long, lingering explosion of sensations that sapped her last ounce of resistance. When their lips finally parted she leaned against him, suddenly as weak as water and trying to catch her breath.

  ‘Did you know that kisses get lonely?’ Dario’s voice was as soft as the touch of his lips against hers as he kissed her again.

  It was exquisite, a perfect melding of sensations that coursed through Josie’s veins like warm chocolate. A shocking, daring idea had been forming in her mind. Dario had lit the fuse and now it exploded into her brain. All the same, she had to steel herself before the words would come out.

  ‘I know exactly what I’d like to give you for your birthday, Dario. It’s something you don’t have—and something no money in the world could buy.’ She swallowed hard before whispering, ‘Can you guess what it is?’

  His dark eyes glittering in the moonlight, he looked down at her and shook his head.

  ‘It’s me,’ she whispered.

  He continued looking down at her, almost expressionless. Only a muscle flickering in his cheek showed the control he was exerting over his reactions. Before she knew what was happening, he was leading her across to the far side of the rose garden. There, a wooden gate opened out into the estate proper. Before letting her through it, he stopped and turned to her.

  ‘Are you sure this is really what you want, Josie?’ he asked seriously.

  She smiled and nodded, not wanting to interrupt the wonderful flow of birdsong rising from the valley below them. Dario suddenly smiled at her, the tension seeming to leave his body. With one hand, he loosened his tie and undid the top button of his shirt. In the half-light, the contrast of the black velvet against the bright white of his shirt was dazzling. Taking her by the hand again, he led her down a wide woodland track, following the contours of the hillside.

  ‘There’s a lake at the bottom with a gazebo overlooking the water. You’ll like it there.’

  Josie knew she would like it anywhere if Dario was with her.

  ‘I’m so glad I came to your party after all,’ she whispered.

  Dario paused and looked back at her. All the shades of evening couldn’t disguise the flash of his beautiful white teeth.

  ‘I couldn’t agree more.’

  When they reached the lake, the gentle susurration of insects was punctuated by the plop of something small diving into the water.

  ‘A frog,’ he reassured her as she drew closer. Taking her gently in his arms, Dario’s kiss was long, slow and sweet.

  ‘You made such a spectacular entrance this evening,’ he breathed at last.

  ‘But I didn’t do anything.’

  ‘You didn’t have to. A woman so poised, and looking like an angel … you took my breath away.’ Always uncomfortable with praise, Josie shook her head and blushed.

  ‘No—don’t deny it. Be proud! Every woman and every man in the place couldn’t take their eyes off you. You were the star—my star—and I had to spirit you away before anyone else could.’

  In the breathless hush that followed his words, a nightingale burst into song from a hazel thicket within a few feet of where they stood. Josie smiled and, as Dario’s touch tingled around the outline of her face to lift it for another kiss, a second bird joined in.

  ‘Rivals for the same prize,’ she whispered.

  Dario’s kisses made thinking about anything but him impossible. The insistent presence of his body completely enthralled her. The firm ridge of his arousal pushed against her as he held her close, cradling her in his arms. The tip of his ton
gue sensitised the entire curve of her neck. Josie shivered in wild anticipation and instantly he pulled off his jacket and enveloped her in it.

  ‘I’m not cold.’

  ‘I want to make sure you don’t get that way.’

  Curving an arm lightly around her shoulders, he led her towards a clearing in the trees. The full moon was just rising above the south-eastern horizon, its silvery light sending rippling reflections across the lake that slept peacefully in its cool shadows. Flag irises and sweet rush stood sentinel around a palatial summer-house, complete with its own little jetty. Josie looked nervously at a small rowing boat and oars that were tied to it.

  ‘I know you’ll be happier on dry land.’ Dario’s low laughter lit up her face as he opened the gazebo. The small house was the perfect place for romance. Its cedar-wood walls retained the day’s warmth, while beeswax polish and swags of lavender hanging from the rafters perfumed the air with the memories of summers long past.

  ‘I want you.’ Dario’s voice was husky with testosterone.

  When he kissed her now it was with more urgency. A slow burning fire had been kindled from the moment their eyes had first met. Now it burst into flames of unquenchable passion. When his hands began to move over her, Josie could do nothing to stop him. As he reached the voluptuous curves of her body, she gasped, throwing back her head in anticipation. Dario was quick to act, kissing the cool pale column of her throat from the tip of her chin to the hollow at its base. As his hands cupped her breasts she remembered the way his sensitive fingers had enclosed that ripe peach on the day of their picnic. A little moan of anticipation left her lips, encouraging Dario to dip his head and move his lips over the thin silk of her dress. It was so delicate, the small nubs of her erect nipples were clearly visible. They were too much of a temptation for Dario. He tried his teeth against one, gently testing its sensitivity. The effect of his teasing sent Josie into paroxysms of desire. Her fingers drove into his midnight-dark hair, pulling his head closer. Moonlight glittered over its tousled luxuriance, and Josie couldn’t help herself. Sliding her hands over his shoulders, she cupped his face and brought it up level with her own.

  ‘Take me,’ she moaned in a voice barely recognisable as her own.

  Dario engulfed her in his arms, plundering kiss after kiss from her willing mouth. Josie shrugged off his jacket and let her hands work their way beneath the cool white fabric of his shirt to find the red-hot elemental man inside. Soon they were both naked in the moonlight. Dario filled her senses so completely, she was barely aware of her surroundings as he laid her on the soft down-filled cushions of the summer-house sofa. His outline was sleek and hard as he towered over her, ready, willing and more than able to claim his ultimate prize. As he swooped down to cover her body, she twined her legs around his narrow waist, desperate to bring him closer to the core of her being. As he glided over her in the darkness, her body was torn with a cry of need that echoed into the night.

  Long, long afterwards, Josie lay gazing out along the length of the lake. She had no idea of the time, but it must be so late it was now early. The summer night had never darkened completely. A single bright star was left in the sky. It stood high above the water, its pinpoint of light dancing on surface ripples stirred by a light breeze. The nightingales were still singing, but they had been joined by one or two sleepy robins. Dario lay with his head nestled against her neck, quite still apart from the gentle rise and fall of his breathing. Josie should have been in heaven. Instead, her mind churned over and over what had happened during the spectacular hours they had shared. Dario had stripped away all her inhibitions, taken her to paradise and kept her there. Josie thought back, exhausted and overwhelmed by the wild passion he unleashed in her. She glowed at the memory … but now she knew she couldn’t get enough of him. From this moment on, nothing life could give her had a chance of competing with the night she had just spent—unless it included Dario.

  And that thought was what tortured her now. This man was a playboy—a party animal to his capable, dexterous fingertips. Josie wanted his body, but knew she couldn’t bear to have it without his love and loyalty as well. But that was a greedy, impossible dream. Dario was no more capable of giving her a lifelong commitment than Andy had been. Josie had finally realised just how little her ex-fiancé now meant to her, but Dario was an entirely different prospect. She wanted him with every fibre of her being—but she would never be able to keep him. No woman could hope to do that.

  When he stirred, Josie knew she had to brace herself and resist him. One more encounter, one fleeting touch, one smile and she would be heading for disaster again. When his hand began to glide sleepily over her naked thigh, she took a deep breath, slipped out of his grasp and stood up.

  ‘Dario, I …’ There were no words. ‘I have to go.’

  To hide her expression, she turned away from him quickly and pretended to be more interested in gathering up her scattered clothes than watching him wake.

  ‘Where are you going? It’s still early—let’s start all over again …’ His drowsy words simmered with promise.

  Josie looked back at him. She knew it was a mistake, but she was unable to stop herself. He looked magnificent, as ever. The early sunlight played over his golden muscles, and she felt desire tighten its grip on her body again. She had to escape while she still could. One hand pressed tight against her belly, trying to restrain her desperate need for him, she looked away.

  ‘Last night, I had the most wonderful time of my life, Dario, but I shouldn’t have let it happen.’

  ‘Why ever not? I thought it was one of your very best ideas,’ he said, smiling.

  Josie began to pull on her clothes anyhow.

  ‘What I mean is, I don’t want you to think that I’m asking for more than you’ve already given me. I don’t want to force you into anything, Dario.’

  Dario’s smile faded. ‘What are you saying?’ He sat up, looking suddenly angry.

  Josie struggled with her feelings. All she wanted to do was drop everything and lean into his powerful embrace again. The only thing stopping her was the knowledge that Dario had done this dozens of times in the past, and had cast off those other girls as easily as he had thrown off his clothes the night before. She was worth more than that, and she knew it. He’d helped her know it. She would remember his searing looks scorching straight across the party towards her for as long as she lived. The only thing that could spoil that memory would be the devastation of his abandonment.

  If I end it now I can remember all the good things, without the horror that pursued me after Andy’s betrayal, she thought. It will be so hard to let Dario go, but he would only cheat on me eventually, and that would wreck every special thing we’ve had.

  ‘I’ve already given you everything, Dario.’

  ‘You say that, but I know you have much more to offer me, tesoro,’ he said with gruff exasperation. He reached out to her, but she sidestepped before his hand could connect with her arm. ‘What do you want me to say? Did you think that I was going to offer a lifelong commitment on the basis of a single night? You must know me—or at least my reputation—better than that, Josie.’

  She hurriedly pulled on her beautiful dress. ‘I don’t want you to say anything, Dario, especially about the future. But … well, actually I … I … suppose I don’t know what I mean …’

  He watched her for a few seconds and she saw his expression rapidly closing down. With a chill of recognition, she saw him retreating from her and the intimacy they had shared through the warm, still hours of darkness.

  ‘I do. I’ve often had to say the same thing. It’s a novelty to be on the receiving end, I’ll admit, but I think I can help you.’ He spoke the words in a way that made Josie want to run. Dario’s reputation scared her enough, without needing details.

  ‘It goes something like this: “That was a fantastic night, so let’s remember it fondly and move on.” That’s what you’re trying to tell me, isn’t it?’ he announced, getting up without warni
ng and turning his back on her.

  Josie stared at him. Secretly, she had been expecting, no, hoping, that Dario would put up at least some token resistance in the face of her brush-off. Instead, he concentrated on rescuing his clothes, which had been scattered during their reckless night of passion. She felt her insides contract with the loss of him.

  Please don’t end it here—not now, not yet! she thought. Let me have a little more pleasure—an hour, a day, a week …

  It was no good. She knew only too well what would happen if she went down that route. One more kiss from Dario was sure to lead straight to heartbreak. Now she had tasted everything he had to give, she was too greedy to trust herself with him ever again.

  Because when my heart and mind is full of him, that’s when I’ll discover he’s ‘entertaining’ someone else and betraying me like Andy did.

  ‘You’re right, Dario,’ she said unsteadily. ‘It was wonderful … but that’s it. We’ll put this down to experience. I’ll be gone soon, so it would be silly to try and make anything more out of it,’ she said in an offhand way, puncturing their awkward silence as she tried to get a better response from him.

  ‘Good. You’re being very sensible, as usual. It’s what I’ve come to expect from you, Josie.’ He gave that lovely hint of the exotic to her name again, and it made her cry inside.

  ‘You shouldn’t get mixed up in casual flings. You aren’t the type,’ he went on, strolling over to lift a skein of her hair over her shoulder. It was a gesture that was more patronising than romantic. ‘But I must thank you again for your most wonderful birthday present. It was a miraculous treat—like nothing I have ever been given before.’

  He rapped out his words in an oddly emotionless way and didn’t look at her as he moved away again. Josie was totally deflated. They might as well have shared an evening’s carp fishing.

  Snapping on his watch, he checked its display. ‘I’m afraid I must go—I’ve promised to take Antonia into town this morning. She wants my help in selecting a nursery for Fabio.’

  His voice was still gritty with testosterone. That thought added a terrible twist to Josie’s almost unbearable longing. She had wielded such power over his body during the hours of darkness. Then, she could have made him stay by her side with a single touch. She was desperately tempted to try again now, but it was too great a risk. His face was unreadable, but the bright searching light of day would leave her no hiding place if he rejected her. Josie was determined to learn from all the mistakes she had made in the past and not make any new ones.