Sophie and the Scorching Sicilian
Page 18
Sophie sighed and choked tearfully, ‘I love you, Marco.’
‘What about this man you spoke of…you invented him?’
‘He’s you.’
For a smart man Marco could be very stupid sometimes. The look of shock swiftly followed by complacence on his face made Sophie laugh and plead, ‘Please get back in the car, people will see you.’
‘I don’t care if they do. I want the world to know that you are mine.’
‘And you are mine?’
Marco’s expression was solemn as he placed her small hand on his heart and said, ‘Always. You said tonight that life is fragile and you were right—I almost lost you…’ She watched the muscles in his brown throat work as he visibly struggled to regain his composure.
Sophie leaned forward and stroked his cheek, touching a finger to the fresh wound. ‘I’m not going anywhere without you,’ she said lovingly. ‘You know what scares me, if that reporter hadn’t seen Bella and Olivia having their catfight, and Daddy hadn’t decided to change his ways, I would never have met you, and I would still be hiding away at Balfour being the plain one. I never feel plain with you, Marco, you’ve always made me feel beautiful.’
Marco rested his forehead against Sophie’s. ‘This is because you are beautiful.’
His throaty voice sent a shiver of pleasure though her body. He kissed her closed eyelids tenderly and she sighed before lifting her swimming blue eyes to his.
‘Can I really be this happy?’ she asked wonderingly. ‘Let’s go home, Marco. I like the way that sounds, home…I might say it again, possibly many times.’
‘Yes, it does have a good ring,’ he agreed, kissing the tip of her nose. ‘And, yes, let us go home. I have had enough of cars for one day. They have their uses but I require more room to express my feelings tonight.’
His wicked smile made her blush.
‘I have one request: do not come naked to my bed tonight.’
‘What?’
He grinned at her indignation. ‘I would like to see diamonds and sapphires against your skin.’
She pretended shock but was seriously aroused by the erotic suggestion. ‘You are a very bad man, Marco.’
He bent his head and kissed her hard before walking around to his side of the car. He started the ignition and turned to Sophie with a smile in his eyes that made her eyes fill.
‘I will attempt to always be bad for you.’
Sophie could find no fault with this plan.
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to Kim Lawrence for her contribution to The Balfour Brides series.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7464-2
SOPHIE AND THE SCORCHING SICILIAN
First North American Publication 2010.
Copyright © 2010 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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