A Ring to Claim His Legacy

by Rachael Thomas

  It was becoming too much and her whole body hummed with the kind of need only he could satisfy. Each day they’d explored the island and each night they’d acted like lovers but, when he did nothing more than kiss her, those old and supposedly buried insecurities had rushed back. Did he really like her? Desire her? There was definitely something between them, but whatever the attraction was it certainly wasn’t enough for him to do more then gently kiss her and she was certain he wasn’t the kind of man to hold out to gentlemanly instincts. He was a hot, sexy man and probably had women falling over themselves to be kissed by him—and much more.

  ‘I see you have followed my instructions.’ Marco’s voice brought her up sharp as he arrived at the villa she and Julie were sharing, and when she looked at him that fizz of attraction she had each time she saw him rushed through her.

  ‘As you weren’t going to tell me where we are going or what we are doing other than it involves the sea, what else could I do?’ She feigned indignation as she looked at him, feeling somewhat underdressed in her red one-piece and cover-up—the only two items of her own clothing she’d worn all week whilst she’d acted out the lifestyle of luxury.

  ‘I’m impressed you aren’t one of these women who cannot even think of going in the sea, much less getting her hair wet.’ He took her hand and led her from the villa towards the beach. ‘What is Julie doing for her last day? I hope she didn’t mind me stealing you away again.’

  If only he would steal her away for ever, Imogen thought, but she knew she wasn’t his type. At least, the Imogen she really was certainly wasn’t his type. Not that it really meant anything, she reminded herself sharply, the risk of getting carried away with it all stronger than ever. She was just someone for him to while away the week with. Why else would he have only kissed her goodnight at the end of each day?

  ‘Julie is more than happy with our arrangement,’ she said as they walked on the soft white sand of the beach, already heating up from the sun. Imogen wasn’t about to enlighten Marco to the fact that Julie hadn’t come back to the villa last night after her date. ‘She’s using this week to escape too.’

  Imogen tried to make light of the whole situation, or arrangement as he’d openly called it. She simply wanted to enjoy this last day with Marco. Tomorrow she and Julie would be on a flight heading back to England and the normality of their day jobs at Bespoke Luxury Travel. Their moment of escape here on the romantic tropical island would be over.

  ‘In that case we have all day to be together—apart from a little something extra I have arranged just for you. For our last night together.’

  She looked up at him, the sun sparkling in his eyes. Or was that mischief? He’d arranged something for her? First he’d told her she was beautiful and now this. If she wasn’t careful she’d lose all sense of reality and start wishing for the kind of happy-ever-afters she knew didn’t really exist.

  ‘I’m intrigued,’ she teased but her breath caught as he took hold of her hand, making her stop, so that she could only stand and look up at him.

  ‘I’m the one who is intrigued. By you.’ His eyes darkened until they were completely black and her pulse raced as with his free hand he pushed back stray strands of her hair which had escaped from her ponytail.

  He was going to kiss her—and she wanted him to. Not the soft, gentle kisses he’d given her since that first night. She wanted him to really kiss her.

  Her eyes closed as he moved nearer, his hand sliding round to hold the back of her head, bringing her closer to him. Not that she needed any persuading. This was the last day of living the life of luxury. After tomorrow Marco would be part of a moment out of reality, a man she would never meet again. They lived in two completely different worlds.

  His lips moved over hers and she kissed him back, demanding so much more from him. Fire leapt to life inside her as she pressed herself recklessly against him, abandoning any notion of being sensible, wanting only to ease her aching desire for this man.

  He answered her demands with an almost burning passion as he deepened the kiss, holding her so tight. She could hardly breathe but she didn’t want it to stop, didn’t want the deep pulse of desire inside her to fade away to nothing. She wanted everything, every part of this man.

  Between her thighs heat scorched. The hardness of his erection pressed against her made her ever more reckless as she moved her hips, wanting to get even closer, even more intimate. Her body was begging him to make love to her. She’d never experienced anything so powerful. Her ex-fiancé, her only other lover, had never aroused her like this, never made her so wanton, so consumed with desire.

  ‘Have you any idea what you do to me?’ Marco asked, each word a hoarse, passion-filled whisper.

  ‘I do now,’ she teased. Who was this woman? Imogen Fraser would never be as seductive and flirty as this. But she wasn’t Imogen Fraser. She was just Imogen and this was her moment. Tomorrow it would end and she had no intention of going home with any what ifs lingering in her mind.

  He let her go and moved back a step, running one hand through his hair in a distracted way, which only made her want him more. ‘Imogen—you will be the undoing of me.’

  ‘I intend to be exactly that,’ she said as she moved towards him, sliding her hands around his neck again and brushing her lips teasingly over his. The feral growl he tried hard to suppress left her in no doubt as to the effect she had on him. He did want her. He wanted her as much as she wanted him.

  ‘Do you, now?’ He put his arms back round her waist and she wished she’d had the courage to wear a bikini. She wanted to feel his hands on her body. Skin on skin.

  ‘But first,’ she mercilessly teased him, a big smile on her lips, ‘haven’t you arranged something for us?’

  ‘I have.’ Marco snatched at the change of subject she unwittingly offered because if he didn’t he was in danger of taking her back to his villa and spending the day exploring the desire between them, which had now reached near explosive heights. Whilst it was very much what he wanted to do, it wasn’t part of his plan to create the ultimate romantic escape on their last night. The pleasure her body promised would have to wait. ‘We are going out on that yacht.’

  She turned swiftly and looked to where a sleek white yacht was anchored in the bay, waiting patiently on the sparkling blue water. ‘Now I understand the need for swimwear.’ Her laughter was as infectious as it was captivating.

  ‘We aren’t just going on the sea—we are going under it. I’ve arranged for us to snorkel over one of the island’s reefs.’

  He braced himself for excuses. Any other woman he’d dated in recent years probably wouldn’t paddle in the sea, let alone swim in it. All they’d wanted to do was sunbathe. Tiny bikinis were not for getting wet. Imogen’s red one-piece showcased her sexy curves in a way a bikini couldn’t, making him imagine how it would feel to have her naked body in his bed. Each time he looked at her, taking in every shapely curve, he grew more impatient for the conclusion to this week.

  A spike of lust shot through him. He’d never waited this long to have sex with a woman. Imogen was different and, although he had no intention of trying to figure out why, he had every intention of bringing their romantic week, their escape from reality, to the conclusion he’d wanted from the very first moment he’d set eyes on her in that alluring blue dress. Tonight, no matter what, she would be his and the passion and desire he’d held in check all week could finally be set free.

  ‘Marco, that’s so exciting—thanks.’ Her eyes sparkled like the sea beyond her as she looked up at him, then as if the wind had changed direction she lowered her head and looked down. ‘Nobody has spoilt me like this before.’

  A woman like Imogen must have had many admirers, all trying to impress her and win her affection. Her admission shocked him. ‘I find that very hard to believe.’

  She looked back up at him. ‘It’s true. I’ve only ever had one relation
ship. It lasted for over two years, but...’ Her words trailed away, reminding him of the aura of innocence she sometimes portrayed. Had this teasing temptress really only had one lover?

  ‘Whoever he was, he was a damn fool to let you go.’ The words sprang from him before he had time to think and they were totally out of character. He never gave away his feelings, never said anything to a woman that could be misread as something more. Settling down had never been part of his big plan for life and yet here he was, talking with Imogen as if they shared a secret need to do just that.

  ‘He didn’t let me go,’ she said, looking up at him, that spark of defiance in her eyes once more. ‘He lost me.’

  ‘Then his loss is my gain. And being here has enabled me to find you,’ he said softly, brushing her cheek with the backs of his fingers.

  ‘Yes, our week here has been fun, a real escape, and all I want is to make the most of the last day together.’

  A sense of calm slipped over him. She was as good as telling him that once they left the island she wouldn’t be looking for anything else from him. It was everything he had hoped for when he knew he would go home and inevitably throw himself into his work, the same as he always did. Anything to avoid the pleading of his mother to marry and continue the Silviano family name for his father. But this time he knew her secret. He knew the man lying in hospital with a serious heart condition, the man he’d never been able to please, wasn’t his real father. Knowing that and knowing just who his real father was should have made everything easier, but it didn’t. It made things harder than ever.

  ‘That is exactly what I want,’ he said as he forced his mind back to the present, back to the seduction of Imogen. It would be his last fling. He held her tighter and kissed her lightly once more. ‘What I want is to enjoy our last day together. Our final night.’

  * * *

  Imogen slipped from the yacht into the crystal-clear waters, trying to push aside Marco’s honesty. He didn’t want anything more after they returned home. He didn’t want to see her again, which was probably just as well, because once he knew she was just an ordinary girl, instead of the wealthy daddy’s girl she’d let him believe she was, he wouldn’t want anything to do with her and she couldn’t stand the rejection of that. She’d had enough rejection recently.

  Marco tapped her arm, pointing to a group of brightly coloured fish as they swam over the coral, and she refused to wallow in self-pity. She would take from this moment with Marco as much as she could—and she wanted everything. The passion, the desire. All of it. A shimmer of anticipation washed over her as she recalled his words on the beach: ‘Our final night.’

  He wanted to be with her tonight and for one night she wanted nothing more than to be with Marco. Not the hard businessman she’d caught glimpses of all week, but the kind and caring man who’d been so respectful to her, not forcing her to do anything. It had been like the romance of an affair—but now she wanted the passion that went with it. She wanted Marco.

  When they returned to the yacht she was determined that she would have the entire dream of being here on the island with Marco. By tomorrow evening the real Imogen Fraser would be back and the carefree woman she’d been this week would be nothing more than a figment of her imagination. A memory to treasure.

  ‘That was a wonderful experience,’ she said as she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to tame the wet tangle. As she stood on the deck in the sunshine she was aware of Marco watching her, aware of his gaze on her body and all too aware of how her wet one-piece highlighted every curve. She didn’t feel self-conscious, not when he looked at her like that, making her body ache for his touch, his caress. Right at this moment she felt alive. Sexy and full of confidence.

  ‘You are a very sexy woman.’ From where he was sitting, he reached out and held her thighs, pulling her towards him. Emboldened by the way he made her feel, she stood between his legs as he sat.

  She looked down at him, his face still wet from the water as he looked up at her, and that connection sparked to life, dragging her deep under his spell. Did he really think that? She tested him, deploying her new-found confidence. ‘Thin girls are sexy. It’s the slim girls that men go for.’

  ‘Oh, you’ve got that all wrong,’ he said as he caressed her thigh, her skin drying instantly from the contact. ‘Do you have any idea what you do to me?’

  She shook her head, the shyness she’d been trying to hide surfacing once more, almost stopping her from having the one thing she wanted. This moment with Marco.

  ‘Then I am going to have to make sure you know.’ He moved her in closer, so close that if he wasn’t looking up at her he could kiss her breasts. The thought made them tingle with anticipation. The heady pulse of desire started once more, deep inside her. His hands skimmed up either side of her waist, almost touching her breasts, and the real Imogen threatened to return, almost forcing her out of his embrace.

  ‘I... I...’ she stammered, the boldness she’d been hiding behind all week suddenly vanishing as if the sea had washed it all away.

  ‘Tonight is our last night and I want to spend it with you.’ His hands slid back down the sides of her waist and her knees began to weaken as he smiled up at her. Damn him, he knew exactly what he was doing to her. ‘Every minute of it.’

  Her heart leapt. Every minute. He wanted to be with her all night. ‘I want that too,’ she whispered as his hands caressed her waist sensually, and she longed for him to touch her breasts, to finally light the fire which sparked and fizzed inside her, threatening to explode like a wayward firework.

  ‘But I want tonight to be like no other, so I have arranged for something special.’ He smiled, pulling her closer still.

  ‘More special than this?’ She could hardly whisper, her heart was thumping so hard.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And what is the dress code for this surprise?’ Thankfully she found just Imogen’s flirty nature, banishing Imogen Fraser from saying or doing anything. She fully intended to remain just Imogen a little while longer and have her night with Marco.

  ‘Dress for dinner.’

  ‘In that case—’ Imogen pulled away from him, not trusting herself to stay in his embrace any longer, the heady need for him becoming stronger all the time ‘—I should get back. Have you any idea how long it takes to tame hair like mine?’

  He laughed. A deep, sexy laugh which sent a shimmer of stars hurtling around her. ‘I get the message.’

  ‘Good, because if you want me to look the part then I will have to get back to the villa.’

  ‘You already look the part as far as I am concerned, Imogen.’ Seriousness had slipped back into his voice and desire in his eyes. ‘Turn up exactly as you are and I will be happy.’

  ‘You.’ She pushed him away. ‘Be careful what you wish for, Marco.’

  CHAPTER THREE

  MARCO’S BREATH WAS snatched away as Imogen opened the villa door to him. Gone was the sexy water nymph of this afternoon, with wet hair clinging to the sides of her face and that so very sexy red one-piece. In her place was the seductress who’d first captured his attention at the bar ordering champagne.

  The kick of lust in his groin only added to the anticipation of what this evening would bring. Tonight, she would be his. For one more night he would live in the moment of total escape and forget the reality which would all too soon intrude, if his sister’s latest text messages about his father were anything to go by. He pushed the thought aside. Now was not the time for those thoughts. Now was the time to lose himself, one last time, with Imogen.

  ‘You look stunning.’ Already his voice was hoarse with desire, but, from the look in her vibrant blue eyes, it was no different to how she was feeling.

  She smiled and coyly pulled her hair forward over her shoulder, bare apart from the thin strap of the black dress which looked like ink and moulded to every curve he was impatient to explore. Toni
ght they would be in his private part of the island, and once the meal had been served they would be totally alone, and his plans to give Imogen a night to surpass any other she’d had with a man before could begin.

  ‘And you look very handsome. A tuxedo suits you.’ Even though she gave him a shy look, the anticipation of what was to come hung around her like the stars in the night sky. She sparkled and he knew without doubt that she felt the power of the attraction too. Imogen was as aware of the explosive tension between them as he was, and their conversation on the beach was enough to tell him she wanted this moment of escape to be special. Just as he did. A moment in which to lose themselves completely. A time to savour what they’d found before returning to reality.

  He took her hand, lifting her fingers to his lips, kissing the tips of them. Her nails were a deep red and her skin delicately scented. He’d never known this anticipation, this sense of belonging before. ‘Only the best for tonight,’ he whispered softly as he looked into her eyes.

  Her deep drawn-in breath gave away far more than he was sure she wanted to. ‘More of your special arrangements?’ she jested with him, that playful, teasing light in her eyes. ‘You seem to have a lot of influence on the island.’

  He wasn’t about to tell her that he owned the entire island, not when she’d spent the week being with him simply because it was what they’d both wanted. He knew very little about her, but he did know that she wasn’t at all like the kind of spoilt societal ladies he usually encountered as billionaire Marco Silviano. She seemed so in awe, so in wonder of everything his island offered, as if she was unused to such luxury. But Julie’s words about ‘Daddy suggesting they take a luxury break’ warned him she must be accustomed to such a world. Neither of them had talked much about their real lives and maybe that was for the best. She would linger in his memory, the perfect antidote to the constant friction between him and his family.