The Italian's Price

by Diana Hamilton

  'Get ready. We'II eat breakfast on the beach and swim later,' he delivered, fascinated by the blush that bloomed like wild roses on her cheeks. And turned away before he could get too fascinated by her naked state beneath the tangled sheet tangled in a way that left one long, smooth and shapely leg exposed all the way to the apex of a creamy thigh sternly reminding himself of the questions he had lined up for the lying little witch today.

  He turned away, leaving the room and Milly released a pent-up sigh of deep relief. She couldn't believe how vulnerable she'd felt, lying here in a sheet and nothing else.

  And the way he'd been looking at her, as if he could see right through the fine white cotton! Her whole body blushed and, to take her mind off it, she leapt out of bed and told herself she was doing fine. Just fine.

  As she rummaged through her suitcase for something to wear she mentally ticked off all the pros.

  So far he still had no idea that she wasn't Jilly.

  While that state of affairs remained he wasn't out there hunting down the real Jilly, no doubt with a pair of handcuffs in his pocket.

  He hadn't made any attempt to get up close and personal.

  She was sensible enough to slap him down if he did. Wasn't she? As for the cons.

  There was the rest of the week to get through.

  But she could hack it! Sifting through Jilly's cast-offs, she extracted an outrageous black bikini . Three triangles of fabric and a sort of thong thing. Her face went scarlet. Cleo must have added it to the pile while she had been helping her decide what to take. She, Milly, would never dream of flaunting herself in something so revealing! She thrust it back into the case, then sat back on her heels, forcing herself to face facts.

  Jilly would have no hesitation in wearing the thing. She was supposed to be Jilly, wasn't she? So, to keep the impersonation going and not get found out she was going to have to behave and dress as her twin would.

  Not giving herself time to think about it, she put it on and smartly covered up with a pair of very brief pale lemon coloured shorts the weird sandals and a sleeveless blouse in a toning, slightly darker lemon that tied just below her breasts, leaving her midriff bare, and went down to the kitchen before she could chicken out.

  'Coffee.' Cesare pushed a mug of the fragrant brew across the kitchen table. He was seated long legs outstretched encased in faded denim. He was naked to the waist now' the tanned skin that stretched over whipcord muscles gleamed with health and vigour. Milly's throat jerked. He was too much ! Feeling hot and bothered beneath his lazy scrutiny, she took the mug and carried it to the open door and leaned against the frame looking out over the lush green valley so she didn't have to look at him doing her damnedest to appear relaxed.

  If only she knew what sort of game he was playing! It seemed as though he was making up the rules as he went along! Before they'd arrived on the island he'd treated her as if she were beneath contempt dark eyes filled with cold scorn reinforcing what she already knew. That he was only suffering her presence beneath his roof and not hauling her before a judge because his grandmother had taken a real liking to her lively young companion. And his beloved Nonna's happiness and wellbeing counted more than his own satisfaction at seeing her face prosecution.

  Yet now-

  ‘It is a beautiful day, yes'?'

  Milly hadn't heard him come to stand behind her and the sheer sensuality of his voice made her breath lock in her lungs and sent a skitter of sensation down the length of her spine.

  She moved away, putting her coffee mug down on the outdoor table and managed ‘So it is ' and wondered when his motives would become clear. And what they were.

  Getting her-filly-back into his bed? From the rapid alteration in his attitude, it kind of looked that way. The unwanted conclusion took her breath away and she snatched a deep gulp of fresh air breathing in the scent of the sea and the abundant wild herbs.

  ‘Shall we go'?' He had joined her a backpack hooked over one shoulder bare feet in canvas deck shoes, sunlight gleaming on the skin of his torso making it look like oiled silk.

  Her legs decidedly shaky, Milly followed, keeping behind him as the track leading to the cliff top narrowed. The way down to the beach looked more hair-raising than it had done yesterday.

  'Take my hand.'

  ‘I can manage’. No way did Milly want physical contact. But he ignored her, taking her delicate hand in his much stronger one and he couldn't have taken more care of her as he helped her negotiate the scary path if she'd been his best beloved. And observation that for a silly moment made her wish that she really was.

  Her face red with embarrassment at the way her thoughts were taking her Milly tugged her hand free the moment they reached the soft white sand of the cove wishing again she'd never embarked on this crazy scheme. She had to remind herself firmly that now that she had to carry on with it as she watched him drop the rucksack in the shade of a rock.

  Then he turned to face the sea, his dark head thrown back, his perfectly proportioned body stretching with sensual animal grace as he welcomed the warmth of the sun on his bronzed skin.

  Milly told herself to look away but she couldn't. He was magnificent, and when he turned to her, a grin making him look irresistible, and said, ‘We'II swim first. Race you to the water' a skitter of something wicked attacked the length of her spine.

  Those long tanned fingers of his were at his belt buckle. Milly's heart began a wild tattoo as she became grindingly aware of the scanty nature of the so-called swim wear beneath her shorts and top.

  She could always decline refuse to go anywhere near the water. There was no law that said she had to .

  But Jilly would never pass up on such an opportunity to flaunt her assets in front of such an eminently desirable male. She was no shrinking violet! Milly knew her twin inside out, knew how she would behave.

  Here in this magical place alone with the man she loved she would be hoping to lure him into changing his mind about the veto on marriage, tempt him and then protest her innocence in the matter of theft. Milly was sure she couldn't go that far it was too dangerous. The protestations of innocence would have to come from her twin-and the tempting bit. But if she was going to continue to act the part of her twin then at least she had to stay in character.

  As she forced herself to untie her top she noted that Cesare had shed his jeans and was now clad in brief black swim trunks that did zero to disguise his manhood. Gulping, she turned her back on him her heart fluttering, nervous tension threatening to pull her apart as she reluctantly shed her top and muttered, 'You go ahead. I don't do racing.'

  Cesare didn't move. She was clearly uncomfortable. Desperately uncomfortable. Her back naked save the narrow ribbons that must hold her bikini top in place was taut with inner tension. Her fingers hesitated at the waistband of the shorts she was wearing.

  Compassion twisted deep in his chest. Had her hard-nosed twin forced her into this charade against her will? It was beginning to look like it. The Jilly Lees of this world went full tilt to get what they wanted never mind who got hurt in the process.

  His hands fisted then uncurled at his sides as she took the plunge and stepped out of her shorts revealing smooth firm buttocks, long shapely legs. She was so beautiful. His heart jerked. And then she half turned and his mouth ran dry. The three scraps of fabric that pretended to be a bikini were outrageous, the bottom half barely held in

  place by a thong.

  Exactly the sort of siren stuff her twin would choose. Plainly not expecting him to be still waiting, she shot him a wild look, her skin flaming, then fled for the sea. Following more slowly, Cesare actively disliked himself for putting her through this.

  He should have told her he knew what was going on the moment they had set foot on the island, demanded to know where her twin was. Not played games.

  Apart from short hair, short fingernails, she and Jilly were physically identical. Yet he had never been remotely attracted to her twin, finding her overt sexiness a distinct turn-off.
Which led him to the uncomfortable conclusion that he was definitely attracted to the softer gentler version.

  Against his will. But still attracted.

  As the cool aquamarine wafers closed around her overheated body Milly relaxed just a little. She had truly believed he would have already been in the sea. But he'd been standing there all the time, watching her with those dark unreadable sexy eyes while she'd stripped off her top clothes. From the back she would have looked naked she thought with a shudder of deep embarrassment and from the front not a whole lot better. The tiny scraps of fabric did more to tantalize than to conceal.

  And the way he'd looked at her-well, she wasn't going to think about that! Striking out in a racing crawl, she kicked out for the headland that sheltered the cove.

  She was a strong swimmer and loved the water. In fact she had won cups during her schooldays.

  It was the one area where she had left Jilly far behind. Jilly hated physical exertion.

  For the first time since she'd made the momentous decision to go along with his belief that she was her twin sister Milly felt free at ease with herself and the watery elements as she stroked through the swells. But the rocky headland looked no nearer and at this rate she wouldn't reach it until a week on Sunday- A sudden surge, the impression that she was being attacked by an extra large and determined octopus, had Milly gasping, squirming as Cesare's head emerged sea water running in rivulets from his sleek head, his arms tight around her body.

  'What do you think you're doing'?' she spluttered in outrage. She had headed out here to escape him for a short but precious time. But he'd followed. Wasn't the ocean large enough for b0th of them? He was spoiling her pleasure wiping out that glorious feeling of freedom. 6 Let go of met' He was stopping her progress, what there had been of it. And worse far worse his grip meant their bodies were touching, breast to thigh. She could feel the hard determined strength of him against her slender curves and it was just too much. Her heart was pounding with the effort to stop herself from pressing much much closer winding arms and legs around every bit of him she could reach.

  ‘Saving you from drowning.' His mouth was taut. The current here is deadly. As I would have warned you if you'd hung around long enough to listen.' Treading water he shook his head with a snap of impatience water droplets scattering. ‘Head back. nowl' Shuddering, Milly became aware of the undertow she'd unknowingly been fighting for the last few minutes dragging them steadily and inexorably towards the horizon.

  Frightened now, she struck out, fighting against the current, heading back to the distant shoreline, aware that Cesare was shadowing her modifying his progress to hers and she was more grateful than he would ever know because strangely, she felt that nothing could harm her while he was with her.

  When at last they were clear of the undertow he powered ahead of her and seconds later it seemed he stood up, finding bottom the gently swelling water reaching his trim waist.

  Waiting. His features like a thunderstorm.

  Milly swam slowly towards him her lungs still burning from her strenuous fight against the undertow the calm surface water hiding the danger. As soon as she was within reach Cesare slid his hands beneath her arms and hauled her to her feet and bit out with blistering fury, ‘Don't ever pull a stunt like that againl' his eyes black with fury. His hands tightened on her slender shoulders.

  ‘Dio miol You could have died, you bird-brained little fool' And he could have died trying to save her, was her initial modifying thought, fully aware that he would not have stood idly by and watched her put herself in danger.

  But his bellowed insult moved her to self defence and she raised her chin her heart still pounding from her efforts her breasts heaving, pushing against the clinging, useless scraps of fabric and snapped right back ‘How was I to know? And you can stop yellingl' She shimmied her shoulders wildly, trying to loosen his punishing grip, but his hands just slid down to her waist, tugging her towards him with a bitten out, 'You-'

  Then his mouth was on hers with forceful angry passion one hand pressing her body into his until she could feel the imprint of every muscle the shocking hardness of his arousal against the wet quivering flesh of her tummy, the other hand behind her head holding her against any hope of escape.

  Not that escape entered her mind. She had never experienced anything like this-this hot searing passion, this crazy escalation of sensation setting every atom of her flesh on fire.

  Milly's arms wound up to coil around his neck her lips parting in instinctive eager welcome and she heard him groan, low and deep, his mouth gentling, moving sensually as his tongue stroked hers for giddying moments before moving down and taking the hard crest of her breast after nudging the unresisting scrap of wet fabric aside.

  Cesare moved slowly towards the shore taking her with him bodies moving as one, clinging, lost in drugged pleasure and his mouth explored now gentle awestruck by the sweet perfection of her the soft hollow at her temples the tender underside of her jaw her throat where a pulse was beating madly. His hands moved disposing of the flimsy scraps that were an insult to the pert glory of her peaking breasts.

  Bewitching.

  He was bewitched.

  His hands moved shaped her breasts then the tips of his fingers explored her tight nipples and the air in his lungs felt hot and heavy as she threw her head back her eyes closing, her soft pink lips parted as her hips moved with instinctive rhythm against his rampant arousal.

  Shock waves of sensation had him almost stumbling as his feet encountered the hot sand of the secluded beach. His mouth took hers with almost savagely passionate intent as he drew her down on to the sand and groaned with all male pleasure as she wrapped her lovely legs around his hips and trembled.

  Madness .

  Irresistible madness

  She was open to him. And hot. Hot. Hot.

  Bella, bella, bella-'

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  THE DISTINCTIVE RING tone of his mobile phone had the salutary effect of a bucket of ice cold water.

  Cesare's dark head shot up.

  Porca liberia. Had he run mad? He'd been controlled by lust for the first time in his life, forgetting who she was who he was! It was demeaning and he didn't like the experience.

  Her hands were clinging to his shoulders. He firmly detached them and not looking at her for shame, he disentangled himself, jerked to his feet and strode over the few paces to where he'd left his rucksack before he'd turned insane.

  Noting with deep distaste that his hands weren't steady, he extracted the slim mobile and ground out, ‘Che?' And went still.

  Almost sobbing with a horrible mixture of shameful sexual frustration, blind panic and helpless modification, Milly scrambled to her feet and stumbled over the soft sand and, all fingers and thumbs, began to struggle into her shorts and top.

  What must he think of her? Her eyes sparkled with scalding tears and her face burned hot and scarlet. That she was an out and out slut? His for the taking!

  And what was almost worse, the painful conclusion that she didn't want him to think badly of her, that his good opinion mattered-more than anything else.

  How could she explain, tell him that she wasn't like that, that this sort of thing had never happened to her before-and expect him to listen, let alone believe her? And that led to another conclusion she really didn't want to have to think about.

  The final irony-he thought she was Jilly, his ex-lover. He wouldn't have batted an eyelash at her frenzied response, naturally he wouldn't cynically putting it down to a resumption of past pleasures.

  It just went to show that she'd been so lost in wanting him, needing him, that she'd totally forgotten who she was supposed to be to the extent that she'd been frantically wondering how she could convince him that this sort of behaviour wasn't normal for her and what had happened had only happened because for her he was special.

  Squirming inside with sickening embarrassment she had to concede that she'd come within a whisker of giving herself away-in more sense
s than one.

  If there had been no interruption their steamy encounter would have reached an inevitable conclusion. He would have known then' he wasn't stupid. She was a virgin Jilly certainly wasn't! Finally the top was in place the tie ends more or less securely fastened and her head downbeat in modification she peered up at him through her lashes. He was speaking in his own language, his tone questioning, terse. Then he closed the phone with a snap, tossed it into the rucksack and dragged on his jeans.

  The belt buckle swiftly dealt with, he scooped up the rucksack, slinging it over his shoulder, then turned to her as if he had only just recalled her existence, his brow clenched in a black frown. Milly hung her head in a vain attempt to hide the renewed flush of humiliation that burned on her face.

  His voice harsh, he imparted, ‘Nonna had a bad fall this morning. That was Rosa to tell me they'd just returned from Casualty. We leave for the mainland immediately.'

  He was striding away and just as he reached the cliff pathway, she caught up with him her own troublesome problems forgotten in her anxiety for the old lady she'd liked immediately. ‘Is she hurt? What happened'?' Brow clenched he spared her a glance. ‘Broken collar bone and cracked ribs. Nothing life threatening but at her age the shuck-' His voice clipped on his last word and Milly impulsively laid a hand on his arm.