Lukas was right; the decor was expensive but tasteful. The soft browns and light greens accentuated the rustic nature of the homestead. In various corners couches and lounge chairs were set up around small, squat wooden tables, so guests could relax and catch up over coffee. The atmosphere was sophisticated and relaxed all at the same time. Under different circumstances she would’ve quite enjoyed staying at the resort.
Wondering what was taking so long she looked towards the reception, her eyes narrowing as she spied Lukas and the receptionist exchanging words. The attractive younger woman was getting far too friendly for Jasmine’s liking. Jealousy spiked as she saw the woman laying a hand on Lukas’s arm, her scarlet tipped fingers curling into Lukas’s jacket.
Before Jasmine had time to think or control the urge overtaking her, her feet were carrying towards the main desk.
Two can play this game, she thought.
Reaching Lukas’s side, she slipped her arm around his waist.
“Are you almost done, darling?” she then turned her attention towards the receptionist keeping her tone light and, she hoped, jealousy free. “Hello, complements to the management, the ambience that’s been created with your reception area is lovely. I can’t wait to see our villa to see if the décor has been carried through.”
Whether it was the way her body had naturally curved into Lukas’s or she hadn’t managed to suppress the possessiveness in her eyes, the receptionist murmured a welcome before quickly picking up the phone which had started to ring.
Under her hands, the slight tensing of Lukas’s back was the only indication she’d surprised him with her actions. What happened next made her regret her hasty decision. Her lips were captured in a short, quick kiss. Even though the touch was brief, the desire in his action unmistakeable. As his lips left hers she looked up and was instantly lost in his hot gaze.
“I’m all finished,” he said, showing her the keycard to their villa as proof as he moved away from the reception area. He lowered his voice so his next words were heard only by her. “I, too, can’t wait to start our vacation.”
A rush of hot colour flooded her face and ducking her head, she let her hair fall in a shining, glittering, blond curtain to cover her hot cheeks.
Of all the stupid things she had done in her life, this was the worst. She had no idea why she’d tried to play with Lukas. All it had achieved was giving him the idea she couldn’t wait to get him alone in their room.
“You needn’t have worried, Jasmine. You know, I always only have eyes for you, my wife,” he said mockingly, as if reading her mind.
“I know nothing of the sort. I’m still not even sure we’re married. You didn’t give me a chance to find any proof, now that you finally deigned to show up again.”
She wanted to snatch the words immediately back. She was not an impulsive person but ever since Lukas had come back into her life, impulsive behaviour had become her best friend.
He stopped suddenly and faced her. “Let’s get one thing straight. You are married to me and I will not tolerate any more of your ridiculous assertions we’re not husband and wife. Do you understand?”
Lukas turned away from her without waiting for a reply, heading down the corridor towards a door, which, she could only assume would lead to their outside villa.
She followed, silently seething at the vehemence in his voice. Not for long though. Once they were safely inside the suite, she turned on him.
“Do not speak to me that way, ever again. I’m not here by choice and you know that. I’m here because you threatened me.”
“You keep playing the same record over and over and over. I’m getting tired of it.” Pushing his jacket back, he slipped his hands in his trouser pockets, stretching the fabric firmly across his thighs. “Yes, perhaps the circumstances that brought us here weren’t the most ideal. But here we are, so let’s just try and enjoy our time together. Do you think we can try to be civil towards one another?”
His unexpected words deflated her anger. She never would’ve thought he would be the one to initiate a truce between them. Would it be so difficult to be polite to him? She didn’t think so. Not giving into the desire she felt whenever he came near her was another matter altogether.
“Well?”
“I think I can manage that. Can you?” She felt it only reasonable to ask the same of him.
“Shouldn’t be a problem.” He checked his watch. “Why don’t you relax, take advantage of the resort’s facilities. I’ve got a meeting to attend, but I should be back in time for dinner.”
Deciding to put into practice her recent vow to get along with him she asked, “Would you like me to order room service?”
“No, I’ve already made arrangements for dinner. No need to dress up, but bring a jacket, it may be warm now but the evenings cool down quite quickly.”
With those final words he walked out the door. The moment it snicked shut the tension in her muscles oozed out. She took in the surroundings of the sitting room. Like the reception area it was nothing short of sumptuous. The artwork adorning the walls belonged, not in a resort, but in any art gallery in the world. How she wished she and Lukas were here under different circumstances. Happier circumstances. Anything but what they now found themselves in.
Making her way from the sitting room, she entered the one and only bedroom where her gaze fell on the king size bed dominating the room. A movie started playing in her mind. She was powerless to stop the images of herself tangled in the sheets with Lukas.
The movie unfolded with her trailing kisses down his lean, muscular chest. His hands busy as they delved into her hair encouraging her to go lower. Closing her eyes didn’t banish the images, it only enhanced them. Her hand stroked his hard length, before bending to kiss the tip, tracing her tongue around the head of his cock. Before she could take him in her mouth, he pulled her away, taking her mouth in a savage kiss. His lips practically devoured hers with his passion. Showing his superior strength he flipped her over and without any preliminaries entered her. Sweat glistened like melting icicles in the sun over their bodies as they moved in a rhythm all of their own.
The screech of a gull as it flew past the window jolted Jasmine from her daydream. She stilled momentarily. Was it just a daydream brought about from her early response to Lukas’s kiss or was it a memory?
She shook her head vigorously to dispel the unbidden thoughts. Wanting air she headed towards a set of doors that led out to a balcony. She inhaled deeply and the faintly sea scented breeze filled her nostrils, cooling her flushed cheeks. She was surprised to see their villa had an ocean view. Upon arriving she had no idea just how close they really were to the ocean. It was easy to imagine sitting out on the deck with a cool drink in her hand while watching the sun set. If romance was their market then the resort owners had achieved their goal. Romance seeped from every corner of the resort.
Sighing heavily, she turned her back on the view. The last thing she needed to think about was romance or making love with Lukas.
She made her way back to the bedroom, looking anywhere but at the bed as she entered the bathroom. Her makeup bag sat on the bench, nestled closely to Lukas’s. Another feature of the resort, staff, who were discreet and efficient. It seemed that while they had been checking in, their luggage had been brought to their villa and essential items had been unpacked.
In one corner sat a huge bath, the temptation to have a leisurely bubble bath was overwhelming, but after her last experience in the bath it was probably safer to have a shower instead.
Once the temperature was to her liking, she slipped under the needlepoint spray, letting the warm water sluice over her body, washing away the travel grime. The massaging shower head proved effective in soothing her travel weary muscles. Shutting off the water she grabbed a towel from the rack and briskly dried herself. She put on her silk robe and left the ensuite. She walked to the mini fridge in their sitting room, pulled out a bottle of water, swallowing a few mouthfuls.
A quick
look at the clock told Jasmine she still had a few hours to wait until Lukas arrived back. Stifling a yawn, she could no longer ignore the allure of the bed. The past couple of nights had proved to be sleepless and they’d finally caught up with her.
With her bottled water in her hand, she walked into the bedroom, pulled back the covers and collapsed onto the bed. Her head sank into the soft pillow, using her remaining energy she pulled the covers up and fell into a deep sleep.
Satisfaction filled Luciano as he opened the door to the villa. The deal had gone through without any hitches, now Morelli Corporation had a resort under its new umbrella of Regency Hotels.
Orchid Hill Retreat.
With the deal completed he could push business from his mind and focus totally on Jasmine now. As much as he wanted to deny it, she still made his blood sizzle. Their short kiss as they were checking in was only an appetizer as far as he was concerned. He planned to make use of the next two weeks to seduce her back into his life. Then he was going to walk away from her.
Would her amnesia prove to be a problem or would Jasmine fall into his arms as she had when they’d first met?
Luciano recalled the heady early days of their romance as if it were yesterday. She’d caught his eye the moment he’d walked into the hotel. An air of innocence surrounded her like a cashmere cloak, drawing him like a siren’s call lured sailors on the high seas. Luciano hadn’t been able explain it. He’d never experienced feelings like that before, his instincts screamed at him to ignore them to concentrate on business only. But something stronger banished the negative screaming, telling him to find out who she was and make her his.
In hindsight if he’d trusted his first instinct and walked away, he would be in a different place now. But he hadn’t. For the first time in his life he’d fallen hard and fast for a woman. And look what that had given him—pain and the loss of a child he never got the chance to know.
The time to dwell on the past was over. The future was all that counted and he planned to re-write his future with Jasmine. Beginning right now.
“Jasmine?” Silence met his call. Had she left while he’d been attending his meeting? No, she wouldn’t have been that stupid. Her father meant too much to her.
Tossing the file he carried onto the table, he strode through the main room. Reaching the bedroom, he pushed the door open. He’d taken two steps into the room, before stopping abruptly, releasing the breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding.
Curled in the middle of the bed, a sleeping beauty lay. He wandered over to where she slept. In repose the innocent look which initially tempted him was back. Her hair spread damply against the pillow, indicating she’d had a shower while he’d been out.
Her delicate features called to him, she was so beautiful and he could no longer fight the desire to touch her. Reaching out he lightly stroked her cheek, her skin silky soft under his touch. He stilled as she murmured in her sleep, reminding him of the soft sounds she used to make when they’d made love. He waited breathless moments to see if she would wake, continuing his exploration when she slept on.
He trailed his fingers down her neck and across her shoulder. Memories of their past lovemaking assailed him as her subtle scent wafted over him. He recalled the soft vulnerable spot on her neck, finding it again, he nipped at it gently. His efforts rewarded with another moan from her.
He couldn’t wait any longer, the need to sample her lips strong. Raising his head he saw a soft smile on her face. It was all he needed. He lowered his head to take possession of her lips.
Chapter 5
Just one more taste.
One quick taste and then he’d walk away. He wouldn’t let himself fall into her trap again. The kisses they’d shared in the last few days had been for a purpose. He had needed to prove he was immune to her. He had needed to punish her for taking from him and then leaving. He now needed this one kiss to be for him.
He touched his lips to hers. He sipped at their fullness and when she opened up under him he deepened the kiss. They danced a slow dance, lips touching then retreating. He gathered her close, his body heating and hardening as he felt her breasts brush up against his chest.
His hand reached down, hovering above the tempting curves.
“Lukas?”
He pulled away, the softly spoken word enough to drag him out of the trance he’d fallen under.
He pushed her away as if he’d burnt himself on a sizzling hotplate. She fell against the pillows and he heard her soft cry of surprise.
He strode away from the enticing siren on the bed towards the open bathroom door, shedding clothes as he went. The subtle scent of Jasmine’s shower gel assailed him. The desire he thought he had under control roared back into life, like an express train.
He had to remember what she’d done to him. How she’d betrayed the trust he had given her. He couldn’t still be attracted to her. It had been months since he’d last been with a woman and he didn’t want to think about the fact that the last woman he had been with had been Jasmine. Her betrayal should’ve been enough for him to move on, but the vows and the ring he still wore reminded him he had unfinished business. His enforced celibacy was the only reason his body craved the feel of her soft, feminine flesh.
He turned the shower dial to cold and stepped under the spray, letting the water wash away any evidence of the desire he had felt.
He would not allow himself to weaken against her charms. This time he would make her fall under his spell but he wouldn’t fall under hers.
Jasmine closed her eyes against the searing memory of Lukas’s tanned back as he retreated away from her into the bathroom.
Her hand rose to press softly against her lips, feeling their fullness from Lukas’s kiss. She could almost imagine them back there. Teasing her into wakefulness, making her ache for his touch and then discarding her like a piece of trash.
She should feel humiliated at being used but all she felt was bereft. She wanted his touch. She wanted to surrender to him. She wanted to feel again. For so long she had been walking around aimlessly, lost with no hope of finding a way to go on. She’d been in a wilderness of coldness. But Lukas had rocketed into her life and the coldness had seeped away. Replaced by a slow burn that each time it got ignited, was snuffed out before she had a chance to fully grasp it.
She should reject him, should demand to be on the next commercial fight back to Perth. But if she did, her father would be ruined and she couldn’t live with herself if that happened. She had to be strong and resist Lukas if he tried again to seduce her.
Jasmine heard the shower shut off and quickly scrambled off the bed. She wanted to be dressed and looking relaxed before Lukas came out.
She shed her robe, fluffed out her hair and hurriedly pulled on her trousers and shrugged her arms into her blouse all the while trying not to imagine Lukas’s naked body, glistening with residue from his shower.
She was about to step out on to the balcony when she heard the door open. Turning in the direction of the sound she realised her imagination was way off base. In real life, Lukas was so much better. The white towel stood out starkly against his Mediterranean tanned skin. Droplets of water still clung and sparkled like tiny diamonds in the midnight black hair on his chest.
He lifted his head towards her, and she met his dark gaze. She had no idea what was going on behind the look and it was only when he raised his eyebrow in question that she turned away. Heat suffused her face and she clenched her fists so as not to place her hands on her hot cheeks, letting Lukas know how much he affected her. She walked out to the balcony without saying anything to him.
It was pathetic really. She was acting like a teenager on her first date with the star quarterback not a grown, married woman.
Jasmine sighed as she realised she was a combination of both, married woman and on her first date. As far as she could remember this was the first time she had spent any time with Lukas. But the way her heartbeat quickened when he got near. The way her lips tingled
in anticipation of his touch, all told her something else. Her body knew him. It was telling her they had a history.
Lukas was definitely the key to unlocking her memory. The flashbacks she experienced over the last couple days proved to her he was the catalyst. She had to figure out a way to get him to work the memories free, but keep her heart and emotions intact. She could succumb to his touches and fall for him without much effort. With one touch of his lips and hands, she had all but thrown herself at him.
Why had he kissed her when, the moment she mentioned his name, he threw her aside? He obviously found being called Lukas offensive now whereas before he had liked it.
Luciano.
She had to remember to call him that.
She gazed out at the ocean and hit the side of her head. “Why won’t you return? Why can’t I remember?”
How was it possible she could only lose a few months of her memory? The most important months of her life, when she’d met and married Luciano Morelli.
Why didn’t she have any wedding photos? Was there a reason for that? Was she ashamed of Luciano?
She didn’t think so. She only had to see how he commanded everyone’s attention at the opening to know he was a well respected businessman. Not to mention he practically oozed money. So why didn’t anyone know she had married him? How could they have possibly kept it a secret? And if it was a secret, why? Why hadn’t they wanted anyone to know about them?
The questions bombarded her mind. It was like this every time she wondered about her marriage. Why couldn’t she stop them?
“Are you ready?”
She jumped slightly, but took a deep, calming breath to banish the questions scurrying around her mind. She turned and faced him.
Could the man ever look scruffy? A man of Luciano’s calibre would never look incomplete. He had taken her breath away in a tuxedo. In a towel, he’d increased her body temperature tenfold. Now, her mouth was so dry even a gallon of water wouldn’t moisten it. In his casual clothes, it was as if he’d just stepped out of a GQ magazine.
Bound By Her Ring Page 6
