She was very slender, with long, shapely legs, narrow hips, and a flat abdomen, but in contrast her breasts—bare beneath that clinging gown, Gregorio felt certain!—were full and pert, their creamy swell tantalizingly visible above the low neckline of her gown.His curiosity had been piqued earlier, as her coolly dismissive gaze had swept over the crowded foyer. Those eyes, the color of moss—an exact match to the gown she wore, which clung so enticingly to that curvaceous body—had paused on him momentarily before she had turned away, uninterested.Enough to quicken the interest of any red-blooded man!And especially one who had already found her so immediately attractive...There hadn’t been time for any introductions before the film showing, but Gregorio had been determined to meet her once they moved on to the party afterwards.She was even more beautiful up close: her skin was satiny smooth, those green eyes mesmerizing through lowered dark lashes, a deep peach gloss on the pout of
Declan’s grin widened. "I should warn you, Gregorio—it takes a lot to impress my little sister," he advised, before strolling off determinedly to rescue his leading lady.Chloe gave a rueful smile as her brother left her alone with this Lamberto—in Lamberto’s clothing!—without so much as a backward glance.Not that Declan had any idea of her ambivalent feelings towards the Sicilian film producer. There were some things you didn’t confide in a twin, and Alana’s humiliation at Gregorio Di Costa’s hands was definitely one of them!But, even so, her brother had to be well aware of Gregorio Di Costa’s reputation with women.On second thoughts, Declan probably saw leaving her to the legendary lethal charms of Gregorio Di Costa as a huge joke!Although she wasn't quite sure whether Declan intended that joke to be on her or on Gregorio Di Costa, Declan was as aware of her own elusiveness when it came to relationships as he had to be of the other man’s will-o’-the-wisp attitude towards them.S
Chloe could feel the heat creeping into her body as the intimacy in Gregorio Di Costa’s voice moved across and into her. She was aware of the way her breasts had swollen, of their hard and tingling nipples, and of the heat moving between her thighs.Not exactly what she had planned to happen when she decided to call this man’s bluff!"And while I am kissing you," Gregorio Di Costa continued in that low, sensuous voice, "I would like to thread my fingers into your beautiful hair, to feel its silky softness, to tangle it about my fingers as we deepen the kiss." And then I would like to release one of my hands to run the zip of your dress slowly down your spine, touching you as I do so, caressing the smoothness of your bare skin as I allow the gown to drop to the floor. Under the gown, you would be wearing nothing but a pair of silk pants—black, I think,’ he added, as he looked over her with slow consideration, "and sheer flesh-colored stockings""Are you trying to shock me, Mr. Di Costa
Those dark eyes warmed appreciatively. "Tomorrow evening, then? Say eight o’clock?"I’m busy tomorrow evening," she told him with great satisfaction.It was the truth, after all; she had a late shift at the hospital tomorrow. But even if she hadn’t, she would have made an excuse not to meet him tomorrow evening. If only to show him, she was less than eager to see him again.The fact that the warmth had faded slightly from those dark eyes and his lips were thinning more than justified her refusal.No doubt he was used to a more enthusiastic response to his invitations.No doubt most women would have put off any previous engagement in order to have dinner with him tomorrow or any other evening he suggested.Well, as Gregorio Di Costa was going to learn, Chloe wasn't like most women.And in his case, forewarned was definitely forearmed!She had no doubt, despite her own reluctance when it came to relationships, that she would have been totally bowled over by his deadly charm if she hadn’
But that didn’t mean that she hadn’t thought about Gregorio Di Costa a lot over the last two days—that she hadn’t remembered the delicious shiver that had run down her spine as his lips had brushed across the back of her hand and how her body had responded as he’d detailed how he would like to make love to her, while all the time that devilish sense of humor had glinted in his eyes.And she had guilty thoughts of him right now, as he sat in the restaurant, waiting for her to arrive, probably under the increasingly pitying gazes of the other customers. thoughts that kept intruding as she tried to watch her favorite film...It was only the memory of the way Gregorio Di Costa had so callously hurt Alana that made Chloe so certain she had been right to carry out her plan to stand him up tonight. The man simply didn’t have the right to go around breaking women’s hearts without even a backward glance. and especially when that woman was a friend of Chloe’s.Then why did she feel so increasin
As his own was rising now, as he realized that she wore absolutely nothing beneath those striped pajamas...As garments, they shouldn’t have been in the least sexy. They were obviously meant for someone much bigger in size—the shoulders hanging loose and the sleeves falling over the slenderness of her hands, and the trousers only held in place by the tie-string at her slender waist as they bagged about her hips. With their awful green-and-cream striped pattern, the pajamas should have been anything but sexually alluring. But the low neckline of the jacket revealed the slenderness of Chloe’s throat and a creamy expanse of her bare breasts as they thrust pertly, her nipples taut, against the cotton material.Gregorio could imagine nothing more erotic than slowly undoing the buttons down the front of the pyjama jacket to reveal those thrusting breasts, then lavishing the full attention of his lips and tongue across her hardened nipples...‘My diagnosis?’ Chloe echoed, moistening her lips
His body hardened just at the thought of a naked Chloe moving effortlessly around the kitchen as they prepared a meal together, at the image of the fullness of her naked breasts and those lean hips and thighs with a triangle of fiery red hair at their apex...Having arrived at Garstang on time this evening, he had been at first irritated, then worried, when Chloe hadn’t arrived at the restaurant at the appointed time. Then the pendulum had swung to anger as the minutes ticked by with no sign of her arrival or a telephone call to explain her tardiness.It had been almost a relief when Nelson, the maître d’, approached his table with the message that Chloe had telephoned and was unable to join him after all because she wasn’t well.Almost…Because Gregorio hadn’t been fooled for a minute by the telephone message. In fact, he was sure that Nelson hadn’t been either. The surprised look in the other man’s eyes was in complete contrast to his politely bland expression! Gregorio knew that if
"I told you not to even think about it!" She warned sharply, and as her gaze fixed on his, she continued to back away—only to come to an abrupt halt as her back hit the wall.Leaving her trapped by the obviously determined Gregorio Di Costa."Stay away from me," she told him breathlessly, eyes wide with apprehension as he continued to move stealthily towards her.Like the stalking predator he was..."Are you sure that’s what you really want, Chloe?" he questioned, and he took the two steps that brought him to stand dangerously close to her.Chloe wasn’t sure of anything any more—except that she didn’t dare allow Gregorio Di Costa to kiss her.Because, against all logic and all her inner warnings that this man was a consummate flirt as well as a selfish playboy, she wanted him to kiss her!Her body ached with wanting to feel his hard, sculptured lips against hers; her nipples were tingling with awareness; and her inner thighs were warm—becoming warmer by the second!"I didn’t think so,