‘And, frankly, you’ve got an awfully high—’
‘Five…’
‘—opinion of your powers of seduction,’ she tried to scoff, but rushed the words.
‘Four…’ He slung his arm across the handlebars of the scooter, looking relaxed but ready—like a tiger waiting to pounce. ‘Three…’
‘As if you could get me to do it with you in a public place,’ she hedged desperately, her voice rising. Time was running out.
‘Two…’ He stood up on the scooter, looming over her.
She slapped her hands on her hips. ‘Now, listen here—’
‘One.’
Oh, hell.
She scrambled onto the seat behind him and grabbed two fistfuls of his T-shirt.
‘All right. All right.’ She yanked. ‘You win. For now,’ she said, sighing with relief as he sank back with a triumphant chuckle.
‘I’m so not finished talking about this, though,’ she continued, fighting a rearguard action as he revved the engine and she wrapped her arms around his waist. ‘You arrogant, oversexed…’
The protest was lost in the roar of the Vespa’s engine as it careered away from the kerb.
Issy clung on, her mind spinning, her tender breasts vibrating against the muscled sinews of his back.
As they sped over the Ponte Vecchio she caught sight of a couple embracing in the shadows of the ancient bridge. And agonising desire flooded between her thighs.
She held on for dear life. What were the chances she was going to be in any fit state to conduct a conversation, let alone an argument, once they got back to the villa?
Not a lot, actually.
After the fifteen-minute journey up the hill, Gio clasped her hand in his and walked through the darkened house. He didn’t utter a word. And neither did she. Too preoccupied by the thought of the animal passion they had already sampled to remember why she’d objected to sampling some more.
Within seconds of slamming his bedroom door, he had her naked.
As he flung off his own clothing she stood shaking, mesmerised by the hard, masculine beauty of his body gilded in the moonlight. Then her eyes snagged on the powerful erection jutting out as he sheathed himself.
And the animal passion that had smouldered all evening leapt into flame.
‘No more delaying tactics.’ He lifted her easily in his arms. ‘There’s nothing to understand.’ Gripping her thighs, he hooked her legs around his waist. ‘All we need is this.’
‘Why can’t we do both?’ she asked, as her back thudded against the door. But she knew she was fighting a losing battle as the head of his erection probed at the folds of her sex.
His eyes met hers in the half-light. ‘Later, Isadora.’ He planted a possessive kiss on her lips. ‘We’re busy.’ And impaled her in one powerful thrust.
She sobbed at the fullness of the penetration.
Okay, later works, she thought vaguely, as he sank in to the hilt.
A long time later, her body aching from an overdose of physical activity and sexual pleasure, they finally collapsed onto his huge bateau bed.
‘Do you think we’ll ever get to slow and easy?’ she mumbled, curling against his side and pillowing her head on his shoulder, so tired she would happily beg for oblivion.
She heard his chuckle, felt the soft rumble in his chest before his arm drew her close and his hand caressed her bottom. ‘That would be next time. Now, go to sleep.’
Her eyes fluttered closed as his lips brushed her hair, and she heard him take a deep breath before releasing it.