From the corner of her eye she saw Angelo yank off his T-shirt and toss it on the sand with the beach towels. The sun caressed the taut, muscled lines of his frame, burnishing his olive skin so that he seemed to glow.
It reinforced that fantasy she’d had before, of him as a fallen angel, beautiful, mesmerising and untouchable.
Ally’s fingers tickled as she imagined touching his firm chest, tracing a line down to his navel, then following the dark thread of hair that disappeared beneath his shorts.
Her breath hissed between her teeth and she ran into the water, barely noticing its cool caress against ankles, knees and thighs before she shallow-dived beneath the surface.
Angelo watched her rub her hair dry with a beach towel.
But it wasn’t her hair he was watching. It was the effect of that vigorous movement on her body. Ally’s breasts, deliciously full in that bikini top, jiggled enticingly and her taut rear shimmied when she turned.
She was even more alluring than he remembered, still slim but with fuller curves.
Yet it was her expression that dug down past his defences. Not because of sultry glances or pouting lips. Instead Ally wore a wide, open grin and the sight of it made something within him sit up and beg.
She looked radiant, her skin flushed with exertion, her eyes bright with pleasure and her hair a tangle of old gold, glinting in the sun as she dropped the towel.
‘Wasn’t it glorious? The water is so clear.’
‘You definitely have an affinity with the sea.’
‘Maybe that’s why I loved it here before. You said I never left the estate.’
Slowly Angelo nodded. It was true. Yet his memories of the past were of her lounging in the shade by the pool and occasionally taking a quick dip to cool off. He didn’t recall her swimming laps of the cove. Ally had only stopped when he’d reminded her of the need to take it easy or risk possible repercussions and the doctor’s wrath.
People change. Obviously she’s taken up new habits since she left you.
Yet it surprised him. In Angelo’s mind she was fixed in time and character, unchanging from the way she’d been five years ago.
Had their destructive relationship been a catalyst for change in her too? For the first time he wondered what had made her the grasping woman she’d been when they’d met. He’d never taken time to think about that.
Because their relationship had been shallow, grounded in sex and then the fiction of her pregnancy. He hadn’t probed deeper.
Now Angelo discovered he had more in common with his ex-wife than he’d had at the time of their marriage.
A love of the sea and of books for relaxation. A penchant for straight talking.
Last night, needing something to divert him from the intimacy of her company, he’d found an old classic film to watch, something he hadn’t done in ages. To his surprise Ally had not only enjoyed it but commented on it knowledgably, revealing a knowledge of vintage films that led to an animated discussion.
Angelo had enjoyed the evening more than any he could remember in a long time.
Now he enjoyed watching his ex-wife dress.
He told himself to look away and he did turn to shake out his towel. But from the corner of his eye he caught the wriggle of her hips as she pulled on loose trousers. For some reason they looked particularly sexy with the shadow of her bikini bottom clearly visible through the white fabric. As for the floaty green top, it settled around her, sheer and spangled and disturbingly tempting, giving tantalising glimpses of her body underneath.
‘Ready?’ he asked.
Another bright smile and it struck him that she was right. She seemed happier out of doors.
‘Sounds good. I thought I’d help Enzo after lunch. The storm played havoc with the garden. There’s still a lot of raking and pruning to do and tying things up.’
Angelo nodded, trying to get used to this new woman who’d rather work in the garden than sip cocktails on a lounger. He gestured for her to precede him up the steps so he could help her if she suddenly flagged. Though, given the way she seemed to spark with energy today, that was unlikely.
He realised his error when he found himself mesmerised by the seductive sway of her hips and the sight of her trousers clinging to her damp bikini, giving him a perfect view of her shapely derriere.
His body tightened and he forced himself to stop and look away, turning his thoughts to business calls he needed to make. Work would be a welcome diversion from this woman. There was an issue in New York to sort and—
Voices snagged his attention and he looked up to see Ally had stopped ahead on the bend where the track zigzagged back across the cliff. At that corner the path reached the side boundary of his property.