‘Ally, I’m sorry.’
‘Stop saying that!’ Her mouth tightened. ‘There’s nothing to be sorry about.’
She paused to draw a deep breath and Angelo forced himself not to follow the rise of her breasts beneath their thin cover.
‘There’s no harm done. It was just sex. Millions of people do it all the time. You used protection so there won’t be consequences.’ Yet Ally’s voice was clipped and her shrug looked anything but insouciant. Angelo read tension in the movement. ‘And if it wasn’t as good for you as it usually is...’ another lift of tight shoulders ‘...I’m sure you’ll get over it.’
Angelo frowned at her. ‘Not as good as usual?’
He reeled. Her dismissivejust sexcomment had thrown him, and now she implied what they’d shared was substandard.
Ally turned away, but Angelo was so close it was hard to avoid looking at him. Plus he was naked, sitting there unfazed by his lack of clothes, while her stupid pulse pattered faster and her insides turned to mush all over again.
Given his magnificent body it wasn’t surprising that he was comfortable naked. More comfortable than she was. He’d probably had plenty of lovers too, considering his charisma and good looks. And given his obvious expertise in pleasing a woman.
Ally shivered and tried to rein her wayward thoughts back in, away from the memory of him using his mouth, hands and toned, virile body to bring her to ecstasy.
‘Ally, I—’
‘No. Please.’ She lifted her palm. ‘Don’t apologise again.’
She didn’t think she could cope with him saying sorry any more, reinforcing how much he regretted their spur-of-the-moment coupling.
She’d already had time to work out that Angelo had been driven by fury at what he’d believed to be his ex-wife’s scheming and now he thoroughly regretted what had been, for her, an amazing experience. He’d shot out of bed without a word.
‘I wasn’t going to apologise.’
Was that impatience in his voice? She met his eyes then looked away again, horrified by the fluttering feeling in her chest. Just the sight of him undid her.
‘Good. I think—’
‘I was going to say that what we just shared was anything but disappointing. It was fantastic.’
As if tugged by an invisible string, her head turned towards him. Did he mean it? She wanted to think so, but she couldn’t tell if his words were just to reassure her. He met her stare easily, but what did that prove?
‘I’m glad you think so,’ she said carefully.
‘Of course I do.’ He leaned closer, his expression earnest. ‘It was...spectacular.’
It sure was. For her, at least.
But she couldn’t shake the idea that Angelo tried too hard to reassure her. He’d climaxed but, on a scale of one to ten, could intercourse with an inexperienced virgin compete with hot sex with someone who matched him for sensual experience?
Someone like his ex-wife.
The woman he’d thought he was bedding.
The woman, Ally realised, with a sick feeling in her middle, he still desired, despite what had passed between them.
Thatwas why his emotions had been roused tonight, fuelled by his unwilling attraction for the woman who’d betrayed him. The woman he still wanted. He’d been jealous, imagining her with Oliver.
Thatexplained his sudden and complete withdrawal when he’d discovered she wasn’t Alexa. He’d only kept going because Ally had pleaded with him. Fierce heat swamped her at the thought. Pity sex, they called it.
‘So, we’ve sorted that out. It was very nice and now it’s over.’
One large hand reached out and captured hers, planting it, palm down, on his bare thigh. Ally felt the furnace heat of his body, the twitch of powerful muscle and the tickle of dark hair under her hand. It sent some signal to her brain which immediately stirred her crazy hormones back into action.
As if, having had her once, Angelo might be interested in more!