He’d soon give up calling. She was making it easy for him, after all, moving out in time for his fiancée to move in.
Sonia’s pace faltered and she almost tripped. Then she moved on, more slowly this time. She was tired, that’s why she felt wobbly. She’d only fallen asleep as the sun rose and even then she’d been haunted by nightmares. So now she was running late for work. Great! What a beginning to the—
Her thoughts frayed as a pair of shoes appeared before her, blocking her path. Hand-stitched shoes, superbly made. She recognised them the same instant she caught a familiar aroma: subtle, spicy aftershave enhanced by the unique scent of Renzo’s warm skin.
Sonia jolted to a stop and looked up, disbelieving. But it was true. Renzo Veracini stood, deliberately blocking her way. Dark eyes pinioned her, blazing with emotion. She’d never seen him look like this. His brow was corrugated into a frown and his mobile mouth pulled taut.
She was used to him relaxed and charming, or concentrating on work, or even better, utterly focused on delivering sensual pleasure. She’d never seen him put out or angry. Right now he looked all that and more.
‘What are you doing here?’ At the door to her workplace, she realised with a flash of panic. Which meant he’d been waiting for her.
‘You didn’t expect me?’ His frown became a scowl. To her dismay she even found him attractive then. She wasn’t supposed to think him attractive anymore! He was poison.
‘No. I didn’t.’ Apart from anything else, he was never up so early.
She found herself devouring the sight of him. From his city-chic clothes to the potent aura of masculinity that betrayed the powerful man beneath the expensive garments. His eyes flashed fire and his chin looked more obstinate than she remembered.
He looked fantastic. And her body, ignoring the stern warning signals from her brain, came alive in familiar ways, from the tight budding of her nipples to the telltale softening at her core.
Even now, after his betrayal, he did that to her!
No wonder his latent anger pleased her. It was time he didn’t get everything his way.
She lifted her chin. ‘Why are you here, Renzo?’
‘For you,’ he gritted out, sounding like anyone other than the sophisticated charmer she knew. Yet, devastatingly, his words tugged at the yearning heart of her. ‘For an explanation. Come.’
He turned and gestured towards a gleaming black sports car that sat low on the cobbled street, parked, she realised, in a no standing zone.
‘I’m not going anywhere with you.’ She raised her voice and pedestrians turned to stare.
‘We need to talk.’
‘I have no intention of—’
‘Either here, in the street, for all the world to hear, or in my car. Your choice.’
For the first time, hearing the steel in Renzo’s tone, Sonia felt icy water trickle down her spine. He was serious. Maybe his ego was bruised because he wasn’t used to women walking out on him instead of the other way around. Whatever the reason, he wasn’t showing any of the sangfroid she’d expected when he discovered she’d left. Far from thanking her for ending a relationship that had passed its expiry date, he was riled.
Sonia moistened her lips with her tongue, about to refuse his demand, when she saw Marietta and Roberto, deep in conversation, turn the corner a block away, heading straight for them. She thought of Marietta’s predilection for gossip. Of airing the disaster of her personal mistakes in front of her boss.
‘Fine. In your car.’ She swung away, ignoring Renzo’s outstretched hand, and clambered into the powerful vehicle.
Minutes later it peeled away down the street. Neither of them said a word yet the silence boiled with emotion and unspoken accusations. Sonia watched the cars pass in a blur, trying to block out Renzo’s brooding presence beside her and his earthy spice scent in her nostrils. He’d taken over her life and now it was time to eject him from it once and for all.
He pulled the car to the side of a quiet hillside street looking down over parkland. Before them golden sunlight spilled across burnished grass and silhouetted a stand of tall stone pines.
The car’s engine ticked into silence. Sonia was supremely aware of the big man sitting close beside her. So familiar that she could almost believe the last twenty-four hours hadn’t happened. That they were still a couple, easy with each other as only lovers could be.
But they’d never been a couple, had they? Not really.
They’d had sex. Lots of it. And she’d shared herself, not just physically, she realised, but emotionally.
Whereas Renzo had shared nothing but that glorious body.
Bile bit the back of her throat and she swung round. ‘Well? Come on, Renzo. You wanted to talk.’
Was that surprise in his haughty face? Maybe no woman had ever called him on his behaviour before.