CHAPTER THREE
Aurelio stared at the woman before him and felt the ground shift beneath his feet.
His response to her, the feeling of connection, grew stronger every time they were together. He’d told himself he could enjoy a quick affair with her then walk away and resume his normal life without a backward glance.
How wrong he’d been!
He’d known she was passionate, clever and sexy as hell. She intrigued him and her business savvy had been just one more element that added to the appealing mix. Even her fluent Italian with its Australian accent charmed rather than jarred.
But he’d never fully appreciated the sheer dynamism of her till now. She stood, slender arms akimbo, jaw tilted defiantly, her cool, crisp tone completely at odds with the storm sparking in her light eyes. It was like watching thunderclouds roll in over the mountain peaks, he decided, seeing the flare and sizzle of emotion beneath those long, lustrous lashes.
Her colour was high and her breasts rose and fell quickly, betraying her laboured breathing. But she didn’t look cowed. She looked magnificent. Alluring. Beautiful. Even her patent disdain as she stared down that straight nose at him, did nothing to detract from her beauty.
He craved her.
The sight of her, the scent of her perfume, the knowledge he had only to stretch out one hand to feel the silkiness of her pale skin, were pure enticement.
Yet Aurelio stayed where he was, despite the urge to reach for her. He didn’t trust himself. He knew how dangerously Amber weakened his determination to keep himself separate. For if there was one thing life had taught him, it was that he needed to be self-contained. He’d survived the last decade by cutting himself off from personal relationships, other than with family, and by devoting himself to work.
‘You need this job so badly?’ The impression he’d had was that they’d be lucky to get her working for them. There was no doubt she was in high demand.
Something flickered in Amber’s eyes, something he tried and failed to decipher. Her gaze darted to the view outside of green vines with hills rising beyond.
‘I agreed to take on the work and I turned down other projects because of that.’ Her gaze slewed back to his, those gleaming eyes fixing him to the spot. ‘Your company selected me after a rigorous selection process and I expect to be treated with courtesy and respect.’ Her stare narrowed. ‘Would you treat any other contractor the way you have me?’
Of course not. But then he’d never in the past come close to mixing work and pleasure.
She hit close to the bone with her talk of fairness.
His own success in the wine industry was built, not just on talent and hard work, but the respect and encouragement of those who’d recognised and nurtured his talent. Success on merit was important to him.
Aurelio had never let his feelings compromise his standards before, but then he’d never felt anything like this bone-deep certainty that having Amber around would be catastrophic. Every nerve in his body was on high alert, screaming that she needed to go.
Either that or—
‘As I thought. This is because we slept together.’ Her mouth twisted in a moue of disapproval that only made him remember how those lush lips had felt beneath his. Heat exploded in his belly, and something else, a sensation that undermined his determination. He identified it as regret.
A defiant, rebel part of him even wanted to reach out and drag her up against his body, to remind her what they shared couldn’t be so easily banished.
Aurelio drew a deep breath, shaky with the force of will needed to squash that impulse. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and kept them there.
Amber shook her head. ‘But if you think that means I’m here to seduce you into my bed, you can think again. I can tell you,’ disdain dripped from every syllable, ‘I have zero interest in getting intimate with any man right now. That specifically includes you.’ Her voice rang with a clarity that left no room for doubt. Her expression was contemptuous.
Strangely, instead of reassuring Aurelio, he felt something like disappointment.
He’d persuaded himself Amber was like him, happy to slake the overwhelming wave of lust that had engulfed them with a short affair. He’d made it clear he wanted nothing more.
Yet now, having her repudiate him and their week of intimacy as nothing, grazed his ego.
No, more than that. It actually hurt. Because on some level that week with Amber Moncrieff had stood out from the other time-limited affairs he’d had over the years. It had been brighter, better, on a scale nothing else matched.
That’s why he’d cut all contact with her. Because he felt…different after being with her. Too restless. Too edgy. He’d known that what they shared teetered on a dangerous brink. That if he didn’t protect them both by walking away, things would end in disaster. He wasn’t cut out for anything long-term, much less permanent. The very idea filled him with horror.
‘You regret Rome?’ The words shot out before he could stop them. He couldn’t even say why he needed to know. Yet now they were out, lying heavy in the thick air, Aurelio realised he needed her answer. The thought she regretted their time together hollowed his gut. His chest was too tight, his ribs seeming to contract around his lungs.
Her fine eyebrows shot high. ‘I didn’t think you were into post mortems.’ One slim shoulder lifted in a nonchalant shrug. ‘We had our time together and it was fun while it lasted. There’s nothing more to be said.’
Fun! She thought it had been fun.