CHAPTER FOUR
‘MYASSISTANTBOOKEDIT,’ he explained with a rueful expression on his face, as though this were no big deal. ‘I specified the presidential suite, which has multiple bedrooms. She clearly misheard and arranged the honeymoon suite instead.’ Both pairs of eyes settled on the enormous king-size bed in the middle of the sumptuous bedroom. Olivia’s heart stampeded through her body. Everything since the wedding had taken on a surreal quality, as though with the saying of their vows she’d somehow morphed into someone else entirely.
‘I see.’
All she seemed capable of was thinking about kissing Luca. Her lips tingled with the remembered sensations of their wedding kiss, and every second that passed in the same room as him, with neither of them touching, was like a form of torture, a string pulling tighter and tighter until she thought it might snap. But to share a bed? Olivia had never slept with anyone in her life. Not in the sexual way, and not in the space-sharing way. It was literally beyond her comprehension to even imagine what that would be like.
‘I’ll sleep on the sofa,’ she said with a pragmatic nod. ‘I’m shorter than you—by a mile. It makes sense.’
His laugh was dismissive. ‘No one need sleep on the sofa, cara.’ Not just for show, then. The term of endearment rolled off his tongue with practised ease—and that was exactly what it was. Practised. Luca Giovanardi always had a woman in his life, he was simply using the term that came to mind fastest. It wasn’t impossible that he’d forgotten her name, she thought with a bitter smile. ‘We are going to have to share a bed once we return to Rome. We might as well start practising early.’ At her continued scepticism, he lifted his palms placatingly. ‘I’m quite capable of sticking to one side, and to making sure my hands do the same.’ He turned, taking a step towards her, so their bodies were only separated by an inch. ‘I presume you can make the same promise?’
Was he teasing her? ‘Of course,’ Olivia muttered, heat exploding in her veins. Their eyes met and an electrical current, fierce and obliterating, arced between them. Olivia couldn’t look away, but in the periphery of her vision, the enormous, sumptuous bed sat as an invitation, beckoning her—them—to join it.
‘Good.’ He didn’t move. Nor did she. The air around them thickened, holding them still, trapping them, and Olivia couldn’t muster an ounce of energy to care.
She badly wished she had more experience with men—but when and how would she have found the opportunity? She dropped her gaze to his lips, wondering how they’d moved so well over her mouth, wondering how he had the skill to evoke such a response in her.
‘Olivia.’ The word was a gruff command, so she frowned, forcing her eyes to abandon their exploration of his mouth.
‘Yes?’
‘We agreed to a platonic relationship, but if you continue to stare at my mouth in this fashion, I’m going to want to break that promise.’
‘I’m not staring at your mouth,’ she denied hotly, forcing her eyes to meet his gaze instead.
‘Yes, you are. I am a man of my word, but still a man, nonetheless, with red blood thundering through my veins. You are looking at my mouth as though you can will it to kiss yours, and you were doing the same thing in the elevator.’
‘Was I?’ Desire was so strong in her cells it left no room for embarrassment, even though she knew she’d feel it—in spades—later.
‘Yes.’
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—’ But the words tapered off, the lie failing, because he’d called her out, accurately. It was exactly what she’d been thinking. A furrow crossed her brow. ‘I just didn’t expect—’
‘No, nor did I.’
Her eyes flared wide, his confession surprising her. ‘You didn’t?’
‘No.’
‘When we kissed—’
He nodded.
‘I didn’t know it could be like that.’ She lifted her fingers to her lips, as though she could wipe away the sensation. ‘It was a charged moment. Our wedding, in front of a priest, saying our vows. It was probably just those factors that made the kiss seem so intense,’ she mumbled. ‘Right?’
‘What else could it have been?’ he asked, with a hint of mockery beneath the words.
She wished she knew. She had nowhere near enough experience to say with certainty.
He moved infinitesimally closer, his body swaying nearer to hers, so her eyes brushed closed as she surrendered to the moment completely. ‘If it were not for our deal, I would suggest we test your theory,’ he murmured. ‘But that would be foolish.’
She hesitated, her eyes locking to his. He was right. Foolish. Stupid. Wrong. And yet... ‘Surely, one kiss, on our wedding night, isn’t such a big deal?’
His eyes flared and passion exploded between them. ‘Are you asking me to kiss you again, Olivia?’
She wasn’t capable of answering. Her lips parted and then she nodded, an uneven jerk of her head as she tried to reconcile what she wanted with what they’d agreed.
Luca moved closer, and her body ignited, burning white hot with a need to feel that same spark she’d experienced at their wedding. His fingers laced through her hair, dislodging it from the elegant wedding do she’d had styled, his body cleaved hard to hers before he claimed her mouth. It was only in that first instant that she realised how restrained he’d been in the church. That kiss had been passionate and consuming but nothing like this. Now, his mouth ravaged hers, his tongue tormenting, his lips mastering hers and disposing of any doubts, his body’s proximity tantalising and insufficient. She wanted to feel him, to know him, to touch him, she wanted so much more than this alone.