Taylor Carmichael didn't need anyone to reassure her. She made her own choices and was confident in herself.
‘What would you do if I said I didn't like what you were wearing?' The question fell from his lips before he could stop it and she raised her eyebrows.
‘You don't like me in my underwear?'
‘That wasn't what I meant.' He wished he hadn't spoken and truthfully he could hardly concentrate. He was so hard his brain had ceased to function on any level above basic.
She looked at him thoughtfully. ‘To answer your question, if you told me you didn't like what I was wearing I'd probably just take it off. Is that what you want?' Her fingers toyed with the lacy edge of her panties and his mouth dried.
‘No, Cristo, don't take any more off. Put something on. Fast.'
‘But you said you didn't like what I was wearing.'
‘That wasn't … ' His flesh throbbed and his mind blurred. ‘Never mind. Just get dressed.'
‘Maybe I won't.' She stepped closer and slid her arms round his neck. ‘Maybe I'll tease you just a little bit longer. I still owe you for the opera.' Her mouth was a breath away from his and Luca felt his control unravel.
‘Taylor-'
‘Is there a problem?' Her lips curved slowly as she covered him with the flat of her hand. ‘Because I could probably fix that.'
The skilled stroke of her fingers made him groan. Her confidence in herself was as sexy as her body.
He'd grown up with a woman who needed constant reassurance and worked with women who were body obsessed.
He'd never met anyone like Taylor.
‘I thought you Were careful not to be caught doing naughty stuff in public.'
‘We're not in public. We're in your private, hightech garage with just your car as witness. And anyway, you're talking about Taylor Carmichael and thanks to you she's currently driving back to your palazzo. Which means we're alone.' Her hand slid slowly down his shaft and he groaned and hauled her against him.
‘This wasn't part of my plan.'
‘It's always good to be flexible. And talking of flexible … ' She curved her bare leg around his thigh and he gave in to it and pressed her back against the car, breathing hard.
He looked deep into her eyes and then his hands were in her hair and he was kissing her and she was kissing him and it was exactly as it had been the night before. Exactly as he'd remembered it. The intense chemistry, the desperation, the clawing need that made him ignore the fact that his relationship with this woman wasn't following the usual pattern.
It was the wrong place, the wrong time and not part of his plan but his hand slid low and found the wet warmth of her and he heard her moan against his mouth.
A loud crash in the distance had them both pulling apart.
Frozen, they stared at each other and then Luca gave a soft curse. He would have taken her right there. Right then and not paused to think about the sense of it.
‘Oops.' A strange smile on her face, she eased away from him and finished dressing in a flash. ‘Maybe this isn't such a good place after all.'
‘We could go back to the house.' His mind was a blur, his body rock hard.
‘No. You've arranged a secret night out for me. No one has ever done this for me before. I want to do it.' She grabbed the bag and tugged on a pair of floral shorts. ‘These clothes are hideous. Who chose them?'
‘Someone with no taste whatsoever.' But it made no difference, he realised. Whatever she was wearing, she was the hottest woman he'd ever met. Trying to think cold thoughts, he changed into jeans and slid into the car, ducking his head so that he didn't bang it on the roof.
‘Do you really think we won't be recognised?'
‘I sincerely hope not or my reputation as the head of a fashion house is for ever destroyed. I would rather shoot myself than have someone think I chose to wear this. Come on. Let's do this.' Making an effort not to look at her, Luca turned the key in the ignition, rolling his eyes as the engine coughed and spluttered. ‘Believe me, even if the clothes don't convince people, this car is a perfect disguise. Everyone who knows me also knows I wouldn't be seen dead driving this piece of garbage.'
Still laughing, Taylor was pushing stray wisps of hair into the wig. ‘Do you like me as a redhead?'
In the process of reversing the temperamental car out of the garage, Luca allowed himself a brief glance. ‘You look surprisingly cute given that you're dressed in something that should be banned by the fashion police.'
She pushed her feet into a pair of running shoes. ‘Are you going to tell me where we're going?'
‘No. It's a surprise. And turn your phone off just in case some nosy journalist is tracking you.'
Her eyes widened slightly but she turned it off. ‘You're a very surprising person.'
‘Surprising how?' He winced as the car bumped over the uneven road.
‘Doing this for me. I thought you only ever did things for yourself.'
‘I am doing this for myself. I want to have fun and you're no fun when you think people are watching your every move. Tonight you can be yourself. That's if we ever get there.' He pushed the accelerator but the car chugged along at the same pace. ‘I'm starting to think that it might be quicker to walk. What is under the bonnet? I think someone forgot to install an engine.'
She clutched the seat as they bounced along. ‘It must be killing you to drive something that doesn't go over ten kilometres an hour.'
‘Next time I'll hire a donkey. It will be faster. How are you doing with that disguise? Have you tucked away all your hair?'
‘I'm one hundred per cent redhead.'
Luca turned his head. But still beautiful. ‘Scrub the make-up off.'
‘You just kissed off the only make-up I was wearing. Where exactly are we going?'
‘To a charity concert at the Teatro Greco at Taormina.' He could taste her lipstick. Taste her mouth. Distracted, he crunched the gears and winced. He hadn't had trouble driving since he was a teenager. ‘You said you wanted to go to a concert, stand in the crowd and not be recognised. That's what we're doing.'
‘I-seriously?' She sounded doubtful. ‘I read about it and the lineup is fantastic but we'll be recognised.'
‘No, we won't because we're not in the VIP seats, angelo mia. We are in with the crowd just as you requested. You are no longer Taylor Carmichael. Tonight, you are Teresa, a good Sicilian girl from a strict Catholic family-'
‘You're kidding, right?'
‘And I am Tomas, the son of a local farmer who is hoping to get lucky.' Luca flattened his foot to the floor to try and overtake a tractor but nothing happened and he rolled his eyes and made a mental note never to complain about his Ferrari again. ‘We are sneaking you away from your strict parents, who would beat you if they knew you were out with me.'
‘You're enjoying this, aren't you?'
Luca discovered that he was. ‘Maybe I'm into role play. Think you can play the role of a virgin from Catholic school who has never been alone with a boy before?'
‘Sure.' There was a shimmer of humour in her voice. ‘Pull over and take your clothes off.'
‘Shouldn't you be shy and nervous?'
‘No. If I were a virgin from Catholic school who has never been alone with a boy before, I'd be desperate. So pull over and get your clothes off, Tomas.'
‘If I pull over we'll never get the car started again, especially not on this hill.' Luca shifted gears as he drove up towards Taormina. ‘How do you feel about pushing?' He winced as the car juddered over a bump. ‘On second thought, forget that. You don't eat enough carbohydrate to have the strength to push a pen across a desk let alone a car up a road like this.'
‘Are you questioning my strength? Because that probably isn't wise. I can take you, Corretti.'
‘I wish you would. I've been desperate since last night and that encounter in the car park hasn't helped.' Ignoring the instantaneous reaction of his body, he kept his eyes on the road. ‘Any time you want a repeat performance just leap on me and rip my clothes off. No prior warning needed.'
‘I'm a good Catholic girl. I have no idea what you mean.' But she was laughing and he was laughing too, as the car shuddered to a halt by the side of the road.
‘Let's walk from here. It will be faster and probably a lot safer. You do have the strength to walk, don't you? Ouch.' He winced as her fist made contact with his arm. ‘What a hot, spirited little thing you are, Teresa.'
‘Don't make me hurt you, Tomas.' Still smiling, she slid her arm through his and Luca frowned slightly and opened his mouth to remind her that they didn't need to play the role of an engaged couple tonight but she seemed more relaxed than he'd ever seen her so he closed his mouth and drew her against him as they joined the noisy, friendly crowd moving towards the arena.