‘What does it feel like to know that this is all that exists between us?’ she murmured.
If it was true, it would hurt him maybe more deeply than any pain he had known in his life, Sergio acknowledged. But he had heard the tremor in her voice and recognised the inherent tenderness of her caresses, and he was certain that she felt more for him than simply sexual desire. It was in her kiss when she arched above him and claimed his mouth with heart-shaking passion. He glimpsed it briefly in her eyes when she guided herself down onto him and took his rigid length inside her, inch by inch, pausing while her internal muscles stretched to accommodate him. Her lashes lowered and hid her expression. But he thought he had seen love there. He wasn’t sure. But it gave him hope that perhaps there was a chance he could win her back.
Desire took over wild and wanton as she rode him, her slender body moving with instinctive grace while he cupped her breasts and played with her nipples, increasing her pleasure, escalating her excitement so that she threw her head back and made love to him with an abandonment that touched his soul. They climaxed simultaneously, breathing hard and fast in those moments of sheer physical ecstasy, their hearts thundering in unison when she collapsed on top of him and Sergio wrapped his arms around her and threaded his fingers in her hair.
Eventually the world righted itself and Kristen lifted herself off Sergio and moved away from him. It was ridiculous to feel shy, but she couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze. Making love with him had been heaven, but now the gates of hell beckoned as she wondered if she had given herself away. Had he guessed that desire was only one part of what she felt for him? She had taunted him that sex was all she wanted from him, but she had a horrible feeling that he knew she had been lying.
He confirmed her fears when he propped himself on one elbow and gave her a lazy smile. ‘I think it’s fair to say we have proved irrefutably that desire is an excellent reason for us to get married.’ He paused for a heartbeat before adding softly, ‘Another reason is that we forgot to use protection, so unless you are on the Pill there’s a chance you could have conceived my child.’ He met her stunned gaze with an enigmatic expression. ‘I’ll start to organise the wedding immediately.’
Dear God! How could she have been so stupid? Feeling numb, Kristen slid off the bed and wrapped Sergio’s shirt around her. Without saying a word, she walked into the adjoining sitting room and stood by the window, which looked out over the lake. The setting sun had turned the water to gold and beyond the lake the Sicilian countryside was bathed in mellow light while in the distance tall pine trees were silhouetted against the pink sky. The beauty of the scene, the feeling of being insignificant in the vastness of the universe, intensified the ache in Kristen’s heart.
She heard Sergio come up behind her and when he placed a hand on her shoulder she spun round to face him. ‘How can we get married when a day ago you believed I was responsible for the bruises on Nico’s legs?’ she said shakily. ‘We are virtually strangers. If you knew me at all you would have realised that I would cut my heart out rather than hurt him.’ She swallowed. ‘Do you have any idea how I felt when I realised you had taken him? What kind of relationship would we have when there is no trust between us?’
The shadows in her eyes warned Sergio that she deserved to hear the truth, even though that meant finally opening himself up and revealing the grim secrets of his childhood.
‘I trust you,’ he said intently. ‘But I admit that when I saw the bruises on Nico my reactions were purely instinctive. My only thought was to rescue him.’
‘You believed he needed to be rescued from me?’ Kristen blinked back the hot tears burning her eyes. ‘Do you really think I am such a terrible mother?’
‘No. Not now that I have watched you with him and seen how deeply you care for him. But in London...’ Sergio hesitated and took a swift breath ‘...I wondered if you were like my mother.’