The Ultimate Playboy(83)

                ‘Because you won the swim race from the yacht and you’re not crowing about it. And you’re not firing questions at me any more.’

                ‘Perhaps I’ve had my fill for now.’

                ‘Right. Okay,’ she said.

                He couldn’t dismiss the hurt he heard in her voice. Turning, he watched her slim fingers play with the sugary white sand next to her feet. The desire to have those hands on his body grew until it became a physical pain.

                Abruptly, he leaned forward and opened the gourmet picnic basket that had been delivered by his crew. He bypassed the food and reached for the chilled champagne. Popping the cork, he poured a glass and handed it to her.

                ‘What are we celebrating?’

                ‘The end of our beautiful down time. We leave for New York in the morning.’

                Her eyes widened. Hell, he was more shocked than she was. His plan had been to stay for a full week. But the restlessness that had pounded through him all day wouldn’t abate and he needed to find some perspective before it was too late.

                At least once they returned to New York, back into the swing of things, everything would make sense again.

                ‘You’ve asked my every thought for the last six hours. I think it’s my turn now.’

                He thought of sparing her the chaos running through his head. Then he mentally shrugged. ‘I’m thinking why the thought of being free of you gives me no satisfaction.’

                ‘Wow, you really know how to make a woman feel special, don’t you?’

                ‘I don’t believe in sugar-coating words.’

                ‘Please, spare me the macho stance. You know how to be gentle. What’s going on here, Narciso? Why are you suddenly angry with me?’

                He met her cloudy gaze and every thought disappeared but one. ‘I’m finding how much I despise the thought of you ever taking another lover.’

                Shocked blue eyes darted back to his. ‘Narciso—’

                ‘Now I’ve felt you shatter in my arms, the thought of you with another man makes my head want to explode.’

                She gasped. ‘Did you really just say that?’

                He gave a harsh laugh and shook his head, as if testing his own sanity. ‘Sì, I just did.’

                Beautifully curved eyebrows rose. ‘And I’m guessing that’s the first time you’ve admitted that to a woman?’

                ‘It’s the first time I’ve felt that way about any woman.’ He shoved a hand through his hair.

                Dio mio, he was like a leaking tap! Yesterday, he’d bared his past and his soul as if he were under the influence of a truth serum; today he was contemplating the future and the ache of not having Ruby Trevelli in it.

                He knocked back the rest of his drink and surged to his feet. The crew member manning the launch a few dozen metres away looked his way and Narciso beckoned him over.

                ‘It’s time to go.’ Reality and the cut and thrust of Wall Street would bring some much-needed common sense.

                Unlike when they’d donned their swimming gear and laughingly dived from the side of the boat half an hour ago, silence reigned on the way back to The Warlock.