'No,' she whispered. They scare me. 'And that's ruinous, Claudia, because he's bad for me. He's dangerous. I'm reckless with him. He makes me want to be wicked. I spiral out of control. And I can't do that because I have to protect-'
'Luce. You know who you sound like, right? If there is one thing our father is good at it's the old brainwashing technique. Stop listening to his voice. It isn't wicked to want. Maybe … ' She let loose a heavy sigh. 'Maybe these two days are exactly what you need. But that's all I can give you before I have to tell Father. Though with his weak heart I'd rather send Lucas in.'
'It'll be like the clash of the titans.'
'My money is on Lucas,' Claudia said, in the confident, proud way only a wife madly in love could.
And there was Luciana with her money on Thane. What that said about her she wouldn't like to guess.
'Just … call me whenever you can, okay?'
'Okay.' Luciana sneaked another peek outside, to check he still loitered on the beach. 'What has Nate been doing?' she whispered achingly. She missed him so much.
'Playing with Isabelle, painting, making his list for Santa. You name it. He's as happy as a pig in muck. Don't worry. You weren't due back for a couple more days anyway. He's just munching his way through his advent calendar and waiting for his present from your trip since that's before the big day.'
Luciana smiled, glancing down at her case. The case Thane must have sent for. How dared he send her into another freefall when she'd just started detesting him?
'I have it for him. Will you tell him I'll text later and that I love him, Claudia? Please?'
'Of course I will. He knows you do. That little boy is rolling in love.'
But not the love of a daddy. Had she ever allowed herself to acknowledge that? No. Because she'd always thought that was something she couldn't give him.
Throat raw and swollen, her words hurt. 'I'll keep in touch, Claudia, I promise.'
'Be careful, Luce.'
At the dead tone Luciana tossed her phone to the bed and tilted her head, her hair sliding over her shoulder as she stared at the past.
Predator-like, stealthy footsteps sounded across the deck and her nefarious blood thrummed in exhilaration. Then his alluring scent hit her, courtesy of the ocean breeze: dark and divine and oh-so-drugging.
'Buenos dias.' Rich with heat and layered in sin, that voice curled around her body in a hot, hungry embrace, making her shiver with want.
Somehow he'd sucked all the oxygen from the vast expanse, so when she took a deep breath to peek at him and came up short the room did a crazy little spin. 'G … Good morning.'
A glorious full-bodied smile kicked his lips up and her heart into gear. And-oh, Lord-that solitary dimple she adored so much … The iridescent lustre of happiness in his black sapphire eyes … As if seeing her here, in his home, was the best sight in the world.
All it took was one long look and the burning butterfly in her stomach fluttered its wings, enflaming her mind with reckless, shameless abandon. Didn't they always say the real enemy was within? Ah, yes … Her body-the traitor.
He carded his fingers through his tousled raven-black hair and she was inclined to think he'd spent the morning at a magazine photo shoot for sex incarnate.
Suave black suit trousers hugged his mighty fine muscular legs, and he'd paired them with a slim-fit crisp white open-collared shirt for a look that oozed sinful gravitas and delectable danger. But that wasn't the worst of it. Nooo, of course it wasn't. Because the universe had it in for her, remember? So of course the delicious brute was clean-shaven, and that sexy scarred divot in his chin begged to be licked and kissed as she stroked that smooth jaw.
Groaning inwardly, she crossed her arms and winced when she chafed her heavy, sensitive breasts. Darn it. The man knew it too. Cocking one dark brow as if he knew precisely what he did to her. The wretch.
'It was wonderful to wake up with you in my arms again, Luciana.'
Her stomach did a slow, languorous roll. 'Oh, really? Did you do that without permission too?'
Mock affront widened his deep, devastating eyes. 'Absolutely not. In fact I had every intention of sleeping elsewhere. But you refused to let me go.'
'I … I did?'
He nodded with deep satisfaction and tutted, as if she'd been very, very naughty. 'You were most displeased when I tried to move this morning.'
Heat exploded in her cheeks. 'Obviously I thought I was in bed with someone else.' Surely that would set off his caveman alarm bells and twitch his temper?
Except all he did was take a lethal step towards her. And another. Until she felt hunted, pursued, desired beyond measure.
'No, it was definitely my name you were calling in that sexy purr of yours.'
He spoke with a debauched rasp and frisked his prurient gaze down the length of her, snagging it on her chest. His gaze was covetous. Heated.
And that was when she realised she was wearing only her black lacy camisole and panties.
'Oh, Lord … '
She yanked a loose, rumpled almond sheet from the bed-the bed they had slept in-and hastily wrapped it around her, toga style.
'There is nothing I haven't seen before, Luciana,' he growled, his voice thick with lust as he stepped up close.
'Th … That's not the point.'
Up came his arm and he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear-his touch as light and feathery as dandelion fluff-then trailed one licentious fingertip down her throat … over her décolletage … whispering scandalous promises to her flesh.
'Nothing I haven't stroked or licked or sucked or kissed before either. And I cannot wait to do all of those things again.'
Her core twisted with want even as panic shot down her spine. Was he trying to seduce her? Oh, no. No way. He wasn't doing this to her again. She would not surrender a second time. Regardless of that dissolute brooding certainty.
'I'm not giving you the chance.'
'Is that right?' he drawled with a devilish smile, as if the mere suggestion that she could resist him was delightfully droll. Horrid man.
Luciana stumbled back a step and hauled the white shift dress she'd taken to Courchevel to wear by the pool out of her case.
All fumbling arms, she wrestled herself into the dress and wriggled from the sheet, rambling to cover her discomfort. 'And, actually, there's plenty you haven't seen before. Twelve whole pounds of plenty. And despite what my mother says about curves being out of fashion, and how I'm not setting a very good example, I'm owning every one of them. Because one: I can't get shot of them, no matter how much I starve, and being hungry really is no picnic. And two: every single one of those pounds was worth the-'
'Worth the … ?'
Closing her eyes for a beat, she realised everything was too raw, too close to the surface. She felt like a tiny volcano that could erupt at the wrong word or look and spew forth the burning destructive truth.
'Those … ' She twizzled her index finger, making a little circle in the air. 'Round American chocolatey crunchy biscuits with cream in the middle. Can't remember what they're called off the top of my head.'
'Then when I meet these … ' he twirled his finger too ' … round American chocolatey crunchy biscuits with cream in the middle, I shall thank them personally. They look good on you.'
'They do?'
Aw, Luce, what did you ask him that for?
'Better than good.' He licked his lips, as if tasting her would be just as sweet and luscious. 'Fabulous.'
Yeah, right.
'Wow, considering how we ended up in bed the first time … ' In short, she'd had to beguile him into undressing her-not exactly ladylike behaviour. 'Your repertoire for seduction skills really has come on.'
His smile was full of virile disrepute. 'You only have yourself to blame. I was inaugurated and taught by the best, after all.'
Imagine who'd been slain in his bed ever since he speared her with a warped arrow of pain and pique. 'Then clearly I created a monster.'
Laughter rumbled up from the depths of his chest. 'I think you did, angel.'
With that, he glanced up at the canvas stretched across the wall and his smile faltered.
'Right there. It's a good likeness-a stunning rendition. Don't you think?'
She had to swallow around the great lump in her throat. 'Yes, it is. It's … beautiful, Thane.'
Why? Why did he have a painting of their favourite spot in Zurich? Where they'd stayed. A dramatic panorama of the Rhine Falls. Luciana could virtually hear the roaring rush of water, feel the moist mist peppering her skin, see the craggy jutting rocks, the Prussian blue lakes.
'Do you remember the day we met?' he asked distractedly. He stared at the scene with a deep frown. As if it was the first time he'd allowed himself to really look at it.
To remember was to open a vault she'd bolted shut years ago. A perilous endeavour, just as dangerous as he was. But, as always, this man silenced the screams of her self-preservation.
'If you hadn't walked by that day … ' Scary to think what might have happened.
'What were you doing there, Luciana?'
'Celebrating the end of finals.'
She'd caved in to temptation and jetted across Europe with some trusted friends from her politics class. And while her father had been under the illusion that she'd remain in London for another month, Luciana had gone incognito and ventured into her first foray into rebellion.