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truth about her marriage to Sergio’s father.

      It was hard, though, to abandon such long-held beliefs. For a while there just now, Bella had started thinking there had to be something more between them than just sex. It seemed perverse that she’d experienced more pleasure with Sergio than she had with any of her so-called lovers. Perverse also that she should feel so bereft when he withdrew and rolled away from her. In the past, she’d always been relieved when her lover had been finished with her.

      ‘Is sex always this good for you, Sergio?’ she asked as he reached for his clothes.

      Sergio wanted to weep. Instead, he somehow found a suitably nonchalant voice. ‘Not always.’

      ‘I’ve never felt anything like what just happened,’ she said.

      Against all common sense, her admission thrilled him. But he dared not look at her, lest she see the light of love glistening in his eyes.

      ‘There’s no rhyme or reason to sexual chemistry, Bella,’ he lied as he drew on his shorts and T-shirt. ‘Sometimes it is better than others. I also suspect you haven’t been with a man for quite some time—is that right?’ he asked, finally glancing her way.

      She was still disturbingly naked and made no attempt to cover herself.

      ‘I broke up with Andrei over a year ago.’

      He already knew that, the news having made his day at the time.

      ‘And there’s been no one since?’

      ‘No.’

      ‘No one-night stands?’

      ‘I don’t have one-night stands.’

      ‘What? Never?’

      ‘No, never. I can’t think of anything worse than having sex with a virtual stranger.’

      ‘That’s very...um...’

      ‘Old-fashioned of me?’ she said.

      ‘I was thinking more along the line of unusual in this day and age.’

      ‘I suppose you have one-night stands all the time.’

      ‘Not very often. But there have been times in my life when some mindless sex with a virtual stranger fits the bill.’ Like when I was going crazy after seeing you with that French sleazebag. ‘Look, if you don’t mind, do you think you could put your clothes back on? Unless, of course, you want seconds.’

      Bella just stared at him. ‘I’m not sure I could manage seconds. I feel a bit wrecked.’

      ‘You don’t look wrecked. You look beautiful.’

      She flushed. ‘I think you’re a devil with the ladies too,’ she said, reaching for her clothes. ‘Just like your friend Jeremy.’

      Sergio shrugged, thinking he was nothing like Jeremy. Jeremy didn’t fall in love. He always said falling in love was for fools.

      Not that falling in love with a woman as unique and beautiful as Bella should make any man feel a fool. If truth be told, if he put aside his prejudices over whose daughter she was, Sergio could see Bella wasn’t a chip off the old block. If she’d been a ruthless gold-digger like her mother, she’d have already married one of her wealthy lovers. That Russian billionaire had been mega rich. Neither was she as promiscuous as he’d imagined. She was actually very sweet and sensitive, a woman worth loving. A woman worth marrying, even.

      This last thought shocked Sergio to the core. It was one thing to fall in love with Bella. Another thing entirely to want to marry her. Now that was foolish. Aside from the fact that she didn’t love him back, Bella didn’t want to marry. She’d said so.

      But was she telling the absolute truth? Sergio wondered as he started packing up the picnic basket. Maybe she just said that because no man had ever asked her. Maybe it was her pride talking. Sergio hoped so. Because now that he’d had time to accept the truth of his feelings, he realised that falling in love with Bella was a game changer. He would have been content with a month of her in his bed when he’d believed it was just lust he felt for her. But a mere month of sex was no longer on his wish list. He wanted a lifetime of loving Bella, wanted her as his wife and the mother of his children.

      Hell, Sergio, you don’t make things easy for yourself, do you?

      Still, he’d already won over her body. Now all he had to do was win over her heart.

      Easier said than done.

      ‘So in your bachelor world, Sergio,’ Bella remarked thoughtfully as she dressed, ‘does a friend with benefits have to share?’

      Sergio wasn’t sure what she was getting at. Till the penny dropped.

      ‘I suppose you’re referring to the Countess,’ he said.

      ‘Call me old-fashioned—or unusual, if you prefer—but I wouldn’t like you to go from her bed to mine tonight.’

      Sergio liked her being jealous, or possessive. Or whatever you would call it. It wasn’t the same as love, but it was a good start.

      ‘I would never go from Claudia’s bed to yours, sweet Bella,’ he said, and leant over to kiss her lightly on the mouth.

      When his head lifted he noted a wealth of doubt still in her eyes. Sergio supposed he had no one to blame but himself. He’d painted himself as a swinging bachelor and was now living with the consequences. He imagined that Bella wasn’t about to fall for him—let alone marry him—till he showed he was a man of his word whom she could trust.

      ‘I have never slept with the Countess,’ he told her. ‘She is a friend and neighbour, nothing more. Look, why don’t you come with me tonight? I can easily ring Claudia and explain I have a guest.’

      She frowned, then shook her head. ‘No, no, please don’t. I really don’t want to have to wear that silly wig and be introduced as someone else.’

      ‘Then come as yourself. The Countess loves nothing better than to entertain a celebrity in her home.’

      ‘But I thought you wanted to keep my identity a secret!’

      ‘That was before. I realise now that I was being paranoid about the paparazzi. Besides, Claudia won’t tell anyone if I ask her not to. On top of that, what kind of holiday is it if you can’t relax and just be yourself?’

      Her frown dissolved into the loveliest of smiles. ‘You really are a very nice man,’ she said. ‘When you’re not being wicked,’ she added before he could take her compliment to heart.

      ‘I’m only wicked around you,’ he said, and she laughed.

      She was still smiling when they boarded the boat.

      ‘What’s so funny?’ he asked.

      ‘I was thinking how much I enjoy being your friend with benefits. I’m going to miss you when I have to go back to New York.’ She sighed. ‘If only you didn’t live so far away...’

      ‘There are planes, you know, Bella. I can be in New York in a few hours.’

      She looked genuinely surprised. ‘You’d come and visit me?’

      ‘I think I could be persuaded,’ he said, having resolved not to rush things.

      ‘What would I have to do to persuade you?’ she asked.

      He smiled what he hoped was a devilishly charming smile. ‘I’ll show you later tonight.’

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

      BELLA WASN’T OFTEN nervous these days. But she felt nervous tonight. Or was it excitement that was making her heart pound as she walked, hand in hand, with Sergio to the villa next door?

      I’ll show you later tonight...

      She hadn’t

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