LITMIR.BIZ

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and assertive, and very sexy, cara.’ The unholy gleam in his eyes was part teasing and part male admiration that sent another sizzle of heat through Sienna. Nico dropped his hands from her waist and perversely she wished he was still holding her.

      They had reached the door of the marquee, and when she followed him outside she took a deep breath to steady her racing pulse. In midsummer the days were long, and although it was past nine o’clock, darkness was only just falling, turning the sky a soft purple hue. The air was warm and sultry, filled with the mingled scents of roses and lavender that grew in wide beds in the garden. In the distance there was an ominous rumble of thunder.

      ‘I should go.’ As she spoke, Sienna checked her watch. She would have to walk back to the village where she had left her car, and it would be completely dark when she drove across the moors to pick up the main road that led to the motorway.

      ‘Come up to the house for a drink.’ Nico’s voice was casual, but when she glanced at him, something about his intent expression made her heart miss a beat.

      ‘I can’t,’ she said quickly before she gave in to the temptation to spend another hour with him. It was unlikely she would ever see him again after tonight and she resented the little pang her heart gave. She was so over him, she reminded herself sternly. ‘I had a glass of champagne when we toasted the bride and groom and I’ll be over the limit to drive if I have any more alcohol. Besides, it’s a good five-hour trip back to London.’

      He frowned. ‘You can’t make that long journey tonight. Why didn’t you book a hotel room?’

      She shrugged, not wanting to admit that she’d made a spur-of-the-moment decision that morning to drive to Much Matcham because she’d mistakenly believed that he was getting married and she had been curious about his choice of bride. ‘No rooms were available at The George, or at any of the local B & Bs. I suppose they were all booked by the wedding guests. If I’m tired on the way home, I’ll stop at a motorway services hotel.’

      ‘You can spend the night here at Sethbury Hall.’ Nico gave her a speculative look when she stared at him. ‘Why not?’

      ‘I can think of several reasons why it would be a terrible idea for me to spend the night with you.’

      ‘As a matter of fact I was going to suggest that you sleep in one of the guest rooms,’ he drawled. The amusement in his voice caused a hot stain of embarrassment to flare on Sienna’s cheeks and she was furious with herself for jumping to the wrong conclusion. ‘To satisfy my curiosity, why would it be a terrible idea for us to sleep together? We are attracted to each other and we’re both consenting adults.’

      ‘You’ve got to be kidding.’ She shook her head and tried to dismiss the erotic images in her mind of Nico making love to her on his huge four-poster bed.

      The gleam in his eyes made her wonder if he could read her thoughts. ‘What are you afraid of?’ he asked softly.

       That you will break my heart for a second time.

      ‘I’m not afraid of anything,’ she snapped. ‘I simply think it’s a bad idea.’ She hated that he tied her in knots and without another word she swung round and started to walk along the gravel path that wound around the side of the house. But she had only taken a few steps when a thunderclap shattered the still air. The noise was as loud as an explosion and Sienna jumped when a bolt of lightning zigzagged like a white scar through the sky that had turned black as the storm clouds mustered. And then the rain fell; big, hard raindrops that stung her bare shoulders and arms.

      In seconds it was a deluge. Nico grabbed her hand. ‘Come on,’ he shouted above the crash of thunder. Half-blinded by the torrential rain, she clung to his hand as they raced up the stone steps and across the terrace. Nico opened the French doors and pulled her behind him into the drawing room. Sienna barely noticed her surroundings. She was soaked to the skin and her dress clung to her body. Following Nico’s gaze, she glanced down and saw that her nipples were jutting provocatively through the wet silk.

      He had closed the glass doors and the noise of the thunderstorm outside was muted. But inside the room a different storm raged. The sexual tension sparked between them and Sienna’s skin prickled; every one of her nerve-endings acutely aware of him.

      Nico took off his jacket and threw it carelessly over the back of a chair. He shoved a hand through his wet hair and prowled across the room towards her, as predatory as a sleek and very dangerous jungle cat. He stood in front of her, so close that the flames of desire in his eyes scorched her and she could not repress the shiver of anticipation that ran through her.

      ‘Are you cold?’ His eyes were fixed on her breasts and Sienna lost the battle with herself.

      ‘I’m burning up,’ she admitted in a husky voice she did not recognise as her own. Maybe she was crazy. All right, she was definitely crazy, but she could not make herself step away from Nico. She had wanted him from the moment she’d seen him in the church today. But she was no longer a shy eighteen-year-old, she was a confident woman who knew her own mind and was in every way his equal.

      Although Sienna was wearing four-inch heels Nico towered over her. She watched his head descend and impatience swept through her. Pushing herself up onto her toes, she grabbed hold of his tie and pulled his mouth down onto hers. Just like when they had been in the church, the kiss exploded between them as their mouths fused together. He wrapped one arm around her waist and threaded the fingers of his other hand through her hair, cupping her nape and tugging her head back to allow him to plunder her lips with the mastery that was an integral part of Nico De Conti.

      Sienna couldn’t resist him. She had never been able to, she acknowledged. He was a sorcerer and when she was in his arms she was enchanted by his sensual magic. His kiss stole her sanity as he increased the pressure of his lips on hers and pushed his tongue into her mouth to explore her with mind-blowing eroticism.

      She had missed him so much. Memories she’d tried to suppress for years burst into her mind like fireworks, silver and gold, shimmering and incandescent. The past merged with the present as she pictured them naked, their limbs entwined, his hands sliding over her body just as they were doing now. He eased away from her a fraction so that he could spread his fingers over her breasts and caress them through the silk of her dress. The warmth of his palms was intoxicating but it wasn’t enough, not nearly enough.

      His jacket had taken the brunt of the rain when they had been caught in the storm, but his shirt front was damp beneath Sienna’s hands as she ran them over his chest. She could feel the heat of his body through the fine material and she tugged at the buttons, eager to touch his bare skin. Pulling his shirt tails from the waistband of his trousers, she gave a soft sigh as she spread the edges of the shirt wide and skimmed her fingertips over his bronzed, satin skin overlaid with whorls of silky black hair.

      His hands were busy too, sliding up to tug the straps of her dress down her arms. ‘There’s a zip,’ she muttered against his mouth when he broke the kiss so that they could both snatch a breath. He gave a grunt and claimed her lips again, hot and hungry, seeking a response she had no thought to deny him.

      She lifted her hands to his shoulders and felt him slide her zip down the length of her spine. He peeled her dress from her breasts and made a rough sound in his throat when he discovered that she was braless. He dragged his thumb pads over her taut nipples, making her gasp and shudder as sensation arced down her body to meet the ache between her legs.

      ‘You are exquisite,’ Nico said hoarsely, a hard glitter in his eyes as he stared at her firm breasts, each adorned with a dusky pink nipple standing erect. ‘Perfetto.’ Dull colour streaked along his sharp cheekbones and his features hardened, giving him a feral appearance that sent another shiver through Sienna.

      ‘Let me warm you.’ His voice was like rough velvet. ‘Hold on tight, cara.’ He scooped her off her feet, one arm around her waist and the other beneath her knees. She wound her arms around his neck and pressed her face against his throat, her tongue darting out to lick the faint saltiness of his skin. He tasted divine and, driven by an elemental need that only this man

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