LITMIR.BIZ

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thought about that for a second or two. ‘I won’t wear either ring,’ she decided.

      ‘Meaning our sexual relationship has nothing to do with the rest of this?’

      Unless he was able to fake what was happening there as well. Then she nodded, because the sex was the only truly honest part of this.

      He said nothing but just sighed and went to open the car door—then suddenly changed his mind. He turned on her, caught her chin in his fingers, then dipped his head for a third, definite, lipstick-stealing, full-blooded, possessive lover’s kiss.

      ‘The sexual part of this relationship does not stay behind in the bedroom, Rachel,’ he stated harshly. ‘Remember that, while you fix your lipstick again …’

      He climbed out of the car then, leaving her sitting there trembling and shaken by the anger which had erupted from him.

      What was the matter with him? Why should he care which ring she wore, so long as she didn’t make him look the cheap fake?

      Her lips felt tender and bruised this time as she reapplied the lipstick. He’d walked around the car and was now standing with her door open, waiting for her to join him on the pavement.

      It was chilly outside and her satin jacket had not been made to keep the cold out. She shivered. He stepped closer, fitting her beneath his shoulder and curling his hand into her waist.

      Gosh, don’t we look the picture of romance? she thought dryly as he walked her towards the restaurant.

      ‘Smile,’ he instructed as he pushed the door open.

      Rachel looked up to find that he was looking down at her. One of those frozen in time moments suddenly grabbed them, locking them inside their own private space.

      ‘Heavens, Raffaelle,’ another voice intruded. ‘You were out there so long we were about to lay bets as to whether or not you were going to just take her back home again.’

      ‘As you see, Daniella,’ he came back smoothly, ‘Rachel’s manners are so much better than mine …’

      He held Rachel’s eyes as he said it. He watched her cheeks warm to a blush when she realised what Daniella had meant. Then he took hold of her hand and lifted it to his lips. The engagement ring sparkled as he kissed it. Her soft pink pulsing mouth gave a telling little quiver that shot an injection of heat down to his groin.

      Someone else spoke—he did not know who. When he turned, he could barely make sense of the blur of faces all smiling at them.

      What the hell was the matter with him? Was he sickening for something to have double-vision like this? It would be the first germ to catch him out since his childhood, he mused grimly, frowning as he looked back at Rachel.

      Her face was in perfect focus. He did not like what that discovery was trying to say to him. With a taut shift of his shoulders, he pulled himself together and turned to face his dinner guests again, then switched on his lazy smile.

      ‘Buona sera, he greeted. ‘My apologies for keeping you waiting when I know you are dying to meet my beautiful Rachel…’

      CHAPTER NINE

       MY BEAUTIFUL Rachel…

      And so began the worst evening of his beautiful Rachel’s life.

      Raffaelle’s stepsister did not believe a single word that either of them said to her. The others were more than happy to welcome her into their set, but they too were surprised and curious about this complete stranger who had arrived out of nowhere into Raffaelle’s life.

      Rachel supposed she should be relieved that Daniella seemed to have kept her suspicions to herself—or maybe she was too scared of Raffaelle to actually say what she thought outright. But she quizzed Rachel mercilessly about Elise.

      ‘How is she?’

      ‘Wonderful, taking a holiday in Florida with her husband and son.’

      ‘You two met through Elise?’

      ‘No, we met at a dinner party given by friends of Leo and Elise.’

      Daniella had eyes like bitter chocolate which constantly flicked from Rachel to Raffaelle. ‘Both of you were very secretive about this romance.’

      ‘Rachel liked it that way,’ her stepbrother answered. ‘We liked it that way. Look at what happened the moment we were seen in public. It turned into a witch-hunt.’

      ‘When a woman throws herself at you in front of a reporter, it tends to have that effect. So does standing naked in a bedroom window.’

      Rachel flushed but Raffaelle remained completely unruffled. ‘Behaving like a spoiled child who does not like to know she has been left out of a secret is very unappealing,’ he responded lightly.

      Reducing her to the level of a spoiled child may have silenced Daniella but it did not kill her suspicions about Rachel not being who she claimed she was—as she made very clear the moment she got Rachel alone in the ladies’ room.

      ‘I know he was seeing Elise Castle because it was me who told him she was married with a small son! So don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes, Miss Carmichael. That ring is a fake, just as everything else about you is fake.’

      Rachel looked down at the sparkling diamond and sapphire cluster adorning her finger and grimaced. ‘I don’t want to fight with you, Daniella—’

      ‘Well, I want to fight with you,’ Daniella said fiercely. ‘I saw you throw yourself at Raffaelle the other night. I saw his rage. I think you and Elise are trying to blackmail him!’

      Apart from the fact that she was so close to the truth it was scary, Rachel had to feel for Daniella if only because she looked and sounded so worried and protective of Raffaelle.

      ‘And you aren’t drinking alcohol!’ Daniella said suddenly. ‘Are you pregnant, is that it? Did you have a fling with him, as well as your sister, and now you’re demanding marriage?’

      Rachel stared at the other girl as if she had just grown two heads. Was she psychic or what? ‘I don’t drink.’ She iced out the lie with as much calmness as she could. ‘And repeat your accusations to Raffaelle, if you dare,’ she challenged.

      Then she turned and walked out of the ladies’ room. Raffaelle took one look at her flushed angry face and stood up before she could sit down.

      His arms came around her. ‘Problems?’ he asked.

      Rachel shook her head, aware of the others listening. ‘Just a—headache,’ she offered as a very weak excuse.

      ‘Then we will leave.’

      It was not a suggestion and Rachel did not argue with him. As they made their farewells Daniella came back to the table. One slicing glance at her stepbrother and her chin shot up in defiance.

      To make everything feel even worse, a camera flashed as Raffaelle was helping Rachel on with her jacket. He’d lowered his head to kiss the side of her neck in one of those loving displays he’d been putting on all evening.

      ‘What was it with Daniella?’ he demanded the moment they were back in the car.

      ‘She knows,’ she responded.

      ‘She knows what?’

      ‘Everything,’ she answered heavily. ‘She thinks I’m blackmailing you over your affair with Elise.’

      ‘You were blackmailing me,’ he pointed out dryly.

      ‘She also accused me of being pregnant because I wasn’t drinking tonight, and of having a fling with you at the same time you were with Elise.’ She grimaced. ‘Great reputation you have there, Signor, when even your own family can believe you are capable of swinging it with two women at the same time.’

      ‘She’s

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