Gino’s Arranged Bride

‘Yes-yes, but-’

‘Are you aware that it’s been reported stolen?’

‘But it can’t-’

‘Officer, read him the report.’

He produced a small cassette radio from under his coat, while Laura began to read from the notebook in a fierce, official voice.

‘Henry Rufford, it is here reported that on the twentieth day of August you did reach the age of fifty-five years, and that in consequence your friends have clubbed together to wish you Happy Birthday! ’

Rufford burst out into relieved laughter. Mark hit a button, making music come from the cassette player, and Laura went into action.

With a swift movement she whipped off the jacket, revealing the top of the red satin basque. An appreciative roar went up from the watching men. Then the skirt came off, revealing the rest of the basque, fringed with black lace, and stockings.

She began to sway with the music, smiling at the audience but always keeping her distance. Gradually she began easing the gloves down her arms, and the roars grew.

The sound startled her. Removing a glove was innocent enough, surely?

Just watching it removed is exciting. That was what Gino had said.

She started on the other glove, sliding it down inch by inch. Henry Rufford leapt to his feet and planted himself in front of her, ogling her bosom with eyes that were practically on stalks.

What happened next was too fast for him to follow. The punch that connected with his chin came out of nowhere, knocking him off his feet. As he sprawled on the floor the contents of a beer mug were deposited over him, and a coldly furious voice in his ear said, ‘You’re lucky to be alive.’

‘Gino-’ Laura started to protest.

‘Silenzio,’ he snapped, rising to confront her. ‘You leave this place.’

‘Look-’

‘No, you look. I tried doing it your way. Now we do it my way.’

Before she realised what he meant to do Gino lifted her off her feet. The next moment he was storming out of the building with Laura tossed over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

CHAPTER NINE

‘JUST what do you think you’re doing?’ Laura demanded crossly as they emerged into the street. She was struggling to free herself but Gino’s arm across her back was immovable.

‘What I should have done earlier,’ he said.

‘There’s no need for you to act like a caveman. Will you please put me down?’

‘Sure. We’re here now.’

He’d reached the car. Opening the rear door he set her down, keeping hold of her and silently indicating for her to get in. It would have given Laura great pleasure to refuse but she couldn’t risk a scene in the street, especially dressed as she was. So she climbed into the back of the car and sat, seething in silence, as they drove home.

To her relief the house was dark and empty.

‘I think we should go upstairs,’ she said grimly when the front door had closed behind them. ‘There are things to be said.’

‘There certainly are,’ he agreed, indicating the stairs with an ironic gesture. ‘After you, my lady.’

The events of the evening must have affected her, for she was uncomfortably aware that her scantily clad behind was right in his sights as they climbed the stairs. Or perhaps it was something new about Gino himself that made her intensely conscious of her own body.

When they were safely in the bedroom she rounded on him. ‘You’ve got a nerve, Gino, acting like that, showing me up-’

‘You were making a pretty good job of that yourself.’

‘I told you what would happen-’

‘You told me you could cope.’

‘So I could.’

‘Rufford was trying to grope you up,’ he shouted.

‘I could have handled him.’

‘That’s what he wanted,’ Gino said crudely.

‘To think I used to believe you were a civilised man.’

‘No, I’m an Italian. It’s not the same. I have my own notions of “civilised”, and they don’t include standing by while my wife strips for other men. And don’t hand me that line about how innocent it is because I saw their eyes.’

He was breathing hard. ‘Every man there wanted to tear the last piece of clothing off you, and it wouldn’t have been difficult.’

‘It would have been impossible because I wouldn’t have allowed it,’ she said hotly.

‘You think you’d have had any say? It would be easy to pull open that bow at the front-like this.’

With one swift movement he proved his point. Just one little tug at the satin strings that tied the basque in the front, and the knot slid undone. Another tug at the strings and the whole lace-up down the front was loosened.

Laura stared down at herself, then up at him. Her heart beat faster at something she saw in his eyes. He was watching her, trying to read her expression.

‘You see how easy it is?’ he asked softly. ‘You were never as safe as you thought in this flimsy thing. It only needs one man without any manners.’

As he spoke he was twining his fingers in the strings, easing them open, widening the gap so that the two sides fell further apart, revealing her waist and her breasts.

A pulse in her throat was making it hard to speak, but she managed to say, ‘I’ve never before met a man without any manners.’

‘You have now,’ he said, his eyes on her breasts.

Now he was pulling the string out, letting it slither through the holes, so that the basque fell further and further apart until it was completely released, and he tossed it aside.

His next act took her by surprise. Placing his hands on her waist he lifted her up high, as easily as if she weighed nothing.

As he lowered her gently he drew her closer, so that his face fitted naturally between her breasts. At once Laura forgot all notion of quarrelling with him. Who needed it? Overwhelmed, she took his head between her hands, pressing his face against her, feeling his mouth against her flesh.

The sensation was so good that she let out a long sigh of satisfaction. This felt right and she was ready to give herself over to it totally.

She could feel Gino shaking as he lowered her slowly to the ground and began raining fierce kisses on her neck, her throat. He kissed like a man who’d restrained himself for too long and wouldn’t be denied now. His mouth moved over hers with purpose, coaxing and demanding at the same time, in a way that deeply excited her.

She pressed closer to him, offering her own mouth to his, answering his desire with ardour of her own. She’d thought passion was dead in her. Instead it had been banked down, waiting for the touch that would ignite it and bring it to new heights.

He lowered her quickly onto the bed and began to strip the clothes from his tall, lean body. Seeing him naked, Laura realised that his shoulders were broader than she had thought, the thighs more powerful, deepening her impression that this was a man she’d never really known.

He was ready for her, his urgency unmistakeable. The sight made her heart thump faster as she thought of what must happen soon.

But at that moment Gino stopped as though an arresting hand had been put on his shoulder. Instead of lying on