‘Of everything?’ Cordelia smiled, because what he was saying was music to her ears. ‘Is that possible?’
‘God, yes. I certainly have never lost control when it comes to sex, but I did this time and for that I apologise.’
‘Luca...don’t apologise. I...’ I absolutely adored it, loved it, was blown away by it... ‘I really enjoyed what we did.’
She’d never thought about what sex might feel like. She’d vaguely assumed that it was something that would happen sooner or later, when she found someone she actually wanted to date, someone she could envisage sharing her life with. That such a person hadn’t come along yet had not filled her with any sense of disappointment. Frankly, looking around at the nearby talent, she’d felt relieved that marriage and everything it entailed wasn’t high on her agenda because the choice of candidates for the post of potential life partner was lamentably non-existent.
Dreaming of the great, big world out there was a lot more fun.
And now...the great, big world had landed on her doorstep!
‘It’s not just about losing control,’ Luca said roughly. ‘I’m no good for you.’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘That was good sex.’ He decided that bringing it down to basics would kick the conversation off to a good start, put things in perspective for her. ‘Better than good,’ he amended. He thought back to the urgings that had prompted him to throw caution to the winds and taste, just for one wild moment, what it felt like to be inside her. Better than good didn’t come close to an adequate description. She’d been so unbelievably, fantastically tight around him. He frowned and focused.
‘But I need to remind you that this isn’t the start of...any kind of relationship. I’m not one of the local lads who’s going to come knocking on your father’s door to take you out on a date.’
‘I know that.’ She broke eye contact. The pulse in her neck was racing madly, and for some reason what he’d just said stung. She sat up abruptly and drew her knees up to her chin and stared out to sea. It was empty. No passing boats. No ship on the horizon. Nothing to make you think that you were anywhere but alone on an island in the middle of the ocean. When she glanced over her shoulder to him, it was to find him looking at her with pensive, brooding intensity.
It was a ridiculous conversation to have when they were both naked, she thought with a spurt of anger.
She felt suddenly vulnerable even though, lying there, he obviously couldn’t give a hoot whether he was clothed or not. She glanced down and immediately diverted her eyes. Erect or not, he was ridiculously impressive.
She felt her body jerk into uninvited reaction and clicked her tongue with annoyance because she’d just been given the brush-off, in so many words, and the last thing she should be doing by way of response was getting worked up all over again.
‘Do you?’
Cordelia gritted her teeth and ignored him completely as she sprang to her feet and hastily donned the swimsuit that had been shed with such enthusiasm less than an hour earlier.
Much better.
‘Of course.’ Her voice was a lot more normal when she looked at him now, as were her pulse rate and the general state of her nervous system.
‘If you hadn’t ended up half drowning...’ she said.
‘Don’t remind me. Men have fragile egos when it comes to that kind of thing.’
‘We would never have met. But here you are and I don’t think, for a second, that this is the start of any kind of relationship. I’m not on the lookout for a relationship! But I don’t get to adventure much and this is fun.’
‘Good. So we understand one another.’
‘Does every woman you happen to sleep with need a warning just in case they start thinking that you’re interested in a long-term, full-time relationship?’ She folded her arms and stared at him. He raised his eyebrows, amused, and she blushed scarlet when she had visible proof that he was getting aroused once again.
He idly took himself in his hand while he continued to look at her, and she reddened further.
He took his time standing up but even then he didn’t put on the discarded swimming trunks, choosing instead to saunter down to the water, whereupon he turned to look at her.
‘Another swim? Or food?’
Cordelia frowned. She was fairly certain that this was a serious conversation that should be afforded a suitable amount of gravitas. Instead, that crooked half-smile of his held just the hint of an invitation, and she found herself walking towards him, pulled in his direction by invisible strings.
She pictured him sitting on that rug in all his glory, tucking into the sandwiches she had made and wearing nothing but his birthday suit, and she strode into the water.
‘Well?’ She turned to him and folded her arms. ‘Do you always think that you have to warn women off in case they start expecting more than you want to give?’
‘More than I’m capable of giving,’ Luca surprised himself by saying.
‘What do you mean? What are you talking about?’
‘I’m talking about me, Cordelia. Me, women and my experiences with them.’ He turned away and began swimming out, his strokes long and clean, and she followed until they were both out in the deep blue ocean, their bodies adjusted to the cold, cold water, which felt good in the burning heat of the midday sun.
She flipped over onto her back and felt the sun pouring down over her. When she glanced across it was to find that he had done the same.
For one fleeting second she questioned what she had got herself into. This wasn’t the boy next door. This wasn’t one of the local lads who drank at the same pub every weekend and
