placed his hand in the middle of Jodie’s back in what
she bemusedly recognised as a classic male possessive
gesture, firmly ushering her away. She could feel
the warmth of his hand through her top, and the wilful
thought crept into her mind, like the incense smoke
rising to the light, that had they truly been in love she
might have turned to look up at him and smile at him,
and his hand might have stroked her flesh in mute
promise as he returned her smile. But they were not
in love, and she had absolutely no wish for them to
be in love!
'I wish we didn’t have to get married in church,'
she told him uncomfortably as they made their way
back to the Palazzo. 'It made me feel so guilty when
Father Ignatius prayed for us and for our marriage,
knowing that it isn’t going to be a real marriage.'
'A real marriage as in a sexual marriage, I assume
you mean?'
'No.' Jodie denied it immediately, but she could
see from his expression that he didn’t believe her.
'Real marriage is about much more than just sex,' she
persisted.
'But sex is a part of it — and you, as we both know,
are dangerously curious to know the reality of a man's
possession.'
'You keep saying that, but it isn’t true!'
'Your lips say one thing,' Lorenzo told her softly,
'but your eyes say another.'
She might be a virgin, but she could still recognise
the growing sexual tension between them for what it
was, Jodie decided shakily.
'I need to return to the Castillo for a few days,'
Lorenzo added abruptly. 'It would be easier to leave
you here in Florence, but, since we are so newly betrothed,
it would be better if you were to accompany
me. When is your next fitting for the wedding dress?'
'On Thursday.'
'Bene, we shall be back by then.'
Jodie looked at the emerald ring she had just removed
and replaced in its box, prior to getting ready for bed.
The apartment was well set up with burglar alarms,
she knew that, but even so she didn’t feel happy about
the thought of the ring being in her room overnight,
and would far rather it were in Lorenzo’s keeping.
Closing the box, she picked it up and hurried out
of her own room and across the corridor, hesitating
briefly before she knocked on Lorenzo’s bedroom
door.
His brisk 'Si?' had her opening the door and step
ping into the room, explaining, 'I’ve brought you the
ring. I wanted to…' Her voice trailed away as her
gaze slid helplessly over the smooth golden flesh of
his torso, where it was revealed by the unbuttoned
shirt he was removing.
'You wanted to what?' he prompted silkily, walking
past her to close the door before shrugging off his
shirt completely. The gold strap of his watch gleamed
subtly in the lamplight, the dark vee of his body hair
a silky mesh of male sexuality that riveted and
trapped her spellbound gaze.
Her mouth had gone dry. She touched her tongue-
tip to her lips, unable to focus properly on answering
him, her senses too overwhelmed by the sight of him.
He was so arrogantly, so devastatingly, so magnificently
male.
If just the sight of those broad shoulders and that
solidly muscled chest could make her feel like this,
what would it do to her to see him fully naked? She
drew a deep, juddering breath of silent recognition at
the ache uncoiling inside her.
'The ring,' she managed to tell him unsteadily,
stretching out the hand in which she was holding the
small box. 'I want you to have it.'
'Do you? Or do you mean you want me to have
you, to satisfy that curiosity of yours and to satisfy
you along with it?'
Beneath her angry outrage a shiver of something
sensual and excited stroked her senses. Was he right?
Was that secretly why she had come to his room?
Because she had wanted…hoped…?
Lorenzo watched as her expression reflected her
feelings. Somehow she was burrowing deeper and
deeper into his thoughts, causing him to question
things — beliefs — he did not want to question. He
might be better at concealing his desire than she was,
but that didn’t mean he was any better at controlling
it, he knew.
'I didn’t come here for that reason at all,' Jodie
protested belatedly. 'I just didn’t want to be responsible
for looking after the ring.' Could he hear in her
voice, as she could, her own uncertainty about her
subconscious motivation?
'As you Don’t want to be responsible for 'looking
after' your own virginity any more?' Lorenzo suggested
harshly. 'You are overwhelmed by your virginal
curiosity — admit it! It eats at you, and aches
deep inside you, keeping you awake at night, wondering…
wanting…'
'No,' Jodie breathed, but she knew she might just
