Taken For His Pleasure

‘Lydia?’ he murmured, clearly confused by the change in her.

‘I have to pack…’ She shook her head as if to clear it. ‘I’ve got an appointment at the hairdresser…’

And he should have understood, should have been versed by Detective John Miller about the plan. But he just stared back at her. Lydia thought she understood his confusion—John would have told him that he wasn’t to be left alone!

Her mind raced for a solution and almost instantaneously found one. ‘We could go up to my room,’ she said, suddenly desperate to get away from the pool, to find out just what the hell was going on and—perhaps more importantly—face this man dressed!

But she stopped talking abruptly as she heard loud chattering in the corridor outside. Aware of the potential precariousness of the situation she moved quickly, putting herself between Anton and the doorway.

‘What are you doing?’ He sounded irritated, confused by the change in her, but there was no time for explanation as Maria and another woman appeared. Although Maria was still dressed in her white robe a towel was rolled up under her arm, and Lydia knew that she was now armed.

‘Signor Santini, che cosa fa qui?’

A large, irate woman Lydia could only assume was Angelina gesticulated wildly as she addressed her boss.

‘Sto nuotando!’ came Anton’s curt reply.

Lydia bobbed under the water and swam towards the edge, her hands gratefully reaching the silver of the rail, dragging herself up the steps. It was as if the marrow had seeped out of her bones, and her legs were weak as she pulled herself out of the water and located her robe.

‘I ask him what he is doing here so soon,’ Angelina’s exasperated voice greeted Lydia as she made her way over. ‘And he say swimming—I had no idea he was coming!’

‘Well, he’s here,’ Maria said, with a distinctly dry edge to her voice, frowning as she watched Lydia who, her fingers shaking, pale and wrinkled from her time in the water, was knotting her belt. ‘Is everything okay?’

‘Everything’s fine,’ Lydia said, hardly trusting herself to speak, still brutally shaken from her first encounter with Anton.

‘Go up and shower quickly,’ Maria said in low, urgent tones. ‘Then get over to the salon. I’ll cover him till you’re dressed and ready—we’ll get him upstairs and brief him.’

‘Brief him?’ Lydia blinked at Maria. Surely she had misheard? Or perhaps Maria didn’t know that Anton had already been versed in the situation? That had to be the case, Lydia begged mentally. Because otherwise…

Panic rose in her as she attempted to confront the other appalling possibility—that Anton Santini really hadn’t been briefed—that he had no idea who she was—that he had merely been attracted to her, had approached her, just as his bio suggested he would, with the supreme confidence that she would respond.

And she had!

‘Where are John and Graham?’ Lydia asked, trying to keep her voice even as Anton climbed out of the pool, her eyes darting away as she tried and failed not to notice the superb body that only moments ago had been pressed against hers.

‘On their way back from the airport,’ Maria answered, and Lydia’s last vestige of hope disappeared—Anton really had no idea who she was. ‘I rang them and told them what was happening.’

Cheeks flaming, she avoided even looking at him. Somehow she picked up her gym bag, and somehow she made her way out to the lifts, her heart hammering in her chest, only remembering to breathe when she was finally alone.

He would have made love to her if she’d let him, and—Lydia gulped as horrible truth flooded in—she almost had. She had almost let a virtual stranger in, let down her cool façade in an appalling unguarded moment. Anton hadn’t just seen a different side to her character today, it was as if a complete alter ego had emerged—a wanton, sensual woman that knew her needs.

Oh, there had been a blistering attraction—that much she understood, that much she could accept. She could almost console herself that they had chosen to mix business with pleasure, had been caught up in the thrill of the moment, safe in the knowledge that they were making themselves look convincing to anyone watching…But if Maria was right, if he hadn’t even known that she was a detective, that they were supposed to be meeting, then she wasn’t just out of her depth with Anton Santini she had already been pulled under!

What sort of man had the confidence, the supreme arrogance, to approach a stranger and kiss them so blatantly, so fully, to arouse them to the point of oblivion and know, just know, that she would reciprocate—know that with one touch he would win?

On autopilot she headed for her room, showered and dressed quickly. She closed her eyes, her mind tightened in disbelief, a stinging flood of shame coursing through her body as another question exploded in her mind.

What must Anton think of her?

CHAPTER TWO

THE PRESSURE of the hairdresser’s fingertips on her scalp as she massaged conditioner deep into her hair didn’t even provide a vague distraction—Lydia’s mind was working overtime, trying to fathom how she was supposed to face Anton Santini now. How on earth could she manage detachment, professionalism, after what had transpired in the pool? Hell, right now she’d settle for being able to look him in the eye.

But she had to remain in control—not only did her career depend on it, but Anton’s life was in her hands. And, given she was signed up as his protector, her life too could be on the line. This was no time to be acting like a gauche teenager—she had to somehow regain control of this appalling situation, had to wrestle back her dignity. But for the first time in her life she was completely at a loss to come up with a plan. How could she deny her part in what had taken place? How could she deny the blatant, overwhelming passion that had engulfed her? The sensual, debauched alter ego that had emerged the second he had touched her?

‘So, you’re booked for nails, full make-up and a blow-dry?’ Karen, the therapist questioned her as a warm towel was wrapped around Lydia’s head and she was guided to the make-up room.

‘Please.’ Lydia nodded, lowering herself into the chair and trying to sound blasé, as if she did this type of thing every day. ‘Though I’m not sure if there will be time to do my nails. I’ve got an appointment scheduled—’

‘That’s no problem,’ Karen interrupted, clearly used to dealing with busy clients. ‘Cindy can do your nails while I do your make up—let’s have a look at you.’ Pulling off the towel, she ran her fingers through Lydia’s long red curls.

‘Is it business or pleasure?’ When Lydia blinked back, Karen elaborated. ‘Your appointment? I’m just trying to get a feel for how you want to look.’

‘It’s business,’ Lydia answered firmly. ‘And I want to look fabulous!’

‘Oh, you will.’ Karen winked, tipping the chair backwards and setting to work.

Lydia closed her eyes as a few stray hairs around her eyebrows were deftly tidied and a thick layer of scented cream gently rubbed into her face, chatting amicably to Karen about jewellery and the one-off pieces she supposedly designed, practising the alias she would be adopting over the next few days.

‘How long are you staying at the hotel?’

‘I have to check out this morning.’ Lydia gave a regretful shrug. ‘When I checked in I was hoping to stay for four nights but apparently the hotel’s been booked up for weeks—some VIPs are arriving this morning. The bellboy’s bringing my luggage down now, and while I’m having breakfast the concierges are ringing around to find me alternative accommodation.’

‘That’d be right,’ the therapist muttered. ‘Kick out the paying guests…’ Her voice trailed off as she realised she’d probably overstepped the mark, but Lydia pushed on, more than happy to fish a little, giving a tiny swallow as she tried to sound like the rich little madam she was hoping to portray.

‘Well, I’m far from happy with the situation,’ Lydia bristled. ‘And I sincerely hope that a concierge can find me somewhere suitable—somewhere with a decent salon at the very least. What sort of VIPs are they anyway?’

‘The worst sort,’ the therapist answered in a theatrical whisper. ‘There’s going to be a take-over of the hotel and some of the bigwigs from a massive European chain are coming. We’re all supposed to be on our best behaviour—why don’t we try grey?’

‘Sorry?’ Opening her eyes, Lydia blinked back at the woman.

‘On your eyes. I know you said you prefer neutral, but a deep smoky grey will really bring out the amazing colour of your eyes—they’re more gold than hazel—’

‘I don’t want anything too heavy,’ Lydia broke in. ‘I really prefer a more natural look.’

‘Trust me,’ Karen insisted, a long red nail hovering over an array of tiny pots, her eyes narrowing as she stared closely at Lydia’s face. ‘You’re going to look stunning. One wave of my magic wand and I can create an entire new you.’

A ‘new you’ was exactly what was needed, Lydia thought ruefully, if she was ever going to face Anton. A tiny glimmer of a plan started to emerge. ‘Can you do anything to tone down my complexion?’

‘You’re as white as paper,’ Karen tutted.

‘But I blush terribly.’ Lydia gave a dismissive shrug. ‘And, like I said, I’ve got an important meeting this morning—I don’t want to give myself away when we discuss prices.’

‘You need a green base.’ Karen nodded knowingly. ‘Nothing like what you’re thinking.’ She grinned at Lydia’s rather startled expression. ‘I’ve got this fabulous mineral powder; we have it flown in from New York. Wearing that you can double your prices—triple them, even—and you’ll be as pale and as cool as porcelain.’

‘Really?’ Lydia gave a dubious frown.

‘Really!’ Karen winked. ‘We’ll have to pay extra attention to your décolletage—that’s a real give away when you’re blushing.’