Summer Surrender: Capelli's Captive Virgin / Italian Boss, Proud Miss Prim / The Italian's One-Night Love-Child

‘It wouldn’t be fleeting.’ Dark lashes shielded his gaze. ‘I’d want you again and again, in every conceivable position.’

Her limbs weak and her heart pounding, Lindsay stood up and dropped her napkin on the table. Why had she ever thought she could beat him at his own game? ‘Sex without love is an extremely unsatisfying form of entertainment. I’m not interested.’

‘I’ve never left a woman unsatisfied in my life.’

‘All right, you win.’ She lifted a hand in a gesture of supplication, so desperately unsettled by their verbal exchange that she knew she needed to escape. ‘Enough. I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I’m here in place of my sister. If you want me to do any legal work for you, then please knock on my door.’

And, please, don’t let it be any time soon.

CHAPTER SIX

Lindsay stood under the shower, letting the jets of ice-cold water cool her thoroughly overheated body.

Why, oh, why had she thought she’d be able to cope with being alone with Alessio for a week? After barely a few hours in his company she was so tense and wound up that she felt physically sick.

Her body was tormented by a nagging sensation that no amount of cold water could cure. He hadn’t even touched her and yet she felt weak and limp and just utterly drugged with longing for something that she absolutely shouldn’t and couldn’t have.

Angry with herself, she thrust the palm of her hand against the shower knob and the flow of water ceased.

Alessio Capelli was arrogant, cold and frighteningly unemotional. Presumably those traits had contributed to his success in his chosen career. How else would he have been able to destroy people’s marriages without losing sleep?

But the problem wasn’t him, was it? The real problem was her. Her feelings; her response to him—

Feeling despair seep into every pore of her body, Lindsay sank onto the floor of the shower and wrapped her arms around her knees. Her hair hung wet down her back and she swept a hand over her face to clear the water from her eyelashes. Yes, he was arrogant, cold and frighteningly unemotional, but what really bothered her was the fact that everything he’d said to her had been correct.

No matter how much she’d tried to focus her mind on something else, she had found herself thinking of nothing but sex. One glance at his firm mouth and she’d started wondering how he kissed; a chance glimpse of dark male hair at the neck of his shirt and she’d immediately imagined him naked.

With a murmur of self-disgust, she covered her face with her hands.

She couldn’t stop imagining the two of them together and for the first time in her life she was starting to understand how sheer sexual hunger could be so overwhelming that it could drive a person to make really bad decisions.

If he were here now, she’d be touching him.

And that would have been a disaster because Alessio Capelli was totally wrong for her.

Yes, he would undoubtedly be a skilled and exciting lover, but what else would he give her? The answer to that was nothing but trouble.

With a low groan she let her hands drop into her lap and leaned her head back against the wall. It would have been so easy to just knock on the door of his villa and let him take it from there. And she had no doubt that he would have instantly taken control. He was that sort of man, wasn’t he?

And then what?

She was only too aware of the dangers of that sort of relationship. She spent her working life counselling people to look deeper.

So why was she struggling with her decision?

Because never in her life before had she wanted a man the way she wanted Alessio Capelli.

Suddenly she felt a burst of uncharacteristic anger towards Ruby. This was her fault. If she hadn’t abandoned her job …

Was Ruby experiencing a similar degree of chemistry with Dino Capelli? If so, then it was little wonder she’d vanished without caring about her job or her sister.

And anyway, how could she be angry with Ruby? It wasn’t really her sister’s fault, was it?

After her uncertain, disordered childhood and then the collapse of a disastrous relationship, it was easy to see how she’d been dazzled by the wealth and charisma of the Capelli brothers.

With a sigh, Lindsay got to her feet and wrapped herself in one of the huge soft towels that were left ready for her use.

It was time to pull herself together. What use would she be to Ruby if she was suffering from a bruised heart herself?

No, sex with Alessio Capelli would undoubtedly have been amazing, but it was too high a price to pay for the mess she’d be in afterwards.

She was glad she’d walked away. In fact she was proud of herself.

Lindsay dried her hair methodically and then slid into a sheer silk nightdress that was nothing like her normal choice of bed wear.

But as she slipped into the large canopied bed she felt suddenly more alone than she’d ever felt in her life.

Without doubt she was the only woman who had ever walked away from him.

Trying to dismiss images of a powerful arrogant Italian stretched out next to her, she pressed her face into the pillows and pulled the soft cover over her shoulders.

Instead of focusing on the nagging throb low in her body, she needed to think of his bad points. Of all the logical reasons why they shouldn’t be together.

And there were certainly plenty to choose from.

Tired after a sleepless night, Lindsay forced her trembling legs along the smooth stone path that led to the Beach Club.

Given the choice she would have eaten breakfast alone.

She would have locked the door and stayed indoors in the air-conditioned tranquillity of her luxurious villa, but that wasn’t an option. She was here to do a job and she was well aware that if she didn’t play the part, then Alessio might still fire Ruby.

At least now she was on her guard. She’d let herself become complacent. She’d totally underestimated the devastating effect he had on her.

But now she was prepared.

Having been awake for most of the night, she’d had more than enough time to select her outfit for the day, and this time she’d been less cavalier in her choice of dress.

She’d bypassed swimming costumes, shorts and sarongs and instead chosen a white skirt that drifted down to mid-thigh. She’d teamed it with a strap top in a pale shade of lilac, cut high enough on her chest to ensure that no cleavage was revealed. And it fitted perfectly. She was confident that there was no chance that it would gape or reveal anything if she leaned forward. In an impulse of femininity that she didn’t want to examine too closely, she’d slipped some delicate silver bangles onto her arm.

It was fine.

Everything was fine.

And everything remained fine until she walked onto the terrace and saw him.

He was seated at a table next to the beautiful swimming pool, a cup of coffee half drunk on the table in front of him.

Every part of his masculine physique emanating power and authority, he was talking to a man in a lightweight suit, but the moment he saw Lindsay his eyes narrowed and he said something that Lindsay couldn’t hear.