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Di CESARE PREGNANT MISTRESS - Chapter 20
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‘I’d sooner work for the devil than you.’
’Try my patience much more, and you’ll find him infinitely preferable.’ Alexander swung away from her, sat down on a sofa and indicated that she should join him.
Something about his expression warned Stephanie that she the way she could retain any dignity was to comply and, taking a deep breath, she walked over to the sofa and perched as far away from him as possible.
‘This is my villa in Tuscany.’
She glanced down at the coffee table and saw several photographs strewn across it.
‘It is in the heart of the Chianti region, about an hour’s drive from Florence. The house was built in the seventeenth century and has been in my family for many years,but since my father died ten years ago it has fallen into a state of despair. Extensive structural work is now complete, and I wish to concentrate on the interior decoration so that I can use the villa as a weekend retreat.’
Alexander sat back and surveyed her coolly. ‘That’s where you come in, it’s an enormous project, but one that your brother assures me you are capable of. In our preliminary discussions he agreed that in order to devote all your attention to the Villa Rosala you will have to relocate to Italy until the work is complete.’
Relocate to Italy—with him! Stephanie shuddered and tore her gaze from the temptation of his wide, sensual mouth. She would rather relocate to the bowels of the earth. A number of responses came to her mind, but she opted for the most succinct.
‘You must be joking.’
His hard stare filled her with trepidation. ‘I assure you I’m not. And the amount I’m prepared to pay for your expertise isn’t a joke either.’ He paused, and then added silkily, ‘At least your brother does not seem to think so. In fact I gained the impression when I spoke to him yesterday that he’s desperate to win this commission.’
‘When you spoke to him…’ Stephanie felt as though a net was closing around her, trapping her. ‘I assume you somehow persuaded Daniel to withhold your identity?’ She said bitterly.
‘I simply suggested that it would be good if you saw the photos of my Villa without any preconceived ideas.’
Tiny beads of sweat formed on Stephanie’s upper lip as desperation edged closer. She hated him. There was no doubt about that when she had spent every night for the past week cringing with mortification at the way she had melted in his arms, unaware that he had set out to deliberately seduce her. But although her mind was strong, her body was playing traitor, and she was agonisingly aware of him. The subtle musk of his cologne filled her senses, and the memory of his bronzed, *****, muscles-packed body taunted her subconscious.
‘Spectrum employs two other interior designers besides me. Both are highly qualified, and respected for their flair and innovation. I’m sure they would jump at the chance of relocating to Tuscany,’ she added, her voice as dry as a desert.
‘But I want you, Stephanie.’
The words hung in the air. Since the moment she had stepped into the room and faced him sexual tension had simmered between them. Now the atmosphere altered subtly, and Stephanie could hear her blood thundering in her ears as her breathing quickened.
‘No.’
She moved swiftly, but not fast enough. He caught hold of her shoulder as she jerked to her feet and hauled her back down onto his thighs. His hand moved to her nape, tugged her head back, and for a split second she stared into his eyes, shocked by the raw hunger in their depths, before he lowered his head and captured her mouth in a fierce, possessive kiss.
She fought him furiously. Her pride demanded that She keep her lips tightly closed, and every muscle in her body locked in rejection, but he did not seem to care. His tongue probed with wicked intent, insisting that she open her mouth to him, while his hand moved upwards and his clever fingers dealt with the pins that secured her chignon. Her hair tumbled onto her shoulders, soft as silk, and his low groan of approval quivered with such feral, sensual need that she could not fight him any more.
Sensing her capitulation, he altered the tenure of the kiss, deepened it, and ****** his tongue deep into her mouth to explore her with an eroticism that drove everything but her desire for him fists on his shoulders, uncurled and drifted around his neck, but as she buried her fingers in his thick black hair he lifted his mouth from hers, set her back from him, and with cool deliberation gripped her arms and forced them into her lap.
‘Can I take it that you will offer no further objections to accepting my commission?’
The mockery in his eyes seared her, and with a low cry she scrambled to her feet, snatched up her case and flew over to the door. ‘I wouldn’t work for you if you paid me a million pounds. I know what all this is about,’ she threw at him, her voice shaking with anger and shame that once again she had been unable to resist him. ‘The commission to design your Villa is just a ploy to keep me away from James.’
‘It’s certainly one reason,’ Alexander said coldly, violent anger surging through him when he recalled that she had been at James’s flat late on Friday night. Had she stayed all night? The idea filled him with revulsion, and another emotion that made him question his true motivation for wanting to end her relationship with his old friend. Surely it wasn’t jealousy that burned in his gut? ‘I am utterly determined to stop you making a fool of James,’ he warned. ‘But I have studied the portfolio of your work on your website, and although your morals are questionable, your talent is not.