Шрифт:
Seduction in the palazzo!
Ever since a horrific accident for which he blames himself, Danilo Raphael has remained closed off and emotion-free. But when he sees English rose Tess Jones being attacked, he cannot quell his protective instincts and offers her sanctuary...in his imposing Tuscan palazzo.
Tess Jones may be a virgin, but she knows what she wants in a man, and this autocratic Italian, no matter how darkly sexy, isn’t it! But as hot summer days melt into sultry nights, Tess finds herself surrendering to Danilo. Their passion changes Tess irrevocably, but she must leave unless Danilo relinquishes the past that holds him back...
‘Ever since you arrived here—’
Danilo stopped abruptly, as if he could not force the words past the thickening atmosphere that quivered with tension. It made her think of that stillness before a storm. She was always overpoweringly conscious of his physical presence, his raw masculinity, but now that awareness had jumped.
Tess’s pulse leapt as she struggled to drag her eyes from the muscle that was clenching and unclenching in his cheek.
His voice was so deep it was barely more than a whisper. His expression made every cell in her body want to run away. But for some reason by the time the message reached her brain it said something different. Her eyes never left his face as she took a step towards him. His hands closed over her upper arms and impatiently he dragged her into him until their bodies were close enough for her to feel the heat of his body, feel the tension in his muscles, inhale the scent of his skin.
It was an unimaginable situation and yet she had imagined it. The knowledge came with a rush of head-spinning excitement. Somewhere in the back of her mind there lingered a small corner, a fragment of sanity that was telling her this was a bad idea, but she determinedly ignored it.
‘Say my name.’
She swallowed the emotions swirling inside her, making her throat close.
‘I want to hear you say it.’
KIM LAWRENCE lives on a farm in Anglesey with her university lecturer husband, assorted pets who arrived as strays and never left, and sometimes one or both of her boomerang sons. When she’s not writing she loves to be outdoors, gardening or walking on one of the beaches for which the island is famous—along with being the place where Prince William and Catherine made their first home!
Books by Kim Lawrence
Mills & Boon Modern Romance
One Night with Morelli
Captivated by Her Innocence The Petrelli Heir Santiago’s Command Stranded, Seduced...Pregnant Unworldly Secretary, Untamed Greek Under the Spaniard’s Lock and Key The Sheikh’s Impatient Virgin
Wedlocked!
One Night to Wedding Vows
One Night With Consequences
Her Nine Month Confession
A Secret Until Now
Seven Sexy Sins
The Sins of Sebastian Rey-Defoe
Royal & Ruthless
The Heartbreaker Prince
At His Service
Maid for Montero
Protecting His Legacy
Gianni’s Pride
Visit the Author Profile page at millsandboon.co.uk for more titles.
Surrendering to the Italian’s Command
Kim Lawrence
www.millsandboon.co.uk
For Aunty Pat, a gutsy lady.
Contents
TESS LEANED HER hot forehead against the fridge and struggled to inject a smile into her hoarse voice. ‘I’m fine,’ she lied. ‘I feel a hundred times better.’
‘You’re a terrible liar,’ Fiona retorted.
Tess straightened up and lifted a hand to her throbbing head, responding to the affection in her friend’s voice with a weak smile. ‘No, I’m a very good liar.’
Only yesterday she had sounded sincere when she’d told her mum’s PA that she was really sorry she couldn’t attend the community centre official opening where her mum was cutting the ribbon. Flu had its plus points—though in this case she wasn’t lying, she really was feeling better; even so a hundred times better than utterly wretched was still pretty awful.
‘I would have dropped in on my way home but I had to work late. You’re not the only one with this flu—half the office is off sick. It’s a nightmare. But I’ll definitely stop by in the morning after I drop off Sally and the girls at the station. Is there anything you need?’
‘You really don’t need—’
‘I’ll be there.’
Tess applied a tissue to her red nose. She was too tired to argue.
‘Well, don’t blame me if you catch this thing,’ she grumbled.
‘I never get the flu.’