He continued to watch as she settled Nico down, but he sensed a certain restraint about her as she moved away from the cot—as if she’d also moved away from her comfort zone. And he didn’t want her uptight. He wanted her soft and giving—the way he’d been fantasising about for too long now.

‘The bathroom’s through there,’ he said. ‘You might want to go and freshen up.’

Glad to escape from his unsettling scrutiny, Justina went into the bathroom, where she stripped off and stood beneath the warm torrents of water and tried to put Dante out of her mind—easier said than done when desire kept straying into her mind with dark and dangerous thoughts. And she couldn’t hide in the shower all day.

She wandered back into the bedroom, clad only in a towel and found Dante standing there, his expression unfathomable as he watched her walk in. She supposed she should say something on the lines of I didn’t know you’d be here—except that would have been a lie. Where else would he be when they were supposed to be sharing a bedroom?

‘Is Nico okay?’ she questioned awkwardly.

For a moment he didn’t move, and when eventually he nodded Justina could see that his powerful body looked as tense as she felt.

‘Fast asleep. Want to see?’

Nodding, she followed him into the adjoining bedroom, where their son lay sleeping in the antique cot, the wood very dark against the pristine whiteness of the bedclothes. For a moment she just stood and watched the steady rise and fall of his little chest, marvelling at the thought of the tiny heart which beat within it and the fact that she and Dante had created this living miracle between them. Out of one reckless act of passion this beautiful little child had been born.

And what of Nico’s life? she wondered suddenly. Would he suffer as she had suffered because a man and a woman had come together as she and Dante had done? Not thinking about the consequences of their actions, thinking of nothing but the heat of the moment and the overwhelming lure of desire? Growing up, she had hated her own illegitimacy, and yet now she had bequeathed that same pain to her child.

With a strangled little sound she turned and walked back into the bedroom, scarcely aware that Dante was close behind her. At least not until his hand had reached out to her bare shoulder and was turning her round.

‘Justina? What’s wrong?’

She shook her head. How could she admit to the great cauldron of insecurity which was bubbling away inside her when all she could think about was the burn of his fingers on her bare flesh?

‘This is wrong—this whole farce of us coming here with our baby and being put in this room together as if we’re all some kind of happy family,’ she said desperately, shaking his hand away. ‘We’re wrong!’

‘No!’

His voice was fierce as he pulled her into his arms, his voice unsteady as he pressed his face close to hers. So close that she could feel the heat of his breath fanning over her skin.

‘We have never been wrong. How can it possibly be wrong when it feels like this whenever I touch you?’

‘Dante—’

‘Kiss me,’ he growled. ‘And then tell me again that we’re wrong. Do that and I’ll never lay another finger on you.’

She opened her mouth to say that was cheating. That she didn’t want to kiss him. But that would have been a lie. Because hadn’t she wanted this all along? Deep down hadn’t she been yearning for this—the hard pressure of his kiss and her own urgent response to it? Hungrily, her lips sought his, and he tugged at the towel and let it slither to the floor, so that she was completely naked.

For a moment he pulled away so that he could look at her, sucking in a breath as his gaze burned over her, and she was so lost in the moment and the way he was making her feel that she did nothing. She could feel her nipples springing to life beneath his hungry scrutiny, and the melting desire which was pooling insistently at the fork of her thighs.

‘Dante,’ she breathed. ‘This is...’

‘Inevitable,’ he bit out, as he began to tug at his belt. ‘It’s been inevitable for a long time now. Because you are beautiful. The most beautiful woman I have ever seen. And I am aching for you. I am crazy for you, tesoro.’

No, this was crazy, she thought. Dante was talking with an emotion she hadn’t heard in a long time and stripping off his clothes with ruthless efficiency, while she just stood there and watched him! She bit her lip as she saw his erection springing free, and a rush of desire flooded over her as he splayed his hands over her bare hips and pulled her down onto the bed.

‘Dante,’ she whispered, ‘we can’t do this.’

‘Want to bet?’

‘But your family,’ she said desperately.

‘Dinner isn’t for hours.’

‘But—’

‘No more buts, Justina. Especially when we both know you don’t really mean them. Don’t you realise this is siesta time and you’re in Italy now?’

His lips were trailing fire as they brushed over her neck and her eyes closed as her head fell back against the pillow. ‘Oh,’ she said indistinctly.

‘I want to kiss every inch of you,’ he breathed. ‘I want to touch every part of your body. Do you know that?’

Now his finger was stroking its way over her breast, teasing over the aching mound until it alighted with teasing precision on the nipple. ‘I... Oh...’

‘Your breasts are bigger than they used to be.’

‘And do you...do you approve?’

He smiled against her lips. ‘Mmm. One hundred percent.’

His finger had moved down over her belly and quickly she sucked it in. ‘Dante!’

‘Relax. Why are you holding your breath like that?’

‘Because my breasts aren’t the only things which are bigger. My stomach is huge!’

He laid the flat of his hand over the slight cushioning of her flesh. ‘Your stomach is perfect. Just as you are perfect.’

‘No, I’m not.’

‘Will you shut up and come here?’

He bent his head to kiss her and Justina could feel herself almost drowning in the sweetness of that kiss and the things he had just said to her. He thought she was perfect! She clung to him as his fingers drifted to her bare knee and then made an almost careless journey up her thigh. He skated teasing little circles there until she was gasping, and then his finger flicked against her sticky heat and she gasped some more. And suddenly his possession became more important than immediate pleasure. She wanted to feel him. She wanted him deep inside her again.

‘Dante...’ she whispered.

‘What?’ he whispered back.

‘Please.’

‘Can’t wait any longer?’

‘N-no.’

‘Me neither, tesoro. Me neither.’

She held her breath as he moved over her, and the world seemed to stand still as he entered her with one deep and possessive thrust. She felt a great warmth suffuse her, and the breath she’d been holding escaped. She thought she felt him smile against her lips before starting to kiss her again. And Justina let go. Suddenly it was easy to let go. To forget about what had brought them here and concentrate instead on the way he was making her feel.

‘Oh,’ she breathed again.

Through the dark mists of his own pleasure he managed to get words out. ‘Does that hurt?’

‘God, no. It feels...incredible.’

‘I know it does. For me, too.’ He closed his eyes as he lost himself in the rhythm. He’d thought that the sex would be different, and it was—just not in the way he’d imagined. Justina was as tight and delectable as she’d ever been, but it felt... Dante groaned. It felt more than sex had ever felt before. Something which went deeper than physical pleasure. Was that because this body had given birth to his baby—because part of him had grown deep inside her?

He felt her thighs wrap themselves around his back and her fingers digging into his shoulders. He could feel her climax building, and even though he could have come in an instant he held back. He held back even though it nearly killed him—and only when she started to come did he let go and he thought his orgasm was never going to end.