The Helen Bianchin And The Regency Scoundrels And Scandals Collections. Louise Allen

      With a sense of increasing desperation she focused on the generous dimensions, the gently curving staircase with its intricately designed balustrade leading to the upper floor. A crystal chandelier hung suspended from the high ceiling, and solid mahogany cabinets added to the Spanish influence. Art graced the walls, providing an ambience of wealth.

      Had he personally chosen all this, or consulted with an interior decorator?

      Diego deposited her bag at the foot of the staircase, then he indicated a door on his right. ‘A nightcap?’

      Cassandra watched as he crossed the foyer and revealed a spacious lounge. The thought of exchanging polite conversation and playing pretend was almost more than she could bear.

      The entire evening had been a preliminary to the moment she’d need to share his bed. Drawing it out any further seemed pointless.

      ‘If you don’t mind, I’d prefer to get on with it.’

      She was nervous. He could sense it in her voice, see the way her pulse jumped at the base of her throat, and he took pleasure from it.

      ‘Cut to the chase?’

      His query was a silky drawl that sent an icy feather sliding down her spine. ‘Yes.’

      Diego gave an imperceptible shrug as he closed the door and indicated the staircase. ‘By all means.’

      Was she mad? Oh, for heaven’s sake, she chided silently. He’s only a man, like any other.

      They’d have sex, she’d sleep, he’d wake her at dawn for more sex, then she’d shower, dress, and get a cab to work.

      How big a deal could it be?

      The way the blood fizzed through her veins, heating her body was incidental. The rapid thudding of her heart was merely due to nervous tension. Stress, anxiety…take your pick. A direct result of the sexual price she’d agreed to pay with a man she told herself she didn’t like.

      Together they ascended the curved staircase, then turned left, traversing the balustraded gallery to a lavishly furnished master suite.

      Cassandra entered the room, only to falter to a halt as uncertainty froze her limbs. Think, she silently cajoled. Slip off your stiletto-heeled pumps, remove your jewellery…

      The ear-studs were easy, but her fingers shook as she reached for the clasp at her nape.

      ‘Let me do that,’ Diego said quietly, and moved in close.

      Far too close. She could sense him behind her, almost feel the touch of that powerful body against her own. How much space separated them? An inch? If she leant back, her shoulders would brush his chest.

      Oh, hell, should she, and make it easy for herself? Play the seductress and melt into his arms?

      His fingers touched her nape and she unconsciously held her breath as he dealt with the clasp. Then it was done, and she took a step away from him as he dropped the jewellery into her hand.

      Cassandra crossed to where Diego had placed her bag and tucked the jewellery into a pouch. When she turned he was close, and her stomach clenched as he reached for the pins in her hair.

      His fingers grazed the graceful curve of her neck, and sensation shivered the length of her spine.

      ‘Beautiful.’

      His silky murmur did strange things to her equilibrium, and she fought against the almost mesmeric fascination threatening to undermine her defences.

      It would be so easy to sway towards him, angle her head, fasten her mouth on his and simply sink in.

      Yet to meekly comply meant she condoned his actions, and there wasn’t a hope in hell she’d ever forgive his manipulation.

      ‘Let’s not pretend this is anything other than what it is.’

      Cassandra reached for the zip fastener on her dress, and managed to slide it down a few inches before his hand halted its progress.

      ‘Highly priced sex?’ Diego queried in a faintly accented drawl.

      ‘You got it in one.’

      She was nervous, and that intrigued him. Any other woman would have played the coquette, and provocatively stripped for his pleasure. Teasing, before undressing him, then moving in to begin a practised seduction before he took control.

      ‘If you want to unwrap the package…’ Cassandra managed what she hoped was a negligent shrug ‘…then go ahead.’

      Diego’s eyes narrowed, and his voice was a husky drawl. ‘How could a man resist the temptation?’

      He slid the zip fastener all the way down, then lifted his hands to the shoestring straps, slipping them over each shoulder so the gown slithered to a heap on the carpeted floor.

      The only garment that saved her from total nudity was a silk thong brief, and she forced herself to stand still beneath his studied appraisal.

      Her eyes blazed blue fire as his gaze lingered on her breasts, skimmed low, then lifted to meet the defiant outrage apparent.

      With slow, deliberate movements he removed his shoes and socks, shed his jacket, loosened his tie and removed it, then he freed his trousers before tending to the buttons on his shirt.

      He was something else. Broad shoulders, lean hips, a washboard stomach, olive-toned skin sheathed an enviable abundance of hardened sinew and muscle. Fit, not pumped, with a sleekness that denoted undeniable strength.

      Black silk briefs did little to hide his arousal, and she hated the warm tinge that coloured her cheeks as he swept back the bedcovers.

      With unhurried steps he closed the distance between them, and her eyes widened fractionally as he touched a gentle finger to her lips and traced the lower curve. Warmth flooded her body and became pulsing heat as he cupped her face, and a soundless groan rose and died in her throat as he lowered his head down to hers.

      Whatever she’d expected, it wasn’t the slow, evocative touch of his mouth on her own, or the way his tongue slid between her lips as his hands cupped her face.

      She felt his thumbs brush each cheek, and the breath caught in her throat as he angled his mouth and went in deep.

      He tugged at her senses and tore them to shreds, destroying the protective barrier she’d built up against him.

      Her hands lifted to his shoulders in a bid to hang on, only to rest briefly, hesitantly there as he slid a hand to capture her nape while the other skimmed the length of her spine to curve over her bottom and pull her close.

      In one fluid movement he dispensed with the scrap of silk, and she gasped as he sought the warm heat at the apex of her thighs.

      There was little she could do to prevent his skilled fingers wreaking havoc there. He knew where to touch and how…light strokes that almost drove her wild, and just when she thought she couldn’t stand any more he eased off, only to have her gasp as the oral stimulation intensified to another level.

      ‘Let go,’ Diego instructed huskily, and absorbed her despairing groan.

      Her body might be tempted, but her mind wasn’t in sync. Had it ever been? she registered cynically, aware that for her intimacy, while pleasurable, was hardly a mind-blowing experience. Why should it be any different this time?

      Fake it, a silent imp prompted. Just…get it over with, then it’ll be done. For tonight.

      His hands shifted to cup her face. ‘Don’t.’

      Cassandra stilled at his softly voiced admonition, and cast him a startled glance. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’

      He traced the lower curve of her mouth with the pad of his thumb, and saw her eyes flare. ‘Yes, you do.’

      She could feel the warmth colour her cheeks. What was it with this man that he could lay bare her secrets?

      Her