Vieri's Convenient Vows. Andie Brock

flushed violently. Why was it that Vieri was crowing over his physical attraction to her, whereas she felt she had to frantically try and cover it up? Because Vieri had been in control, that was why. Because he was used to seducing women, no doubt bedding a different woman every night, revelling in the power he had over them, using them to satisfy his casual sexual urges and then discarding them without a second thought. It was written all over his smugly arrogant face.

      Well, there was no way she was going to fall for his smooth, well-practised seduction routine, no matter how good it might have felt.

      ‘We were supposed to be learning how to be easy around one another in front of Alfonso to try and make our engagement believable. Not getting involved with...’ she hesitated, hating the breathless catch in her voice, the way her cheeks still burned ‘...that sort of thing.’

      ‘That sort of thing?’ He was deliberately mocking her, loving every moment of her discomfort.

      ‘Yes.’ Her voice went up a notch. ‘You know perfectly well what I’m talking about.’

      He certainly did. Vieri let his eyes travel slowly over her flushed face, lingering on the swollen pout of her mouth. His very physical reaction to her had taken him by surprise, as clearly it had her, the passionate nature of the kiss catching him unawares. He had thought himself firmly in control, never doubted it for a second but somehow, lost in the heat of Harper’s mouth, that control had slipped dangerously. In fact, if Harper hadn’t called time on their little role-playing exercise he wasn’t sure he would have had the willpower to do so himself. And then where would they be? In bed, that was where, at least if he’d had any say in the matter.

      The image of Harper splayed across his bed had lodged in his mind and refused to be shifted. Her copper-coloured hair spread across the pillows, that shapely figure of hers waiting to be divested of its clothes, the no doubt sensible underwear he’d find and the pleasure he would take in slowly removing it. There was something incredibly sexy about Harper McDonald, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on, though his traitorous body would have him putting his finger pretty much everywhere. And that would be just the start.

      He gazed at her now, at the way those remarkable tawny eyes glittered with a mixture of arousal and defiance. She really had no idea how attractive she was and that made a welcome change from the sort of women he usually found himself surrounded with who, frankly, suffered from the opposite problem. But it was more than that. There was an earthiness to her, a sensuality that was entirely unwitting, just a part of who she was. Perhaps it was her Scottish heritage. Somehow she conjured up purple heather and damp bracken and soft green moss and how it would feel to lay her down on such a bed and make love to her.

      Enough! Moving a couple of steps away, he adjusted the fit of his trousers. Taking Harper to bed was not part of the plan. He just needed to remember that.

      ‘Well—’ he adopted a businesslike approach ‘—if you are sure we are done here, I will go and get on with some work.’

      Turning to leave, he had reached the doorway when he remembered something. ‘Oh, by the way.’ He looked back to where Harper was still rooted to the spot. ‘I meant to say, there is a charity gala here in Palermo on Saturday. Alfonso is a patron. He would like us to go.’

      ‘Oh, right.’ She didn’t even try to hide the despondency in her voice and for some reason that riled him. He wasn’t used to his dates being anything less than wildly enthusiastic when they were chosen to accompany him to glittering social events.

      ‘You will need an appropriate outfit.’ He raked his eyes dismissively over her casual jeans-and-top ensemble. ‘In fact, you should choose several outfits. There may be a number of social engagements we need to attend while we are here.’

      ‘I see.’

      ‘My driver will be at your disposal. And obviously you will charge everything to my account.’ Still she refused to look remotely grateful. Weren’t women supposed to like shopping? ‘I trust that won’t be a problem?’

      ‘No problem at all.’ She tipped her chin haughtily. ‘It’s your money.’

      ‘Indeed it is. And you are, to all intents and purposes, my fiancée.’ Mounting irritation scored his voice. ‘So please make sure you choose appropriately.’

      ‘Yes, sir.’ She tossed her hair dramatically over her shoulder. ‘Heaven forbid that I should embarrass you in any way.’

      Vieri ground down on his jaw. Embarrassment was not one of the emotions this infuriating young woman stirred up in him. But right now he had no intention of examining the ones that she did.

      ‘Bene, that’s settled, then.’ He turned and strode from the room. Suddenly the need to put some space between them seemed vitally important.