The Italian's Baby Bargain. Kate Walker

their gazes locked, the dark promise in his heated stare made Sam’s heart thud even harder against her ribcage. Alessandro released her wrists and then, still holding her gaze, lifted his jumper over his head in one smooth motion and flung it across the room, revealing the sleek, hard contours of his bronzed upper body.

      Sam’s rapt gaze dropped, desire clutching like a tight fist low in her belly, and she thought, You’re the most beautiful thing ever—flawless. The academic interest she had decided she was going to adopt towards her first real sexual experience became a dim and distant memory as she started to shake from head to toe, and she didn’t even realise she had voiced her thought until he said, ‘Thank you, but I am not without flaws.’

      Not understanding the odd inflection in his voice, Sam felt a frown form between her brows. She reached for him, but to her frustration he levered himself off the bed in a fluid motion. Taking two steps away, he turned back to face her.

      ‘What’s wrong…?’ The tension that had begun to build between her shoulderblades seeped away as he began to unbuckle the belt on the jeans that clung to his long, muscular thighs, only to be replaced by another sort of tension.

      Touching her tongue to the beads of sweat that had broken out across the curve of her upper lip, she felt the feelings that he had aroused in her coalesce into a sexual desire so raw and primitive it pushed every other consideration from her head.

      As he kicked aside his trousers he held her eyes.

      The lustful surge that slammed through her body was so all-consuming that it was a few moments before Sam registered the scars that ran the length of his thigh. Unable to stop herself, she gasped. ‘From the accident?’

      Sam had watched the programme, had seen him looking barely alive on the stretcher, but until that point she hadn’t considered his injuries. Those scars spoke of many weeks and months of pain and suffering. They spoke of a long and difficult period of rehabilitation.

      Her throat closed over as she thought of him going through that alone. Her hands tightened into fists. Dear God, let there have been someone there for him.

      His flat voice was totally devoid of emotion as he asked, ‘You find the scars repulsive…?’

      The dry question brought a rush of furious colour to her cheeks. ‘Do I look shallow and stupid?’ she demanded.

      He studied her face for a moment in silence, and then, although his expression didn’t alter, she sensed he relaxed. ‘You look…’ His eyes darkened as they slid slowly over her recumbent form. ‘You look incredibly desirable and sexy.’

      ‘Oh…! So do you, actually.’

      His eyes glittered. ‘How well suited we are.’

      That, she thought, sucking in a breath as he lowered his long, lean frame beside her on the bed, remains to be seen. It could be that I’m going to be really awful at this. Was it really wise to begin with someone who must have pretty high standards? Of their own volition her eyes dropped to the bulging evidence of his arousal, barely contained by the boxers he wore.

      ‘Still my fiercest critic…?’

      Sam’s eyes lifted. ‘I’m not finding fault,’ she confessed huskily. ‘And how can I be your fiercest critic—we’ve hardly spoken?’ Hardly spoken…and today you’re in his bed!

      ‘You don’t need to speak—you have very eloquent eyes. You have been hating me silently for two years. When I woke up this morning the last person I expected to end up in bed with was Samantha Maguire.’ Except in my dreams. But a man wasn’t responsible for what his subconscious got up to. ‘Who did you expect to end up in bed with?’

      His wicked grin flashed out, and Sam realised that she didn’t want to do this with anyone else. It was a revelation she had to share. ‘I only want you.’

      He laced his long brown fingers into her damp hair and pressed his lips to the pulse-point at the base of her neck. By the time he reached her mouth she was writhing with pleasure. ‘I like a woman who knows what she wants.’

      As they lay side by side on the bed she slowly ran her fingers over the long white scar that ran the length of his flank, and then over the network of smaller scars above his knee. ‘I had no idea you were hurt so badly, Alessandro,’ she said huskily.

      ‘It looks worse than it was,’ he lied, catching her hand and bringing it to his mouth.

      Accepting that he didn’t want to talk about it, she sighed with pleasure as his hand curved over her bottom. Lifting her mouth from his some time later, she touched a finger to the scar just below the hem of the silk boxers he wore. ‘Does it go all the way?’

      He smiled that stunning, wicked smile that made her heart flip and husked, ‘No, cara, but I do.’ Laughing at her blushes, he tipped her onto her back with masterful expertise and reached for the tie of her robe.

      Before he slid the knot, she grabbed his hand in both of hers. ‘I’m not very…’

      Gently but firmly he took her hands, one by one, curving her fingers around the metal bedframe. ‘I think we should have no secrets, cara.’

      Sam held onto the bedframe for dear life and closed her eyes, sure that the moment he unwrapped her he might change his mind. ‘No…’ he cautioned, kissing her eyelids. ‘Open your eyes.’

      Her breath coming in short, painful bursts, Sam did as he requested. ‘I…can’t…’

      ‘Relax…’

      Relax! She was in bed with the most beautiful man she had ever seen, who happened to be half naked and about to undress her. In other circumstances she might have laughed. At that moment holding her breath seemed a more appropriate response.

      Slowly, his eyes holding hers, he unslid the knot on her robe and parted the fabric. Alessandro swallowed before his eyes dropped.

      A reverent cry of, ‘Dio, but you are perfect!’ was torn from his lips.

      Sam sagged with relief, then tensed again as his hand closed over first one taut tender breast and then the other, stroking her skin, teasing the straining, prominent peaks to new heights of quivering pleasure with his fingers and then his lips.

      She snaked her fingers into his dark hair and said his name, her voice aching with the same inarticulate longing that drenched her body. To see his dark head against her pale skin was so unbelievably erotic that Sam writhed and arched her back, pushing up against him, gasping a little as their naked bodies touched, and then a lot more when his hand slid down the length of her smooth pale thigh.

      Levering himself up until his face was level with hers, he looked deep into her eyes before he kissed her, and Sam clutched at him, her fingers digging into the taut golden flesh of his back as she moaned, ‘Please…’ into his mouth.

      She had no idea what she needed, but Alessandro was not similarly inhibited. He seemed to know where she wanted to be touched before she did! As his skilful mouth and hands moved over her body she gave a fractured groan and called out his name again, almost sobbing with the strength of her desire.

      Sam had no idea how long he touched her any more than she had any idea of at what point she lost her inhibitions about him exploring every intimate part of her. Or being bold about doing the same to him. But when Alessandro finally pulled her beneath him and moved over her she was ready for the next step.

      Actually, she was begging for his sensual invasion!

      Her body tensed for a moment as he slid into her. Above her she was aware of his doing the same thing. For a moment neither of them moved.

      Sam closed her eyes and heard his shocked inhalation, felt his breath warm on her cheek and neck. ‘Just go with it, cara.‘ The sensual rasp of his thickened voice was like a caress. ‘I will look after you. You don’t have to stay in control. Trust me…just let go…’ he urged, sliding his hands under her bottom.