he sensed that she was awake, because he turned his head on the pillows. She blinked hard to dispel her tears. Pride was her faithful ally. No way was she going to act like a whipped puppy.
‘Before you say anything, I’d like to agree. Last night was a mistake that should not have happened,’ she said quickly. ‘And it would definitely be best to forget about it.’
He frowned. ‘How can you agree with me when I haven’t made a comment? Can you read my mind?’
‘I don’t need to. You look…’ Her heart lurched as she stared at his face. He looked gorgeous and incredibly sexy, with his silky hair falling onto his brow and dark stubble shading his jaw. She could not prevent the slight catch in her voice as she muttered, ‘You look angry.’
Drago gave her a quizzical look. ‘Well, it’s true that I am angry—with myself. And I admit I did make a mistake last night. But I don’t regret what happened between us and I definitely won’t forget making love to you any time soon.’
The sultry gleam in his eyes sent a quiver of response through Jess. ‘Then what mistake did you make?’ she asked uncertainly.
‘I forgot to use a condom.’ His jaw tightened. ‘I have no excuse other than that you have such an effect on me that I temporarily lost my sanity. I wanted you so badly I simply didn’t think about protection. It was crass and irresponsible of me, and I apologise. I also want to assure you that I am healthy. I don’t make a habit of having unprotected sex,’ he said roughly.
Drago’s self-respect had taken a hard knock when he had realised how stupid he had been. He had broken one of his golden rules. Dio, after what had happened with Vittoria he had always been so careful to avoid an unplanned pregnancy. He hoped that Jess took care of herself and used some method of contraception, but the knowledge that he had failed to act responsibly was a matter of bitter regret.
His frown deepened when he noticed how pale she looked this morning. In contrast to her white cheeks her lips were reddened and slightly swollen, and the faint bruises on her shoulders were shameful evidence that in his impatience to make love to her the previous night his touch had been too rough.
Guilt roughened his voice. ‘I trust you will inform me if there are any consequences?’
‘There won’t be any,’ Jess said in a quick, sharp voice.
She was painfully aware that her reply was based on wishful thinking rather than certainty. Her heart hammered against her ribs as the enormity of what she had done sank in, and she jerked upright, belatedly realising that she was naked. It was a bit late to feel self-conscious after she had spent a night of wild passion with Drago, she thought ruefully. But she could feel his gaze lingering on her breasts and she hastily pulled the sheet around her, wincing as the silk grazed nipples that felt ultra-sensitive from where he had kissed and sucked them.
She closed her eyes as memories of having sex with him flooded her mind. Not only had she behaved shamelessly, but she had been criminally stupid to forget about contraception. Dear heaven, how could she have taken such a risk again, when she had bitter experience of the consequences of having unprotected sex? Surely history would not repeat itself? Some women tried for years to fall pregnant. The odds of it happening to her again as a result of this one night must be a million to one, she tried to reassure herself.
Drago relaxed a little when he realised that Jess must be protected. She had sounded absolutely sure there was no risk she could have conceived. It did not change the fact that he was a damned fool, though. He could not believe he had allowed his desire for her to override his common sense. Even more disturbing was the fact that he was still not thinking logically. His mind was enjoying an erotic image of pushing her back against the pillows and tugging the sheet away from her body. Impossibly, he was even more turned on than he had been last night.
But she was sitting stiffly, hugging her knees, and her tension was palpable. He wondered if she regretted sleeping with him. She had been eager enough at the time, and afterwards she had curled up against him and fallen asleep almost instantly. God knew what she had dreamed about that had caused her to cry out in her sleep, he thought, frowning as he recalled the harrowing sobs that had racked her slender frame.
‘Who is Daniel?’ he asked abruptly. ‘You called out the name during the night and you seemed to be upset,’ he explained when she stared at him.
She bit her lip. ‘He was a friend…my best friend. We grew up together in the children’s home.’ Her voice grew husky. ‘He died when he was sixteen. He was hit by a car and suffered a serious head injury. He was on life support…but he never regained consciousness.’
Instinctively Drago reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said gruffly.
‘I suppose seeing Angelo in the hospital brought back memories of the last time I saw Daniel. He looked like he was asleep and I kept thinking he would wake up.’ Her throat moved as she swallowed hard. ‘But the nurse said there was no hope. I’m so relieved that Angelo has regained consciousness.’
The raw emotion in her voice tugged on Drago’s insides. Jess had known more than her fair share of pain in her young life, he thought heavily. He understood now why she had looked so pale when she had walked into the intensive care unit and seen Angelo in a coma. He felt guilty that he had not been more understanding, but he had not known about her past. He knew very little about her, he acknowledged, merely the small pieces presented to him by his private investigator.
Infuriated that he could not think straight when she was so close to him, and his senses were inflamed by the scent of her, he threw back the sheet and got out of bed. Making love to her last night had been an aberration he was determined not to repeat. Pulling on his robe, he headed for the bathroom, but paused in the doorway and glanced back at her.
‘I have to go to the office this morning. Fico will take you to visit Angelo and I’ll meet you at the hospital later.’ He hesitated, still troubled by the memory of her distress during the night. ‘You called out another name in your sleep. Was Katie also a friend from the children’s home?’
A haunted expression flared in her eyes. ‘Katie? I…I don’t know anyone with that name. I’ve no idea what I was dreaming about.’
Drago stared at her for a few moments, noting how she avoided meeting his gaze. Why was she lying? he wondered as he closed the bathroom door and stepped into the shower. He felt frustrated that he knew so little about her. Jess’s strange reaction was another puzzle to add to the intrigue surrounding her.
‘SIX WEEKS WITH my leg in traction,’ Angelo groaned. ‘I think I’ll go mad. If only my memory would come back. I feel as though my brain is surrounded by a grey mist.’ He stared frustratedly at Jess, who was sitting beside his bed, helping herself to grapes from the fruit bowl. ‘I don’t understand why I was living in London and not Venice.’
‘Drago said you had enrolled at a college to study business. Do you remember being at college?’
‘No. And although you’ve told me I worked for your decorating company I have no recollection of it.’ He frowned. ‘To be honest, painting walls is not something I can imagine myself doing. Was I good at it?’
‘Not very,’ Jess admitted with a
