as she became conscious of the clammy coldness of layers of drenched clothes against her skin.
She tried to wring some of the excess moisture from her hair while she examined her surroundings. Nice—but then you’d expect Alessandro to travel first class—and big too, she thought, stretching her legs out. Big, but not nearly big enough. Her heart started to beat out an erratic tattoo against her breastbone as she thought about spending any time in such close proximity with him.
It stood to reason there must have been an alternative solution to her dilemma, that didn’t involve being touched by Alessandro or locking herself into a confined space with him. Quashing the growing sense of panic she felt as she looked around the interior of the car, she closed her eyes and reflected on the unfortunate fact that around him she acted like someone suffering from oxygen deprivation.
She was wondering whether it might not be better to brave the elements and any passing bad guys when the door was wrenched open. She stiffened as the interior of the car was for a moment filled with cold wet air, followed by the elusive male scent of the exclusive fragrance he favoured.
‘Here,’ he said, handing her the keys.
‘Thanks,’ she said, fumbling as she tried not to touch his fingers. She lifted her head in time to see him shrug off his drenched jacket.
A sigh shuddered through her body. Oh, my God!
His white shirt had been rendered totally transparent by the rain, and clung like a second skin, revealing every individual muscle and hard contour of his lean, bronzed torso. Her breathing quickened as she tore her fascinated gaze away from the tantalising shadows created by drifts of dark body hair.
‘Take your coat off,’ he suggested, casually slinging his own jacket into the back seat.
She shook her head and clutched at the lapels of her knee-length pink trench coat. ‘No, thanks,’ she croaked. ‘You could drop me at the first service station. There’s one in the next village along, I think.’
He slung her an impatient look before pulling off the grass verge. ‘Two petrol pumps and a tin hut, as I recall. Even if they did happen to be open for business at nearly eight p.m. I doubt if they’d retrieve your car until the morning.’
‘Eight…?’ Her expression shocked, she glanced at the watch on her wrist. She hadn’t realised until that point how long she had been standing there. Lips pursed, she slid him a belligerent look. ‘I suppose you think I should say thank you?’
‘Not if it’s too painful.’
‘The tyre was bald…?’ She looked at his hands on the steering wheel, then looked quickly away as she felt the muscles in her abdomen tighten. Her sensitised nostrils quivered. The car was heating, intensifying the disturbing scent of warm, wet male mingled with the subtle fragrance Alessandro favoured. Short of not breathing, it was impossibile not to inhale the heady concoction.
‘Totally.’
Looking out of the window, her posture rigid, Sam missed the amused sideways glance he slid her.
‘Why would I lie about such a thing?’ he asked. ‘Unless, of course, you think this is all part of a plot to have you at my mercy?’
‘Very funny.’
‘You are cold?’
Sam, who was very conscious of the trickles of sweat running down her back, shook her head.
‘Then why are you shaking?’
‘I’m not,’ she lied. Then, because she clearly was, she added gruffly, ‘My clothes are wet.’
‘How long were you standing in the rain?’
‘I’ll be fine. I’ll have a nice bath when I get home.’ Anticipating the luxuriant soak that lay ahead, she sighed—and missed the flare of heat in his eyes as they swerved briefly from the road ahead.
The silence between them, which wasn’t anything close to cosy or comfortable, stayed unbroken until he drove straight past the turn-off for the motorway a couple of miles farther down the road.
‘This isn’t the right road.’
‘It is for where we are going,’ he responded, with aggravating calm.
Sam glared at him, bristling with suspicion. Just as she was about to demand an explanation he slowed, and with a display of fast reflexes avoided a cat that darted across the road. The action made her think of the accident which had killed his parents. Had it been difficult for him to get in the driver’s seat again? If it had you certainly couldn’t tell from his calm, competent manner at the wheel of the big powerful car.
‘I saw that programme last night,’ she confessed, without thinking.
He slanted her a quick sideways look.
‘About the accident…’ she added, when he didn’t respond.
‘It was exploitative rubbish.’
For once she was in total agreement with him. ‘Yes, I know.’ She looked at his flawless profile and added, ‘I’m glad you don’t have any scars…physical ones, that is. Not that I’m implying that you have mental scars, but anyone would…Oh, God, if I was writing this I’d delete those last few lines of dialogue.’
To her amazement he laughed, and said, ‘I do.’
‘You do what?’
‘I do have physical scars. You just haven’t seen them…yet.’
Threat or promise—whichever it was, the result was the same. Desire clutched low on her belly as she struggled to lock the whimper that fought to escape in her throat.
Do not go there! Sam told herself. The sexual tension crackling in the air was too strong to ignore, but maybe if she didn’t react to it, it might go away…? She turned and stared out of the window, and wondered how much more of this her nervous system could take before she burst into flames!
A few moments later the probability of spontaneous combustion became all the more probable when he observed casually, ‘We need to get a room.’
Chapter Seven
NOW, this she couldn’t let ride.
‘You need your head examined,’ she rebutted huskily. ‘If you assumed that just because I kissed you—’ she gave a mocking laugh and was grateful he had no idea of the images playing in her head ‘—I’m going to sleep with you!’
‘I suggest you wait until you’re asked before you say no.’
The humiliating colour flew to Sam’s cheeks as she turned her head back to the window, cursing her unruly tongue.
‘I’m not saying it won’t happen—’
‘I really couldn’t be that lucky…’ she drawled sarcastically.
Alessandro grinned, but didn’t turn his head. ‘I like to prioritise.’
