The Italian's Ruthless Baby Bargain

On the other hand he had found out that her favourite colour was brown. ‘Brown?’ he’d asked incredulously. ‘It cannot be your favourite. I can see you in something sky-blue or aquamarine, something to bring out the fantastic colour of your eyes. Have you ever tried those colours?’

Fantastic colour of her eyes! What else had he noticed about her? It was a scary thought. She didn’t like the idea of her employer observing something so personal.

‘Most of my wardrobe is in autumn colours,’ she admitted, ‘and this—’ she spread her hands, looking down at the skirt she wore, and her cream blouse with its tiny brown flowers ‘—is one of my favourite outfits.’

The moment the words were out Penny regretted them. Her blouse had a drawstring neckline and sat quite low on her shoulders, and she had drawn Santo’s attention to it. She could feel his eyes on her breasts, which to her dismay hardened and tingled, and she couldn’t help wondering how it would feel to have his fingers stroke them. The very thought set her senses sizzling and pulses pounding and it was with an effort that she dashed it away.

Surely it was time they went. She couldn’t sit here thinking these thoughts any longer. She glanced at her watch. ‘I mustn’t be late picking up Chloe.’

‘And I must get back to work. I’ve enjoyed your company, Penny. I feel I know you much better now. It will be a pleasure allowing you to look after my daughter.’

‘You could always pick her up from school yourself,’ suggested Penny cautiously. ‘She’d like that.’

But Santo shook his head. ‘I have another meeting at three. Edward will drive you home. I can walk from here.’

‘And will you be home before Chloe goes to bed?’ enquired Penny.

‘I’m not sure. Probably not. Say goodnight to her for me.’

‘Chloe hardly sees you,’ she told him. ‘It’s really not fair on her, the hours you work. It would be nice if you tried to make more of an effort to see her.’ Then she clapped a hand to her mouth. ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. It’s none of my business.’

‘You’re damn right it’s none of your business,’ he responded fiercely, his brown eyes losing the softness that had lingered during their meal. ‘I wouldn’t be where I am today and Chloe wouldn’t have the life she does if I didn’t work the hours I do.’

But you no longer need to, thought Penny, though she wisely kept the words to herself.

Amazingly, though, he wasn’t late home. Chloe was in bed admittedly, but it was only a little after eight and Penny was sitting outside with a book on her lap. It was a warm balmy evening and through the trees in the distance she could see the evening sun glinting on the lake and she couldn’t stop counting her blessings that she had been given this job.

Many of her friends would have found the solitude boring. They liked people and music and parties, but she was not missing them. Not yet at any rate. Or was it perhaps something else that attracted her—perhaps it was the man of the house himself?

She was sworn off men, so why she felt this pull towards Santo she had no idea. She’d met plenty of good-looking men in the course of her work and had felt nothing for them. Only Santo had made her senses run wild.

For a few seconds she closed her eyes and pictured his face. She could see him as he’d sat across from her at the restaurant. Those amazing dark eyes that could fill a woman with excitement without a word being said.

Even thinking about him sent a burning sensation through her lower body, made her head fall back and the tip of her tongue moisten suddenly dry lips. Oh, hell, she thought, was this really happening?

‘Penny.’

The voice was soft—and close! She was imagining it!

Then a hand touched her shoulder.

It was real!

‘Penny, are you all right?’

‘Santo!’ Her eyes snapped open and without even realising it she used his name for the first time. ‘You startled me. I—I didn’t hear you come in.’

‘Evidently,’ he said, his rich, deep voice throbbing through her veins.

It was the sexiest voice she had ever heard. And she couldn’t help wondering what it would be like if he were whispering words of love. She felt sure that it could quite easily make her climax without him even touching her.

What a crazy situation.

‘What were you thinking?’

‘Nothing,’ she answered quickly. ‘You’re home early.’

His mouth twisted wryly. ‘I took your advice. I thought I’d see Chloe before she went to bed, but it looks as though I’m too late.’

‘You’ve only missed her by about half an hour,’ Penny informed him, struggling for composure. At least talking about his daughter gave her time to rationalise her breathing.

To her dismay he pulled a chair close to hers and sat down. ‘Then it’s just you and me.’ He looked relaxed for a change, younger, less severe, and because of the way she’d been thinking earlier it made her want to—to what?

Touch her fingers to his cheek, explore the contours? See what it felt like to be kissed by a real man. Lord, this hadn’t happened to her since Max. She’d deliberately built a defensive wall and now it was crumbling fast.

She couldn’t do this, she mustn’t allow herself to once more fall for the wrong man. Santo wouldn’t be interested in her long-term. All he saw was a babysitter for his daughter, someone to take the weight off his shoulders. And if he could enjoy the pleasures of her body in the meantime—why not?

Now, where had those thoughts come from? He hadn’t shown the slightest inclination to want to kiss her. But men were men. She knew that. Men took advantage of situations.

And her instincts proved correct when he leaned towards her, when his mouth was inches away from hers. She could see the pores in his skin, faintly smell cedar wood, and the whites of his eyes were so clear that—that she had to get away before she was lost in them.

Heavens! This wasn’t really happening. It couldn’t be. She’d only been here two days. He wouldn’t pounce on her like that, surely? Risk the fact that he might send her running.

And she was right. He gave a satisfied smile and then sat back in his seat.

But she’d given herself away. She’d given him a hold over her. He knew that he could take her any time he wanted to.

‘Excuse me, I think I’d better go and check on Chloe,’ she said, jumping to her feet. She was gone in seconds, fleeing as fast as her legs would carry her, her heart pounding. Letting Santo see how she felt had been a big mistake. One he might take advantage of.

And she wasn’t wrong.

She looked in on Chloe to find her sleeping like an angel, a faint smile on her lips, her black hair, so much like her father’s, spread across the pillow. She was a sweet child and Penny couldn’t see why Santo didn’t devote more of his time to her, why he insisted on working long hours and getting someone else to look after his daughter.

Leaving the nursery, her head down, her mind still intent on what she saw as Chloe’s misfortune, Penny bumped straight into Santo. The sudden contact whipped the breath from her body and though his arms steadied her she felt as if her legs were about to buckle.

‘What’s the hurry?’ he asked, concern in his voice. ‘Is Chloe all right?’

Penny nodded. Everything was all right except these dangerous feelings flooding her system. A response that rocked her. Ricocheted a hot sizzle of awareness through every bone in her body.

‘Then it has to be you—or me—or both of us?’ His dark eyes filled with amusement and before she could guess at his intent, before she could protest or even draw breath, he lowered his head and captured her softly parted lips.

Penny had always known that Santo’s kisses would be sensational; nevertheless she wasn’t prepared for the whirlpool of exquisite pleasure that wreaked havoc inside her. The way her world began to spin until she felt sure that she would fly out into orbit if he carried on.

For so many years she had told herself that no man would ever get through to her again—and yet it was happening.

Now! And she had no control over it.

Santo had reached into the deepest recesses of her mind and turned it around so that she was once again a woman with needs that required satisfying, fully and deeply.

When he pushed open a door and urged her inside Penny realised they were in his bedroom. One tiny part of her mind railed against what was happening, the other exalted in the crescendo of feelings that were tipping her over the edge into a world where nothing else mattered except this moment in time.

And instead of fighting him she gave herself up to the erotic sensation of Santo’s kisses, breathing his name against his mouth, feeling the fire he had ignited take hold until it consumed her whole body. There was no room for questions, for wondering what was possessing her, all she wanted was to give in to the heated feelings that ravaged her senses.

Santo led her over to the bed, pulling her against him as they lay down, lifting one powerful leg over hers, tucking her head into his shoulder. It was a big bed, deep and comfortable, and Penny closed her eyes, forgetting where she was and what she was doing. All that mattered was Santo’s hot body next to hers, the throb of their passion that must surely be loud in the room.

With gentle fingers he traced the contours of her face. The urgency of that first kiss had gone; he was exploring now, gentle kisses followed his fingertips, and Penny relaxed against him, giving herself up to the magic of the moment, urging her body ever closer against his.

He found her mouth again in a kiss that shattered her senses, made her writhe against him and call out his name. She clawed her fingers into his hair and felt such a surge of emotion that it scared her. She hardly knew this man and yet here she was in his bed, enjoying his kisses as though he was the only man in the world.

With all the strength she could muster Penny pushed Santo away. This mustn’t happen; she couldn’t let it. It was the worst form of insanity.

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