Once A Playboy...: Resisting the Sicilian Playboy / Her Playboy's Proposal / The Playboy's Proposal

Dara was intrigued at his sudden willingness to talk about his childhood. ‘You didn’t go to school?’

‘The schools around here were too common for my father. He believed himself and his family far too important. I had many tutors. All in the castle.’

‘That sounds rather lonely.’

‘I never knew any different.’ He shrugged. ‘It was just the way things were.’

Dara imagined the young boy she had seen in the photographs all alone, wandering the castle grounds. ‘Did your mother approve of your isolation?’

Leo walked further down the beach towards a small marina nestled into the cliff face. ‘My mother didn’t really have an opinion on very much.’

Dara followed closely behind him. ‘You seemed quite angry when I went into her bedroom today.’

‘Family history is not my favourite topic,’ he said, surveying the small dock.

‘I understand that.’ Dara understood all too well.

She watched as Leo stepped forward onto the rickety wooden pier. There was one boat tied up to a post. Wood rotten and black in some parts, it was amazing it hadn’t succumbed to the ocean already. She would imagine the weather could get pretty rough here during high tide.

Leo cleared a place on the dock so that they could sit and watch the sun sinking down into the sea.

‘What about you, Dara? Any skeletons in your perfectly organised little closet?’

She shrugged. ‘I suppose everyone has some event or relationship in their past that shapes their future.’

‘That was a very polite way of deflecting my question.’

‘I don’t have some sort of deep, dark secret, if that’s what you mean. My childhood was quite normal. No sob stories, no traumatic events.’

He turned to look at her briefly. ‘Well, then, what made you move away from such a perfect happy life?’

‘My career brought me here and I decided to stay.’

‘And yet you have never replaced Mr Ex-Fiancé? Did it end badly?’

‘Very few relationships end calmly and logically.’ She toyed with the hem of her dress, feeling uncomfortable at the turn this conversation had taken.

‘So what was it that made you decide you weren’t going to marry him?’ Leo asked.

She sighed, shrugging one shoulder. Clearly he wasn’t going to give up on this line of questioning any time soon, so she might as well give him something. ‘Dan was a very successful doctor—a highly regarded surgeon. Top of his field. He made it clear that he wanted the professional family set-up. You know...loving wife with dinner on the table, two darling children to kiss goodnight. He had all the details planned—including the name of the golden retriever we would have.’

‘Sounds very detailed. A match made in heaven, I would think.’

‘On paper, I suppose it was. I thought it was what I wanted. Thought it would make us both happy. But in the end I just didn’t tick all of the boxes.’

‘You couldn’t give him the golden retriever?’ Leo asked playfully.

Dara felt her breath catch in her throat, the memory of that day in the hospital crashing down on her.

‘I couldn’t give him children.’

Leo’s smile faded. ‘And that was a problem for him?’

She nodded. ‘I found out when we had been engaged for a little over a year. Three months before our wedding was planned. I had been feeling ill and I went into hospital for some tests. The doctors were beginning to worry that there was something sinister going on.’

Dara remembered her fear when nobody had been able to give her any answers for her strange symptoms. She’d been twenty-three. The doctors had never even considered that premature menopause might be the cause for her chronic headaches, insomnia, hot flushes. The day her doctor had sat her down and told her she was becoming infertile and there was no cure...

‘When I told Dan he was very understanding at first. The medical mind in him made him want to know all the details and consult some colleagues. We tried to salvage what few eggs I might have left, but it was too late.’

Leo laid a hand over hers and she fought the urge to pull away. He would pity her now—just as her entire family did. Poor barren Dara and her useless body. The old self-loathing threatened to overpower her.

She stood up quickly, shaking the sand off her dress in quick sharp movements.

‘What happened with your fiancé?’ Leo stood too, looking at her warily, as though afraid she would run away at any moment.

‘Isn’t it obvious?’ Dara shook her head, a harsh laugh escaping her lips. ‘He wanted a wife who could procreate. It was a pretty straightforward situation.’

‘He left you because of your condition? What a heartless bastard.’ Leo looked furious.

Dara sighed, looking out at the red-tinged sky. Leo didn’t understand how difficult things had been in the months leading up to her diagnosis. She had been ill with headaches every day, and deathly tired. And sex had been so painful they had stopped having any at all. It had felt as if every single trace of her femininity had died in the hospital that day, along with her hopes of ever being a mother.

Lying in her hospital bed, she had overheard her father speaking with Dan in hushed tones in the hallway outside. The two men who were both supposed to have loved her, talking about how she was ‘barren as the desert’ and what a shame it was as she was so beautiful—as if it had stained her in some way.

Leo looked appalled. ‘Did this Dan treat every woman like a prize mare or was it just you?’

‘He had a very clear plan for his life. We both did. I decided to offer him a chance to reconsider our relationship. It knew it wasn’t easy for him to be with me all those months. I was irritable all the time, and I had virtually no interest in sex. If he’d stayed with me he would never have fathered a child the normal way.’

‘Like I said— he was heartless,’ Leo said plainly, looking her straight in the eyes. ‘It’s not your fault that nature did this to you. You should never have been made to feel inferior.’

‘I was never very family orientated, but I suppose I always just presumed I would have children one day. Now that the choice has been taken from me I’m actually quite happy to focus on my career.’

She had her arms wrapped around herself. Leo felt the urge to embrace her, but decided against it. He now understood why she was so ambitious, so driven and serious. She had immersed herself in her career, moved to a new country—all in an effort to outrun her painful past. In a way they were quite similar.

This conversation had got far too deep for two people who had only met a few short days ago.

Dara looked at him, her expression one of quiet contemplation. ‘I’m sorry, I should never have allowed this to get so personal.’

‘Never apologise to me, Dara.’ He stepped closer. ‘Not for this. Don’t ever let anyone think that you are less of a woman because of your condition.’

‘With the way things were with Dan, I thought I was destined to live a life of celibacy. And then you came along and all of a sudden I feel...sexual again. I almost feel normal.’

‘In my experience, what we feel when we touch is far from “normal”.’ Leo felt arousal thrum in his veins as she nipped her teeth along her lower lip. ‘I want nothing more right now than to drag you up to the nearest bed and bury myself deep inside you until you can’t think.’

‘Oh...’ she breathed, her voice husky with desire. ‘I should be appalled at such a primitive statement...’

‘You’re not, though—are you?’ He stepped closer, moulding his body against her soft warmth. Holding her to him so that she could feel just how badly he wanted her.

‘No. I want you to take me right here on this beach,’ she said plainly, a smile playing on her sensual mouth.

Leo claimed her mouth in a hard kiss, any thought of gentle seduction gone from his mind. He kissed her until their breath was ragged, her lips swollen and pink.

Grabbing her by the hand, he began powering across the sand to the stone steps.

‘What happened to doing it right here?’ she asked breathlessly, colour high on her cheeks as they practically ran up the beach.

‘I think I can manage to get you to a bed at least once. I won’t have you thinking I’m a complete barbarian.’

He winked, gathering her up into his arms swiftly before she could protest.

‘Nope, not a barbarian at all.’ She laughed as he carried her up the steps two at a time.

CHAPTER SIX

LEO SET HER down in the middle of his bedroom, his breathing only slightly laboured from the exertion. ‘There will be no stopping tonight,’ he warned, as he pulled off his shirt.

She began unwrapping the tie of her dress, her hands trembling with excitement as she watched him unzip his jeans. Watching him undress, she let her hands still in their progress. Her mouth felt completely dry as she took in his smooth, muscular abs, the dusting of dark hair on his chest that trailed down his stomach in a perfect line.

‘Are you just going to watch me or take off some clothes yourself?’ he challenged.

‘Shut up and kiss me,’ she growled, throwing her hands around his neck and glorying in the feeling of having his mouth on hers again.

It wasn’t enough. She moaned, running her fingertips along his shoulders, feeling the muscles bunch under her touch.

Suddenly his hands were everywhere, caressing her neck, cupping her breasts. He pulled her tight and pressed her hard against the door behind her. She felt herself held between its hard surface and his hard body and moaned again.

He undid the tie of her dress, pulling the material down her shoulders and letting it pool on the floor. She stood there, in her plain white bra and lacy thong, and gloried in the look of appreciation on his face.

Removing her bra to free her breasts, he kissed each tip briefly before running his hands down her abdomen slowly. Without warning he sank to his knees in front of her.

Dara felt her body freeze momentarily as his lips touched against the material of her underwear. She had tried this once in the past, but hadn’t liked the sense of exposure it gave her. She debated pulling him up to kiss him again, only to feel his hands pulling the material swiftly to one side.

His mouth pressed against her sex—hard and hot. His tongue darted slowly between her folds, stroking against her in a rhythm so slow and firm she thought she might melt. The sensation of being kissed and licked so intimately by him was far removed from anything she had ever felt before. She didn’t feel exposed...she felt worshipped.

Her orgasm built slowly, every inch of her body tightening to an almost painful peak before exploding in a spectacular release. She let herself give in to this gift he was giving her, murmuring with satisfaction as the tremors subsided.

That little noise seemed to drive him wild. He stood and twined his fingers in her hair, held her while his tongue plundered her mouth. He was greedy, his tongue like fire against her own. She could taste herself on his lips, and the erotic thought turned her on even more as she scraped her fingertips down his back.

She needed him now—before she burst into flames. He seemed to understand her urgency. One sharp tug and her underwear was on the ground, in a pool around her feet.

His eyes closed and a deep growl sounded from his throat as she reached down to pull at his briefs. He was rock solid, so large she was amazed he didn’t tear the fabric through. As her fingers closed around him she heard his deep intake of breath, a low moan. They were both breathing frantically, urgency taking them over. He removed his briefs and raised one of her thighs to wrap it around his waist.

She needed him inside her now. No more waiting. Her hips arched up to meet his, and she felt the long hard heat of his erection enter her in one deliberately slow thrust. His lips nuzzled into her neck as he retreated, then thrust again, the sensation making her shudder. He quickened the pace, grabbing her other thigh so that she was fully wrapped around him.

She understood the frantic movement of his hips. She felt the same raw greed that was consuming him. She needed more...so much more.

Her back was flattened hard against the wall as he worked magic between her thighs, and she felt the toe-curling pressure rise within her once again. His breath was heavy against her neck, his tongue tasting her and nipping her skin as she twisted her hands greedily in his hair.

All of a sudden she was pulled from the wall and carried a few steps. Expecting to be thrown down on the bed, she bit her lip as her back came in contact with the smooth surface of a wooden desk, the intimate contact between them unbroken. His eyes darkened at the look of surprise on her face as he moved within her again, this time with his hands on her breasts, his fingers on the tight peaks driving her even wilder.

‘That’s it...come for me again,’ he purred, his eyes watching her as she writhed with every thrust.

She shook her head. It was right within her reach...she was at breaking point...she just couldn’t seem to get high enough. As though reading her thoughts, he slipped one finger between their bodies, caressing her where the fire burned hottest.

Light exploded behind her eyelids as release crashed upon her. His thrusts came faster and harder, his mouth lowering to her breasts, devouring them as he sought his own release. She shattered into a million pieces just as he groaned, his hands gripping her hips as his orgasm took over.

His thrusts slowed, her own spasms eased off, and she vaguely felt the weight of his head resting upon her bare breasts. Neither of them made a sound for a moment, letting their breathing return to normal. She felt as though her body would collapse if she tried to move any time soon.

He moved to drop a kiss between her breasts before raising up to look at her. Deep green eyes seared into hers with a heat so intense it might have burnt through metal.

‘I thought we might have at least made it to a bed this time,’ he breathed, running his fingers slowly from her breasts to her stomach as he stood up straight. She shivered in response and he smiled. A slow, predatory smile of complete satisfaction.

Despite the molten heat still thrumming in her veins, she felt suddenly aware that she was very naked. She sat up on the desk and slid herself down to her feet, feeling the heat of his body press up against her. This was insane—they had barely finished and he was kissing her again, running his hands up and down her body. She had never been savoured like this before...as if her skin was irresistible.

‘I can’t think straight,’ he growled, leaning down and pressing his forehead to hers. ‘I can’t stop touching you.’

They stood still for a moment, just looking at each other. Leo grabbed her by the hand and led her slowly into the en-suite bathroom. They stood in the shower stall and he turned the water on full blast, fumbling with the nozzle until the temperature adjusted from chilly to pleasantly warm.

He pulled her into his arms in one movement, the warm water cascading down over them, and Dara sighed and moulded her body to his. The sensation of their hot wet skin fused together was sinfully erotic.

He grabbed a bottle of shampoo and massaged it first into his own hair, then hers. His fingers loosened her already relaxed muscles. She hadn’t thought his touch could get any more amazing. She had been wrong. His soapy hands moved over every inch of her skin, his fingers leaving a trail of fire in their wake.

His hands tilted her head back into the spray and the water rinsed the soap from her hair and body as he continued to trail soft kisses down her neck. She moved against him, feeling the smooth hot thrust of his erection slide against her stomach.

‘You know, there’s something I’ve never done...’ She tried to keep her voice steady and confident as the image of what she was about to suggest flooded her senses.

‘Mmm...? And what might that be?’ He continued to kiss her neck, strong fingers kneading the soft flesh of her bottom as they ground against each other under the spray.

She broke the contact between them, releasing herself from his hold and meeting his eyes intensely. ‘Sit down,’ she commanded, gesturing to the long seat that lined the shower wall.

His brows rose but he obeyed, lowering his tall lean frame onto the seat with ease. She looked down at him and thought this had to be the single most erotic image she had ever seen. His dark wet skin was in sharp contrast with the white tiles of the shower wall. His hair was wet and curled dangerously around his features. She towered over him in this position, and felt strangely aroused by the sensation of sensual power she held over such a man.

Getting down on her knees, she moved between his legs and watched his eyes widen in surprise. She placed her hands on his thighs and felt the muscles bunch in response. She wrapped her fingers around the long hard length of him and took a moment to simply slide her hand up over the smooth silky skin.

She’d never been allowed to do this before. And the sensation felt strangely forbidden. As his breathing quickened she leaned forward and tasted him with the tip of her tongue. He arched his back in response and made a sharp hissing sound.

‘Is this good for you?’ she asked uncertainly.

His laugh was half choked. ‘Oh, it’s more than good.’

He twined his fingers through her hair, applying pressure to the back of her head as she took him in deeper. He moaned in response and she moved a little faster, rejoicing when he groaned louder.

His arms reached down and pulled her up suddenly, lifting her until she slid onto his lap with ease. She twined her fingers around his neck and felt him enter her quickly.

‘Do you see what you do to me?’ he groaned as she began to move over him.

Being on top gave her the same sensation of being completely in power, completely in control of their pleasure. This alone was enough to topple her over the edge. She moved her hips forward and back, moaning when he grabbed her hips greedily and began to urge her on even faster.

‘Don’t stop,’ he murmured, running his hands over her bottom and up her back, kissing a fevered path along her neck with lips that seemed to be made of molten lava.

Dara felt her orgasm building once more, and she felt the frantic beating of his heart that signalled his own. She slowed her pace, feeling him starting to lose control. One final sweep of her hips had them both tumbling over the edge and she collapsed on top of him as the tremors racked her body.

* * *

Dara woke to an unknown sound intruding on her dreams. It took her a moment to take in her unfamiliar surroundings, and then she looked to find she was alone in the large bed.

The sheets were tangled from the events of the night before. They had made love countless times throughout the night. Leo’s appetite was insatiable. The gauze curtains around the queen-size bed swayed in the breeze—she could smell oranges and salt from the surf.

She felt wickedly satisfied and smiled, giving her hips a little wiggle as she got out of bed to look out of the windows at the waves crashing against the cliffs below the castle turrets. She wouldn’t let herself regret last night. She felt happy and attractive and sensual again, and that was nothing to be ashamed of. He had given her a wonderful gift without even realising it.

As she opened the bedroom door the smell of acrid smoke burnt her nostrils and she instinctively launched into a run, bare feet clipping down the marble tiles. She reached the kitchen just in time to see Leo drop a steaming pot of coffee into the sink with a guttural oath.

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