Coercion to Love (15 page)

'She has not accepted that you do love her, yet,' Cass reminded him.

'And will never do so while she believes I hold merely a transient role in her life!' His harsh sigh ripped like a pain right through her. 'Teresa needs me, Cassandra,' he continued grimly. 'She may not understand how much yet, but she needs the strength and stability only a loving father can offer her. And I think you know it.'

Oh, yes, she knew it. She had known it from the moment she had arrived in this beautiful place and seen just what the child had been missing. Sighing heavily, she sent her eyes on a painful scan of the sweet-smelling glory of his beautiful Valley. It was all here—everything a child could possibly want from life. And out there beyond it spread the world this man had the resources to lay at Teresa's feet.

'Can you do it?' Carlo persisted harshly. 'Can you bring yourself to separate her from all of this?'

Of course she couldn't. She could not deprive Terri of any of it.

Not even for Liz's sake.

Liz... Cass's heart quivered on an ever-present sensation of gut-curdling guilt where her sister was concerned. Liz could have shared all this with them. Liz had possessed the right to share it all.

'Or,' he pushed on relentlessly, 'do you still intend putting the child through the trauma of choosing for herself?'

'God, no!' She even shuddered at the idea. Then, dragging in a painful breath of air, she looked up at him and forced herself to say what she had known for a long time now, had to be said. 'When I leave here next week, I won't be taking Terri with me,' she told him. 'Y-you are quite right,' she went on thickly. 'I don't have the right to deny her all of this.' Her vision blurred by the sudden onset of tears, and she blinked them angrily away. 'Once—once I'm out of the way, she'll come to accept you, Carlo, I'm sure of it. Sh-she's bound to be happier here with you than she could be with me.'

'Oh, yes,' he jeered, 'she will be absolutely elated to watch you walk out of her life—my God, Cassandra!' he exploded. 'Haven't you been listening to a single word I have been saying? I could no more condone separating you from Teresa than I could-----'

'Taking a baby from its mother's womb?'

The words were out before Cass could stop them, and they hung in the air between them, saying so much that neither of them had the power to ignore them.

Carlo turned away from her in a way that cut right into her because she knew she had just wounded him with that cruelly uncalculated thrust. 'So, we are back to your damned sister,' he muttered.

'And the mother of your child!' Cass flared, instantly on the defensive at his derisive tone.

'Wasn't she just?' he clipped, then turned back to face her, his eyes so hard now that they looked like black marble in his taut face. 'I'm warning you, Cassandra,' he went on grimly, 'I won't see Teresa hurt by anyone, and that includes you. I don't care what it takes, but you will stay here voluntarily with us or, so help me, I'll find a way to make you.'

'Blackmail again, signore?’ His threat was enough to bring the sparks leaping from her sea-green eyes. 'Knowing what I do about you, I suppose I should have expected you'd revert to form the moment I tried to oppose you!' Yet she hadn't, and it hurt her love for him to know he could still threaten her—though she didn't show it, her chin lifting in proud defiance of everything, including her thankless feelings of love! 'What are you intending to do,' she challenged bitterly, 'use your filthy file about my sister again?'

'No.' Reaching for her again, his grip was painful as he dragged her angrily against him. 'Use this!' he growled, and brought his mouth forcefully down on to hers.

He meant to punish her for her quick, acid tongue, and, certainly, the kiss was hard and angry, yet the moment their mouths met the passion flared like a burning furnace between them, and within seconds they were straining against each other, their tongues locked, breath ragged, senses spinning away on a complete collapse of everything sane.

It was he who drew away first, holding her upright with his hard hands while his eyes flicked contemptuously over her dazed and quivering body.

Sexual blackmail is infinitely more enjoyable, don't you agree, caro?’ he taunted cruelly, then abruptly let go of her to walk away, leaving her breathless and swaying, the heat of utter humiliation burning inside her.

He was out to dinner that night—thank God. Because Cass wasn't sure she could just sit calmly at the same table as him and pretend nothing was wrong in front of his mother, when really she wanted to fly at him with her nails.

From hating to liking to loving him, she had now reverted to hating him again. Mrs Valenti kept on looking curiously at her, though she forbore to ask just what had happened to send her son slamming out of the house only an hour after they returned from their ride, and why Cassandra was looking more hostile now than she had done on her first day here.

The next morning was no better. Over breakfast they exchanged the barest essentials in social manners, and then only for Terri's sake. The child was excited about their sea trip today, and thankfully not even the ire sparking from one adult to the other seemed to pierce her happy anticipation.

Guido was already waiting for them when they arrived at the quay, standing on a natty white speed launch which was to take them out to the yacht.

'Ah, the lovely Teresa!' he exclaimed as Carlo handed his daughter down to him. 'So we meet at last! My name is Guido, and I demand a kiss before I will let you come sailing with me!'

'You're silly!' the child giggled, but gave him the kiss anyway, before wriggling to be put down.

And Guido turned his attention on Cass. 'I am at your service, Miss Marlow,' he said, holding out his hand to help her into the launch. 'You look even more beautiful than you did the first time I saw you.' He smiled his wickedly teasing smile.

'Talking of beauties,' Carlo drawled from the quay, 'has Sabrina arrived yet?'

'Sabrina, arrive on time, Carlo?' his manager mocked. 'You are the optimist, my friend.'

'She was warned not to be late for this trip,' Carlo grunted as he stepped down on to the launch.

Just then, a bright red sports car pulled up at the quay, and Sabrina Reducci stepped into view.

'Ah, Guido!' she smiled as she reached the launch. 'Come to watch over our landlubbers, have you? Mmm, but it is a perfect day for sailing, is it not?' She landed lightly at Guido's feet. "There is just enough breeze to put a swell on the sea, and make for an interesting trip.'

Was she hoping they were the seasick type? Cass wondered. Well, she could well be right, she then conceded. They had never been on the sea before to find out!

'See, amico, we are colour-co-ordinated today!' With her usual expertise, Sabrina brought everyone's attention honing on to her exquisite figure encased in designer navy blue Bermudas and white shirt that made Cass feel almost slovenly in the baggy old white T-shirt and pale blue shorts she had flung on over her simple white one-piece swimsuit.

Then Sabrina's arms were around Carlo's neck, and the usual kissing routine began, her lush lips moving from one tanned cheek to the other before coming to rest on Carlo's mouth, while he accepted it with a smiling indulgence that made Cass's blood boil.

Love is for lovers, my foot! she thought angrily, and went to stand next to Terri by the rail. Love is for anyone who'll kiss the man!

'The scowl does not go with the day, caro.' At the low, soft sound of that mocking voice, Cass glanced around to find Guido studying her curiously. 'This is supposed to be a "pleasure" cruise.'

Is it? she wondered derisively. Some hope.

The crewman at the helm of the launch got them under way with a deep roar from the powerful engine, saving her from having to reply as they went speeding away from the quay and out into the clear blue waters of the bay. Ten minutes later they had clambered aboard Carlo's luxury yacht, and his captain, Tarazona, after being formally introduced to them, was inviting Teresa on to his bridge to watch them sail out.

Excited by the idea, she became his instant friend, tucking her hand into his and going off with him without a second thought.

Feeling suddenly out of her depth without her faithful companion by her side, Cass hovered behind the others as they filed inside for drinks, then turned to lean on the rail instead of following them, preferring to remain outside and—childishly, perhaps—watch the boat sail out.

Her legs were in the shade, protected by an overhang from the deck above, but her arms and face were fully exposed to the heat of the morning sun, then, as they began to move, the breeze caught at her hair, flipping it out behind her as she turned her face into it.

It was an exhilarating sensation, and slowly some of the tension she had been suffering with since the afternoon before began to seep out of her muscles on the soothing hiss of the water as they cut a sleek line through it’s aquamarine depths, and she watched San Remo grow smaller and smaller, its bright white walls and red rooftops slowly merging behind a haze of shimmering heat.

Then she suddenly wasn't alone, a muscled brown arm lightly covered with silky black hair coming to rest on the rail barely half an inch away from her own, and she snapped to attention, the smile she had managed to relax into gone in a moment.

Her reaction made his jaw clench. 'Easy, amore,' Carlo drawled sardonically. 'I am not contaminated in any way, you know.'

'I never thought you were!' she denied, turning her face away from him.

'No?' he mocked. 'I know I shocked you with my proposal yesterday, but I never once considered you might be so offended by it that you can barely stand me near you.'

'I was not offended.' She was forced into making the second denial. Then found herself wondering if one of the many angry emotions cluttering up her insides did spring from a sense of deep offence at his proposal. After all, did any woman find pleasure in knowing she had been proposed to simply to solve a pressing problem?

'Then do you think you could at least look at me while we talk?' he suggested. 'Lovely though your hair is, loose and flowing like that, I would much rather look at your beautiful face.'

The husky appeal in his voice rippled over the fine layers of her skin, causing a hot tingling in the pit of her stomach that had her clenching the muscles in an effort to quell the instant reminder of how easily he could make her sexually aware of him.

'We tried talking yesterday, and look where it got us.' Her tone was bitter. 'I don't know what it is you really want from me any more, Carlo,' she whispered bleakly.

'I don't think I ever did.' Suddenly, she found herself having to fight against a hot bank of tears.

'I want you!' he muttered. 'I want my daughter—and myself—to be happy together. Is it really too much to ask that you marry me to achieve those things?'

Much, much too much. 'Do people find happiness in a marriage of convenience?' she threw at him tartly.

'Oh, no, Cassandra-----' he shook his dark head in denial of that remark '—there is nothing even remotely convenient in the way I constantly ache for you. In fact-----' he grimaced, setting the nerves jumping all over her body when he reached up to stroke gently the bright tendrils of her wind-blown hair away from her pale, tense cheek '—it is damned inconvenient most of the time.'

'Don't!' She twisted her head in an attempt to dislodge his caressing fingers.

'Don't what?' he asked. 'Don't force you to accept that you feel the exact same way about me? How else am I supposed to get through to you when you're so damned stubborn?'

'I'm not stubborn!' she snapped, at last turning to glare at him. 'I'm just...' But the words died in her throat, locked there by the look of hungry intent she saw glowing in his eyes.

'No,' she choked. But he ignored her, his hand curving beneath the billowing flow of her hair to grasp her nape.

Instantly, his touch set her senses tingling, and she began to tremble. His eyes, darkening by the second, were drawing her into a deep, swirling promise of passion. Heat poured into her cheeks, then into her lips until they parted, full and throbbing. And Carlo muttered something violent beneath his breath.

'Stubborn,' he repeated huskily, 'but so damned beautiful.' And he pulled her mouth on to his.

It wasn't fair! She thought wretchedly as a hot tide of excitement went coursing through her that had her sagging weakly against him.

Reacting, Carlo shifted his position, folding her in his strong embrace and pressing her back against the rail so that she had no choice but to feel the tightening evidence of his own instant arousal.

'Cassandra, I want you,' he murmured, and robbed the breath from her body when he slid his hands beneath her loose T-shirt, and began following a sensual path along her slender contours until he found and cupped her rounded breasts. Beneath their covering of thin white Lycra, her nipples hardened beneath his kneading hands, sending out a spray of tingling pleasure to every corner of her body, and she arched in wild response.

'No!' Cass groaned deliriously.

His mouth smothered the protest with a long, searching kiss that was all the more potent for his obvious urgency. And she surrendered weakly, her hands creeping along his arm and across the bunching muscles of his shoulders until they found and lost themselves in the silken darkness of his hair.

A seagull, screeching overhead, broke them jerkily apart. And, through a red-hot haze of shock and passion, they just stared at each other. Both trembling, both gasping for breath. Both so acutely aroused that there was a chance that if anyone touched them they would be electrocuted by the static emanating from them.

'Deny that if you dare,' Carlo muttered roughly when eventually he found the strength to speak.

She couldn't, and she knew it. 'But sex isn't everything,' she mumbled defensively.   .

'No,' he agreed. 'But it gives a marriage one hell of an advantage to begin on.'

'And love?' she asked in desperate agitation. 'Doesn't the lack of love between us matter to you at all?'

He stiffened, as if the question had stung him somehow. And his eyes snapped into a look of irritation. 'We both love Teresa. That should be enough, surely?'