The Count's Prize (8 page)

No. It’s Antonia. And … her friend
, he corrected himself carefully, resisting the temptation to go out and welcome them home.

Josie hurried straight up to her own suite. The moment she was safely inside, she started unpacking all the carrier bags she had brought back from Florence. Reverently, she put the beautiful dress Antonia had bought her on one of the padded hangers. Then she carried it up to the top floor of her suite and hung it up in the room Dario had called the solar. That way, she could see it while she worked. At least, that was the theory. Once the dress was displayed in sunlit glory, it was all Josie could do to tear herself away and unpack everything else she had bought. Antonia had exploited her temporary brainstorm by suggesting another indulgence, which had prompted a real spending spree.

Now you’re coming to the party tomorrow night, Jo, we can have some real fun. I’ve arranged for a masseuse and my usual team of beauticians to visit the castle. You and I can make a real day of it
.

From that moment on, Josie’s work had to take a back seat, although, happily, in her attempts to drive Dario from her mind, she was far ahead with her research. She spent far more time admiring her new dress from every angle and counting down the minutes until her makeover. Whenever she thought about the party, she felt sick with nerves and excited at the same time. She took the tops off all the bottles of gel and bubbles and oils she had bought for the occasion and inhaled until she was high on a cocktail of jasmine and adrenalin.

When she finished what passed for work that day, she took the green silk down into her bedroom so she could carry on admiring it. When a maid came in to
turn down her bed, Josie didn’t have to ask if she liked the dress.

‘You’ll be the centre of attention at tomorrow night’s party,
signorina
!’ the girl whispered with awe.

Josie couldn’t answer. All her worries about the celebrity guest list were coming back in force. She thought of the evening ahead and privately planned to spend the whole evening hiding behind a pillar if necessary, nice and close to the buffet.

Next day, Josie’s work rate plummeted to zero but she hardly cared. Her worries about it were reduced to a tiny cloud hovering on the extreme edge of a much larger storm. Happily, the makeover took up nearly all her time, and it was heavenly. Every moment brought her closer to the party, the dress … and Dario. That thought made her so nervous she could barely touch the little party savouries that Antonia kept ordering from the kitchens.

After a long soak in scented water right up to her neck, Josie had an aromatherapy massage with rose oil. While she was trapped beneath a hairdresser’s skilful fingers and with a manicurist at work on each hand, Antonia seized her moment.

‘I’m so pleased you decided to come to the party, Jo. You never know. It might be an introduction to that tall, dark, handsome man who’ll sweep you off your feet.’

Josie could only think of one person who fitted that description: Dario. She had been thinking about nobody else, and was suddenly afraid she might give herself
away. She tried to distract Antonia with a careless laugh.

‘Hah! The last time that happened, my heart got kicked down the road like a tin can,’ she said, trying to sound as though it didn’t matter.

‘Andy Dutton was neither tall, nor dark, nor handsome,’ Antonia huffed.

Josie recoiled from the memory of the biggest romantic disaster of her life. ‘That’s why I’ve come to a decision. I’ve decided it’s time to put that whole horrible business behind me and move on,’ Josie announced bravely, and immediately felt better for saying it. Once she had put her feelings into words, things suddenly felt so much clearer in her mind. ‘I’m only sorry I couldn’t have realised it sooner,’ she sighed.

‘So you’ve finally come around to my way of thinking? That it’s time to forget him?’ Antonia grinned, delighted.

‘Yes—and no. I may have recovered from getting my feelings burned by Andy, but it’s made me determined never to get so close to that particular kind of fire again,’ she said, but as she spoke, the memory of Dario’s kisses flooded through her. How could she say such things, yet still feel like this? Thoughts of his hard, hot body beneath her hands filled her with a longing that all the massage oils in the world could never relieve—and the sensation was spectacular.

‘Fine—so tonight you’re not looking for trouble, you’re just there to enjoy yourself,’ Antonia said airily. ‘What can possibly go wrong with that?’

‘I’m not looking for anything,’ Josie announced, trying hard to convince herself that it was true.

Her mind was too full of Dario for safety. Dealing with that would be more than enough for her to handle.

As the day went on, time slowed down to a snail’s pace. First, Josie’s hair was piled up like a Roman princess. Then, when her fingers and toes had been thoroughly pampered, her nails were painted the colour of mother-of-pearl, making them shimmer with her slightest movement. Then she got the chance to choose some diamond earrings from Antonia’s collection of jewellery, and a pair of equally sparkly stilettos from her friend’s huge collection of shoes. After that, time crawled by until there was barely half an hour to go before the party. Then Antonia started fluttering around her like a demented butterfly.

‘I don’t know how you can stay so calm, Jo!’

‘I do all my panicking inside. Inside, I’m running about like a mad thing!’ she added with a thrill of excitement, checking her watch for the fifth time. They stood together in Josie’s drawing room, while Antonia fussed around her and they both waited for the staff to announce that the guests were arriving.

Finally, Antonia stood back to admire her handiwork. Josie couldn’t resist glancing at herself in the full-length mirror the staff had set up for the occasion. It was incredible. Antonia was right—she was almost unrecognisable. A smile was the only thing she needed to make the picture absolutely perfect. Blushing with
an unusual rush of pride, she looked away from her reflection quickly.

‘Not even Dario would know it’s you.’ Antonia giggled as they got the call from the staff and went downstairs through the cool corridors of the great castle.

‘Here’s hoping,’ Josie said as her heart began to accelerate. After everything she had told Dario about being determined not to come to his party, here she was. All it had taken was this beautiful dress, and the need to prove to him that she
could
enjoy herself when she wanted. Despite her nerves, she felt as if she were living in a fairy tale. She put a hand to her forehead. Was she delirious? Would she wake up to find she had been dreaming?

Antonia gently led her towards the great marble staircase. The sound of restrained small talk rose from the crowd of guests down in the foyer, each receiving their first glass of champagne.

If I could lose myself in this mob, maybe I would feel less like a human sacrifice
, she thought, trying to feel relieved. As she came downstairs, her embarrassment level rose as a wave of silence spread through the crowd below. In the seconds before they remembered their manners and greeted their hostess, Josie felt the eyes of every person in the place trained on her. She and Antonia joined the straggle of other people heading away through the portrait gallery towards the castle’s grand banqueting hall. They were all marvelling at the grand di Sirena ancestors, but Josie’s attention was turned in a quite different direction. The portrait gallery ran around three sides of a glazed quadrangle
which was open to the skies. There, the leaves of a big old apricot tree stirred in the sultry dusk.

She nudged Antonia. ‘I think I might have changed my mind about this—I wish I was out there rather than in here!’ she whispered.

‘Rubbish. You’ll love it once the party’s started. Look how you dithered about coming to work here in the first place. I don’t hear you worrying about putting anyone to any trouble now!’

No
, thought Josie.
That’s because all my other worries have faded in comparison, from the moment I met Dario
.

She sighed and tried to look on the bright side. She looked around at the flash and dazzle of diamonds and military medals worn by all the other guests. Why would he even look at her? Getting on well with his sister hardly counted in stellar company like this. Suddenly, her reckless giggle returned.

Dario felt pretty impressed with me when we kissed!
she thought, and blushed. What would all these people think if they knew what was going through her mind?

The double doors to the great banqueting hall were open wide, so it would have been easy to slip inside unnoticed. Josie looked around. People had been smiling appreciatively at her from the moment she’d appeared at the top of the stairs. Trying to sneak in wouldn’t stop them doing that. She might as well make the most of her few moments in the spotlight. If nothing else, it would be good practice for the university’s Christmas
ball. Taking a deep breath, she pulled herself up straight and tall and strode bravely into the room.

The banqueting hall was already bright with people, but the first and only thing she saw was Dario. He was standing in front of a cold marble fireplace, talking to a languid blonde in scarlet satin.

As Josie entered, there was a lull in the conversation. Dario’s gaze was already raking the room, but at the sudden silence it swooped over to her, then back to his slender companion. A split second later, he executed the perfect double take. Looking across at Josie again, he trapped her in his gaze. It killed his conversation stone dead, and Josie froze. All the polite, charming, witty things she’d planned to say to him fled from her mind. She was left staring at him across the room, speechless with amazement.

Dario looked every bit as wonderful as she had known he would, each night when she’d heard him drive away into town. He was resplendent in a formal black dinner jacket and trousers with a plain white shirt and black bow-tie. His crisp shirt accentuated the pale gold of his colouring and the dark allure of his eyes—and that was where she got the biggest reward of all. His gaze was totally absorbed by her. He smiled suddenly, in such a genuine gesture of pleasure that Josie was lost. In that moment all her worries about gatecrashing his party dissolved. The naked desire in his expression sent her senses spinning. Her own burning need for him made her want to stride forward, push her fingers through his unruly tousle of curls and kiss him again and again, no questions asked.

Instead, she blushed, dropped her gaze and shuffled uncertainly on the spot.

Dario abandoned his companion without a backward glance and crossed the room in a few strides. Taking Josie’s hand, he lifted it to his lips.

‘Josie … tonight, you could tempt a saint,’ he breathed.

Speechless, she raised her eyes as his kiss connected with her fingers. Dario’s gaze pinned her to the spot. She relished the feel of his skin against hers, and the touch of his fingers as they curled around her palm. He held her in a grasp that was strong, yet cool. At any other time, or in the hands of any other man, Josie would have pulled away. This perfect man, on this special night, was different.

I’m going to enjoy every moment of this party
, she told herself, staggered by the realisation.

She looked around nervously. An appreciative crowd was smiling at the little scene being acted out in front of them. By the time her eyes flicked back to Dario, he had resumed his usual suave, unflappable charm.

‘Thank you for coming, Dr Street. I know how much you dislike gatherings like this, and I’m flattered you chose to make an exception for mine.’ He smiled, then added a compliment that sent shivers of anticipation dancing up and down Josie’s spine.

‘I’ve never seen a more lovely woman. Or one so beautifully dressed,’ he said simply. ‘You are without doubt the most beautiful guest here this evening.’

J
OSIE
opened her mouth to say something, but every sensible thought in her mind had evaporated. She closed it again, and tried another smile. Luckily, those muscles were still working, despite the effect Dario was having on the rest of her body. She could only hope her expression spoke for her.

No one has ever called me beautiful before. I’ve always been just ordinary old Jo, or Dr Street
, she thought.

‘Now, I shall introduce you to some of my charming friends. They will take good care of you for me while I am doing my duty as host.’

Dario drew her away from the throng and towards a stout, cheerful-looking couple. Despite their expensive designer clothes, they had open, weather-beaten faces and expressions that Josie took to instantly.

‘This is Signor and Signora Bocca. They own a neighbouring estate and their son—Beniamino—went off to university very recently. Dr Street will be able to put your minds at rest about undergraduate life,’ he told them, giving Josie a wicked wink.

The couple chuckled, shamefaced.

‘He’s gone to the USA on a scholarship, and Antonia told me you worked in Iowa for a while last summer, Josie. Maybe you could tell them all about it?’ He smiled.

‘It’ll be my pleasure, Dario,’ she said, and it was true. Dario squeezed her hand in parting, and it felt as though he knew exactly what she was thinking.

Despite his affable smile, Dario was uneasy. Something strange was going on inside his head, and his body wanted its own way, too. Once again, it was all down to Josie. He tried to think, but it was difficult to do that while keeping a buoyant conversation going with the lovely Tamara. Dario felt duty-bound to keep a discreet eye on Josie, now she was here. He knew enough of her shyness to realise that attending his party after all must have taken a lot of courage. He was impressed and relieved at the same time. Although he enjoyed socialising, for the first time in his life he had felt like getting his staff to cancel a party at the last moment. Now Josie had arrived, he could admit her rejection had weighed on his mind like a lead weight. The second she’d walked in, everything had changed. Simply seeing her made him ready to relax and enjoy himself.

After a few more minutes of idly seductive chit-chat with Tamara, he realised something still wasn’t right. The thought of spiriting this long-legged lovely away from the party left him cold. Tamara might be clever and charming, but suddenly that was no longer enough for him. She would be a meaningless conquest, and their conversation had lost all its attraction for him.

Tamara was twinkling as she tried to win back Dario’s attention, but his gaze took every opportunity to escape. He tried dragging it back to her as she told him some long and complicated story about her PA having to courier lost documents from one side of the EU to the other. He attempted to smile at all the right moments, but his heart wasn’t in it. Tamara had everything—except his attention. He wished he could see straight through her and out the other side.

The only thing that could hold his gaze was a knot of local businessmen and dignitaries over in the far corner of the room.

It has come to something when a girl like Tamara has fewer attractions for me than a bunch of men I speak to every day
, he thought, trying to ignore the obvious fact that it wasn’t them holding his attention captive. It was the bright shining star at the centre of their universe.

Dario put a hand up to his neck and felt the muscles as tight as steel hawsers. He had hoped this party would help him to let off some steam, relax a little. Right now he was feeling more tense than he had done in years. What had changed? His guests were all enjoying themselves hugely—Josie included.

What’s wrong with that?
he rebuked himself.
That’s what parties are for, for God’s sake—so people can come out and forget themselves for a while!

That day in the glade, he had teased Josie about being unable to enjoy herself. As he watched her tonight, nothing looked further from the truth. She was revelling in all the attention, but Dario knew he had one big advantage over the men surrounding her. So far, he was the
only one in the place who had taken his interest in her any further. With a flash of relief, he finally realised what had been torturing him for so long.

I want to keep it that way
.

Josie was special. Her particular brand of intelligence and charm—not to mention her breathtaking appearance tonight—promised delights far beyond anything Tamara and his other coterie of lovelies could offer him. All he had to do was cross the room to where she stood. The other men were bound to defer to him at once.

Don’t disrupt her moment in the sun, Dario!
he growled to himself.
She’s enjoying herself
.

He took a deep breath and tried to act on his own advice. Then he realised Tamara was reaching out to worm her long slender arms around his waist like overcooked vermicelli.

Dodging neatly out of her reach, he made some noises of regret and moved Tamara by the hand towards a gaggle of women discussing interior design with Antonia. Kissing her freshly powdered cheek as consolation, he abandoned her and began to work his way around the room.

Dario purposely set off to charm the guests furthest away from where Josie was holding court. It was a carefully calculated move. He was always scrupulous about observing the social niceties. As the host, he had a duty to all his guests, not just to his favourite ones. But, all the time, every fibre of his being ached for Josie, her company, her laughter, her …
everything
. Finally, after the longest hour of his life, hers was the last little clique on his circuit. With one hand, he lifted a glass of champagne
from a nearby tray, then stuck the other into his trouser pocket and sauntered casually to the edge of her group.

‘Josie …’

He spoke, and she smiled.

Dario took that as his cue to advance and stand beside her. Instead of lifting her fingers to his lips as he had done the first time they’d met, on impulse, his hand went straight to her waist as he kissed her lightly on the cheek. She didn’t flinch from either gesture, he noticed with a delicious kick of pleasure.

‘How are you enjoying the party?’

‘I didn’t think you’d recognise me,’ she said apprehensively.

‘I would know you anywhere,’ he said, and it was true. She was so lovely, he couldn’t bear to leave her alone for a moment. No one knew more than he did how every single second in the company of a beautiful woman should be cherished. One wrong word, one thoughtless gesture and happiness could be snatched away for ever. Nothing could have persuaded him to risk going through the pain he’d endured in losing Arietta—but he wasn’t prepared to see Josie fall prey to one of his guests. The idea of a treasure like her in the clutches of another man was unthinkable.

‘I really am so glad you felt able to come,’ he said before she had time to think. His fingers were still resting just below her ribcage. When she didn’t automatically pull away, he let them linger, but only fractionally longer than good manners should have allowed. However, Josie seemed uneasy and her eyes flicked away, in the
direction of another group of guests. He waited, puzzled. She did it again. Then he realised she was looking at the woman he had abandoned when he’d blazed a trail around the room to her.

‘Oh, that’s just Tamara,’ Dario said casually, stepping back.

On the other side of the room, the blonde raised one hand and blew him a kiss.

‘Hmm. It doesn’t look as though she’s saying, “Oh, that’s just Dario,” to those other people,’ Josie said stiffly.

Dario felt a surge of purely male satisfaction. She was jealous—tonight she was as good as his.

‘Would you like me to introduce you to her?’ he said innocently. ‘We’ve been friends—just friends—for years.’ He smiled, and her lovely face lit up with a promise that was reflected all through her body. He saw her tension vanish. She took two languid steps towards him like a gentle breeze, and the effect was instantaneous. Dario forgot all about keeping control or seducing her slowly. All he wanted to do was take possession of her.

‘I meant what I said, Josie. I’m really glad you decided to come after all,’ he murmured.

‘After you kept telling me that I should relax more? How could I do anything else?’

His dark eyes sparkled with amusement. ‘You’re the very last person I’d expect to find a party relaxing. I assumed you’d take up residence in my library tonight, as it’s the least likely place to find other guests. Have you seen my library yet?’

‘Yes. It was all very …
interesting
,’ Josie said tactfully.

He smiled. ‘That’s a good answer. One of my forebears bought a lot of those books by the yard, back in the nineteenth century.’

She nodded. ‘That explains the strange order they’re in.’

‘Not necessarily. My staff don’t always bother to put things back in the proper place after I’ve read something.’

‘You actually read those books?’ she marvelled.

Dario took a sip of champagne. ‘I’d invite you to come and look at them again with me sometime, but I know what your reaction to that would be.’

‘You never know.’

‘After our picnic the other day?’

‘I’ve changed my usual clothes for this evening, and my appearance. How do you know I haven’t changed in other ways?’ she teased him back.

‘Because a mermaid can never forsake the sea.’

Josie giggled, and lifted her glass to scrutinise its contents. ‘This must be very good champagne. I’m not entirely sure I understood that!’

‘In that stunning outfit, you would make the perfect mermaid.’ His hand went to her hair, delicately lifting a strand back into place.

‘Josie … in honour of this special occasion I should like to offer you a little memento.’

She was so carried away by the look of appreciation in his eyes that he might have been offering her the moon. Nodding wordlessly, she saw him signal to one of
his staff. The man disappeared, only to hurry up to them a few seconds later, holding a spray of white cymbidiums, their throats flecked with pink and cream spots.

Dario took the flowers with a nod of thanks and smiled. ‘The most beautiful flowers, for my most beautiful guest. May I?’

‘Yes, please,’ Josie breathed.

Dario took another step closer to her, so that his smart black shoes were toe to toe with the sparkly little stilettos she had borrowed from Antonia. Then he slid the fingers of one hand between her dress and the pale skin of her breast. Lifting the fine material away, he pinned the orchids safely to her shoulder.

‘There,’ he said, taking his time to remove his fingers. They trailed gracefully over her skin, making her delicate tan seem pale in contrast to his nut-brown fingers. She shivered at the delicious friction of their touch, but made no move to stop him or pull away, not even when she saw him take the opportunity to admire the swell of her breasts beneath the fabric of her dress and the delicate line of her throat.

His gaze moved back to her face and he smiled down at her. ‘I also suspect that your adoring fans will soon block your way to the buffet. Let me act as your pilot.’

Without waiting for Josie’s reply, he slid his arm lightly around her waist and swept her around the vast room with flair. Everyone turned to watch as they passed. They were all smiling and with satisfaction Dario saw that Josie was, too.

The buffet had been set up on a long row of polished tables in an anteroom. It was a feast for all the senses.
Flower arrangements in the di Sirena colours of blue and gold, pyramids of tropical fruit and baskets of hand-made bread rolls in every shape and variety all gave off a wonderful fragrance. Light from the chandeliers dazzled over silver trays and crystal bowls of titbits. Dario knew the glorious sight and the polite murmur of conversation surrounding it would make both her work and England seem a very long way off for Josie—and that was exactly what he wanted.

Dismissing a footman who offered to help, he lifted a plate from the nearest stack of delicate china and handed it to her himself.

‘You’ve barely touched your champagne. Shall I get you a soft drink instead?’

‘No, this is wonderful.’ Josie took a sip, but he could tell it was just for the look of the thing. Her attention was riveted on him.

She is making real progress
, he thought, watching her expand beneath the warmth of his gaze like a beautiful butterfly emerging from a chrysalis. There was a glow of confidence about her tonight that she usually only wore while working. Dario had never given much thought to her hair before, but now he had to fight the urge to reach out and touch it all the time. Instead of being scraped back in a formidably efficient ponytail, it was arranged in a glorious confection which seemed spun from barley sugar. Her lovely dress left her arms and most of her shoulders bare, and he could see the tan line left by the short sleeves of the simple tops she usually wore. Wherever her skin had been exposed to the Tuscan sun, the past few days had toasted
it to light gold. He found the contrast delicious. Her legs never normally saw the light of day when hidden by her working uniform of white T-shirt and overalls, and he looked down to see if they were pale, too. The room was warm and, as far as Dario was concerned, it was getting warmer by the second.

‘I’m so sorry I messed you about over your invitation, Dario,’ she murmured. ‘I haven’t enjoyed a party so much for … well,
ever
!’

Dario smiled away her apology. He liked the way her breath was coming in nervous little laughs tonight. The chandeliers high above threw dancing shadows as she moved, accentuating the tempting depths of her cleavage. The fine material of her dress showed him something else. The rise of her nipples was so blatantly obvious through the silk of her bodice, Dario could forgive her anything. And, now she was with him, he felt more relaxed than he could remember.

In contrast, Josie couldn’t stand still. Once she had made up her mind to think only of enjoying herself, it was as if her body had woken up from a long hibernation. The nearness of Dario sent sparks fizzing up and down her spine. Although more guests were arriving at the buffet all the time, she was only aware of him and every movement he made—offering her first choice of all the delicious dishes on display, or half turning to talk to someone beside him. She felt almost too shy to look at him directly, but that hardly mattered. His slightest movement sent the delicate notes of his vanilla and spice aftershave wandering through the air between them. His fine, capable hands moved briefly
into her line of vision now and again as he reached for something to pass to one of his guests. Polite and attentive, he kept every conversation light and easy. Josie was glad—she could hardly think of a thing to say. The sound of his voice was like deep water, tempting her to go closer than might be safe. And then …