Wife in the Shadows

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Book: Read Wife in the Shadows for Free Online
Authors: Sara Craven
himself, he had found his body responding to her enticement with all its former urgency.
    All the same, he would have drawn the line at traversing unfamiliar corridors to reach her, in the hope that the other members of the house party—his hostess in particular—would be safely asleep.
    But as this would not be necessary, the promise of ‘one last time’ seemed worth the risk.
    No-one, he told himself, would be likely to see him descending from the
loggia
outside his room, especially now he’d changed his white shirt for a thin dark sweater.
    But if the worst happened, he could always explain he’d been unable to sleep, and decided to get some air.
    Or, he could take the infinitely wiser course of resisting temptation altogether, and staying where he was. However disappointed his former
innamorata
might be, she could hardly make a scene over his dereliction. Not in this company.
    And afterwards, he would be careful to avoid any encounters with her until she had found the inevitable someone to take his place.
    Counsels of perfection, he thought cynically. Which he had,
naturalmente,
no intention of following. Not while that gloriously rapacious body was waiting to welcome him on this hot, starlit night.
    Earlier, he’d fetched the flashlight from his car, and sliding it into his pocket, he went noiselessly out to the
loggia
and down the steps to the grounds below.
    Ellie was never sure what woke her. For one sleepy moment, she wondered why, on such a still night, the pale curtains at her window seemed to be billowing into the room? Only to discover, with blank terror, that she was no longer alone. That a tall shadow, darker than all the rest, was standing beside the bed and a man’s voice was whispering teasingly, ‘Were you asleep,
mia bella?
Then I hope you were dreaming of me.’
    Then before she could move or force her paralysed throat muscles to scream, the mattress beside her dipped under a new weight, and strong arms reached for her, drawing her against bare and aroused male flesh while a warm mouth took hers in the kind of deep and sensual kiss wholly outside her experience.
    And for one brief, appalled instant, she felt her ungiven body arch against him in a response as instinctive as it was shocking.
    Then, as sanity came racing back, she tore her lips from his and tried to push him away, raking her nails down the hair-roughened wall of his torso.
    He swore and his grasp slackened fractionally, giving her the chance to fling herself across the bed away from him, her hand reaching desperately for the lamp switch.
    And as light flooded the room, Ellie’s horrified, incredulous gaze met that of her assailant.
    Angelo was the first to speak. He said hoarsely, ‘You? But I don’t understand …’
    ‘Get out of here.’ She was blushing from head to foot, burning with shame, as she delved for the sheet, dragging it up to cover her naked breasts. Trying at the same time not to look at him. ‘Just—go. Now. For God’s sake.’
    But it was too late. There was a sharp knock at the door, followed by her godmother’s voice saying, ‘Is all well with you, Elena? An intruder has been seen in the garden.’
    Angelo muttered something soft and violent under his breath, and dived for the sheet in his turn. And before Ellie could answer, think of some reassurance to send her latest visitor away, the door was flung wide, and the Principessacame in, swathed in an ivory silk dressing gown. And behind her, dignified in grey satin, the Contessa Manzini, with Carlo Barzado beside her, and Giovanni bringing up the rear.
    Lucrezia Damiano stopped, a hand flying to her throat, her eyes widening in shock and dismay. There was a long and deadly silence, which the Contessa was the first to break, turning to request Signor Barzado and the gaping major domo to leave before she too stepped into the room, closing the door behind her.
    She said,
‘Cosa succede,
Angelo. What is happening here? Have you lost your mind or simply all

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