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Perhaps that was the reason for this inexplicable attraction? Perhaps it was the fact that Angelica Harper wasn’t his, that she was so obviously Stephen’s, and the fact that she wasn’t available, that made her more desirable in his eyes?
No, that couldn’t be it, he instantly dismissed; he had always made a point of never poaching on another man’s marriage or a prior claim to a woman. The newspapers might like to depict him as an international playboy, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have a moral code that he lived by.
Unfortunately, just looking at Angelica Harper, gazing into the deep mystery of those misty grey eyes, lowering his gaze to the bare skin of her shoulders and the firm thrust of her breasts against the soft material of her dress, was enough to make him want to throw his moral code out of the window along with his senses!
Stephen gave a husky laugh. ‘That’s honest, anyway!’
Honesty had nothing to do with it; Wolf knew himself well, and he was truly intrigued by the beautiful Angelica Harper!
Though he knew nothing about her apart from the fact that she was the most breathtakingly beautiful and sensually arousing woman he had ever met.
And that she belonged to Stephen…
‘Stop teasing Count Gambrelli, Stephen,’ Angelica told him shortly, her grey eyes flashing a warning as he raised innocent brows. The look she gave him in return promised there would be a reckoning later. ‘I hope that you like smoked salmon, Count…?’ She turned to Wolf politely.
Although his heated gaze—as dark and warm as melted chocolate—showed no such politeness as it rested hungrily on her slightly parted lips, completely taking her breath away. Even as her tongue instinctively moved to moisten the lips he stared at so intently, that dark gaze followed the movement of her tongue before rising again to meet hers in a look that seared.
‘More wine, Wolf?’ Stephen lightly broke into the tension, and Angelica looked up to find Holmes standing patiently beside their guest, waiting to replenish his glass with the white wine that was to accompany their first course.
Angelica sucked air into her starved lungs as Wolf Gambrelli slowly broke their locked gaze to turn and nod his head abruptly to the butler, his jaw so tightly clenched it was possible to see a nerve pulsing there. His high cheekbones were clearly visible, and those dark eyes were guarded as he raised his wine glass and swallowed deeply.
He was reacting to Angelica Harper’s sensual beauty like a man deprived of water in a desert, Wolf recognised self-disgustedly!
But it was more obvious than ever, after Stephen’s flattering remarks to her just now, that Wolf’s assumption that the other man was totally besotted with Angelica Harper had been correct. And no amount of desire, of wanting her on Wolf’s part, looked likely to change that.
He began to eat his smoked salmon, not tasting the succulent delicacy as he realised he had lost his appetite. His appetite for food, at least! He hadn’t been aroused just looking at a woman since he was an inexperienced teenager!
‘Angelica is an—unusual name,’ he remarked lightly.
She nodded. ‘My mother has always been very keen on plants, herbs and flowers—I have twin sisters at home called Saffron and Rosemary,’ she added ruefully. ‘Goodness knows what my mother would have named us if we had been boys—Basil, Bennet and Comfrey, perhaps!’ She gave a huskily dismissive laugh.
The throaty sound of her laughter slid so sensually over Wolf’s flesh it felt almost like a caress, making the hair rise on the back of his neck and heat course through his veins.
‘Your mother is obviously a wise and far-seeing woman,’ Stephen put in huskily. ‘Angel is a perfect name for you, my love,’ he told her warmly, one of his hands moving briefly to cover hers.
‘I think you may be biased,’ she told the older man affectionately.
Wolf really wasn’t sure he was going to be able to take a whole evening—let alone an overnight stay—of this! If Stephen was any more besotted with his exotically beautiful ‘Angel’, he would be drooling at the mouth!
It wasn’t comforting to know that Wolf wanted to drool right along with him!
Angelica Harper, as if sensing Wolf’s hooded gaze on her, turned to include him in the conversation. ‘Which part of Italy do you come from, Count Gambrelli?’ she prompted politely.
He didn’t want politeness from this woman, Wolf recognised, as he inwardly brooded. In fact, his instincts where Angel was concerned were all completely primitive!
But at least the conversation became more general after that, as the three of them discussed the merits, or otherwise, of the different places they had visited in the world.
And Wolf did learn more, bit by bit, about the mysterious Angelica Harper as the evening progressed.
Before she had met Stephen, a year ago, her life seemed to have been one of being brought up in a close-knit family in Kent, followed by three years at university obtaining a degree in politics, and then moving on to a job in London as assistant to an aide to an elected politician—something she obviously enjoyed if the enthusiasm in her voice as she talked of it was anything to go by.
Which all sounded so at odds with the trophy girlfriend thing, or the potential trophy wife Wolf had assumed her to be…
‘You must miss all that now…?’ he enquired interestedly, lounging back in his chair as the three of them lingered at the dining table, drinking coffee at the end of the meal.
Angelica gave Wolf Gambrelli a frowning look. ‘Why would I miss it…?’
She had sensed Wolf Gambrelli’s critical gaze on her more than once as they ate dinner, and had chosen to ignore it and him—although, in truth, it was virtually impossible to ignore a man as sensually attractive as Wolf Gambrelli!
He shrugged those broad shoulders. ‘Leaving London and your job—’
‘But I haven’t left London. Or given up my job. Why would I…?’ Angelica looked at him questioningly, completely mystified as to why he should have assumed that she had.
‘Much as I would like to keep Angel with me all the time, Wolf, she prefers to remain an independent woman,’ Stephen told the younger man as he smiled proudly at Angelica. ‘Despite all my urgings for her to let me look after her and cosset her, she absolutely refuses to give up her own apartment or her job.’
‘Well, of course I do!’ Angelica exclaimed. ‘I love having my own apartment. And my job. Besides, I would be bored out of my mind if I stayed at home all day doing nothing!’
‘You see, Wolf—’ Stephen laughed softly ‘—Angel is a rare find—a truly independent as well as a beautiful woman!’
A rare find indeed, Wolf acknowledged frowningly. His assumption that Angelica Harper had moved in with Stephen and now lived off him in return for sharing his bed had proved to be totally incorrect.
Which only succeeded in deepening the air of mystery that surrounded her…
For her part, Angelica found Wolf Gambrelli’s assumption that she had given up her independence when she’d met Stephen extremely offensive.
For one thing, after living with two sisters and then sharing a house with three other girls while at university, it was lovely to at last have some space of her own. And she enjoyed her job far too much to even think about giving it up.
Just because she stayed with Stephen some weekends, it didn’t mean she had to be kept by him, too.
‘You’ve been a charming and attentive hostess this evening, darling. Thank you.’ The warmth of Stephen’s smile took away some of the sting of Wolf Gambrelli’s recent conversation.
‘You’re welcome.’ Angelica returned his smile, relieved that the evening was obviously coming to an end. ‘I think I’ll go up to bed now—if no one minds…?’
‘Not at all, darling,’ Stephen assured her. ‘I could do with an early night myself.’
She instantly frowned her concern. ‘Are you—?’
‘I’m fine, Angel. Just a little tired, that’s all,’ Stephen dismissed easily. ‘I hope you don’t mind the two of us making an early night of it, Wolf?’ he added ruefully to the other man.
Wolf’s elbows were resting on the table-top, his laced fingers having clenched tightly together as he listened to their conversation. At the same time he knew it was utterly ridiculous for him to take exception to the fact that Stephen and Angelica obviously couldn’t wait to be alone together.
Even if the vivid images that thought brought to his own mind were guaranteed to ensure that Wolf’s own night would be a sleepless one!
‘I’m not as young as I thought I was,’ Stephen added wryly.
‘None of us are,’ Wolf bit out tautly, sure that sharing a bed with the beautiful and sensuous Angelica couldn’t be in the least restful.
‘Goodnight, Wolf,’ Angelica murmured as she stood up. ‘I hope you sleep well.’
His eyes narrowed with suspicion as he searched the beauty of her face for some sign of mockery—some indication that she knew there was no way he was going to sleep at all tonight, when his mind would be full of images of her long silky legs wrapped around another man’s body as he took her to the heights of ecstasy.
Those misty grey eyes returned his gaze with steady regard, giving away none of Angelica Harper’s inner thoughts, and he could find no sign of mockery in the polite smile that curved the sensuality of her lips.
Which wasn’t to say there wasn’t any—Angelica Harper might just be a consummate actress!
‘I’m sure that I shall,’ he returned dryly. ‘It has been a—pleasure meeting you, Angelica,’ he added throatily, before he could stop himself.
She continued to look at him keenly for several seconds, before giving a slight inclination of her head. ‘Thank you. Coming, Stephen…?’ She turned to invite softly.
‘I’ll be right behind you,’ he promised warmly.
Wolf’s gaze remained intently on Angelica as he watched her leave, her long dark hair moving silkily down the length of her spine, emphasising the soft curve of her bottom as her hips moved gracefully, her legs smooth and shapely…
‘How much of a pleasure was it meeting Angel, Wolf…?’ Stephen murmured.
Wolf’s gaze returned sharply to the older man as Angelica closed the dining room door softly behind her, taking most of the warmth in the room with her. Wolf immediately masked his expression as he saw the searching curiosity in Stephen’s eyes.
‘As you said earlier, Stephen, Angelica is very beautiful,’ he replied tersely. ‘Where on earth did you find her?’ he prompted conversationally.
The older man shrugged. ‘I didn’t find her. She found me,’ he explained ruefully. ‘My lucky day, hmm?’ he added.
‘Indeed,’ Wolf acknowledged noncommittally.
‘I had better go up now, otherwise Angel will only worry,’ Stephen told him with an affectionate grimace. ‘But we’ll talk tomorrow, Wolf?’
Wolf’s brows quirked. ‘About your ulterior motive for inviting me here, perhaps…?’ he said speculatively, knowing he was no more in the mood for a business discussion now than Stephen obviously was.
Having always put his business life first and his personal life second, Wolf was very aware that his mind had been full of thoughts of Angelica Harper this evening—that images of her in Stephen’s bed later this evening had kept intruding. As they still were!
Did she sleep naked? Or did she perhaps wear something satiny and alluring with which to tempt her ageing lover?
Just thinking of that long swathe of silky dark hair being the only covering to those uptilted breasts, leaving her slender waist and curvaceous thighs bare, was enough to drive every other thought from Wolf’s mind.
‘Yes,’ Stephen confirmed with a sigh, now looking as weary as he had claimed he felt. ‘I’m sorry to keep putting it off like this, but I—’ He shook his head. ‘We’ll talk tomorrow,’ he promised.
Wolf was too restless to even bother undressing when he reached his own room a few minutes later, let alone attempting to go to bed, and decided to go back downstairs to the library and pour himself a glass of the brandy he would find in a decanter there. He might even get a little drunk. Anything to stop him from thinking of Angelica Harper in Stephen’s bed.
Not very likely, he acknowledged grimly as, quietly leaving his bedroom, he saw Angelica leaving a bedroom further down the hallway. Stephen’s bedroom? Wolf wondered as he stood transfixed. If so, she hadn’t stayed long with her lover, both men having come upstairs only ten minutes or so ago.
He had an almost immediate answer to his curiosity as Angelica, wearing a pale grey silk wrap that clung to the curves of her stunning body, paused outside a bedroom door across the hallway from the one she had just left, knocking softly.
Stephen opened the door almost instantly at the sound of that knock, had Angelica slipped past him into the bedroom before Stephen closed the door behind her.
Wolf’s breath left his lungs in a shaky sigh as he leant back against the wall, instantly tormented by thoughts of what was happening in Stephen’s bedroom, of Angelica in the other man’s arms.
And he knew that, brandy or not, there wasn’t a hope in hell that he would be able to sleep tonight!
CHAPTER TWO
‘AND to think I had stopped believing in mermaids long ago!’
Angelica gave a surprised start at the sound of that taunting voice—that familiar taunting voice. She instantly moved to tread water so she could turn and look at Wolf Gambrelli, who was standing by the edge of the swimming pool, looking down at her with broodingly dark eyes.
The luxury of having Stephen’s indoor pool to come down to at six-thirty in the morning had been one she hadn’t been able to resist when she’s begun staying here with him. An early-morning swim was part of her weekend daily routine now.
A swim that had always remained solitary until today. Stephen was usually already busy in his study at this time of the day, dealing with any e-mails or faxes that might have come in overnight.
The fact that she was only wearing a red bikini and her hair was slicked back wetly from her make-upless face after swimming her usual fifty lengths of the pool only increased her feelings of disadvantage. Wolf Gambrelli was dressed in a short-sleeved black shirt and tailored black trousers that did nothing to hide the powerful width of his shoulders, his tapered waist and long legs.
‘Count Gambrelli,’ she greeted politely.
‘Angel,’ he returned, the expression in those dark brown eyes unreadable.
Angelica’s cheeks flushed slightly at his easy use of Stephen’s name for her. ‘If you’re looking for Stephen—’
‘I’m not,’ he rasped dismissively.
Then what was he doing here? The fact that he was fully dressed didn’t seemed to indicate he had come down for a swim…
‘Breakfast is being served in the dining room if you’re—’
‘I’m not hungry, either, Angel,’ Wolf Gambrelli interrupted, coming down on his haunches at the poolside to hold out a hand to her. ‘At least, not for food…’ he added enigmatically.
Angelica frowned as she looked at that hand: his fingers were long and tapered. She wasn’t sure she wanted to get out of the water and reveal herself in her skimpy bikini—and she was very sure she didn’t want to put her hand in Wolf Gambrelli’s!
Which was pretty ridiculous; all she had to do was remember that Wolf Gambrelli was exactly the sort of man she had no intention of ever being attracted to, and that should be enough to completely nullify these feelings of physical awareness.
She reached out and took his hand, and noticed the muscles moving in his shoulders as he pulled her effortlessly out of the water to stand beside him.
Too close beside him, she instantly realised, her breath catching in her throat as his deep brown eyes darkened appreciatively and his gaze moved slowly down the length of her body, lingering on the creaminess of her breasts before going down to the hollow curve of her stomach and the gentle swell of her hips.
Angelica swallowed hard, knowing that telling herself this man was everything she didn’t want in her life—a playboy and a womaniser—hadn’t worked. She was so very aware of the heat of his body, of the leashed power in his wide shoulders—of the fact that her own body had become warm from the appreciative caress in his eyes as he unabashedly looked his fill of her.
‘If you’ll excuse me, I usually have a soak in the hot Jacuzzi after my swim.’ She turned abruptly away to pick up her towel from the lounger, wiping the pool water from her face before wrapping the towel toga-style about her body.
‘Go ahead,’ Wolf drawled, having been unable to resist joining her when he’d returned from strolling in the garden before breakfast and seen Angelica Harper alone in the pool.
Wolf had noted the statuary when he’d entered the warmth of the poolhouse—goddesses, mostly—but none of them compared in beauty to Angelica Harper. He’d stood and watched her swim the length of the pool, her skin alabaster, the beauty of her face unadorned by make-up and dominated by those misty grey eyes surrounded by thick dark lashes.
If anything, completely stripped of any sophisticated adornment, she looked more beautiful this morning than she had last night!
He walked several feet behind her now as, after one more frowning glance up at him, she walked down the poolside to where steam rose invitingly from the ten-foot circular Jacuzzi Wolf had passed on his way in, a cascade of greenery shielding the tub from any prying eyes outside the poolhouse.
Wolf’s mouth tightened as he easily imagined Angelica and Stephen lazing naked in the steaming water before getting out and making love together.
In fact, his imagination had been working overtime since he’d first set eyes on Angelica Harper!
As his sleepless night testified, he acknowledged self-derisively.
