A Ring To Claim His Legacy

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‘I have.’ Marco snatched at the change of subject she unwittingly offered because if he didn’t he was in danger of taking her back to his villa and spending the day exploring the desire between them, which had now reached near explosive heights. Whilst it was very much what he wanted to do, it wasn’t part of his plan to create the ultimate romantic escape on their last night. The pleasure her body promised would have to wait. ‘We are going out on that yacht.’

She turned swiftly and looked to where a sleek white yacht was anchored in the bay, waiting patiently on the sparkling blue water. ‘Now I understand the need for swimwear.’ Her laughter was as infectious as it was captivating.

‘We aren’t just going on the sea—we are going under it. I’ve arranged for us to snorkel over one of the island’s reefs.’

He braced himself for excuses. Any other woman he’d dated in recent years probably wouldn’t paddle in the sea, let alone swim in it. All they’d wanted to do was sunbathe. Tiny bikinis were not for getting wet. Imogen’s red one-piece showcased her sexy curves in a way a bikini couldn’t, making him imagine how it would feel to have her naked body in his bed. Each time he looked at her, taking in every shapely curve, he grew more impatient for the conclusion to this week.

A spike of lust shot through him. He’d never waited this long to have sex with a woman. Imogen was different and, although he had no intention of trying to figure out why, he had every intention of bringing their romantic week, their escape from reality, to the conclusion he’d wanted from the very first moment he’d set eyes on her in that alluring blue dress. Tonight, no matter what, she would be his and the passion and desire he’d held in check all week could finally be set free.

‘Marco, that’s so exciting—thanks.’ Her eyes sparkled like the sea beyond her as she looked up at him, then as if the wind had changed direction she lowered her head and looked down. ‘Nobody has spoilt me like this before.’

A woman like Imogen must have had many admirers, all trying to impress her and win her affection. Her admission shocked him. ‘I find that very hard to believe.’

She looked back up at him. ‘It’s true. I’ve only ever had one relationship. It lasted for over two years, but...’ Her words trailed away, reminding him of the aura of innocence she sometimes portrayed. Had this teasing temptress really only had one lover?

‘Whoever he was, he was a damn fool to let you go.’ The words sprang from him before he had time to think and they were totally out of character. He never gave away his feelings, never said anything to a woman that could be misread as something more. Settling down had never been part of his big plan for life and yet here he was, talking with Imogen as if they shared a secret need to do just that.

‘He didn’t let me go,’ she said, looking up at him, that spark of defiance in her eyes once more. ‘He lost me.’

‘Then his loss is my gain. And being here has enabled me to find you,’ he said softly, brushing her cheek with the backs of his fingers.

‘Yes, our week here has been fun, a real escape, and all I want is to make the most of the last day together.’

A sense of calm slipped over him. She was as good as telling him that once they left the island she wouldn’t be looking for anything else from him. It was everything he had hoped for when he knew he would go home and inevitably throw himself into his work, the same as he always did. Anything to avoid the pleading of his mother to marry and continue the Silviano family name for his father. But this time he knew her secret. He knew the man lying in hospital with a serious heart condition, the man he’d never been able to please, wasn’t his real father. Knowing that and knowing just who his real father was should have made everything easier, but it didn’t. It made things harder than ever.

‘That is exactly what I want,’ he said as he forced his mind back to the present, back to the seduction of Imogen. It would be his last fling. He held her tighter and kissed her lightly once more. ‘What I want is to enjoy our last day together. Our final night.’

* * *

Imogen slipped from the yacht into the crystal-clear waters, trying to push aside Marco’s honesty. He didn’t want anything more after they returned home. He didn’t want to see her again, which was probably just as well, because once he knew she was just an ordinary girl, instead of the wealthy daddy’s girl she’d let him believe she was, he wouldn’t want anything to do with her and she couldn’t stand the rejection of that. She’d had enough rejection recently.

Marco tapped her arm, pointing to a group of brightly coloured fish as they swam over the coral, and she refused to wallow in self-pity. She would take from this moment with Marco as much as she could—and she wanted everything. The passion, the desire. All of it. A shimmer of anticipation washed over her as she recalled his words on the beach: ‘Our final night.’

He wanted to be with her tonight and for one night she wanted nothing more than to be with Marco. Not the hard businessman she’d caught glimpses of all week, but the kind and caring man who’d been so respectful to her, not forcing her to do anything. It had been like the romance of an affair—but now she wanted the passion that went with it. She wanted Marco.

When they returned to the yacht she was determined that she would have the entire dream of being here on the island with Marco. By tomorrow evening the real Imogen Fraser would be back and the carefree woman she’d been this week would be nothing more than a figment of her imagination. A memory to treasure.

‘That was a wonderful experience,’ she said as she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to tame the wet tangle. As she stood on the deck in the sunshine she was aware of Marco watching her, aware of his gaze on her body and all too aware of how her wet one-piece highlighted every curve. She didn’t feel self-conscious, not when he looked at her like that, making her body ache for his touch, his caress. Right at this moment she felt alive. Sexy and full of confidence.

‘You are a very sexy woman.’ From where he was sitting, he reached out and held her thighs, pulling her towards him. Emboldened by the way he made her feel, she stood between his legs as he sat.

She looked down at him, his face still wet from the water as he looked up at her, and that connection sparked to life, dragging her deep under his spell. Did he really think that? She tested him, deploying her new-found confidence. ‘Thin girls are sexy. It’s the slim girls that men go for.’

‘Oh, you’ve got that all wrong,’ he said as he caressed her thigh, her skin drying instantly from the contact. ‘Do you have any idea what you do to me?’

She shook her head, the shyness she’d been trying to hide surfacing once more, almost stopping her from having the one thing she wanted. This moment with Marco.

‘Then I am going to have to make sure you know.’ He moved her in closer, so close that if he wasn’t looking up at her he could kiss her breasts. The thought made them tingle with anticipation. The heady pulse of desire started once more, deep inside her. His hands skimmed up either side of her waist, almost touching her breasts, and the real Imogen threatened to return, almost forcing her out of his embrace.

‘I... I...’ she stammered, the boldness she’d been hiding behind all week suddenly vanishing as if the sea had washed it all away.

‘Tonight is our last night and I want to spend it with you.’ His hands slid back down the sides of her waist and her knees began to weaken as he smiled up at her. Damn him, he knew exactly what he was doing to her. ‘Every minute of it.’

Her heart leapt. Every minute. He wanted to be with her all night. ‘I want that too,’ she whispered as his hands caressed her waist sensually, and she longed for him to touch her breasts, to finally light the fire which sparked and fizzed inside her, threatening to explode like a wayward firework.

‘But I want tonight to be like no other, so I have arranged for something special.’ He smiled, pulling her closer still.

‘More special than this?’ She could hardly whisper, her heart was thumping so hard.

‘Yes.’

‘And what is the dress code for this surprise?’ Thankfully she found just Imogen’s flirty nature, banishing Imogen Fraser from saying or doing anything. She fully intended to remain just Imogen a little while longer and have her night with Marco.

‘Dress for dinner.’

‘In that case—’ Imogen pulled away from him, not trusting herself to stay in his embrace any longer, the heady need for him becoming stronger all the time ‘—I should get back. Have you any idea how long it takes to tame hair like mine?’

He laughed. A deep, sexy laugh which sent a shimmer of stars hurtling around her. ‘I get the message.’

‘Good, because if you want me to look the part then I will have to get back to the villa.’

‘You already look the part as far as I am concerned, Imogen.’ Seriousness had slipped back into his voice and desire in his eyes. ‘Turn up exactly as you are and I will be happy.’

‘You.’ She pushed him away. ‘Be careful what you wish for, Marco.’

CHAPTER THREE (#ua9b3b252-6438-5dc9-aa8d-f3cb01a89f0d)

MARCO’S BREATH WAS snatched away as Imogen opened the villa door to him. Gone was the sexy water nymph of this afternoon, with wet hair clinging to the sides of her face and that so very sexy red one-piece. In her place was the seductress who’d first captured his attention at the bar ordering champagne.

The kick of lust in his groin only added to the anticipation of what this evening would bring. Tonight, she would be his. For one more night he would live in the moment of total escape and forget the reality which would all too soon intrude, if his sister’s latest text messages about his father were anything to go by. He pushed the thought aside. Now was not the time for those thoughts. Now was the time to lose himself, one last time, with Imogen.

‘You look stunning.’ Already his voice was hoarse with desire, but, from the look in her vibrant blue eyes, it was no different to how she was feeling.

She smiled and coyly pulled her hair forward over her shoulder, bare apart from the thin strap of the black dress which looked like ink and moulded to every curve he was impatient to explore. Tonight they would be in his private part of the island, and once the meal had been served they would be totally alone, and his plans to give Imogen a night to surpass any other she’d had with a man before could begin.

‘And you look very handsome. A tuxedo suits you.’ Even though she gave him a shy look, the anticipation of what was to come hung around her like the stars in the night sky. She sparkled and he knew without doubt that she felt the power of the attraction too. Imogen was as aware of the explosive tension between them as he was, and their conversation on the beach was enough to tell him she wanted this moment of escape to be special. Just as he did. A moment in which to lose themselves completely. A time to savour what they’d found before returning to reality.

He took her hand, lifting her fingers to his lips, kissing the tips of them. Her nails were a deep red and her skin delicately scented. He’d never known this anticipation, this sense of belonging before. ‘Only the best for tonight,’ he whispered softly as he looked into her eyes.

Her deep drawn-in breath gave away far more than he was sure she wanted to. ‘More of your special arrangements?’ she jested with him, that playful, teasing light in her eyes. ‘You seem to have a lot of influence on the island.’

He wasn’t about to tell her that he owned the entire island, not when she’d spent the week being with him simply because it was what they’d both wanted. He knew very little about her, but he did know that she wasn’t at all like the kind of spoilt societal ladies he usually encountered as billionaire Marco Silviano. She seemed so in awe, so in wonder of everything his island offered, as if she was unused to such luxury. But Julie’s words about ‘Daddy suggesting they take a luxury break’ warned him she must be accustomed to such a world. Neither of them had talked much about their real lives and maybe that was for the best. She would linger in his memory, the perfect antidote to the constant friction between him and his family.

‘I guess I do.’ He smiled at her. ‘And to prove it I have arranged for somewhere special for us on our last night. It’s just a short ride in the utility vehicle.’

‘Now I am intrigued.’ She laughed and the way she reached out, placing her hand on his arm, sent a frenzy of fiery need hurtling through him, so fast he was in serious doubt if he could get through the meal he had planned without giving in to his desire for her.

‘Then let us go,’ he said as he held out his hand to help her in, trying not to think too much about where his thoughts had just led him. All he wanted was to enjoy the escape of tonight and be nothing more than Marco enjoying Imogen’s company. Who they really were, what their lives really entailed, didn’t matter one bit.

Imogen settled herself next to him and looked around her with interest as he manoeuvred the small buggy down the track which led to his private part of the island. He’d liked the place so much that during renovations he’d sectioned part of it off for his exclusive use. His own private retreat from his family and the constant pressure to be what he didn’t want to be.

‘And how many other ladies have you bestowed this kind of special treatment on?’ There was laughter in her voice, but the nervous glance she cast him made him question if she wasn’t as experienced as she’d had him believe all week. Like the moon slipping out from behind a cloud, innocence shone from her briefly, before being cloaked once more in the cloud of the seductress.

‘None.’ He stopped the vehicle at the top of his private beach where a table, set for two, was waiting. ‘Now, if you have finished quizzing me, here is our table for us to enjoy dinner as the sun sets.’

‘It’s beautiful,’ Imogen whispered as she stood beside him looking at the trail of lanterns lighting the way to the intimate table.

The sun was beginning to slip towards the horizon as he took her hand. ‘I want this night to be special. A final night of escape with a beautiful woman in beautiful surroundings.’

‘This truly is a night of escape, Marco. You have no idea how different this is from real life for me.’

Marco ignored the slight opening of the door to the real Imogen, not wanting anything to intrude. He took her hand and led her to the table, pulled out her chair and waited for her to sit down. As she sat on the chair, the temptation to kiss the soft skin of her neck, exposed because of the sexy way she’d piled her hair up, was too much. He leant down and traced a trail on her skin and a jolt of satisfaction shot through him as she trembled slightly.

The need to know more about this enigma of a woman got the better of him. ‘Tell me about the real Imogen.’

She turned and looked up at him, her blue eyes wide. ‘Not tonight,’ she whispered seductively. ‘Tonight I want to escape from everything. Tonight I want to be just Imogen and I want to be with you—all night.’

She might not be prepared to tell him about herself, but she had given him a loud and clear signal that she wanted him, that being with him was already a foregone conclusion. His pulse leapt with anticipation. After a week of nothing more than gentle kisses he knew he wouldn’t have much restraint left, but he’d see this meal through, and then it would be time to put into motion the final part of his seduction plan.

* * *

Imogen had skilfully avoided talking about herself or her normal life all evening and now, as the stars were shining and the moon rising, she knew the moment she’d wanted since that very first kiss, when he’d bought her champagne, was finally here. All week she’d longed for more than the soft, lingering kisses he’d given her at the end of each night. She’d longed for him in a way she’d never experienced before, not even with the man she should have married.

‘I have one more surprise,’ Marco said, his voice husky as he walked across the beach holding her hand, the soft sound of the waves as seductive as being with Marco. She really didn’t want this moment to end, this fairy-tale holiday romance that was so far removed from normality it didn’t seem real—or possible.

‘I don’t think you can beat that,’ she teased, the champagne making her head light, making any inhibitions she had slip away like the sun. As they’d dined with the soft sound of the waves close by Marco had raised a toast to her once more, just like their first night, and just like that first night she’d wanted so much more.

‘Is that a challenge, Imogen?’ His voice was soft and seductive as he stopped and took her in his arms. She looked up into his face, searching his eyes, seeing nothing but desire and passion—for her. It made her feel special, alive, but more than anything it made her feel desired.

He lowered his head and his lips claimed hers, sending a shock wave of need hurtling through her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, sliding her fingers into his thick, dark hair as his hands slid over the silk of the dress she’d asked Julie to buy on her behalf, not caring of the cost, wanting only to be who she wasn’t, who she could never be, for one more night.

His caress moved lower until he cupped her bottom, bringing her against the hardness of his erection, making her shudder and drag in a deep breath of pleasure. She didn’t know how much longer she could play this game of seduction. All she wanted was him. All of him.

‘Marco.’ She breathed his name against his lips as he ended the kiss, still holding her intimately close. ‘I want more than this. Much more.’

She shocked herself as her admission slipped wantonly from her. She’d never been the one to initiate things between her and Gavin, never been the seductress, but something about Marco made her feel different. It was that strange sensation that they were meant to be here, doing this, that they were destined to find each other. Or was that her incurable romantic side getting the better of her, finally resurfacing after the utter indignation of being left standing, practically at the altar?

‘Since the night we met, I’ve wanted to make love to you.’ The deep, hoarse notes of his voice betrayed the desire he had been keeping control of, sending sparks of anticipation through her. She had never wanted a man the way she wanted Marco. This ultimate fantasy had to play out tonight—right to the very end. She couldn’t return to her life and wonder what might have been. She wanted to take with her something special to cherish in her memory.

‘I want that too, Marco. Tonight.’ She looked up at him from lowered lashes, shy at such an admission.

In answer he kissed her, deeply and passionately, the soft swish of the waves blending with the thumping of her heart as his tongue plunged deep into her mouth, forcing a sigh of pleasure to rush from her. The kiss became frantic and wild as he held her head between his hands, keeping her exactly where he wanted her, where she wanted to be, so he could plunder her lips, ravish her mouth with such delicious control. Her whole body was on fire and she trembled as he let her go, holding her away from him as if he thought they would both lose control at any moment.

His gaze raked down over her body, lingering on her breasts as she breathed deep and hard with unquenched desire. She watched him, waiting for his next move in this desire-filled game he’d started.

‘I want you, Imogen.’ The guttural growl of his words left her in no doubt he was fighting hard to remain in control, forcing himself to hold back now. The idea that she’d done that to him, that he wanted her so much, only intensified her need for him.

‘And I want you,’ she whispered as he moved closer to her, putting his hand behind her head and bringing her close, pressing his forehead gently against hers as if they were truly lovers instead of a couple about to bring their holiday romance to a spectacularly passionate ending.

His kiss this time was soft, gentle, caressing. Any last reservations that she could actually go through with this and spend a night with a man she knew very little about vanished. Swept away by the passion and desire which was so real they could be lovers, real lovers.

Without another word he took her hand and led her along the beach. The star-filled sky and the rising moon lit the way, reflecting on the ocean as it lapped seductively at the shore. Each step she took was a step nearer to the moment she’d wanted since she’d first made eye contact with this sexy Italian New Yorker. Then she had been trying so hard not to be Imogen Fraser, assistant at Bespoke Luxury Travel. When he’d asked her name he’d sealed her fate, setting her free to be just Imogen, and even the fact that he didn’t want to volunteer anything more about himself only added to the dream, the escape of the moment.

By tomorrow evening all this would be a dream and she and Julie would be back in England, back to the reality of their normal lives. That thought was driving her on, making her want this moment all the more. She’d never forgive herself if she stood in her own way of enjoying the fantasy of this last night. Something like this was hardly likely to happen to her again.