Capelli’s Captive Virgin Read online

  But the problem wasn’t him, was it? The real problem was her. Her feelings; her response to him—

  Feeling despair seep into every pore of her body, Lindsay sank onto the floor of the shower and wrapped her arms around her knees. Her hair hung wet down her back and she swept a hand over her face to clear the water from her eyelashes. Yes, he was arrogant, cold and frighteningly unemotional, but what really bothered her was the fact that everything he’d said to her had been correct.

  No matter how much she’d tried to focus her mind on something else, she had found herself thinking of nothing but sex. One glance at his firm mouth and she’d started wondering how he kissed; a chance glimpse of dark male hair at the neck of his shirt and she’d immediately imagined him naked.

  With a murmur of self-disgust, she covered her face with her hands.

  She couldn’t stop imagining the two of them together and for the first time in her life she was starting to understand how sheer sexual hunger could be so overwhelming that it could drive a person to make really bad decisions.

  If he were here now, she’d be touching him.

  And that would have been a disaster because Alessio Capelli was totally wrong for her.

  Yes, he would undoubtedly be a skilled and exciting lover, but what else would he give her? The answer to that was nothing but trouble.

  With a low groan she let her hands drop into her lap and leaned her head back against the wall. It would have been so easy to just knock on the door of his villa and let him take it from there. And she had no doubt that he would have instantly taken control. He was that sort of man, wasn’t he?

  And then what?

  She was only too aware of the dangers of that sort of relationship. She spent her working life counselling people to look deeper.

  So why was she struggling with her decision?

  Because never in her life before had she wanted a man the way she wanted Alessio Capelli.

  Suddenly she felt a burst of uncharacteristic anger towards Ruby. This was her fault. If she hadn’t abandoned her job…

  Was Ruby experiencing a similar degree of chemistry with Dino Capelli? If so, then it was little wonder she’d vanished without caring about her job or her sister.

  And anyway, how could she be angry with Ruby? It wasn’t really her sister’s fault, was it?

  After her uncertain, disordered childhood and then the collapse of a disastrous relationship, it was easy to see how she’d been dazzled by the wealth and charisma of the Capelli brothers.

  With a sigh, Lindsay got to her feet and wrapped herself in one of the huge soft towels that were left ready for her use.

  It was time to pull herself together. What use would she be to Ruby if she was suffering from a bruised heart herself?

  No, sex with Alessio Capelli would undoubtedly have been amazing, but it was too high a price to pay for the mess she’d be in afterwards.

  She was glad she’d walked away. In fact she was proud of herself.

  Lindsay dried her hair methodically and then slid into a sheer silk nightdress that was nothing like her normal choice of bed wear.

  But as she slipped into the large canopied bed she felt suddenly more alone than she’d ever felt in her life.

  Without doubt she was the only woman who had ever walked away from him.

  Trying to dismiss images of a powerful arrogant Italian stretched out next to her, she pressed her face into the pillows and pulled the soft cover over her shoulders.

  Instead of focusing on the nagging throb low in her body, she needed to think of his bad points. Of all the logical reasons why they shouldn’t be together.

  And there were certainly plenty to choose from.

  Tired after a sleepless night, Lindsay forced her trembling legs along the smooth stone path that led to the Beach Club.

  Given the choice she would have eaten breakfast alone.

  She would have locked the door and stayed indoors in the air-conditioned tranquillity of her luxurious villa, but that wasn’t an option. She was here to do a job and she was well aware that if she didn’t play the part, then Alessio might still fire Ruby.

  At least now she was on her guard. She’d let herself become complacent. She’d totally underestimated the devastating effect he had on her.

  But now she was prepared.

  Having been awake for most of the night, she’d had more than enough time to select her outfit for the day, and this time she’d been less cavalier in her choice of dress.

  She’d bypassed swimming costumes, shorts and sarongs and instead chosen a white skirt that drifted down to mid-thigh. She’d teamed it with a strap top in a pale shade of lilac, cut high enough on her chest to ensure that no cleavage was revealed. And it fitted perfectly. She was confident that there was no chance that it would gape or reveal anything if she leaned forward. In an impulse of femininity that she didn’t want to examine too closely, she’d slipped some delicate silver bangles onto her arm.

  It was fine.

  Everything was fine.

  And everything remained fine until she walked onto the terrace and saw him.

  He was seated at a table next to the beautiful swimming pool, a cup of coffee half drunk on the table in front of him.

  Every part of his masculine physique emanating power and authority, he was talking to a man in a lightweight suit, but the moment he saw Lindsay his eyes narrowed and he said something that Lindsay couldn’t hear.

  The other man melted swiftly into the background leaving Lindsay the entire focus of Alessio’s attention.

  ‘Buon giorno.’ He spoke in a low tone that was inaudible to all around, his eyes cool and assessing. ‘Did you sleep well?’

  ‘Perfectly, thank you.’ She pulled out a chair and sat down opposite him, ignoring his knowing smile. ‘Any sign of your client?’

  Please say yes, she begged silently. A third person might dilute the tension that seemed to surround them.

  ‘There’s been a hurricane warning. He’s decided not to fly out until the weather improves.’

  Startled, she looked at him. ‘A hurricane?’

  ‘Don’t worry. Kingfisher Cay hasn’t suffered a direct hit once in the past sixty years. It will pass us by.’

  Lindsay glanced up at the blue sky, noticing a few wisps of cloud on the horizon. ‘Let’s hope you’re right.’

  ‘Are you afraid of storms?’

  ‘I love storms—’ without looking at him, she helped herself to slices of fresh pineapple and mango from a plate in the centre of the table ‘—so if you’re hoping that I’ll seek the shelter of your strong arms, you’re going to be disappointed.’

  Alessio laughed. ‘So far I haven’t had to rely on the weather to entice a woman into my bed.’

  ‘I’m sure you haven’t.’ She made a point of examining the deep gold flesh of the mango. ‘Where there’s money, there will always be women.’

  ‘Ouch, Lindsay, that was cruel.’ He was still laughing at her, apparently totally unaffected by her dig.

  ‘No, really—I feel sorry for you—’ picking up a fork, she speared a piece of mango ‘—you must be incredibly lonely. Meaningless sex has to become boring after a while.’

  ‘Obviously you’ve never had really good sex,’ he said dryly and Lindsay concentrated on her plate, taking her time over selecting her next piece of tropical fruit.

  ‘For you it’s a sort of sport, isn’t it? A type of physical workout. You just don’t engage your emotions. Don’t you want more?’

  ‘“More” being marriage?’ He drained his coffee. ‘I think you know me better than that.’

  ‘I don’t know you at all.’

  ‘That’s your choice,’ he said silkily, his dark eyes glinting dangerously as he watched her. ‘Feel free to take a voyage of discovery at your convenience. You look tired, Lindsay. Did something keep you awake last night? Your thoughts, perhaps?’

  ‘I slept perfectly,’ she lied. ‘So if you have no client to see today, what are you going
to do?’

  ‘I have another difficult case that needs my attention. I intend to go out on the yacht. A change of scene sometimes helps me focus.’

  Weak with relief at the news that he wasn’t going to be around during the day, Lindsay finished the fruit on her plate and actually managed a smile. ‘Of course. Don’t worry about me. I quite understand that you need some time to yourself.’ Maybe this wasn’t going to be so hard after all. She could curl up in her villa with a book. Once she was confident he was nowhere near the island, she might even change into one of those revealing swimming costumes and risk a swim in the sea. ‘I’ll be fine.’

  ‘I know you’ll be fine—’he reached out a hand and helped himself to a piece of exotic fruit from the platter in front of him ‘—because you’ll be with me. You’re my assistant, remember? Where I go, you go.’

  ‘When you’re working, yes. But if you’re simply having a day off on your yacht—’

  ‘I don’t take days off. I’ll simply be working in a different venue.’ His strong fingers dissected the fruit with ruthless precision while Lindsay stared in dismay.

  He expected her to go with him? ‘You’ll be working on a boat?’

  ‘A catamaran, to be precise. She’s moored over there on the jetty.’

  Lindsay turned her head and stared at the beautiful craft, the hull glistening white in the dazzling Caribbean sunshine. Just the two of them. Trapped. On that? Being on an island was bad enough, but being on a boat—‘I know absolutely nothing about boats.’

  ‘I’ll handle the boat.’ He nodded to one of the waiters who instantly produced more coffee. ‘Your duties will involve something else entirely.’

  Her stomach lurched. ‘What exactly will you want me to do?’

  ‘I’m not sure yet.’ He gave a slow smile. ‘But when I’ve decided, you’ll be the first to know.’

  Despite her reservations, the sail was exhilarating—two hours of glorious sunshine while the boat skimmed joyously across the water, the sails arching against the kiss of the wind.

  By the time Alessio finally sailed the boat into a curved, sheltered bay, Lindsay’s face was pink from the sun and stinging with the spray of the sea.

  And she felt fantastic. Unable to hide her elation, she kneeled on the seat and peered over the side of the catamaran, down into the clear depths of the blue Caribbean sea. It was like looking into an aquarium. The sun sparkled on the water and tropical fish in a rainbow of colours darted beneath her. And ahead of her was a perfect curve of white sand, fringed by palm trees and surprisingly lush vegetation.

  She glanced back at him. ‘Are we the only people here?’

  ‘You wanted a party?’ His movements sure and confident, he secured a rope and lowered the anchor.

  ‘It’s like being shipwrecked,’ Lindsay murmured, turning her head and staring at the stretch of deserted beach.

  ‘Five-star shipwreck.’ Alessio produced a bottle of chilled champagne and deftly removed the cork. Pouring the bubbling liquid into two thin-stemmed flutes, he held one out to her. ‘To a productive afternoon.’

  Lindsay rose slowly to her feet and took the glass hesitantly. ‘I don’t drink in the middle of the day.’

  ‘Take a sip.’ Alessio raised his own glass in her direction. ‘I think you might be about to discover a whole new vice.’

  Because of the way he was looking at her, because of the way he was making her feel, Lindsay took a tentative sip and the surprisingly light and delicious drink seemed to sparkle in her mouth. She swallowed and smiled. ‘It’s delicious,’ she admitted and took another sip. ‘Really refreshing. It doesn’t taste alcoholic.’

  ‘Well, believe me, it is.’ Putting down his own glass, he leaned behind her and carefully coiled a rope. ‘Don’t drink too much, especially if you’re not used to it. Boats and alcohol don’t mix and I don’t want to be fishing you out of the water.’

  ‘Then why did you want me to drink it?’

  ‘Because this particular champagne is an experience that everyone should try at least once in their lives.’ He gave a slow smile. ‘A bit like no-strings sex.’

  She took another sip of the delicious champagne, watching as the sun glinted on his glossy hair. ‘For me, sex has to be an expression of love.’

  ‘That’s because you haven’t tried the other sort.’

  ‘I wouldn’t want to.’

  He turned to face her, a smile softening the hard lines of his mouth. ‘Oh, you do want to, tesoro.’ His voice soft, he stepped forward so that his body was virtually touching hers. ‘You do want to. But you’re afraid.’

  Suddenly dizzy, she put her glass down on the seat next to her. ‘Of course I’m afraid. I’m afraid of being hurt.’

  ‘No, that isn’t it.’ He leaned closer to her and she felt the roughness of his jaw graze the softness of her cheek as he whispered in her ear. ‘I think you’re afraid that you might actually enjoy it. And then where would you be? A relationship counsellor who has made her name dismissing casual sex, suddenly embroiled in a no-strings affair. You’d have to rethink your career.’

  Her eyes closed. He smelt fantastic and her senses swirled dangerously, sucking her down. Telling herself that it was just the champagne, she stepped backwards and would have fallen over the coiled rope if he hadn’t reached out and steadied her.

  Instinctively she put a hand on his shoulder, feeling rock-hard muscle under her fingers. He’s strong, she thought dizzily—really strong.

  For a moment she just stood there, her body sending out signals that she was desperate to ignore.

  Then, without warning, he released her. ‘Are you wearing a swimming costume under that outfit?’

  ‘Yes.’ Her mouth was dry, her heart thumping and her mind—her mind was in a mess.

  ‘Then I suggest that a dip in cold water might do us both good.’ Without waiting for her response, he stripped off his shirt and shorts, poised for a moment on the edge of the boat before executing a perfect dive into the sun-dappled water.

  Suddenly dizzy, Lindsay realised that it had actually been quite a while since she’d taken a breath. To be precise, since the moment he’d stripped off his shirt exposing powerful shoulders and bronzed skin.

  No wonder women chased him, she thought weakly, watching as he emerged from the depths of the water, the water streaming from his dark hair as he wiped a hand over his face to clear his vision.

  ‘Come on, Lindsay.’

  She looked at him with something close to desperation. Joining him in the water somehow seemed symbolic. If she jumped—if she made that leap—‘The boat might drift.’

  ‘The boat is fine. If you don’t come in, I’ll come and get you.’

  Slowly, she wriggled out of her shorts and tee shirt. It was hot, she told herself, and her costume was perfectly decent. It didn’t enter her head to follow him into the water head-first. Instead she walked to the end of the boat and gingerly picked her way down the ladder, holding tightly, pausing slightly as she registered the depth of the water beneath her.

  ‘Typical Lindsay,’ Alessio drawled, ‘never one to jump if she can hold on to a ladder.’

  Ignoring the amusement in his tone, she forced herself to let go of the ladder.

  The cool, smooth water closed over her heated body and for a moment she felt small and insignificant, with nothing but ocean beneath and around her.

  ‘This feels a bit weird.’ Disconcerted, she glanced down and gasped as a shoal of blue fish darted beneath them. ‘Oh, my goodness—’

  ‘Blue Tang. The diving in this area is spectacular.’

  Feeling a bit foolish, she swam a little closer to him. ‘Are there sharks?’

  His eyes focused on something over her shoulder and the laughter faded from his face. ‘Ah—it seems that there are,’ he said softly. ‘Don’t move, Lindsay, he’s probably just being nosy—’

  With a horrified gasp, she clutched at his shoulders and, too late, saw the wicked gleam in his eyes. ‘Oh—I hate you. I hate
you! That was an awful thing to do.’

  ‘There are no sharks.’ His hand curved around her waist. ‘The reef stops them swimming this close to the land.’

  ‘It does feel slightly menacing, having all that water beneath you,’ she confessed, not brushing his hand away quite so quickly as she would have done had they been on dry land. ‘It’s beautiful. And—weird,’ she admitted, ‘not being able to touch the bottom.’

  ‘You haven’t swum off a boat before?’

  ‘I don’t generally find the opportunity during my working day.’

  He gave a slow smile. ‘You need to rethink your working day, tesoro. Life is to be lived, not just survived.’ His hand was still on her back—large, warm, strong.

  ‘I like my life.’

  ‘That’s because you don’t know what you’re missing. Stay there, I’ll fetch you a snorkel.’ He swam away from her, hauled himself back onto the boat with athletic ease and returned moments later with two masks in his hand. ‘Try this.’ Ignoring her protests, he adjusted the mask and eased it over her head. ‘Put your head in the water and see if it leaks.’

  After a moment of hesitation she decided that it would be safer just to follow his orders for once, and dutifully held her breath and put her face in the water.

  An amazingly beautiful and varied underwater world stretched out beneath her and when she finally had to lift her head to breathe, she was smiling. ‘All right. Just this once I’m willing to concede that you’re right about something. I love it.’

  He showed her how to breathe through the tube and how to dive down and clear it. Then he swam off and left her to get used to it by herself.

  She experimented, becoming more and more adventurous and delighted by the brightly coloured fish she saw darting in shoals beneath her. When she finally stopped swimming and lifted her head, she saw Alessio taking the boat onto the beach.

  She swam to the shore, removed her mask and snorkel and walked towards him. The white sand was silky soft under her feet, the sun blazing down on her head and shoulders.