Page 22 of ‘I Do’ for Revenge

‘No, of course not. But we don’t need to appear in public. I won’t put you through unnecessary scrutiny.’

Flora struggled to understand. ‘But...you just said you wanted me?’ She’d never felt as exposed as she did in that moment.

‘I do want you, more than I’ve wanted a woman in a long time.’ He sounded grim.

The relief that flooded her was nothing short of humiliating. But she couldn’t help asking, ‘So...what’s the problem?’

Vito’s jaw clenched. He said tautly, ‘I don’t sleep with innocents. I won’t be your first lover, Flora. And I wouldn’t be able to stand next to you and not touch you. After a kiss like that there’s only one way it would end. In my bed.’

A wave of heat pulsed through Flora’s body as she thought of where they might be right now, naked limbs entwined, Vito’s hands exploring every inch of her flesh—she shook her head, desperately trying to dislodge the images.

She tried to claw back any sense of dignity she could. ‘Well, it’s very presumptuous of you to imagine that I would have allowed that to happen.’

She wanted to cringe. Who was she kidding? He’d just kissed her and she’d been ready to climb into his skin. She wouldn’t have put up a word of protest.

Vito said, ‘If you could have resisted, then you would have had more control than me.’

The thought of driving this man so crazy with desire that he wouldn’t be able to control himself was heady.

Flora forced herself to parse the information. She asked, ‘What is it about my virginity that is so off-putting?’

Vito was pacing again. He stopped and faced her. ‘I’m not the man you want as your first lover, Flora. I can’t promise anything more than having fun while we both get what we need and want out of this...relationship. You deserve someone who really cares for you. Who’ll be gentle.’

Flora felt like growling. There was a fire burning inside her. A fire this man had set alight. The last thing she wanted was gentle, or someone who cared for her. She wanted this man. Only this man. He’d already ruined her and he’d only kissed her!

‘I didn’t know you held me in such high esteem.’ She couldn’t help sound mocking.

Vito scowled.

She uncrossed her arms from around herself. ‘What if I wasn’t a virgin?’

‘We wouldn’t be having this conversation.’

Flora shivered. They’d be doing something else. ‘So what happens now?’

‘I’ll do what I promised and help the women’s aid centre and you’re free to stay here until you get a job.’

‘What about your precious reputation?’

A muscle in Vito’s jaw popped. He said, ‘I’ll live with it.’

‘I’m sure there are any number of women who’d be willing to act the part. Women who aren’t virgins. The question is why haven’t you just chosen a suitable woman before now? Why me?’

The truth? Because no other woman had appealed to him enough to even play out a fake relationship for the sake of it. Until Flora. She had inspired the notion. No other woman had made him want to seduce her in a long time. Until Flora.

Except what had happened just now hadn’t even been a seduction, it had been blunt and seriously lacking in finesse. But he’d had to kiss her. He’d had toknow. And now he did and now he couldn’t see anything else but her.

But he couldn’t have her. He had a rule. He would not sleep with innocents. There was too much of a risk of emotional attachment. And he was not in the market for emotional attachment.

That way lay loss, grief and pain. After losing his parents, Vito had vowed that he would never let anyone close again. And he hadn’t. And that wasn’t going to change.

He had no desire for a wife, or family. He had no desire to lose everything again. He’d built himself up from the ashes of grief once, he wouldn’t be able to do it again.

And while he knew rationally that there was no reason to believe he would suffer such loss again, there was also no guarantee that he wouldn’t. And he wasn’t prepared to take the risk.

Coward.

He had his business and that was all he needed, along with taking his pleasures when and where he could. Restoring the Vitale name and turning it from a byword for shoddy work practices and whispers of corruption into something respected and revered was his life’s work. If he could ensure his name became an enduring brand, eclipsing the name Gavia for ever, and if his success benefited others less fortunate, then that was all the legacy he needed.