A Very Exclusive Engagement(36)

Despite the future she could envision, there was a critical piece missing between them. He didn’t love her. He wouldn’t even be with her right now if it wasn’t for his aunt and her demands. That was a bitter dose of reality to swallow, but the sooner she reminded herself of that, the better off she’d be when this “arrangement” came to an end.

“Would you like to see the upstairs?”

Pulling herself together, Francesca turned and nodded with a smile. Liam led the way up the stairs, showing her his home office, the guest room and finally, his bedroom.

Knowing they’d reached their final destination, she slipped out of her shoes and stepped onto the plush carpeting. She ran her hand over the soft, blue fabric of his duvet as she made her way to the window. She watched the glow of the city lighting the black night above the tree line, hiding any stars from her view of the sky. On a night like this, she really needed a sign to help her. Something to tell her she was making the right choices with Liam.

She reached for the corno portafortuna necklace she always wore and realized she’d taken it off tonight. It was in a pouch in her purse. She suddenly felt exposed without it, as though something could get through her protective armor without it. Looking down, she saw a rabbit sitting on Liam’s front lawn. Before she could move, something startled it and the bunny shot across the yard, crossing her path.

A sign of disappointment to come.

Francesca took a deep breath and accepted the inevitable. She was in love with a man she couldn’t have. She didn’t need a rabbit to tell her disappointment was on the horizon.

The heat of Liam’s body against her back was a bittersweet sensation. Just as her mind began to fight against it, her body leaned back into him. His bare chest met her back, his fingertips sliding beneath the thin straps of her dress to slide them off her shoulders.

The flimsy sundress slid down her body, leaving her completely naked with it gone. Liam’s hands roamed across her exposed skin, hesitating at her hip.

“No panties?” he asked.

She hadn’t worn any undergarments tonight. The dress was almost sheer and wouldn’t allow for them. Besides, she knew how the night would end. “I can’t have you ripping up all my nice lingerie,” she said.

“That’s very practical of you. I find that sexy. Everything about you just lures me in. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to get away.”

Francesca closed her eyes, glad her back was still to him. She wished he wouldn’t talk that way sometimes. It was nice to hear, but it hurt to know it wasn’t really true. The minute his aunt let him off the hook, this whole charade would end. At least now she wouldn’t have to worry about faking the heartbreak when their engagement was called off. The tears she would shed on Ariella’s shoulder would be authentic.

“Look at me,” Liam whispered into her ear.

She turned in his arms, wishing away the start of tears in her eyes that had come too early. They weren’t done just yet. She needed to make the most of her time with him.

When her gaze met his dark blue eyes, she felt herself fall into them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her toes to get closer. His lips found hers and she gave in completely. The feel of his hands on her body, his skin against hers, was an undeniable pleasure. She had to give in to it, even if it put her heart even more at risk.

They moved together, still clinging to one another as they slow-danced across the room to the bed. Her bare back hit the silky softness of the duvet a moment later. Liam wasted no time covering her body with his own.

As his lips and hands caressed her, Francesca noted a difference in his touch. The frenzied fire of their first encounters was gone, replaced with a leisurely, slow-burning passion. He seemed to be savoring every inch of her. At first, she wondered if maybe she’d had too much champagne tonight. That perhaps she was reading more into his pensive movements.

But when he filled her, every inch of his body was in contact with hers. He moved slowly over her, burying his face in her neck. She could feel his hot breath on her skin, the tension of each muscle in his body as it flexed against hers. When he groaned her name into her ear, it sent a shiver through her whole body.

Francesca wrapped her arms around his back and pulled him closer. She liked having him so near to her like this. It was a far cry from their wild, passionate encounter in her kitchen. Nothing like the times they’d come together over the past week. Something had changed, but she didn’t know what it was. It felt like…