The Cost of Her Innocence

CHAPTER FOUR



BETH STARED AT HIM, her tongue involuntarily tracing her lips, absorbing the taste of him. Heated colour stained her cheeks as she struggled to make sense of her reaction. His kiss had made her forget he was her enemy, the man who had ruined her life.

‘You really do believe me?’ she murmured.

‘I said so. But that does not solve my problem.’

‘Problem?’ Beth licked her tingling lips; she was losing the plot, she thought. She had told him the truth and he had believed her.

‘Don’t look at me like that, Beth,’ Dante said huskily, having followed the path of her pink tongue as it caressed her lip. ‘Just listen to me. There is no need for you to leave your job unless you really want to. I will never say anything to anyone about your name-change or Clive. But I won’t be satisfied until you have moved out of this apartment and away from Tony. With that in mind I will find you another apartment. You will not lose out in the monetary sense at all, I can assure you.’

Still struggling to control the trembling his kiss had evoked, it took a long moment for Beth to let the import of his words sink into her fuddled mind. Then she recalled exactly what he had said, and just how clever he was with words, and realised he didn’t really believe her at all. Nothing had changed....

As for his offer of an apartment and the mention of money—with his reputation, and given that he’d said he wanted her and had kissed her—she had to wonder if he expected her to come with the apartment too....

Beth glanced up at him, big and strong—all raw sexuality—and wondered whether she would be that averse to the idea if he did mean it. If she was brutally honest, she had to admit that she probably wouldn’t be. She was still hot from his kiss, and looking at him simply increased the heat... But she was not cut out to be any man’s mistress. She had suffered more than most for her freedom, and she was never giving it up again for anyone.

She could not help thinking that Dante Cannavaro had haunted her dreams for long enough. But he thought her guilty of just about every sin in the book, and maybe at twenty-seven it was finally time she tasted those sins. And who better to do it with than the man before her? Exorcise him from her head, her life, for good...?

At least it would show him that she wasn’t the femme fatale he had accused her of being, with a string of lovers in her wake. It might even do him some good—show him he wasn’t infallible—and maybe he would not be so quick to judge others, she reasoned. Though, being honest, she knew it wasn’t just reason driving her. She wanted him in a physical way she had never felt for any man in her life.

‘That’s an idea,’ she said slowly, her mind made up. She never flirted with men, but there was always a first time for everything. She half closed her eyes to shut out the disturbing darkness of his handsome face, then, drawing in a shaky breath, deliberately glanced up at him through the thick veil of her lashes and ran the tip of her tongue over her lips. ‘I will certainly consider it.’ She saw his eyes glitter with triumph before darkening with a different emotion that brought an answering response in hers.

‘Good,’ he growled as his hand snaked round her waist, his long fingers splaying across the naked band of skin. She shivered at his touch. ‘I knew you would see sense, Beth.’ And as he spoke the last word he pulled her gently against his long body and brought his mouth down on hers again.

This wasn’t sense, Beth thought, and panicked for a second. But with the lazy heat of the summer afternoon filling the shadowed confines of her bedroom her pulse quickened and her body turned hot and sensitive beneath her clothes. Willingly her lips parted to the slow penetration of his tongue, stroking and exciting all her senses. She ignored the voice in her head that tried to warn her that this was wrong on so many levels. Her slender body melted against him, the long, passionate, drugging kiss driving every sane thought from her head.

Her eyes were tightly shut, and she was conscious of the swelling fullness of her breasts against his broad chest and the damp moistness between her thighs. She was floating blindly on a sea of erotic sensations she had never knew existed before. Involuntarily her hands grasped his arms. She could feel his body heat through the fine silk of his shirt as her fingers traced the contours of muscular biceps and moved up to curve over his broad shoulders. She had felt an instant affinity with Dante the very first time she had seen him and had never understood why, but now she did—with every atom of her being.

When he pulled his head back she was clinging to him, her hands tight against his neck, her face uplifted. Her emerald eyes slowly opened and her soft lips parted, swollen with passion.

‘Dio! You are beautiful,’ he groaned, one hand lifting to sweep a few strands of her hair from her brow. Long fingers stroked the delicate arch of one eyebrow and the curve of her cheek before finally moving to the outline of her lush lips. ‘So beautiful,’ he repeated, his head lowering.

His kiss and the almost feverish movements of his hand on her back, her hips, and down her thighs to her bare legs, sent a white-hot flame of passion through her, consuming them both. Her lips clung hungrily to his, her hands stealing up his neck until they buried themselves in his black hair, twining among the thick strands.

Without removing his lips from hers he lifted her and carried her to the bed. Lowering her onto it, he slid down beside her. She felt the pressure of his great body against her, his kiss burning her lips as though he could not bring himself to stop.

‘Wait...’ Beth murmured against his mouth, her heart thudding like a jackhammer. The sensations he was arousing were so overwhelming she was having second thoughts—but not for long. Her body seemed to have a will of its own and she was aching for more.

‘Why wait?’ Dante said hoarsely, lifting his head to stare down at her. ‘I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you and I believe you feel the same.’ His eyes burned black. ‘Tell me it is so.’

She saw the dark stain of desire in his face and knew it was reflected in her own as he shrugged off his shirt. She felt her throat tighten, and knew she could not deny him—didn’t want to. ‘Oh, yes...’ she said breathlessly, totally enthralled by the sight of his broad muscular chest, the golden skin and the light tracing of black curling body hair. Eagerly, like a child, she reached out to touch him, her fingers stroking over his chest in a caress.

He reared back. ‘In a moment you can touch me everywhere,’ he said huskily, and reached for her.

With the deftness of long experience he removed her clothes, and the rest of his, and leant over her.

She had never seen a totally naked man in the flesh before, and Dante was magnificent—from his broad shoulders down over his flat stomach. Her eyes widened at his powerful erection; it was vaguely frightening, but fascinating, and she was totally mesmerised by the beauty of his big golden body. Beth didn’t have time to be embarrassed by her own nudity or the aroused male scent of him. The hard-packed muscular length of him was a potent aphrodisiac and excitement exploded inside her. So this is what sex is about, she thought, and then stopped thinking altogether.

His lips and hands were all over her, touching her, kissing her throat and her shoulders. His fingers caressed her and the incredible sensations searing through her obliterated everything except this moment. His mouth found her breasts, and the hot, seductive suckling and nipping went on and on until she was mindless, her hand grasping the back of his head to hold him there.

He moved to kiss her mouth again and their tongues duelled in the thrust and parry of passion. She reached around his broad back, her slender fingers stroking over his satin-smooth skin, her fingertips tracing the length of his spine before trailing over the hard curve of his buttocks. She trembled as he leant back and stared down at her with molten black eyes, his strong hands shaping her breasts, the indentation of her waist and her hips, before parting her legs.

‘You are a redhead,’ he said huskily, his palm cupping her feminine mound.

She gasped as his long fingers delved into the hot, wet warmth, a finger pressing on the nub of feminine nerves, and she shuddered uncontrollably.

‘You like that,’ Dante growled, his eyes burning into hers, and he bent his head to lick the tip of one breast while his fingers continued their skilful torment.

She could not speak, she could barely breathe as a sensual storm spread like wildfire to the core of her. She reached out to him, her hand roaming over his massive chest, her nails grazing a hard male nipple, and felt him shudder. Her hand slid lower to his rock-hard erection, touching and exploring him intimately. She wanted him with a passion and a hunger she had never felt before in her life.

His breath caught audibly in the back of his throat. ‘Beth...’ he growled, and grasped her wrist to pin her hand to the bed. ‘You are sure you want this?’ He lowered his dark head and kissed her breasts and her mouth again, whispering her name between kisses while his fingers renewed their torment at the very centre of her femininity, driving her into a vortex of sensual pleasure she had never even imagined existed.

‘Yes,’ Beth whimpered, as her body bucked and writhed beneath him. The incredible seductiveness of his mouth and his hands and the heat of his powerful body, sweat-slicked and taut against her flesh, was driving her insane. Frantically she ran her hands over his shoulders, her nails digging into his broad back, lost to everything but Dante.

He eased back her thighs and rose over her. He was there, where she ached with need for him, probing gently, then thrusting harder, and suddenly her body tensed, torn by a sharp pain.

He stopped, staring down at her with shock widening his smouldering black eyes. ‘No!’ he growled, his face taut with passion.

Instinctively she locked her long legs around his waist and with a low groan he moved again slightly, slowly stretching her to accept him. Miraculously the pain was gone, replaced with unimaginable pleasure as he gradually thrust deeper and deeper.

His heart thudded against her as she felt the exquisite tension tighten and grow, until she thought she could not bear it any more, and finally she fell shuddering into a kaleidoscopic world of a myriad sensations and ultimate satisfaction, taking him with her.

Eyes closed, Beth was conscious of every muscle, sinew and nerve of her body in a new way—a wonderful, awesome way that there were no words invented to explain. Euphoric and completely at one with Dante, she relished his heavy naked body over hers, his head resting on her shoulder, the rasping sound of his breath and the thundering beat of his heart against hers gradually slowing.

When he moved to roll onto his back Beth opened her eyes to see him lean up on one elbow and look down at her. Her lips parted in a wide smile, her green eyes shining like emeralds in her flushed face.

‘Beth—Jane—whatever your name is, you are an exquisitely desirable woman and one hell of a surprise,’ he said, but did not smile back.

Beth’s smile faded a little as she stared at his hard, handsome face, not sure if he meant that as a compliment. He was frowning, and she saw the glint of anger in his night-black eyes. Why was he angry?

‘Dante?’ She said his name questioningly.

‘Finally you say my name. It comes a little late after what we have just done, don’t you think?’

Beth heard the hint of mockery in his tone and was chilled by it—but then what had she expected? Avowals of love? Never in a million years. With her euphoria fading fast, she came back to reality. At the barbecue he had told her they had a mutual sexual attraction but that it could not be acted upon.

Now he was no longer engaged and that was no longer the case. It was sex—just sex. Something he engaged in on a regular basis with a variety of women. The fact it was new to Beth meant nothing. It was still just sex. The reason she was here now was to get him out of her head once and for all. Not the best idea she had ever had, but she had proved a point.

‘You know what they say—better late than never,’ she forced herself to say lightly. ‘And after this I don’t think I’ll have to say your name much more.’ With her body still throbbing, she put on the act of her life. ‘Your problem is solved. Now you know you were wrong about me. I have never had sex with Tony or any man.’ Rolling away from him, she slid her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She glanced down at him to add, ‘And after this I probably never will again—once was enough.’

Unconscious of her naked state, she gathered up her clothes and put them back on without looking at Dante again.

The silence between them was interrupted by the doorbell ringing.

‘Don’t answer,’ Dante commanded.

Beth ignored him and, slipping her feet into her sandals, ran her hands through her hair to sweep it back behind her ears as she walked out of the bedroom. It would probably be a salesman, she thought. But she found that she was wrong. Before she got to the front door she heard a key turn in the lock and Tony walked in.

‘Beth—I thought you would be long gone by now. I saw your car outside and wondered what had happened to you.’

‘I got delayed by Binkie,’ she replied, and conveniently the cat chose that moment to stroll into the hall and wrap himself around her ankles. ‘Then I had an unexpected—’

But her weak explanation was cut off by another voice.

‘Tony—nice to see you. I wondered when you’d be back.’

Beth tensed and glanced back, to see Dante leaning casually against the doorjamb of the bedroom wearing his trousers with his shirt half buttoned and his black hair curling damply on his broad brow. She cringed with embarrassment.

‘Dante!’ Tony frowned. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘I called to see you to show you my new Ferrari and knocked on the wrong front door. Beth answered and we had a coffee and a chat.’ He nodded towards the bedroom. ‘I was just looking through the front window to check my car was still there.’

Beth was surprised at his glib answer, but also relieved.

‘Oh, yes!’ Tony drawled. ‘I saw the car. It’s in my usual parking spot.’ His blue eyes flicked suspiciously between Beth and Dante, and finally settled on Beth. ‘Is he right, Beth? I thought you were leaving at one? It’s five o’clock now. That is a heck of a lot of cups of coffee.’

Bending down, Beth picked up Binkie and hugged him to her chest, her mind spinning. The truth was always the best option—or some of it, she decided. ‘I was supposed to be leaving at one, but it was after three before I managed to get Binkie in his carrier for the third time. The doorbell rang and I forgot to fasten it before I answered the door. Dante came in, tripped over the carrier, and Binkie shot out again—causing Dante to stumble and fall flat on the floor. It was quite a crash. He is a big man.’

She saw Tony smile.

‘You fell over her cat?’

‘Yes,’ Dante said dryly, not in the least amused.

‘Now, that I would have liked to have seen.’ Tony chuckled. ‘I’m surprised Beth didn’t kick you out there and then for harming Binkie. She loves that cat.’

‘Tony! Poor Dante was really winded,’ Beth chipped in. ‘Though I did consider it.’ It gave her some satisfaction to see Dante discomfited for a change.

‘Well, it’s not surprising he was winded. He is a lot older than you and I, Beth.’

Beth saw the sparkle of devilment in Tony’s eyes and smiled at his quip about his brother’s age. It was either that or cry—and Cannavaro had caused enough tears in her life already. She wasn’t about to shed a single one more.

‘True...’ she said, holding the smile. ‘But I have been delayed long enough. If I want to get there by dark you two will have to go now. I’m going to put Binkie into his carrier and we can finally leave.’

‘Okay,’ Tony agreed, then added, ‘I can see you are in a hurry, and I can only apologise for my brother delaying you.’ He grinned at her. ‘Shall I still check on your apartment until you get back?’

‘Yes, of course.’ Beth couldn’t help smiling. Tony was an incorrigible but very likable young man—the exact opposite of his hard-faced, cynically arrogant brother... She realised she was going to miss Tony and Mike. Their happy-go-lucky attitude to life had been a tonic for her. But it was for the best that she was leaving.

‘You heard, bro. Beth wants us out—and in case you’ve forgotten I’ll see you later at the parents’ anniversary party.’ He turned towards the door, and then turned back. ‘Oh, by the way, Dante—don’t forget your shoes. The barefoot look really doesn’t suit you....’ he said, and walked out.

‘So once was enough, hmm?’ Dante drawled as the front door shut.

Still holding the cat, Beth stared at Dante as though she had never seen him before. ‘More than enough,’ she intoned icily.

‘If you had told me I was your first I would have been more careful.’

‘You’ve got to be joking. You never believe a word I say—though you pretend to when it suits you.’

‘Maybe. But I’m curious, Beth. Why did you hang on to your virginity for so long? No, don’t bother answering. I know...’ he said without pause. ‘You told me Tony was just teasing when he said he wanted you to be his fiancée, but I think it was you that was doing the teasing. That is how you operate. You get pleasure from leading young men on and denying them what they want until they’re crazy about you and will do anything you say. First Timothy Bewick and now Tony. There have probably been many more,’ he declared cynically.

He could not have said anything more likely to enrage Beth and, putting Binkie down, she moved towards him, her anger so livid her cheeks were scarlet with it. She registered the arrogant stance of his big body, his hands tucked easily into the pockets of his trousers. He appeared every inch the sophisticated lawyer, with his confident summing-up of the situation, and it was not surprising the jury in her case had believed every word he said.

Even half dressed he exuded an aura of power, conviction and a sheer masculine magnetism that was almost impossible to ignore. It was inherent in his every move, every gesture, but this time Beth was immune to his lethal appeal. She fought down the urge to rant and rave at him and instead stopped a few inches in front of him, deliberately raising her gaze to his hard face, her green eyes contemptuous.

‘No. But if that is what you want to think to salve your conscience, be my guest. We both know that at my trial, when you painted me as some femme fatale who slept with young men to control them, the real liar was you.’ She dropped each word slowly and precisely into the tense silence. ‘You try living with that, as I have for the last eight years. You might actually discover a conscience, though I doubt it. Your sort never does.’ Disgust was evident in her tone. ‘As for Tony—you saw for yourself we are just good friends. But then I doubt a man like you has any friends.’

Dante shrugged and, taking his hand from the pocket of his pants, ran one long finger down her burning cheek to tilt her chin up and study her flushed and furious face.

‘You are overwrought, and in a way I don’t blame you. I am much older, more experienced than the boys you usually play with, and you got more than you bargained for. But you were with me all the way, so don’t try to pretend otherwise. You are only fooling yourself. I have never known a more eager lover. And I did not lie in court. As a lawyer I simply implied—there is a difference.’

Beth shook her head, unable to deny what he said, and stepped away from him. ‘Yes, you are right, of course. The difference in my case was freedom or a three-year sentence,’ she said caustically. ‘Now, if that is all, for about the tenth time of asking, will you get out of here? I never want to see you again.’

‘The feeling is mutual. You can rest assured I will never be back.’

‘At last a mutually acceptable solution. We have a deal. We will stay far away from each other—a continent would be good,’ she sniped, and walked into the kitchen, battling to contain the pain and anger he had revived in her.

She hated him, and she must never forget it again. She had heard it said that love and hate were different sides of the same coin, but she could not let herself think that way—could not let herself think of the pleasure his body had given her. It was just sex, she told herself again, and her overreaction was probably because she had waited so long to experience it.

* * *

Dante resisted the urge to follow Beth. Finding his shoes, he put them on and returned to the living room to retrieve his jacket. He had done what he’d set out to do. Beth was moving out, Tony would be free of her influence and that was what Dante had wanted... So why did he feel like the lowest of the low? Probably because Beth had hit a nerve with her crack about his performance in court. She had done him no favours with her crack about his performance in bed, either....

Oddly, he felt guilty on both counts...and it was not an emotion he was familiar with. But then he was not a man prone to emotions of any sort. It would pass.

Dante got in his car and drove away without a backward glance. Beth was a stunning woman, but not for him. She was not wife material, and she was far too dangerous to his peace of mind to be his mistress.

Although in a way he could not help admiring her. She had managed to change her life very successfully and perfectly legally, he thought as he skilfully manoeuvred the car through the rush-hour traffic. Jane—or Beth—or whatever her real name was had grown into one beautiful, intelligent, feisty woman whom he suspected could hold her own with either man or woman. She had certainly given as good as she’d got from him.

He was still smarting from her once was enough comment—not that he believed her. Beth was the most naturally sensual woman he had ever met, and had reacted to his lightest touch and caress. She had instinctively known how to return the pleasure too. She had been fire and light in his arms, eager to take everything he could give her, and he could still feel the sting of her nails on his back. He couldn’t remember ever having lost control with a lover the way he had with Beth, and the scent and feel of her luscious body beneath him had blown his mind. His body stirred again now at the thought of her.

Suddenly another thought hit him like a thunderbolt. He had forgotten protection. How could he have been so careless?

And in the next second Dante Cannavaro did the unthinkable—for him—and compounded his carelessness by rear-ending the pickup truck in front of him, having not noticed the traffic had stopped for a red light.

He reversed out from under the flatbed of the truck—to the further detriment of his Ferrari—and pulled up to exchange details with the driver of the pickup. Dante loved his cars, and he had never so much as dented one in his life until he’d met Beth Lazenby. Maybe she was a witch and had put a hex on him, he thought, stifling a groan as he surveyed the battered bonnet of his new Ferrari.

He debated going back to tell Beth about his mistake in forgetting to use protection, then, coming to his senses, thought better of it. Given the type of woman he knew Beth to be, he was pretty sure that if his mistake resulted in a pregnancy she would contact him with dollar signs in her eyes.