The Count's Prize Read Free Page B

though feeling her gaze fall on him, he turned his head and their eyes met. Another sensuous ripple thrilled straight through her.
    And, as if knowing what was on her mind, Dario granted her a slow, sweet, irresistible smile.

CHAPTER TWO
    J OSIE’S mind and body churned as she almost drowned in Dario’s gaze.
    It must have been like this with Andy and that woman at the university
, she thought with a shiver.
I can’t risk getting between this man and the girlfriend he’s bound to have hidden away somewhere
.
    After what felt like an eternity, she managed to regain enough control to step away from him, as if to take a tour around the room.
    ‘This suite is wonderful, Dario, but it’s way out of my league. Don’t you have anything smaller?’ she asked, desperately trying to bring them both back to earth.
    He looked startled for a moment, then laughed.
    ‘This isn’t a hotel! As I kept telling Antonia, you don’t have to pay anything at all for your visit, Josie. As her friend, you have a standing invitation to stay here whenever you like, for as long as you like. Surely she passed on my message?’
    ‘She did, but I always pay my own way.’
    ‘And the local hospital fund was very grateful when I forwarded your contribution.’ Dario grinned. ‘So whydon’t we pretend your generosity qualified you for a complimentary upgrade?’
    Josie hesitated, but decided that she had made her point.
    ‘In which case, thank you, Dario. But I’m afraid you won’t get much chance to look out of these windows while I’m staying here,’ she told him, and herself, briskly. ‘This looks like the perfect place for me to spread out my finds and paperwork. It’s well away from everyone else, so we won’t disturb each other. Thank you for bringing me up here.’
    Dario gave her a smile of silent amusement. The meaning in her clipped words was only too obvious. She wanted to be alone, so he slowly headed back towards the door.
    ‘You’re trying so hard not to let yourself go, aren’t you?’ he murmured, just loud enough for her to hear.
    ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
    He turned to face her, and then grinned again. ‘That blush tells me you’ve been taking too much notice of Antonia’s stories, Josie.’ He chuckled, his rich Florentine accent making her name sound incredibly beautiful. ‘Be assured that, as my sister’s best friend, you are quite safe. From me, at least.’
    ‘Anyone coming on to me would be making a mistake, Dario,’ she said firmly, ‘and I’d be making an even bigger mistake if I fell for it,’ she added. Her voice stopped his smile in an instant.
    ‘I suppose that’s understandable, when you’ve seen what has happened to Antonia.’
    ‘And to me.’
    His eyes flashed dangerously. ‘You don’t mean that waster Rick tried it on with you, too?’
    ‘No—no! I just assumed Antonia had told you about—’ Josie stopped, and mentally hugged her friend. Antonia must have been very discreet. ‘That is … I mean … I had a similar experience, though it was nothing compared to what Toni’s been through. At the time I tried to warn her, but it was hard when she was so happy.’
    His expression turned into one she couldn’t quite identify. ‘Knowing Antonia, trying to warn her off was a rash move. And yet you’re still friends?’
    ‘Of course.’
    Dario’s dark, finely arched eyebrows shot up. ‘Weren’t you afraid she would dump you for trying to make her see sense?’
    ‘Oh, yes, but I felt I had no choice. I couldn’t bear to stand back and watch her throw away all her hard work for a man who was nothing but a lightweight—if you know what I mean.’
    Her glance flicked around the palatial surroundings of her suite. She hoped he wouldn’t take her words personally. Seeing all the brand new luxury decorating the age-old splendour of the Castello Sirena, Josie decided she was going to like staying here, despite its attractively distracting Count.
    ‘I most certainly do know.