really give you a reason to hate me?'
'I already have sufficient reason.' She snatched at her robe and struggled into it. 'If I cried out that last time it was because you hurt me.'
'Not that much, my dear Julia. I'm a shade too experienced not to know the difference—that's right, tie that sash in knots and cover up your body or you might let loose the beast again. What's the real matter, Julia, is it me or yourself that you're afraid of?'
She scorned to answer him, and with a shrug he went and sprawled in the peacock-back chair. Julia smoothed her hair as Giovanni tapped on the door.
'I've laid the table in the adjoining room,
signore
.' Giovanni kept his gaze politely averted from Julia in her negligee. 'Cosenza made a pot of coffee in case the
signora
had need of a cup.'
'
Splendido
.' Rome lounged to his feet and cast a lazily insolent look over Julia. 'Cosenza is a woman of feelings— well, my dear, shall we go and proceed with our dinner?'
Julia preceded him into the
salone
, lit by ruby-shaded lamps, the table in front of the lounger laid out with their meal. It all looked very intimate and cosy, but stirred up in Julia feelings that were far from cosy.
'We shan't require any further service tonight, Giovanni.' Rome smiled as he gazed around the
salone
. 'Thank your wife for her efforts on our behalf.',
'You are both more than welcome,
signore
.' Giovanni glanced at Julia. '
Buona notte, signora
.'
'Goodnight,' she said. 'I'm sorry your beautifully arranged table on the
terrazza
was spoiled. I suppose the wine glass was broken beyond repair?'
'
Si, signora
.' Giovanni spread his hands regretfully. 'Such a pity, but crystal of that quality shatters into fragments if dropped and there is nothing to be done.'
'
Che disastro
!' Rome laughed. 'It's only an object and I daresay it can be replaced. There are other things of far more value, and I'd smash a dozen Versalinis rather than see an inch of soft skin burned.'
Julia felt the rise of heat under her skin, for his voice dwelt on the words and made her relive the feel of his hands on her body. What was inanimate could never mean as much to Rome as something that was warm and living to his touch, and as she took a seat on the lounger she gathered the flimsy protection of her robe closely around her. The
salone
door closed behind Giovanni and she was alone with her husband, who before sitting down beside her took off his tie and opened the collar of his silk shirt. It was the casual action of a man making himself comfortable in his home, but nothing that Rome did in Julia's presence seemed ordinary. Nothing about Rome Demario was ordinary.
'Shall we have some of that coffee?' Julia felt the give of the lounger as he sat down.
She gave him a withering look as she picked up the pot and filled the cups. He took his scalding dark with a spoonful of brown sugar, but indicated with a flick of his finger that she add cream to hers. Julia was tempted to oppose him, except that she liked her coffee sweet and creamy.
'Ah, this room is really rather charming.' He glanced around him with a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. 'When I first bought the villa it was much neglected and I didn't bother too much about the upper rooms because my mother couldn't manage the stairs and had her apartment on the ground floor. I'm pleased with the look of these rooms. The colour schemes have worked out well.'
His eyes met Julia's over the rim of his coffee cup. 'Don't you agree?'
'Yes,' she said indifferently. 'You like to think you do everything with style, don't you,
signore
?'
'Don't you think that I do,
carina
?' He gave a brief laugh.
'No, perhaps you don't—I'm the upstart from the East Side who dared to pull you off the pedestal where you were just a charming image of a woman. I made you face the fact that there's more to being a woman than poise and politeness and the sweet charity of your company. Your Park Avenue clique might be satisfied with that kind of
'I already have sufficient reason.' She snatched at her robe and struggled into it. 'If I cried out that last time it was because you hurt me.'
'Not that much, my dear Julia. I'm a shade too experienced not to know the difference—that's right, tie that sash in knots and cover up your body or you might let loose the beast again. What's the real matter, Julia, is it me or yourself that you're afraid of?'
She scorned to answer him, and with a shrug he went and sprawled in the peacock-back chair. Julia smoothed her hair as Giovanni tapped on the door.
'I've laid the table in the adjoining room,
signore
.' Giovanni kept his gaze politely averted from Julia in her negligee. 'Cosenza made a pot of coffee in case the
signora
had need of a cup.'
'
Splendido
.' Rome lounged to his feet and cast a lazily insolent look over Julia. 'Cosenza is a woman of feelings— well, my dear, shall we go and proceed with our dinner?'
Julia preceded him into the
salone
, lit by ruby-shaded lamps, the table in front of the lounger laid out with their meal. It all looked very intimate and cosy, but stirred up in Julia feelings that were far from cosy.
'We shan't require any further service tonight, Giovanni.' Rome smiled as he gazed around the
salone
. 'Thank your wife for her efforts on our behalf.',
'You are both more than welcome,
signore
.' Giovanni glanced at Julia. '
Buona notte, signora
.'
'Goodnight,' she said. 'I'm sorry your beautifully arranged table on the
terrazza
was spoiled. I suppose the wine glass was broken beyond repair?'
'
Si, signora
.' Giovanni spread his hands regretfully. 'Such a pity, but crystal of that quality shatters into fragments if dropped and there is nothing to be done.'
'
Che disastro
!' Rome laughed. 'It's only an object and I daresay it can be replaced. There are other things of far more value, and I'd smash a dozen Versalinis rather than see an inch of soft skin burned.'
Julia felt the rise of heat under her skin, for his voice dwelt on the words and made her relive the feel of his hands on her body. What was inanimate could never mean as much to Rome as something that was warm and living to his touch, and as she took a seat on the lounger she gathered the flimsy protection of her robe closely around her. The
salone
door closed behind Giovanni and she was alone with her husband, who before sitting down beside her took off his tie and opened the collar of his silk shirt. It was the casual action of a man making himself comfortable in his home, but nothing that Rome did in Julia's presence seemed ordinary. Nothing about Rome Demario was ordinary.
'Shall we have some of that coffee?' Julia felt the give of the lounger as he sat down.
She gave him a withering look as she picked up the pot and filled the cups. He took his scalding dark with a spoonful of brown sugar, but indicated with a flick of his finger that she add cream to hers. Julia was tempted to oppose him, except that she liked her coffee sweet and creamy.
'Ah, this room is really rather charming.' He glanced around him with a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. 'When I first bought the villa it was much neglected and I didn't bother too much about the upper rooms because my mother couldn't manage the stairs and had her apartment on the ground floor. I'm pleased with the look of these rooms. The colour schemes have worked out well.'
His eyes met Julia's over the rim of his coffee cup. 'Don't you agree?'
'Yes,' she said indifferently. 'You like to think you do everything with style, don't you,
signore
?'
'Don't you think that I do,
carina
?' He gave a brief laugh.
'No, perhaps you don't—I'm the upstart from the East Side who dared to pull you off the pedestal where you were just a charming image of a woman. I made you face the fact that there's more to being a woman than poise and politeness and the sweet charity of your company. Your Park Avenue clique might be satisfied with that kind of
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