Mortal Bite (Golden Vampires of Tuscany) by Sharon Hamilton Page B

hold hers. But Cara was primly sitting, hiding her hands under
the table. He could feel her resolve, a combination of control and desire.
    Let me unleash your inner
fantasies, Carabella. Let me teach you the pleasures of…
    Cara’s cell phone blurted out the sound of a car horn. She fished for it
from her computer case and answered, “Hello Johnny. What’s up?”
    Paolo listened to the squawking on the other end of the line. He looked
out the window as he heard her assistant’s tinny words. “You wanted me to go
down to Berkeley to speak to that researcher. Can I bail on the office time if
I promise to do it for you this afternoon?”
    “Anyone signed up?” Cara asked.
    “Well, I’d blocked out the afternoon for our discussion time, so I don’t
think anyone will be here. I can’t go to Berkeley tomorrow, so thought I’d take
advantage of the time today. You okay with that?”
    Cara looked at Paolo, who was pretending he had no idea the lovely woman
in front of him was now free for the entire afternoon.
    “I’m fine with that. Leave it marked off. I’ll see you Wednesday. Thanks
for calling.” She ended the call and placed her phone on the table.
    Cara’s screen saver was a picture of Frank Langella dressed as Dracula.
    “Good news?” he asked. He tried not to stare at the actor’s picture.
    “It seems my office hours have been cancelled.”
    Paolo took her hands in his. “I’ve got some excellent thoughts on how we might
spend the afternoon. If you’re willing.”
    She stared at their entwined fingers as she allowed her forefinger to rub
along his flesh. Her touch sent him into a trance of desire.
    “I think I might like that.”
    And that was all she had to say.

Chapter 14

 
    The driver took them the back way, up through vineyards in Alexander
Valley. Paolo leaned back into the leather seat so he could get a side view of
Bella, who was fascinated with the dark limo’s interior and sparkling lights.
She looked like she was on her first chauffeur-driven ride for her high school prom.
She turned and caught him staring at her, but he didn’t care. If it concerned
her, she didn’t show it.
    “I like all the colors this time of year,” she said, looking out the
window at the richness of vineyards bursting with gold and burgundy.
    It was true, but the color he liked best was the red of her lips, and her
flushed cheeks, and her light pink fingernail polish. He wanted to feel those
pink fingers on his flesh, feel the sharpness of her nails digging into his
back as he plundered her deeply, claimed her for his own over and over again.
    Even though he didn’t use glamour, she leaned into him, as he pulled an
arm around her shoulder. She sighed and seemed to melt into his frame. Her hot
flesh sent warmth to every cell of his body. “I feel absolutely decadent,” she
whispered. “Have never done this in the middle of a school day.”
    “Ah. And here I thought it was perhaps the company you’re keeping.”
    She grinned. “That, too.”
    “Come. We shall celebrate.” He leaned forward and opened a glass of port,
pouring one for each of them.
    “You come prepared.”
    “Always.” He did not tell her he traveled with a case at all times.
    “So you had a feeling this would happen?”
    “Eventually, yes.” It was difficult not to give her the gloating grin he
knew would turn her off.
    “Eventually? What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “Like you, I’m a fairly good judge of people.”
    “People, or women?”
    “Women too.” Like I can tell what
you are feeling. He didn’t think he would have the gift of mindspeech with
Cara, but perhaps could develop it in time. If he was given the time, that is.
Paolo could sense her emotions.
    He felt her pulse quicken slightly.   Her eyes widened and he could hear the little breath she sucked in and
tried to hide.
    “Bella—may I call you Bella?”
    “Yes.”
    “Bella, you are safe with me. And,” he pointed to the chauffer, “we have
a