The Prince's Housekeeper Bride by Carol Marinelli Page B

time as his housemaid was no doubt over before it had even started.

Chapter Two
    â€œI’m sorry!” Alisa’s guilty eyes met his. “I wasn’t going to…” She knew how bad it looked, knew that she’d been caught just thinking about stealing. “I would never…“ Her voice trailed off helplessly as he stood silently, watching her flounder. “It seemed such a shame to waste it when I’ve been told I have to smarten up—”
    â€œWho said you needed to smarten up?”
    â€œMaria the cook—all of them. They say that if I am to work for you I must make more of an effort.” Tears were filling her eyes, and she lowered them in shame and misery. “I don’t have any makeup, I don’t have anything…”
    â€œTry it then” Dark blue eyes met hers in the mirror, just a glimmer of a smile on his cruel mouth. “Who knows? Maybe if you do smarten up, I will keep you.”
    Bastard .
    She wanted to turn and run, but since that would find her facing his naked chest, Alisa had little choice but to comply. She’d never put on lipstick; the cool waxy pad felt strange against her lips as her unskilled fingers tried to press it on.
    â€œLike this.” He turned her rigid body around, took the golden pen from her clasped hand and painted the color slowly on using tiny featherlight strokes on her lips. She closed her eyes in shame, sure he was laughing at her, playing with her, like a cat taunting a bird before the kill.
    What the hell was he doing?
    Christ, he didn’t care if she took the makeup. After all, he had no need for it! Benito knew he should have directed her out and firmly closed the bathroom door, but she was so adorable…. Those startled, fearful eyes enthralled him, the rapid rise and fall of that glorious bosom had hardened him again, and now here she was, the soft skin of her cheek in his palm, damp lashes fanning her cheeks as she closed her eyes against tears. And that mouth! That full, sultry mouth all dark pink and shiny, and here   he was, naked, except for a precariously placed towel, with this beauty in his hands.
    When she opened her eyes and stared fearfully into his, never had he so badly wanted to undo his own handiwork, so tempted to kiss it all off.
    â€œThere.” He turned her around to face the mirror, observed silently as she viewed the transformation. He felt kneed in the groin with longing as she pouted slightly, then ran her lucky tongue along unfamiliar lips. “What do you think?”
    â€œIt is what you think that matters.” He watched her swallow, watched as a salty tear spilled from the corner of her eye.
    â€œI’m sorry. I can assure you nothing like that will happen again.”
    â€œGood.” His voice was suddenly gruff. “What is your name?”
    â€œAlisa.”
    â€œWell, Alisa, you do not need lipstick to—” He didn’t finish what he was saying, his whole line of thinking completely inappropriate. “That will be all.”
    He stood stock-still as she gave a hurried nod, then turned her flaming face from him and hurried from the bathroom. In her haste, she forgot to close the door.
    Only, he didn’t call her back; far easier instead to do it himself, to drag out a long-held breath and lean his weight against the jamb for a moment.
    She was truly beautiful.
    Lowering himself into the soapy water, Benito tried to block out her features from his mind, but even with his eyes closed, her face was all he could see, those full lips a mere few inches away from his as he’d caressed her cheek.
    â€œ Cristo !”
    Unwashed, unsatisfied and spun out on lust, Benito hauled himself out of the bath, dried and dressed himself in rapid time, then punched some numbers into the phone.
    â€œ Pronto , Luca…” he greeted his cousin warmly.
    â€œWhat are you doing calling so early?” Luca laughed. “It is not even