Free Sophie and the Scorching Sicilian by Kim Lawrence Page A

skin fascinated him.
    Belatedly catching the direction of his stare Sophie twitched her rumpled skirt across her knees.
    He returned her glare with a look that held no trace of embarrassment and suggested helpfully, ‘Fewer layers, possibly.’
    â€˜Thank you for the fashion advice, but I would not like to be propositioned, especially by you.’
    The horror in her voice brought a smile to his lips. ‘Relax, you’re safe from my attentions.’
    Oh, yes. I really needed that spelled out, she thought, wondering what it would be like to not be safe … To actually be in danger because you aroused the predatory instincts of a man like Marco Speranza?
    Her sisters, her beautiful Balfour siblings, would not be safe with Marco Speranza; he would not smirk at the thought of luring them to his love nest.
    And when he lured, she was guessing not many girls resisted. Her glance brushed his wide mouth, and she thought maybe even fewer than not many. It was easy to see how a woman facing the prospect of being kissed by those lips might forget all about self-respect.
    Sophie was very glad, having their best interests at heart, that her sisters were each safely tucked away miles from here. Marco Speranza was quite obviously a very dangerous man.
    A man one woman had made a fool of, and he was now punishing the entire female race—or the drop-dead gorgeous ones anyway.
    She was safe.
    On that depressing note Sophie gave her head a shake to clear her thoughts and she schooled her features into an expression of mock horror. ‘Oh, leave me my dreams,’ she drawled.
    She heard Marco chuckle as he walked around the car. ‘You have a rich fantasy life, Sophie,’ he observed, sliding in beside her.
    He looked at her mouth and realised his own life was getting richer the longer he spent in this woman’s company.
    Sophie kept her eyes trained ahead as the door shut behind him, enclosing them in the luxurious air-conditioned leatherlined cocoon. The tension that she’d been holding in check, ever since she’d woken up and found herself being looked at by a pair of eyes as hard as emeralds, racked up another level.
    Conscious that her heart was trying to batter its way through her ribcage, she lifted a hand to her throat and swallowed.
    The combination of large man and enclosed space was claustrophobic; only she didn’t suffer from claustrophobia—until now.
    What I need is more breathing space, she thought, an open window. Breathe deep, she told herself, inhaling deeply and almost immediately regretting it. Her nostrils quivered.
    The scent that hung around him was probably no different chemically speaking than the scent that came off any other clean warm male, except the undertones of spicy fragrance that made her nostrils flare was more expensive than one the average man in the street wore.
    Sophie had no intention of looking at him. ‘I’m far too busy for fantasies.’
    â€˜And too scared for reality?’
    The sly suggestion sent the colour flying to her cheeks. Her decision not to look at him forgotten, she whipped around to glare at him.
    â€˜Look, I’m glad you’re giving us the contract,’ she admitted, her voice not quite as steady as she would have liked, but she was coherent which was good. ‘But I think we should have some ground rules.’
    His darkly defined brows lifted towards his ebony hairline. ‘Do I have this right…? You want to set ground rules for me ? I have to tell you that that is not normally the way it works.’
    â€˜I don’t know how it works. I just know that…’ She stopped because actually she didn’t know much at all, certainly not why she felt it necessary to start this conversation in the first place.
    Keeping her own counsel had always worked for her before.
    He arched a questioning brow.
    â€˜Being my employer, which you’re not because I work for Amber—’
    â€˜Because