Free A Clash With Cannavaro by Elizabeth Power Page B

older brother was concerned that she realised she’d been guilty of a gross case of overreacting.
    ‘It’s important even for a full-time aunt to relax sometimes,’ he said. ‘Something which I think you have done very little of over the past year, am I not right?’
    ‘You are,’ Lauren murmured and, after a moment, in an attempt to redeem herself for her churlish behaviour, tagged on rather sheepishly, ‘Thanks.’
    ‘In that case...’ He was tugging off his T-shirt and tossing it aside, exposing broad bronzed shoulders and that hair-dusted, beautifully contoured chest. ‘You and I are going to have some fun. Come on!’
    Before she had time to gather her wits, he had grabbed her hand and was pulling her up from her chair, and she could only run after him down the steps, trying to match his pace as he urged her onwards over the sand.
    ‘Hey! Hang on!’ she gasped, breathless more from his actions than from trying to keep up with him. ‘I’m afraid I can’t run anywhere near as fast as you!’
    ‘Of course not. How silly of me,’ he said, stopping so suddenly that she found herself careering into him.
    Swiftly, her hands shot up to steady her, and she sucked in a breath as her fingers met the warm hard musculature of his chest.
    ‘Touching me, Lauren?’ His voice and his smile mocked. ‘I thought that was against the rules.’
    ‘Are there any rules?’ Against the sound of the waves breaking over the damp sand, her voice quavered. ‘Other than the ones that you make?’
    He didn’t respond, only to click his tongue in laughing disapproval, the sound closer, so close she could feel his warm breath fanning her hair.
    ‘And if there were, you’d break them,’ she accused.
    As he broke people . Across the years, her younger sister’s words drifted back to her. As he would probably break her— and anyone who didn’t submit to his will.
    ‘Are you afraid of me?’
    To Lauren, it was like some sort of déjà vu. Hadn’t he said something along those lines that very same night at that party?
    ‘No.’ She said it too quickly because she was. Or at least, she thought, afraid of the pain he could cause her if he asserted his claim over his nephew. But it was herself she was afraid of right at that moment. Of her responses to his nearness and his physicality that were making her blood surge like the waves and her heart pulse with an excitement that was totally erotic.
    ‘Santo cielo!’ It was a swift, sharp utterance under his breath. ‘I think right now, mia bella, we both need cooling off.’
    She was being lifted off her feet, and so unexpectedly that she let out a surprised shriek as she found herself caught against the surging strength of his hard, virile body.
    ‘Put me down!’
    ‘I thought you said there are no rules.’
    ‘There are,’ she stressed, suddenly panicky.
    ‘Well, just as you said, I am breaking them.’ He was wading with her into the translucent aquamarine water, which was coming further up his muscular legs with every powerful stride he took.
    ‘What are you going to do?’ She didn’t know and she wasn’t looking forward to finding out. ‘Please don’t throw me in.’
    ‘I would not dream of it.’ He grinned.
    ‘Please!’ She swivelled her head towards the water and back to his strong teasing features. ‘You’ll be sorry if you do!’
    ‘Such spirit!’ He laughed. ‘And what could you do to me, mia cara, that would make my regret really not worth dropping you?’
    ‘You dare!’ He was laughing and it was exciting her. Nevertheless, she tightened her hold around his neck and superbly masculine shoulder, clinging to him for all she was worth.
    ‘What is the matter?’ he asked. ‘Can you not swim?’
    ‘Not this far out. I’ll panic. Please!’
    He was still laughing. ‘And there I was imagining you were a woman who could do anything.’
    ‘I am.’ She was adamant about that. ‘But my survival tactics don’t extend to being thrown into the sea.’