Free Italian Marriage: In Name Only by Kathryn Ross Page A

momentarily did come too close to her she could feel her whole body stiffen.
    After the ceremony when they’d got on board his private jet he’d casually reached to help her adjust her seat belt and she’d frozen. He’d noticed, of course, and had probably found it amusing because he had told her to relax and had then added that he had no intention of eating her.
    Ha, ha.
    She pressed herself back now into the comfortable leather seat, tried to listen to the drone of the jet engines and allowthem to lull her, as they had Nathan. He’d been curled up on the seat beside her, fast asleep, for the past few hours.
    She reached out and stroked a stray strand of hair back from his face but he didn’t stir. Poor little mite was exhausted. It had been a busy day for him; he’d even missed his usual afternoon nap. Victoria glanced away from the sleeping child over towards the other side of the plane where Antonio was sitting.
    He’d been immersed in paperwork since take-off and now he was working on his laptop, the handsome features serious as he studied and made notes. As far as he was concerned the wedding was long forgotten—lost amongst the medley of other business he had to deal with. He could possibly even have forgotten that she was here with him at all, she thought sardonically. Because he hadn’t spoken one word to her since take-off.
    Well, it suited her.
    She just wished that when she closed her eyes she didn’t see again the moment when he’d looked at her and pledged to take her for his wife, forsaking all others.
    He’d sounded so supremely confident and there had been no other emotion or expression in his voice—but of course there wouldn’t have been because he felt nothing, she reminded herself forcefully. The marriage was a sham, a means to an end. She’d noted the vows they made had been carefully selected and cut to avoid promises for a long commitment.
    By contrast her voice had been almost a whisper and not in the slightest bit steady. She didn’t know why she had felt so…emotional…. After all, she knew the score—she had agreed to the terms.
    Her reaction made her feel foolish.
    Anyway, it was over now, she told herself fiercely, and it was best forgotten.
    He glanced up and as their eyes met she felt the electrical charge of the connection right down to her toes.
    ‘Feeling any better?’ he enquired.
    ‘How do you mean?’ She frowned.
    ‘You seemed a bit tense earlier,’ he remarked casually.
    ‘Did I? I don’t know what gave you that idea.’ She kept her voice light, desperate to salvage some pride from amongst the fragments of her emotions.
    ‘Good. Ready for something to eat, then.’
    It was more statement than question. She watched with a feeling of unease as he closed his laptop and started to clear away the papers on the table in front of him. She wasn’t sure she could eat, especially if he expected her to sit opposite him; she felt too wound up.
    He glanced over at her again and she swiftly pulled herself together. She couldn’t tell him that! ‘Yes, OK.’
    ‘Good, I’ll call the flight attendant and see what she can rustle up for us.’ He pressed the button on the side of his seat. Then indicated to Victoria that she should take the seat opposite him.
    ‘I’ll…just freshen up. Will you keep an eye on Nathan for me? His seat belt is secured and I won’t be a minute.’
    ‘Sì.’ He inclined his head.
    Unfastening her seat belt she stood.
    ‘Use the bathroom in the master suite,’ he told her as he continued to fold away documents. ‘You should find your bag has been placed in there for you.’
    ‘Master suite?’ She looked at him in puzzlement and he pointed to a door at the far end of the cabin.
    She’d never been on an aircraft like this before in her life. It was weird being the only passengers—a world removed from the economy flight she’d travelled on all those years ago. She opened a door and found herself looking at a large bed.
    The place had