The Playboy of Harley Street. Anne Fraser
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He was still looking at her with a gleam in his eyes. ‘That was some dive,’ he said appreciatively. His expression grew serious. ‘Are you okay?’ he said. His genuine look of concern rattled her. She didn’t want him to think she needed looking after. Last night had been a glitch. In future she’d be more careful to keep her feelings under control.
‘I’m fine. I was tired, that’s all. It was a long day,’ she replied, keeping her voice matter-of-fact.
He looked at her searchingly for a moment. She was sure he didn’t believe her. Then, as if he knew he wouldn’t get more from her, the teasing look was back in his eyes.
‘Want to race?’ he said.
Lucy had eased herself onto an airbed and was paddling towards them.
‘If you race, I’ll be the judge,’ she offered.
Katie was about to refuse when she read the challenge in Fabio’s eyes. Her heart started pounding.
‘Okay.’ She pointed to a buoy in the distance. ‘What about to that marker and back?’
‘Done. I’ll give you a head start if you like,’ Fabio said with a smile.
‘Not needed.’ Katie retorted.
‘Okay, ready, steady, go!’ Lucy shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth.
Without waiting to see what Fabio was up to, Katie set off at a fast crawl. Each time she lifted her face to the side to suck in some air, she looked for him, but he was nowhere in sight. Good. She must be in front. But when she touched the buoy, she saw that he had been ahead of her and was turning back already. Damn. She increased her speed, putting every ounce of energy into making her legs and arms move faster. Soon she was alongside him, and then with a last effort past him. That would show him.
But just as Lucy, and the finishing line, was within easy reach, a hand grabbed her foot and she was tugged under.
Twisting out of his grip, Katie bobbed to the surface. Fabio had started swimming away from her and would easily cross the finishing line before her. The cheat! Well, two could play at that game and perhaps it would convince him that her emotional wobble the evening before was well and truly in the past. With a wink at Lucy, she let out a loud yelp and pretended to grab at her calf.
Fabio stopped swimming and turned towards her. He frowned when he saw the fake agony on her face. ‘Katie! What’s wrong?’
‘Cramp,’ Katie groaned, sliding a look at Lucy, who hid her giggles behind her hand.
Fabio swam back towards her and his arm snaked around her waist. ‘Hold onto me,’ he said. The heat of his bare skin against hers was sending little bolts of electricity shooting through her, almost making her forget about the race. For a moment the world stood still as she looked into his heavily lashed eyes. Confused by the sensations running through her, Katie pulled away. ‘Got you!’ she yelled triumphantly. Kicking her legs as fast as she could, she swam towards Lucy. She ignored Fabio’s shout behind her, aware that if she stopped even for a second he would catch up.
‘I win!’ Her ruse had worked. She grinned as Lucy high-fived her.
When Fabio arrived seconds behind her his expression was dark and dangerous. Katie’s pulse beat even faster.
Lucy slipped back in the water and swam away.
‘You cheated,’ he said.
‘You cheated first!’
‘Ah, but winning is all that matters,’ he drawled. ‘At least as far as I’m concerned. I should warn you, I don’t believe in rules.’
He was still looking at her as if he was contemplating what to do to her. Her heart was behaving as if someone was drumming out a rock song on it.
‘Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think,’ she said. Now she was flirting back.
Once more Katie was acutely conscious of Fabio’s nearly naked body only inches from hers, and to her dismay, something that felt very close to lust curled in her pelvis.
‘I … I should go after Lucy,’ she managed, mortifyingly aware that her voice was husky.
The way Fabio was looking at her suggested he knew exactly what effect he was having on her. Damn the man and his gorgeousness.
‘She’s fine, Katie,’ he murmured, holding her gaze, his eyes sparking with mischief. ‘Payback time.’
His arms shot out and holding her tightly against him he sank with her beneath the surface of the water. She fought to wriggle free, every thrust of her body bringing her closer against him and adding to the clamour of sensations sweeping through her. When they bobbed back to the surface, something shifted in Fabio’s eyes and his grin faded. Knowing she had to get away from him, Katie pushed him away and swam towards the yacht as if the hounds from hell were snapping at her heels. By the time she arrived next to Lucy she was breathless and she knew it wasn’t from swimming.
While she and Lucy splashed in the water, Katie watched her patient carefully for any signs of breathing difficulty. There were none.
Having taken possession of the airbed, Fabio lay on his stomach, using his hands to propel his way towards them.
When he reached them, he turned over and lay on his back, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand.
Katie and Lucy looked at each other and with one accord they ducked under the water and came up next to him, pushing over his makeshift sunbed and tipping him into the water.
Fabio came up gasping and shaking the water from his eyes. He gave Katie and Lucy a wicked grin, before grabbing the child and tossing her into the air.
Then his hands spanned Katie’s waist.
His touch sent her already thumping heart rate into overdrive and she found herself looking into his eyes, almost unable to breathe again. His mouth was inches away from hers. Was he going to kiss her this time? She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. But then with a look of what she could have sworn was regret he dropped his hands.
‘We’d better get back to the yacht.’
Dismayed at the thud of disappointment she felt, Katie could only nod.
Back on board, Lucy went to have a rest while Katie changed into denim shorts and a white cotton shirt. For the first time in as long as she could remember, she felt almost light-hearted. The morning had been fun—if unsettling. Back there, in the water, when Fabio had held her, she’d had the strangest sensation of coming home, which was crazy. Men like Fabio were heartbreakers and she needed to remember that. Her heart was in bad enough condition as it was—the last thing she needed was more pain.
Back on deck, Fabio had also changed, his short-sleeved white shirt emphasising his bronzed chest.
‘Are you ready for lunch ashore?’ he asked. Katie was perplexed. The yacht was still out in the bay and she wondered how they were supposed to get there. Surely Fabio didn’t expect them to swim?
‘There’s a little boat we can use,’ Fabio said, as if reading her mind. ‘The crew are happy for me to take us, if you trust me, that is?’
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