Harlequin Medical Romance April 2019, Box Set 1 of 2 by Caroline Anderson

Author:Caroline Anderson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2019-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

MATTEO SAT SWIRLING the wine around in his glass, mesmerised by its movement and colour, though not yet having touched a drop. He just needed to do something with his hands—anything, really—to keep his mind off that moment in the pool with Krystiana.

I kissed her.

She’d emerged from the water, smiling, laughing, so pleased with her progress, and she’d lifted her goggles onto her forehead and beamed at him—a smile that had gone straight to his heart and made it beat like a jackhammer against his ribs. And something—something he hadn’t been able to fight—had taken over his common sense and all reason and logic and he’d somehow convinced himself that just one kiss would be okay!

Hah!

He’d fought against it. They’d only known each other for such a short time, and he’d been determined since returning from his kidnapping not to get involved with anyone. Was he so weak? That all it took was a nice smile and a long braid and a shared experience to make his resolve crumble?

He thought over their time together, looking for clues. When had he first begun to succumb to her charms? But he couldn’t see the exact moment. He couldn’t discern it at all and that frustrated him.

Krystiana had looked at him in shock afterwards. Had quickly waded away from him, clambered up the pool steps, apologising all the way.

No matter what had happened, he’d not wanted things to be awkward between them. He’d wanted to put it right. So he’d chased after her and asked her to the ball—as if his mouth had been operating on a different system to his brain.

It hadn’t been his place to invite her, and he hadn’t meant to ask, but he hadn’t been able to bear her running from him like that. He’d wanted to apologise, to put things right, but when she’d turned to face him the invitation had popped out instead.

Matteo pulled the cord that would summon Sergio, and when his servant arrived he asked him to fetch him a canvas and paints. Sergio bowed and disappeared, returning about thirty minutes later with the equipment he needed. Painting the garden had felt good before. Freeing. It had eased his mind and he needed that right now.

He set up the easel out on the sun terrace and thought about how he felt inside. And then, using his fingers, as he had before, he began to daub the surface of the canvas with paint.

He was so carried away with what he was doing he almost didn’t hear the footsteps behind him, and he started somewhat when Sergio spoke.

‘Dr Szenac, Your Majesty.’

Matteo turned, shocked to see her standing there, but he smiled, glad to see her. Glad that she didn’t seem to have been made uncomfortable by what had happened.

‘You caught me. I thought I’d try this thing again.’

She smiled back, but it was brief. Fleeting.

‘That’s good. That you’re getting something from it. Those colours look great, but you were great with them last time, so…’

He could sense she had something to say.

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