One Night with Her Italian Doc by Karin Baine

Author:Karin Baine
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-10-07T16:03:36+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

‘NOT A DATE,’ Sophie reminded herself in the full-length mirror at the end of the bed. Luciano had told her exactly that when they’d made the arrangement.

It didn’t matter that her body was burning for more or that his vocal protest hadn’t matched his body language. He was still in mourning and therefore it didn’t make any sense to keep a candle burning for him. She’d only get burned. Besides, after-work drinks with a colleague was still more of a social life than she’d had in a long time.

There was a rap on the door.

‘Not a date,’ she reiterated. Yeah, right. That was why she’d showered, blow-dried her hair, put make-up on and dressed to impress.

On her way to answer the door her heart gave an unprompted leap, trying to escape the confines of her chest. Why did the prospect of spending the night with Luciano seem more intimidating than assisting him with emergency surgery?

She forced herself into an I’m-not-bothered-at-all casual stance as she opened the door...until she saw him leaning against the door frame in his black turtleneck and dark grey chinos. Cartoon-style Arooga! signs went off in her head and she imagined her eyes had popped out on stalks. He’d shaved and his hair had that fluffy, just-washed look, and he smelled divine—of citrus and the sea. Forbidden fruit and freedom.

‘Hey.’ She suddenly felt very shy.

It might’ve had something to do with the way he was looking at her. As though the royal blue silk jumpsuit Edith had talked her into buying ‘for one of those fancy dinners they do with the captain’ was the disposable wrapper on a sweet he was about to devour. It was not an unwanted reaction and perhaps exactly what she’d been hoping for when she’d chosen the outfit tonight.

‘Too much? Not enough?’

The longer he took to reply the more room there was for the doubt crows to set up roost.

It was way too many rapid heartbeats until he answered, ‘Just right.’

‘Just call me Goldilocks.’ She flicked her hair off her shoulder with the sass of a woman who knew she could have anything she wanted—including the sexy man at her door.

‘I thought you might like to go for dinner first. Have you eaten?’

‘Not yet.’ Her stomach had been in too much turmoil at the prospect of spending the evening with Luciano to contemplate eating a meal. Now she was glad she’d waited. It would line her stomach before they went for drinks but it would also give them more time together.

‘Dinner it is, then.’ He offered her his arm and she hooked her own through it as they made their way through the corridors into the glitz of the atrium, where the awe-inspiring chandelier hanging from the ceiling seemed to illuminate every deck and the glass staircase glittered with encrusted crystals.

‘Wait, doesn’t dinner lead us into date territory?’ There could be little doubt about what was happening now but she liked teasing him. He’d told her he hadn’t as much as

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