to stop it. It galled her to think he of all people had such an effect on her. He was an unprincipled playboy, a man who used women as playthings, discarding them when they no longer appealed to him. She knew if she was fool enough to succumb to his potent charm he would break her heart and think nothing of it. After all it would be the perfect revenge to get back at her for what he was convinced she had done to profit from his father's will.
The new housekeeper came to work at the villa each morning, along with the team of gardeners, which left Emma with even less to do to occupy her time. She caught up on some reading and went for long walks about the town, visiting some of the places she had read about in her travel guide. The tourist season was in full swing by now and she mingled with the crowds, stopping for coffee at one of the many cafes until the heat of the day brought her back to the villa.
After a few days, once the staff had left for the day Emma made the most of the warm weather by dipping in and out of the pool. The water was cool against her heated skin and she closed her eyes and floated on her back, enjoying the sounds of the garden, the birds twittering in the shrubs and trees, the gentle lap of water and the soothing tinkle of the wind chimes hanging in the arbour.
'Mind if I join you?' Rafaele's deep voice sounded from the deck of the pool.
Emma jerked upright, water shooting up her nose as she tried to find her feet. 'You scared me!' she said, blinking the water out of her eyes. 'I thought you'd gone out.'
'I did, but I have been back about an hour,' he said. 'I thought I might find you out here. How is the water?'
'It's...lovely,' she said, trying not to stare at his leanly muscled body. He was dressed in black bathers, the close-fitting Lycra outlining his masculine form so lovingly she felt her breath hitch in her throat.
He dived in and swam several lengths, the effortless motion of his arms and legs making Emma's earlier efforts seem rather pathetic by comparison.
'Want a race to the other end?' he asked as he came up close by.
'I'm not quite in your league,' she said with a self-conscious grimace.
'Come on, Emma, be a devil,' he said. 'I will give you a head start.'
Emma took a deep breath and threw herself into it, her arms going like windmills and her feet and ankles flapping with all their might. She thought she was in with a chance until she felt one of his hands grasp her by one of her ankles and pull her backwards through the water. She came up spluttering, and as she twisted round to face him her hands somehow landed on his chest, her legs tangling with his under the water. 'You cheated!' she spluttered.
He smiled at her. 'One thing you should know about me, Emma, is I do not always play by the rules.'
She gave him a reproachful look. 'In my book you're not a winner unless you've won fair and square.'
His hands settled on her hips, his lower body brushing against hers as he kept them both afloat. 'Ah, yes, but then I make it a point of always winning,' he said, looking down at her mouth.
Emma could hardly breathe. His mouth was so close she could see the pepper of stubble on his jaw, his warm breath like a caress as he came even closer. 'D-don't...' she said in a hoarse whisper.
He lifted one brow. 'You do not want me to kiss you?'
She looked into his dark, smouldering gaze. 'I think it's best if you don't...'
'Why is that?' he asked, still holding her against him.
'Um...I think it's not wise to complicate things...'
One of his hands moved from the curve of her hip to settle at the back of her neck beneath the wet curtain of her hair. 'How will it complicate things if I kiss you?' he asked.
Emma took a tight little swallow. She knew exactly what one kiss would do. As it was she had been trying to stamp out the memory of the wedding kiss without success. 'I don't want to...to develop feelings for you, Rafaele,' she said.
His eyes searched hers for a long moment. 'You think that is likely to happen?'
'I'm not a casual hook-up