A Sicilian Husband - Kate Walker [28]
‘And who,’ he enquired in tones of pure ice, ‘is going to stop me?’
‘I am…’
She had to force herself to say it, but somehow the fact that it came out through closely gritted teeth as she tightened her uncertain grip on the jacket seemed to give the words an added force, a determination that she was far from actually feeling.
‘Oh, are you?’
It was even more condescending than before and the arrogant look that he directed at her down the long, straight line of his nose threatened to shrivel her into ashes right where she stood. It took every ounce of courage to stay where she was, though her toes curled in nervous reaction, digging into the soft pile of the carpet.
‘Sì?’
The softness of the question took her almost by surprise so that she was unprepared for his sudden movement as he tried to snatch his coat away from her briefly loosened grasp. But she managed to grab at it just in time, setting up a brief and ungainly contest as each of them fought for possession of the item.
‘Teresa…’
Never before had she heard her name spoken with such ferocity, such venom.
‘You will rip my jacket.’
‘No, you will!’ she flung at him defiantly. ‘But only if you keep up this ridiculous tug of war. Oh, come on, Gio…is it asking so much? Just tell me why…’
He drew himself up, taller, darker and more imposing than ever before. Dangerously so.
‘I don’t have to explain myself to you.’
He exerted a little extra force, pulling the jacket a few inches nearer to his side.
‘And I say you do!’
With a rough little movement she tugged it right back.
For a couple of moments the garment seesawed between them, then with one final jerk Gio wrenched it out of her hands and fully into his. But Terrie barely saw it go. The movement had jolted the jacket roughly, shaking a couple of items free from the pockets, one of them a black leather wallet. And as she watched, fascinated, it tumbled to the ground, landing with a faint, soft thud, and falling open right at her feet.
‘Inferno!’
With barely half her mind she was aware of Gio’s furious curse, his dart forwards, his hand coming out. But that was enough for instinct to come into play, warning her that something was wrong. Something he didn’t want her to see or know about.
Totally abandoning the disputed jacket, she turned her attention instead to the wallet, grabbing it up in the same swift movement that took her partway across the room, and into the comparative safety of the other side of the bed.
‘Teresa!’
Her name was both a threat and a warning.
‘Give that back to me—now!’
‘No chance…’
She wanted to defy him totally. To challenge him to do something about her actions. But her mind chose just that most inopportune moment to push her into glancing across the room, catching sight of her reflection in the mirror on the front of the wardrobe.
It was just the wrong time to bring home to her the fact that she was totally naked, her pale skin faintly flushed from her recent exertions.
‘Oh, no!’
Horrified beyond embarrassment, she clasped her arms across her exposed breasts, whirling in a frantic circle as she hunted for, found and yanked on her pale pink towelling robe, forcing the hand that held the wallet down the sleeve. It was impossible to fasten the tie belt, so she had to content herself with pulling the two sides together, clutching them close to cover as much as possible.
‘Teresa… Give me back that wallet!’
‘Wrong move, Gio! If you’d really wanted me to give it back without looking, then you should have pretended it just wasn’t important! All you’ve done is to pique my curiosity. Now, let me see…’
One-handed, she caught the wallet by a corner, shook it over the rumpled bed, watching as several items fell out and tumbled down onto the quilt.
Credit and cheque cards, some English notes, and others she supposed must be Italian lira, a book of stamps…some photographs.
And in an instant, without needing to think or to ask questions, she knew that the photographs were what he had