Untouched Until Marriage by Chantelle Shaw

Libby tormented Raul’s mind throughout the dinner and the interminably long speeches which followed. But sitting beside her, inhaling her delicate perfume while his eyes strayed to the creamy upper slopes of her breasts displayed so tantalisingly above her low-cut dress, proved an even greater torment for his body. Lust was another emotion he had not expected to feel for his father’s mistress, he thought irritably, shifting his position slightly to ease the uncomfortable sensation of his arousal straining against the zip of his trousers.
    Libby was relieved when the after-dinner speeches finally came to an end. She had understood very little about EU trade policies or new business opportunities in China, and as her concentration had wavered she had grown increasingly aware of the man at her side. Raul seemed to have taken his suggestion that they should be friends for Gino’s sake to heart, and throughout the meal he had subjected her to the full megawatt force of his charisma. He was a witty and entertaining companion, and every time he smiled she found it impossible to resist his sexy charm.
    â€˜What’s happening now?’ she asked him as they stood up from the table and joined the throng of guests walking out of the banqueting suite.
    â€˜Now everyone races towards the bar, desperate for a drink after sitting through two hours of dull speeches.’ Raul glanced down at her, his eyes glinting with amusement and a latent sensual heat that made her heart race. ‘Can I get you more champagne? Or would you like to dance?’
    Libby glanced around and realised they were now in a vast ballroom. ‘I don’t think I’d better risk any more alcohol after the two glasses of champagne I had at dinner.’ She caught her breath when Raul slid his arm around her waist and led her onto the dance floor.
    â€˜Wise choice,’ he murmured, lowering his head so that his warm breath fanned her cheek. The feel of his lean, hard body pressed close against her warned Libby that he was a far greater risk to her equilibrium than another glass of champagne, but she told herself that she did not want to spoil their tenuous friendship by pulling out of his arms. ‘Relax,’ he bade her, his voice as sensuous as molten honey, and she could not prevent a quiver of reaction when he traced his fingertips lightly up and down her spine.
    She lost all sense of time as they drifted around the ballroom, hip to hip, her breasts crushed against the steel wall of his chest as he imperceptibly tightened his arms around her. Other guests passed them by on the dance floor, but she was only aware of Raul. When he finally loosened his hold and eased away from her the dull ache in her pelvis had intensified to a hot, frantic throb, and she stared at him dazedly when he steered her towards the door.
    â€˜It’s midnight, and we have a forty minute drive back to the Villa Giulietta,’ he informed her gently. ‘I assume you would prefer to go back to the villa, so that you are there when Gino wakes tomorrow morning, rather than spend the night at my apartment?’
    â€˜Oh, yes—definitely,’ Libby agreed quickly, shame sweeping through her when she realised she had not thought about Gino for the past few hours. How could she have forgotten him so easily when he had been the most important person in her life for the past ten months? The truth was that Raul dominated her senses. Even now her treacherous body trembled at his closeness as he ushered her across the foyer and out of the hotel.
    They were both silent on the journey from Rome. Raul appeared to be lost in his thoughts, and after one glance at his hard profile Libby closed her eyes in a desperate attempt to lessen her awareness of him. Eventually the crunch of the Lamborghini’s tyres on the gravel drive told her they had arrived back at the villa, and as she lifted her lashes she could not restrain a gasp at the sight of the vast