Page 22 of The Italian's Pregnant Enemy (A Diamond in the Rough)

There was a fireplace at the back wall, and because they were on the second floor, the window looked out over the mountain of snow.

She went over and peered down.

“This is... Unbelievable.”

“Indeed.”

He settled down in front of the fireplace and put the logs in, working at lighting the fire. He accomplished it quickly, and she could only be grateful, yet again, that she was with Dario.

Except then a moment later the realization that she was attracted to him crashed back into her. Her eyes went to his thighs. Covered by the fine wool of the pants he was wearing. He had changed since early this morning, into the regular suit pants she was used to seeing him in, and a white shirt.

The sleeves were rolled up, and she watched the play of muscles in his forearms as he moved logs into the fireplace, his motions calm and expert.

The absolute certainty in everything he did was something she had never seen in anyone else.

Dario wore excellence as a second skin.

It was something quite unlike anyone else she had ever encountered.

Many men were overconfident. Brash. Arrogant. And she would easily characterize Dario is arrogant, but the difference between him and other men was that he actually had a right to the arrogance. If he said that he could do something, then he did it. If he professed to know about something, then he did.

It made her feel safe yet again, but at the same time, she felt on edge.

What was she supposed to do with this realization that she was attracted to the man. That made her feel just a small sliver of uncertainty. Of fear.

Like she had walked into a lion’s cage, and anything could happen.

His movements fluid, he moved away from the lit fire. No. He wasn’t a lion. He was a panther. She didn’t know why that mattered. Except in that moment, she could think of little that mattered more. Then taking in the details of him. That dark hair, black and swept off his forehead. The perfect, sculpted cheekbones and square jaw.

It was like really seeing him for the first time. She didn’t want to be having this moment, and yet she was.

She was like a child. A schoolgirl. Who had been antagonizing a boy because she thought he was cute.

Except he wasn’t a boy, andcutewas an offensive term for his sophisticated looks.

She wanted to fling herself out that window right into a snowbank, as he had suggested earlier.

Except part of her was... More interested than she should be.

Is this just because you wanted to have sex this weekend?

Her stomach twisted. The hard pain more intense than anything she had felt when she had been considering sleeping with Carter.

She couldn’t even fathom the fallout of sleeping with Dario.

He was always around. Brooding and dark. He was older, he was... “Is there something I can help you with?” he asked. Because of course she was staring at him, and she hadn’t realized she was.

“No,” she said. “Sorry.”

“I have an idea. I believe there were sausages in the fridge downstairs. For now, all the things in the fridge will still be all right. But they won’t be for long. We can take certain things out and shove them into the snow that’s butted up against the door. And we can bring the sausages upstairs and roast them in the fire.”

“Okay,” she said, grateful for the break in tension.

Though sausages weren’t the most nonsexual food.

The task of stuffing things into the snowbank was so amusing that she forgot for a moment that she had been awash in attraction just a few moments before. She took a jar of jam and shoved it into the snow.

“This is hilarious,” she said.

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