Moth to the Flame by Sara Craven Read Free Book Online Page A

columnists will make of you dining
    tête-à-tête with your future sister-in-law?'
    He had the telephone receiver in his hand and was in the act of
    dialling, but he turned slightly and looked at her over his shoulder.
    'I imagine they'll draw the appropriate conclusions,' he said softly.
    'And allow me to remind you yet again, Janina mia, that you have
    no future as my sister-in-law.'
    He turned his attention back to his telephone call and Juliet fled.
    Once in the bedroom, she gave a swift glance along the brief line of
    clothes hanging in her section of the wardrobes, and shook her
    head. They were all strictly Juliet dresses, and none of them
    appropriate for the role she was playing. She gave a longing glance
    at one new dress she had brought for this holiday—white with
    bands of delicate Swiss embroidery, cut in an Empire style which
    showed off her slenderness and gave her an air of fragility.
    But for an evening in a smart Rome restaurant with Santino
    Vallone, fragility was the last effect she wanted to achieve. She
    pushed the sliding door along and stared at the racks of clothes
    belonging to Jan. There was bound to be something here that she
    could use. She wondered where Santino was taking her, and hoped
    fervently that it would not be a restaurant where Jan was known.
    She couldn't hope to keep the deception going with someone who
    would recognise Jan on sight, although she supposed there was
    enough of a superficial resemblance to pass at a distance; They
    were about the same height and build and their colouring was
    similar, and she supposed this was why Santino Vallone had not
    questioned her identity. He had expected to meet a red-haired
    English girl at the apartment, and his expectations had been
    fulfilled, although not quite in the way he thought.
    She seized a dress at random and held it against herself, looking at
    her reflection in the full-length mirror. It was black and
    ankle-length, the skirt of a silky crepe, and the long-sleeved bodice
    in exquisite black lace. It was far more décolleté than anything she
    had ever worn, but she just had to hope it would give her the air of
    sophistication that she needed.
    Her hair was another problem. Although it was almost dry again, it
    would not be appropriate to tie it back in her usual simple style, and
    she supposed the most sensible thing to do would be to twist it into
    a smooth knot at the nape of her neck. Nor could she hope to
    imitate Jan's expertise with cosmetics, just make sparing use of
    eyeshadow to accentuate the green in her eyes, and relieve some of
    the pallor in her cheeks with blusher. She was not dissatisfied with
    the result when she had finished, and her hairstyle was very
    becoming, she thought, showing off her small ears and the delicate
    line of her jaw. No matter how tremulous she might feel, outwardly
    she looked poised and in control of the situation, and that was as
    much as she could hope for. She gave herself one last look and
    turned to reach for her dress which she had left lying across the
    bed.
    From the doorway, Santino said coolly, 'Charming. My respect for
    Mario's judgment, if not for his common sense, increases by leaps
    and bounds.'
    Juliet couldn't suppress the startled cry that rose to her lips. All she
    was aware of were his eyes appraising her, as she stood there
    defenceless in the lacy black waist slip, and the half-cup bra which
    lifted her rounded breasts without covering them. Her face flamed
    and she snatched up the dress, holding it in front of her.
    'How dare you walk in without knocking!'
    His brows rose. 'Why the pretence at modesty, cara? You've worn
    more revealing garments every day, I'm certain, on that catwalk at
    Di Lorenzo with more eyes upon you than mine, not to mention that
    more private performance that I was privileged to glimpse at the
    Contessa Leontana's party a few months ago.'
    She was too embarrassed to heed his words closely. She knew that
    Jan would have outstared him, and it was