Loving Venus (Sally-Ann Jones Sexy Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page B

word sound like an accusation. “But that’s ridiculous. The pain is almost too much to bear. I demand a second opinion.”
         “By all means, Signora, seek another doctor’s advice,” the doctor shrugged. “But, you know I am right.” He lowered his voice and spoke worriedly to Alessandro. “I’m more worried about your plucky little relative, Signor. I believe she may have a touch of concussion. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go to her.”
         With Claudia still clinging possessively to him, Alessandro couldn ’t follow the doctor. Annabella had sat herself down against a wide-trunked oak, her head in her hands. Doctor Esposito persuaded her to let him look under the bloody tissue and Alessandro heard him say, “You need a few stitches, young lady, I am sorry to say. And the rest of the day in bed.”
        “But I have to start work on the farm…” she began to protest before the doctor silenced her by putting a finger over her lips.
         “I am going to take you home to Tonia,” he told her. “You aren’t well enough to ride again today. I’ll put you in the saddle in front of me so I can support you and lead your horse.”
         “What about Claudia?” Alessandro heard her ask, her voice shaky.
         “Claudia is Claudia,” the doctor answered enigmatically. He lowered his voice, but Alessandro heard him say, “I suppose she’ll want Signor de Rocco to carry her back to her villa, although she’s perfectly able to walk. She is a manipulator, that one.”
         In the end, Alessandro persuaded Claudia to let him lift her up on the horse she ’d insisted on borrowing from his stable and he led her home, never taking his eyes off the retreating form of the doctor, his arms firmly around Annabella.
         “What on Earth made you decide to ride?” Alessandro asked Claudia crossly, when at last they were on her terrace, overlooking the peaceful valley and sipping chilled prosecco.
         “I thought that if there was ever going to be a time for me to take up riding, it would be now,” she answered, her topaz cat ’s eyes watching him from over the top of her frosted glass.
          “You’re impossible, Claudia,” he smiled, his anger turned to amusement.
          “You’re not angry with me, then, big boy?” she said in the kittenish voice he loved.
          “Only a little bit,” he told her.
          She recoiled as if he had slapped her. “A little bit? You mean I’m not completely forgiven? Despite the pain you caused me?”
         He sighed and took his eyes off hers, focusing instead on the wisp of blue smoke he saw curling above the cypresses. It came from the chimney of Casa dei Fiori and meant that Tonia was cooking again, probably making soup for Annabella.
         “Why am I in your bad books still, Alessandro?” she insisted, her voice diamond-sharp.
          “Because another person was injured as a result of your stupidity,” he answered, meeting her yellow glare again.
         “Ah yes, little Annabella. You are fond of her, no ? Although the old man gave her everything, you are a tiny bit in love with her, I think. Am I not right?”
         “You are certainly not right, Claudia,” he bit out, pushing his chair back so hard as he got to his feet that it scraped unnervingly on the tiled floor.
         “But, although you do not love her, you are going to go to her now, eh?”
         “It is my duty to make sure she ’s all right. She has concussion, for goodness’ sake. Even you must realize that head injuries can be dangerous.”
         “Ah, yes. I do realize,” Claudia spat, flinging back the contents of her glass and refilling it. “But, I believe that injuries of the heart are far more hazardous.”
         “What would you know about the heart? I didn’t know you had one,” he retorted.
         She let out a cackling laugh. “The little Australian has certainly exposed a