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He released her hand, relieved to break the contact. He led the way to the door, pausing briefly to glance at her. ‘How are you getting back to Garda? I assume you came here by taxi, so have you arranged to be collected?’
‘I...ehem...no,’ she admitted. ‘Don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll be able to flag down a cab on the way.’
‘I doubt it.’ He sighed, suddenly anxious to bring the meeting to an end. It was a lot to take in and he needed time to think about what had happened and what it meant. His whole life was about to change and it was worrying to know that the future he had mapped out so carefully now wouldn’t follow the route he had planned.
‘I’ll get my gardener to run you back,’ he said curtly. He shook his head when she started to protest. ‘No. I insist. If you’ll wait here, I’ll go and find him.’
Vincenzo didn’t give her time to say anything else as he strode out of the door. Alfredo was digging over a border but he stopped immediately when Vincenzo told him what he wanted him to do. Five minutes later the car was turning out of the drive but he knew it wasn’t the end of the matter. It couldn’t be when he had promised Lowri that he would help her.
A shiver ran down his spine and he turned away, wondering if he had made a mistake by giving her his word. There would be no going back on it now, no way that he could reconsider, and the thought filled him with such a mixture of emotions that his breath caught. If Lowri’s plan worked then he would be the father of not one but two children this time next year.
* * *
It was midnight by the time Lowri’s plane landed. The flight had been delayed and she was exhausted after the hours she had spent waiting around in Milan. Cerys was waiting when she came through customs, anxiously scanning the faces of all the passengers. She opened her arms and Lowri stepped into them, feeling relief pour through her as her sister enveloped her in a hug.
‘So, how did it go?’ Cerys demanded as she let her go.
‘He agreed.’ Lowri drummed up a smile, although her insides were churning as they had been doing ever since Vincenzo had told her his decision.
‘Really? Wow!’ Cerys sounded so shocked that Lowri laughed.
‘I know. I was stunned too. It was such a long shot, wasn’t it? I mean, he hardly knows me...’ She trailed off, unable to continue as her throat closed up with a sudden attack of nerves.
‘You hardly know him, either,’ Cerys reminded her, leading the way to the car park. She zapped open the car doors then treated Lowri to an old-fashioned look. ‘You are sure about this? I mean, it’s a huge step to have another baby even when you’re in a proper relationship and this is very different.’
‘I know, but what choice do I have?’ Lowri’s eyes filled with tears. ‘If I don’t have this baby and something happens to Megan then I’ll always wonder if I could have prevented it. I couldn’t live with myself, Cerys, really I couldn’t!’
‘I know. Take no notice of me. You’re doing the right thing, love, and I’ll be with you every step of the way.’
Cerys gave her a smile then got into the car and after a moment Lowri got in as well. She knew her sister was simply concerned about her and she appreciated it, but she couldn’t pretend that she didn’t have her own doubts. Having a baby was a big decision for any woman and all the more so in this situation.
Even though there was a greater chance of a sibling being a match for Megan, it wasn’t guaranteed. From the moment she had decided to approach Vincenzo, she had ruled out the idea of having the baby tested before it was born for the simple reason that she knew she could never abort it. To destroy one life to possibly save another was something she couldn’t do so she was going to have to trust to luck that the baby would be a suitable donor.
Should she have made that clear to Vincenzo? she wondered suddenly. She would hate him to think that she had misled him and she made a note to mention it when they next spoke.
Her heart jolted because the next time they spoke, they would have to finalise the arrangements for the sperm donation. There simply wasn’t time to delay if this was to work and yet it seemed so cold, so...so emotionless to conceive a child this way. She sighed. It was emotionless, though. Vincenzo had agreed to her proposal purely to help Megan, not because he wanted to have another child with her. Feelings didn’t enter into it, neither hers nor his...if he had any.
Lowri closed her eyes, unsure why the idea made her feel so sad. She and Vincenzo were just two people who had met at a time when each had needed comfort. They had fulfilled a mutual need but that was all it had been. Oh, she had found him very attractive; she still did. But she hadn’t been in love with him or him with her. And yet for some reason the thought of him living his life in an emotional wasteland hurt. Vincenzo deserved more than that. He deserved to be loved, deserved to be in love too.
* * *
Vincenzo drove to Milan the following day. He went straight to a lab he had used many times during the course of his work and arranged to have the DNA tests done. He was a valued client and they promised to get the results back to him within a couple of days.
He gave them his phone number then headed to his lawyer’s office next. Although Lowri had rejected his offer of financial support for Megan, he intended to make arrangements anyway. He also needed to know what his position was with regard to the child, and if he had any rights as her father. Maybe he was putting the cart before the horse when he still didn’t have proof that Megan was his daughter but he needed to clarify the situation. Hopefully, he would feel better once he knew exactly what he was dealing with.
He sighed as he parked the car outside the lawyer’s office. He had spent a sleepless night thinking about what had happened and what he had agreed to do and he still wasn’t sure if he had made the right decision. The thought of how it was going to affect his life wasn’t easy to deal with. Having one child would be difficult enough to cope with and having a second would only double the problems.
He could only imagine the impact it was going to have on his life and yet what else could he have done? If Megan was his daughter—and he was sure that she was—then he owed it to her to do everything he could to help her. After all, she was his flesh and blood and she would carry on the Lombardi name after he died.
The thought of having an heir had never occurred to him before and yet Vincenzo felt a sudden rush of pleasure at the idea. Getting out of the car, he made his way into the building with a new spring in his step. The name of Lombardi wouldn’t die out now, as he had always assumed; it would be carried on by his own children. It felt remarkably good to know that too.
* * *
Vincenzo decided to go into work the following day. The meeting with his lawyer had taken far longer than he had expected but he now had a much clearer idea of his position. The lawyer had been quite blunt as he had explained that Lowri held all the cards at the present moment. She was the child’s mother and until he had proof that he was Megan’s father, he would have to abide by her wishes. While he could make arrangements to set up a trust fund in Megan’s name, he couldn’t force Lowri to accept financial support from him if she refused to do so.
For a man like him, who was used to being in sole charge of his affairs, it was unsettling to realise how tenuous his position actually was. Hopefully, a visit to the hospital would help to put some much-needed balance back into his life.
The familiar smell of antiseptic greeted him as he stepped out of the lift and he inhaled deeply. He had missed this. Missed the smell. Missed the buzz. Missed the adrenaline rush that came from saving lives under the most difficult of circumstances. Neurosurgery was one of the most demanding specialities. It needed strong nerves and steady hands and he possessed both—or he had done until the skiing accident that had partially severed one of the major nerves in his arm.
Vincenzo flexed his fingers as he opened the scrub-room door. Although he was ninety-nine per cent certain that he had regained full use of his hand, there was still that tiny doubt, that one per cent of uncertainty. Until he was completely confident about his prowess, he wouldn’t operate. He would use the time instead to sort out this business with Lowri and the baby.
Heat flowed through him at the thought of how he would like to sort it out and he paused, wanting to be in control when he saw his team. There was no point thinking that he would prefer it if they conceived this child the old-fashioned way; Lowri would never agree. However, he knew that it was one of the reasons why he hadn’t been able to sleep. Every time he had closed his eyes his mind had conjured up pictures of them together. Although he had tried not to think about that night they had slept together, the memories had obviously lodged in his brain and all it had needed was an excuse to unleash them.
A shudder passed through him as he suddenly found himself recalling how smooth and silky her skin had felt when he had run his hands over it and how firm her breasts had been as he had caressed them...
A burst of laughter issuing from behind the partly opened door brought him back to the present and he frowned. He couldn’t remember his team laughing like that; he would definitely have discouraged them if they had. He was about to enter the room and remonstrate with them when he heard someone speaking and recognised the voice as belonging to his second in command, Jack Wallace.
‘Now, now, settle down, guys. You know our beloved leader wouldn’t appreciate it if he thought we were having fun.’ Jack’s voice changed, his American drawl replaced by the parody of an Italian accent. ‘The work we do here is far too serious to joke about.’
More laughter greeted this. Vincenzo felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him when he realised that they were laughing at him rather than at Jack’s abysmal attempt to mimic him. He let the door swing shut, stunned that he should take any notice. What did it matter if he was a figure of fun? Why should he care if people thought he was too strict? He was a damned fine surgeon and he achieved the kind of results that most surgeons could only dream about. He didn’t need their approbation or their love!
Swinging round, he made for the lift. Five minutes later he was in his car and heading back to his apartment. He parked in the underground garage then took the lift to the penthouse and let himself in. It took a mere ten minutes to pack himself a bag and that was it.
Glancing around the elegant, designer-styled rooms, he gave a dismissive shrug. There was nothing here he needed, nothing that he would miss either. They were merely things, purchased to create the right impression. He had no emotional attachment to anything in the apartment. No emotional attachment to anything in his life, in fact, and all of a sudden he hated it. Hated the apartment, hated the way he lived, although he had no idea what he planned to do about it.
Vincenzo picked up his case and left. He was going to take the first step towards changing his life and simply see where it led him.
CHAPTER FOUR
‘SO THAT’S JUST about it. How’s Megan? I bet she’s thrilled to be home from hospital, isn’t she?’
‘Yes, she is.’
Lowri dredged up a smile, not wanting her co-worker Helen Graham to see that her comment had touched a nerve. Megan had been very tearful when Lowri had left her with Cerys that morning and she couldn’t help feeling guilty. However, the nursing manager had been very good about letting her take time off while Megan had been in hospital and Lowri knew that she couldn’t keep on expecting preferential treatment. It wasn’t fair to the rest of the staff on the paediatric intensive care unit to have to cover for her.
‘She’s really excited because we’re going to choose her a wig tonight when I get back from work.’ Lowri laughed, trying not to think about the last time she had told this tale. She couldn’t afford to think about Vincenzo and the plans they had made or she wouldn’t be able to concentrate. ‘Apparently, she wants a bright pink one, just like her favourite doll.’
‘Good for her.’ Helen laughed. ‘I wouldn’t mind a change of hair colour either, although my hubby would have a fit if I came back sporting bright pink locks. Hmm, might be a good enough reason to do it. He needs a bit of a shake up to stop him getting too complacent.’
Lowri laughed as Helen gave her a wink and left. Helen and her husband were about to celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary so whatever they were doing, it was obviously right.
She sighed as she picked up the patients’ list. She hadn’t even made it to the altar let alone started celebrating anniversaries. Although she’d had several relationships, none of them had worked out. When she had met Jonathan, she had honestly thought that she had found her ideal partner at last but look how wrong she had been. It made her wonder if she could trust her judgement even if she did meet someone else.
The thought reminded her of meeting Vincenzo and she frowned. She had never been the kind of woman who jumped into bed with a man at the drop of a hat so why had she slept with him? They had met by accident, literally, when he had bumped into her in the street.
Lowri had gone to Milan for a break, needing to get away from the situation she had found herself in. Discovering that Jonathan was married had been a massive shock. She might never have found out either if she hadn’t answered his phone one day when he had been in the shower. She wasn’t sure who had been the most surprised, herself or his wife as the poor woman had had no more idea what had been going on than Lowri had done.
When Jonathan had told her a short time later that he and his wife had separated and had begged her to take him back, Lowri had refused. He had tricked her, betrayed her, and all she had wanted was to put the whole unhappy episode behind her.
She had flown to Milan, intending to spend a few days there sightseeing before moving on to the Italian Lakes. She had been coming out of one of the more exclusive stores when Vincenzo had cannoned into her. He had been speaking on his phone at the time but he had immediately ended his call and insisted on taking her back into the store and buying her coffee.
Coffee had led to lunch and lunch to dinner at an exclusive little trattoria where the menu hadn’t mentioned anything as vulgar as prices. Lowri had asked him to order for her, wary of choosing the most expensive dish, and when the food had arrived it had been superb. Whether it was because she had been in the mood to be reckless, but when he had asked to see her the following night, she had agreed.
They had got on so well together, she thought. There had been no uncomfortable gaps in the conversation, none of those uneasy pauses that could occur between strangers. He had told her he was a surgeon and had seemed pleased when she had explained that she was a senior sister on PICU. Whether that had created a bond between them, she wasn’t sure, but talking to Vincenzo had been remarkably easy, the hours she had spent with him some of the happiest she could remember.
In a way, it was to be expected that they would end up in bed together, especially after he had told her about his divorce and she had told him about Jonathan’s betrayal.
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