Italian Mavericks: Carrying The Italian's Heir

CHAPTER THREE

PIPER WOKE THE next morning, the soft sheets caressing her skin as she stretched, and then realisation hit. This wasn’t her bed. She sat upright quickly and looked around the room, momentarily not recalling actually getting into bed. In fact she couldn’t remember much after arriving yesterday with Dante.

She’d been so tired. The confrontation with Dante had sapped any remaining strength she’d had—which had been very little after weeks of barely sleeping because of the situation she’d found herself plunged into. But right now her biggest worry was the fact that she was in bed, wearing only her underwear, and had no recollection of getting there.

As if her thoughts had summoned him Dante knocked lightly on the bedroom door. ‘Buongiorno.’

His deep and undeniably sexy voice came through the door and the image of him that it conjured in her mind was immediate and vivid—but she had to remember the man she’d confronted yesterday was the same as the one described in Celebrity Spy! He’d also been suffering the effects of alcohol, probably from partying the previous night with glamorous women. It had shocked her that he was so far from the loving man she’d met briefly in London.

‘Come in,’ she said, far more boldly than she felt, and tugged the sheet tighter against her. Had she undressed in a tired trance or had he removed her clothes?

The door clicked open and Dante entered. The hint of stubble which had coloured his face yesterday was gone. The clean-shaven look reminded her of the man she’d lost more than just her virginity to.

‘I trust you slept well, cara?’

‘I did—thank you.’ She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of asking if he was the one who had undressed her and pulled the luxurious sheets over her instead of leaving her lying on the bed. Her only memory from last night was of lying there for just a few minutes.

‘Good. We have a busy day ahead of us.’

He walked closer, his expression bland and unyielding, and try as she might she couldn’t help but admire the way his shirt was all but moulded to his body. A body she remembered clearly and a body she wanted to know again. Except that would be too dangerous—now that she knew who he really was and what he was capable of.

‘We do?’ She hoped the flush that crept over her cheeks wouldn’t give her away.

‘Sì. I have the necessary paperwork for our deal, awaiting your signature, then we can go shopping.’

A hint of mischief sparked in his eyes as he turned his full attention to her as if he knew she was being a tease but refused to rise to it.

‘Shopping?’ she asked casually as she sat back against the soft pillows. If only she didn’t feel as if she’d walked into the pride leader’s den. ‘Why do we need to go shopping?’

‘For the single most important item, if this deal is to achieve its aim. A ring.’

He moved towards the bed and she had to work hard to resist the temptation to pull the sheets tighter still against her—whether to hide her state of undress or protect her heart as it fluttered at his increasingly dominating presence, she couldn’t tell. Either way, she wouldn’t do it—wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing just how much he could unbalance her with one look.

‘Of course.’ Her nonchalant tone was a total contrast to the racing of her heart and the flutter of the butterflies which had taken residence in her tummy. ‘I will join you shortly.’

‘Breakfast is waiting for you.’ His dark eyes fixed her intently to the spot and instantly she was back on that bed in the hotel room in London as he’d stood and looked at her, desire and passion so tangible in the air that she hadn’t wanted the moment ever to end.

‘Thank you.’ She dragged her mind back from that night. She would have to put such notions well and truly to one side if she was going to survive this deal she’d struck. Dante didn’t have feelings for her. She was merely a means to an end. A way to seal his deal. He was exactly the inscrutable businessman Celebrity Spy! had portrayed him as being.

The trouble was she also knew he was a skilled lover—which was what had earned him such a scandalous reputation with women—and a rebellious part of her yearned to experience that man again. After all, her current situation couldn’t get much worse. She was pregnant, jobless, and being forced into marriage as part of a business deal. It was ludicrous when all she’d wanted to do was make him aware of his child and ease her conscience.

She watched as he turned and left, unable to pull her gaze away from the broad shoulders covered in a pale blue shirt that somehow emphasised every last muscle her fingers annoyingly remembered tracing on his back.

Once the door had clicked closed she slid out of bed. Although her tummy protested its emptiness she headed for the shower, determined that when they went out later she would look at least a little bit more glamorous and like the women he’d been pictured with throughout that article as proof of his Casanova lifestyle.

The problem was she didn’t really know how to achieve such glamour—that was why she’d been sent out to the hairdresser’s and lent a dress that day she’d been told she would have to stand in for a colleague for one night and be hostess for a dinner party in London. Whilst she’d enjoyed feeling so different, it hadn’t really been her. It was a different Piper who had gained the interest of Dante Mancini, one of the world’s most debauched bachelors, but it was the real Piper who’d fallen for him right there and then.

* * *

Dante stood on his terrace, looking out over Rome as the city became its bustling usual self. Sounds of the street drifted up while he sipped his coffee and waited for Piper. On the table inside, which he’d instructed to be laid for two, was the contract. Once that was signed there would be no going back. He would be responsible not only for Piper, a woman who intrigued him more than any other, but for a child. A responsibility he wasn’t sure he could meet when the demons of Alessio’s death still plagued him.

‘I’m sorry I kept you.’

Piper’s sexy voice, with its delicious accent, dragged him from his dark thoughts.

‘I took the liberty of arranging an assortment of choices for breakfast,’ he said.

‘That sounds wonderful.’

She smiled up at him and he instantly remembered the moment he’d first seen that smile directed at him. He’d walked into the party, not really wanting to be there, and he’d seen her. Despite the fact that she’d been working she’d looked glamorous and very sexy in a black silk dress which had caressed her curvy figure, making him want to touch her, hold her.

He’d wanted her from that moment and had used his charm to achieve just that. Little had he known that his usual sense of control and self-preservation would fail him the moment they first kissed.

‘Is it not usual for women to feel ill in the mornings when they are pregnant?’ He couldn’t keep the scepticism from his voice as the thoughts which had invaded his dreams last night clouded round him once more. He had no proof that she was pregnant. He’d taken her word not only for that, but for the fact that he was the father. He would take the advice his legal team had given him when drawing up the contract and have his own doctor confirm the pregnancy.

‘Yes.’ She smiled at him again, apparently oblivious to his suspicions. ‘Thankfully I don’t seem too troubled by that and I hope it stays that way.’

‘Bene. First we eat—then we will deal with the contract.’ He pulled out a chair for her and waited for her to sit, but knew instantly that had been a mistake as the scent of her freshly washed hair mingled with her perfume, invading his senses so fast he wanted to lower his head, kiss her hair and inhale her, then scoop her up and take her to his bed.

He’d forced himself to walk away from her last night, but could he do it again?

He stepped back. Away from such temptation. Nothing could happen between them. This wasn’t a fling. Nothing about this was casual at all, and the last thing he needed was to complicate it further and get involved. He could never be involved.

He watched her as she ate, realising he hadn’t ever had breakfast with a woman he hadn’t slept with the previous night. In fact he rarely even had breakfast with women, preferring instead to leave the bed and give a very clear message. So why did sitting across the table from a woman who’d been so tired he’d had to help her to undress before tucking her into his bed and then gallantly leaving her alone feel so inviting?

‘I’m sorry about last night,’ she said, her shyness returning as she blushed. ‘Falling asleep like that, I mean. You must think I’m very rude.’

‘I think you were tired from travelling in your condition.’ He poured fresh coffee and tried hard not to allow the image of her asleep on his bed, hair splayed out around her, to return to his mind and torment him. She’d looked so vulnerable, so beautiful, and all he’d wanted to do was look after her. But could he do that? He hadn’t been able to look after his own brother, so how could a woman he’d just met be any different?

‘Well, I’m refreshed and feeling much more myself today, thank you.’

‘Prego.’ He pushed the black thoughts away and picked up the contract which he’d seen her glance at several times, as if it was a dog that might bite her at any moment. ‘This has been drawn up according to the terms we discussed yesterday, and once signed it will bind us together in our deal for a minimum of two years.’

‘And the baby?’

Her question rocked him but he kept his focus, portraying outward control even if inside he was far from controlled.

‘I will be a part of my child’s life for ever.’

The firmness and passion in his voice shocked him—as did the realisation that it was what he wanted. His child wouldn’t be born illegitimate, with the odds stacked against him. His child would have everything he could possibly give it to succeed in life.

‘But we will both be free to end the marriage in two years and during that time we can live separately—once the main objectives of the deal are achieved, that is.’

‘The main objective for you being to secure a business deal?’

The accusation in her voice hit its mark, making his requirement seem insignificant in the face of hers. The deal had been his initial motivation, but as the implications of their few steamy hours together that night had sunk in he’d known he would do anything for his child. There was no way he would walk out and never look back. He was not his father.

‘Di preciso.’ Briefly English failed him as the truth of his thoughts penetrated deep into him. ‘Exactly. But if I do not secure my business deals then I will not have the means to give my child much.’

‘You could give it love.’

Her words smarted in the wound she was opening. One he’d long since thought healed.

Love was the one thing he couldn’t give. Anyone he’d given that to had gone from his life. His father, his brother... With the exception of his feelings for his mother, love was one emotion he could not do, because by doing so he’d risk everything. Love hadn’t stopped his father walking away when he and Alessio were young. It hadn’t stopped his brother from falling in with those gangs, and it hadn’t helped at all when for years he’d not even known where Alessio was. It certainly hadn’t helped when he’d discovered the truth of his brother’s death.

Love was a futile and wasted emotion.

‘My child, my heir, will have everything it needs—of that you can be assured.’

She looked at him, those green eyes smouldering with doubt—a doubt which beat wildly within him right now. Did she have any idea what she was asking of him with those words?

‘That is all I want for my child, Dante. The love and security of knowing its father, of being able to have a good relationship with him as I did with mine.’

* * *

Piper tried to push thoughts of her father aside. Now, in the face of Dante’s scepticism, was not the time to remember just how much she missed her father. The grief of losing him was still raw after all these months. It was why she’d sought solace in Dante’s arms that night, why she’d given herself to him—that and the powerful attraction which had sparked between them.

‘This is the contract.’

He pushed the papers across the table to her, his hand lingering on it as if he wasn’t sure he actually wanted her to have it. She saw the gold of his signet ring gleam in the lights above.

She sighed, not sure she should be signing anything, but she couldn’t stay like this, in limbo from reality, not knowing what was going to happen. At least this way her child stood some chance of having a father who was around. He passed her a pen and she looked again at his ring. It was engraved with the letter A. Was that the initial of a past lover?

‘One signature on each copy,’ he said firmly, pulling her back from her thoughts.

‘There,’ she said as her name sprawled across the line. ‘It’s official.’

‘Bene. Now we will need to purchase a ring.’

His words brought her crashing back to the present.

‘Is that necessary when it is only an engagement for show and a marriage on paper?’

‘Sì, cara, it is. As are a few other changes.’

‘Changes?’ Trepidation filled her. What else did he have planned?

He walked towards her, his eyes seeming to devour her, sending sparks of awareness all over her body, just as they’d done that night in London.

‘You have changed, cara, since we met in London.’

She frowned, taking in his words. Was she not good enough for him? The spiteful rejection from her days at school rushed back at her. Then, her lack of vision in one eye had been all too obvious, and some of her classmates had thought it amusing to taunt her. Now, after the operations her father had insisted she have, her disability was not so obvious. Although the ability to see with her left eye would never be possible, it was far less noticeable.

‘This is who I am, Dante, not the woman you met in London.’

‘I disagree. But right now I need to buy you a ring—one that will announce to the world that you are my intended bride.’

‘And make you look like a man with true family values?’ She couldn’t keep the barb out of her voice.

‘Di preciso. Now, if you are ready, we shall go and make our purchase.’

* * *

Half an hour later Dante’s car arrived in the centre of Rome, in an area which thronged with locals and tourists alike. The winter sun was warm and for a moment she relished it after having spent the last few months experiencing her first British winter.

‘This way,’ he said as he leant close to her ear, and his words sent a whisper of tingles down her spine as he spoke.

At least this time he was standing on her right side and she’d known he was there—although that wasn’t entirely a good thing if the way she’d reacted to his nearness was anything to go by.

‘I have arranged a private consultation with one of Rome’s most renowned jewellers.’

To her surprise he took her hand as they began walking through the crowded streets. When had he arranged that? With a sinking heart she realised that the father of her child, the man she’d agreed to marry, moved in a very different world from the one she was used to. He could just make a call and demand what he wanted.

Nerves skittered inside her tummy like erratic butterflies as he stopped outside a shop whose windows were a source of curiosity for quite a number of people, and she blushed as some glanced their way when Dante pushed open the door. Instantly they were greeted by a member of staff, but the fast-flowing Italian became too difficult for her very limited knowledge of the language.

‘We are honoured to be of service to you, signorina.’

The man’s English proved to be better than her Italian and made her feel a little less apprehensive. At least she would know what was being said.

‘If you’d like to come this way, Signor Mancini?’

Dante stood back and waited for her to follow the older gentleman, and within minutes they were in a small but elegantly furnished room.

‘I have followed your instructions, signor, on what the signorina prefers, and have arranged a selection of rings for you to view.’

Piper tried hard to keep the smile on her lips, to appear as if this was real instead of the nightmare it had suddenly become. She had to remember this wasn’t an engagement in the true sense of the word. Just as the contract she had signed that morning reminded her that their marriage would not be a real one. Putting a ring on her finger was no different from putting her signature on the contract he’d so insistently laid out on the breakfast table.

‘Piper?’

Dante’s voice, close to her left side, startled her again. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, trying to quell the racing of her heart—which she suspected had more to do with the man himself than with being startled. Quickly recovering, she gestured to the table and the array of rings set on a deep blue velvet display tray. ‘I’ve never seen anything quite like this.’

‘This is just the beginning,’ he said softly.

The darkness of his eyes shone with unwavering adoration and for a moment she was almost fooled—almost believed that he did love her and wanted nothing other than to make her his.

The harsh reality was quite different. It was not for any kind of sentimental reason and certainly not out of love.

‘This is enough for now.’ She blushed beneath his practised charm and when his brows flicked suggestively her stomach tied itself in knots and her breath caught audibly in her throat.

‘We should choose the ring now, cara, before I forget why we are here and kiss you.’

He looked at her, the intense blackness in his eyes smothering the caramel-brown she found so attractive. She could smell his aftershave and found her lips parting of their own free will as her breathing quickened and her pulse raced. Shyly she looked up at him as he moved closer still. Panic skittered through her. He was going to kiss her—here, in public.

A polite cough from the older man thankfully diverted Dante’s attention from her and for a moment she couldn’t get enough breath into her lungs. She focused on regaining her composure and took a seat at the desk, giving the glittering array of rings her undivided attention. She looked from one large stone to another, hardly able to believe she was sitting there, within touching distance of so many valuable and beautiful gems.

She felt Dante move behind her and her whole body heated from his nearness. But when he placed his hand on her shoulder and leant over her she thought she might pass out. Why was she behaving like this? He didn’t want her for anything other than to make him look good in a business deal. She would stake everything on the fact that he didn’t want to be a father. His reaction to her news had been cold and detached. Marriage had been the last thing she’d expected to hear him demand as she’d sat in his office yesterday, waiting for him to arrive, having been assured by his secretary that he wasn’t usually late.

‘Select whichever one you want.’ His voice was close to her left ear, but from the heat of his body against her back and the scorching of his hand on her shoulder she knew he was there. How could she not when her whole body had come to life?

‘They are all beautiful.’

She turned her head to try and look at him, and in doing so found his face very close to hers. So close that he could kiss her, press his lips to hers, with only the slightest effort. His gaze locked onto hers and she couldn’t look away. Not even when he lowered his head and very gently brushed his lips over hers.

Her eyes closed and her lips softened beneath his before he pulled back slightly and with endearing tenderness brushed his fingers over her cheek. ‘You outshine them all.’

Don’t be fooled. The voice of reason fought to be heard inside her head as that kiss, that gentle and brief feel of his lips on hers, unlocked everything she’d been trying to deny since that night in London.

Piper turned away and tried hard to focus on the rings before her as their gleam blurred and tears threatened. Now was not a time to give in to emotions.

She reached out and picked up a ring. ‘I like this one.’

Dante took the ring from her, then moved to her side, took her left hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. It glinted as it sat, a perfect fit, on her third finger. She was so stunned by the sight of it she couldn’t speak, couldn’t say anything, and she certainly couldn’t look up at Dante—not when tears threatened to spill down her cheeks like a waterfall.

‘I think my bride has made her choice.’ His voice was deep and accented and so sexy—just as it had been that night in London. It had haunted her since he’d whispered such beautiful words in her ears as they’d made love that first and only night.

Piper couldn’t function, and she sat in a state of bewilderment as the older man fussed around them and then packed up the ring in the most elaborate box. All she could do was watch as Dante produced his credit card and paid for the ring, which effectively meant he’d paid for her, a bargaining tool for the deal he just had to win.

But to her the price was much higher. To her this was all about her child—the only reason she’d accepted such a deal.

CHAPTER FOUR

IT HAD BEEN three days since Dante had bought the ring, which had sealed the deal far more conclusively than any contract she’d signed. Each night she’d slept alone in his bed, and not once since that light but lingering kiss in the jeweller’s had he tried to get close to her again. Neither had he done anything to suggest he wanted their arrangement to be more than a marriage on paper. He’d made it clear that whatever had exploded into life so spectacularly between them in London was over as far as he was concerned.

That kiss as they’d chosen the ring and those gestures had all been for the benefit of the jeweller. Her shock at the disappointment that knowledge had brought still weighed heavily on her as she stood in the apartment while Dante finished a call.

She felt as uneasy and out of place as she had that first morning as she listened to him, and then registered that he was talking in English.

‘Xander will also call you,’ he said, and glanced up, seeing her for the first time. He ended the call and turned his full attention to her. ‘Buongiorno, cara.’

The sensual depth in his voice did little to assuage her disillusioned mind-set.

‘Buongiorno,’ she replied, testing his language and liking the feel of it almost as much as the approval which showed clearly in his sexy dark eyes.

Don’t go there, Piper, she silently warned herself, determined to remember why she’d flown to Rome in search of a man whose name she hadn’t known until she’d seen that article.

‘I trust you slept well.’ As usual he was the epitome of charm and courtesy.

‘I did, thank you,’ she replied, and her guilt at keeping him from his bed made looking at him as they sat at the table almost impossible.

‘Bene.’

He poured her coffee, but for the first time since she’d discovered she was pregnant the aroma made her feel queasy and she opted for a glass of water instead. She looked up at him as he spoke again.