From top surgeon...

To single dad?

Before nurse Elene Lowe’s best friend died, Elene agreed to raise her baby daughter, Aimee, and is now traveling to Italy to find Aimee’s dad—sexy surgeon Mattia Ricco. Mattia is shocked to discover he’s a father, but the sparks flying between him and Elene soon ignite an irresistible attraction. With Elene and Aimee’s life back in New Zealand, they’re worlds apart, unless Mattia can give them both a reason to stay.

SUE MACKAY lives with her husband in New Zealand’s beautiful Marlborough Sounds, with the water on her doorstep and the birds and the trees at her back door. It is the perfect setting to indulge her passions of entertaining friends by cooking them sumptuous meals, drinking fabulous wine, going for hill walks or kayaking around the bay—and, of course, writing stories.

Also by Sue MacKay

Breaking All Their Rules

Dr White’s Baby Wish

The Army Doc’s Baby Bombshell

Resisting Her Army Doc Rival

Pregnant with the Boss’s Baby

Falling for Her Fake Fiancé

Her New Year Baby Surprise

Baby Miracle in the ER

Surprise Twins for the Surgeon

ER Doc’s Forever Gift

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

The Italian Surgeon’s Secret Baby

Sue MacKay

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08983-8

THE ITALIAN SURGEON’S SECRET BABY

© 2019 Sue MacKay

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

Extract

About the Publisher

PROLOGUE

‘THAT WAS TOO CLOSE.’ Nurse Elene Lowe shuddered and wiped the back of her glove-covered hand across her brow as she stepped back from the theatre table where five-year-old Joe Crawford lay, cast in so much plaster he wouldn’t be moving for the foreseeable future.

‘Too damned close.’ Mattia Ricco, the surgeon, scowled. ‘Can everyone ask their favourite child-whisperer or whatever to watch over this kid? He’s going to need all the help going and some.’

‘Sure will.’ One of the other nurses grimaced over her shoulder as she left the theatre, closely followed by most of the team.

Beep. Once again the heart monitor was telling them Joe had gone into arrest.

Mattia swore as he snatched up the paddles. ‘Stand back.’

Elene’s own heart stalled. ‘So not fair.’ The little guy had arrested twice during the hours of surgery he’d just undergone to deal with two fractured legs and one smashed arm, and to wire his jaw back together.

His little body jerked upwards as Mattia applied an electric jolt.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

‘I’ll tell you what’s not fair,’ Mattia growled. ‘A mother driving through the city on a busy Friday night with her son lying down on the back seat asleep instead of belted securely into a car seat.’

He was right. Why would any loving parent do that? The drunk driver who took out the car at speed might not be Joe’s mother’s fault, but surely not protecting her child was? Elene swallowed the sour taste in her mouth. She understood Mattia’s need to let rip, and as there was only her and the anaesthetist to hear him he was safe from condemnation. ‘I’ll take Joe through to Recovery and bring them up to speed on what’s been happening.’

‘I’m coming with you,’ Mattia muttered. ‘Not because I think you need me to fill in the gaps as you report everything, but I’m reluctant to hand him over until I know his heart’s not going to stop again.’

Exactly her feelings. ‘It’s hard, but he’ll be monitored and looked after as well as he was in here. No one’s going to take their eyes off him for a long while.’

Forty minutes later Mattia said. ‘The obs are the best they’ve been, though not how I’d like them.’ He turned to Elene. ‘Coffee? I want to be within calling distance in case...’

No surprise there. The Italian specialist on contract for a year had won the admiration of all Wellington’s orthopaedic department’s staff for his dedication and high standards. He’d also won the heart of every female in the whole hospital with his good looks and charisma, including hers. ‘Tea for me.’ She followed him into the cramped space that was the staff tea room beside the theatre. In her head she could still see Joe’s little face smothered in the mask supplying him with oxygen and the small body being gently put back together. The heart failures. She wasn’t ready to be alone with her thoughts. ‘Who’d be a parent?’

‘It’s enough to put you off, I’ll agree.

‘But hell.’ Mattia rammed his fingers through his thick, wavy hair. ‘A five-year-old having cardiac arrest is beyond description. How was I going to tell his parents if we hadn’t brought him back?’ His Italian accent had thickened, making his words harder to decipher.

Elene’s stomach turned to acid. ‘This is when I wonder if I’ve chosen the right job. I hate having to be a part of so much agony and distress.’ She’d spoken in Italian without thought. Reverting to English, her native tongue, she continued, ‘Not even saving Joe takes away the nightmare of what we witnessed tonight.’ Quickly spooning coffee granules into one mug and dropping a teabag into another, Elene tried to find something good to think about.

‘Don’t believe that. You’re an exceptional nurse. We all have those doubts at times like this.’ Mattia reached around her with the milk.

‘Yeah,’ she sighed. ‘I guess.’ A hint of the wild tickled her nose. Aftershave? Nope, there was light stubble on that sexy chin behind her. She tried to step away to put a gap between them and bumped against Mattia’s chest. A solid, muscular wall that filled his scrubs top to perfection. Jerking away, she moved again, only to find him standing rock-solid in front of her, those intense dark eyes locked on hers—with something like lust spiralling through them. Did he need to blot out the last two hours too? In an instant common sense deserted her as excitement rose, filling her lungs, her stomach, her centre—tipping her forwards, towards that body she’d eyed more than once with a sense of wonder. Shutting down everything but the need to press close and feel—feel his strength, the tone of his worked-out muscles, his sex, to forget the horrendous scenes imprinted on her brain.

Hands were on her waist, bringing her closer to her goal. Firm, warm, sensual hands. Then she forgot the hands as Mattia’s head descended until his lips were close, so close, teasing, flirting—waking her up as she hadn’t been in all the years since she’d left her ex. As she hadn’t wanted to be for fear she’d repeat the same mistakes. But this was Mattia, the man she’d lusted after, and therefore argued with often to keep him at arm’s length, for the eleven months he’d been working here.

This is the man your best friend’s currently having a fling with.

Elene jerked out of those hands, away from that provocative mouth that could start her on a path to somewhere she must not go, and cursed the day he’d left Italy to work in New Zealand.

* * *

Mattia breathed deep, filling his depleted lungs and tightening his gut. Not for a nanosecond did his gaze leave Elene’s face. She was swallowing as if her life depended on getting fluid down her throat. Her eyes were wide and filled with guilt. Guilt that was now creeping into his mind. While technically it wasn’t a full-on relationship that would lead to something permanent, he was in the midst of a fling with another nurse, Danielle. Despite the casualness of their liaison he would not seek out another woman until it was over—probably at the end of his contract in four weeks.

But he’d come so close to kissing Elene. Too damned close. Driven by the need to blank out images of young Joe on the table, his heart stopping, his smashed bones, his innocence—yeah, damn it, falling into a kiss with a beautiful woman, even an out-of-bounds one, seemed the perfect distraction. Except it wasn’t. She was right to pull away.

‘Forget the coffee. I’m heading to PICU.’ Hopefully the lad who had his mind going off track was now in there.

‘No problem,’ Elene answered in a tone that suggested it very much was.

He paused at the door. ‘I apologise for my actions. I’m involved with your friend. It was wrong of me.’ Playing the field didn’t mean being callous and uncaring. He understood too well how that hurt others. Not that his ex-fiancée had done that to him. No, she’d found another way to decimate him, but despite the anger he’d never taken up deliberately hurting other women to ease his own pain. At the moment, Danielle was his latest conquest so other women were off-limits. Unfortunately. Because that near kiss—He’d never know. Yet now he understood why Elene had subconsciously been plaguing him on and off over the past months. She was hot, therefore dangerous to his equilibrium. But he was not about to change his thinking on women and relationships, not because this one set his heart racing as if it were being chased by a greyhound.

‘I—’ Her throat rose around another swallow. ‘If you’re apologising then I owe you one too. That shouldn’t have happened. It certainly won’t again. I can’t believe I nearly let you kiss me.’ She paused, drew a breath. ‘I can only put it down to wanting to get as far away from the last two hours as possible.’

The two women were close, probably had an agreement not to look at each other’s men, let alone kiss them. He stepped through the door, keen to get away and put this behind him. ‘Elene, it’s okay. Best we forget it ever happened though.’ Like how? ‘Believe it or not, I don’t want to hurt Danielle any more than you do.’

Her head dipped. ‘So we’ll go back to being thoroughly professional around each other and no one will be any the wiser.’

He couldn’t tell if that was relief or disappointment flooding her eyes, and he wasn’t hanging around to find out. They had to work together for another month. The idea of maintaining their usual aloof, sometimes argumentative façade was curdling in his stomach, despite being the right thing to do. Because it was a façade. On his part anyway. He wanted to know Elene—intimately.

But that’s the last thing you’re going to do, man.

CHAPTER ONE

‘WHAT DO YOU MEAN? Double-booked my room?’ Only the twelve-month-old in Elene Lowe’s arms kept her from crumpling to a heap on the garish red carpet. Landing in a tangle of arms and legs would only exacerbate their distraught mood, and give the receptionist reason to be happy she had missed out on a room. Missed out? Elene slapped the printout of her confirmation lying on the counter. ‘Booked and paid for. Six weeks ago. I am not going anywhere else.’ If only her voice held the conviction required to back that statement, but she was all out of strength and energy. ‘I need this room.’

‘I understand, signora.’ A quick glance at Elene’s ring finger had the receptionist changing tack. ‘Signorina, I’m sorry, sometimes mistakes are made. The other people who booked and paid for the room arrived three hours ago and have signed in. We cannot ask them to leave now.’

‘Yet you can ask me to go away.’ Elene’s hand tightened around her cherished bundle. All she wanted was to get Aimee settled so they both could fall asleep for hours. ‘What am I supposed to do?’

Aimee began kicking her feet, a precursor to waking up. Long overdue. She’d woken when they’d disembarked at Naples International Airport, and instantly fell asleep again once in the taxi that brought them down to Sorrento, an expense well worth the money after more than thirty-four hours travelling from Wellington.

The receptionist seemed particularly interested in her fingernails as she muttered, ‘There are no hotel rooms available in town. I know this from other people coming here looking for accommodation.’

Full of good news, wasn’t she? ‘I have to find somewhere.’ Careful. Don’t let the anger out. ‘Can you suggest somewhere close by? Another town? My d-daughter.’ She still tripped over that word. ‘She’s tired after a long journey and I need to settle her.’

‘Sì, I understand, signorina. I will try the hostels, though you might have to share a room with other women.’ The girl was already picking up the phone.

Hostels? As in backpackers’ accommodation? With a toddler? Oh, that would be absolutely wonderful for everyone. Then again, what choice did she have? Sleeping outside the train station wouldn’t be a good look; it’d probably scar Aimee for ever, and it would be a negative addition to the pros and cons list a certain doctor would no doubt draw up when he learned why they were here.

A high-pitched shriek reverberated in Elene’s ear. Little legs kicked and hands pummelled her back and chest. Aimee had had enough.

‘Shh.’ Elene kissed her forehead. ‘Shh, we’re nearly there, sweetheart.’ Lying to her girl was not good, but some people out there reckoned positive thoughts brought positive results. Lifting the writhing body above her head, she stared up and found a smile. ‘Aimee, Aimee, wee, wee, wee.’ Wonderful, even her singsong voice was off-key.

Another shriek bounced off the walls. Tears dripped down Aimee’s red, scrunched-up face.

‘Oh, baby, I know.’ It was hard not to join in the crying. Digging into the backpack lying at her feet, she found the bottle of milk and tried to placate Aimee, but it was cold, and only achieved raising the noise level to extreme. Anyone would think she was murdering her little girl. Elene’s heart swelled for this trusting little soul. None of this was her fault.

The receptionist had turned her back on them and was talking rapidly into the phone. Finding a bed in a hostel wasn’t sounding promising either.

A bitter gust of breath crossed Elene’s bottom lip. There was no avoiding it. She was going to have to front up early, unprepared, and on the back foot right from the start. Face it—she would never be prepared, didn’t possess the elegance and sophistication required to look Mattia Ricco squarely in the eye as an equal, but she did have right on her side. And the backing of a loving, caring family in New Zealand. If only they were here. Except she had herself to blame for that one, having turned down every offer from both sisters and her mother to accompany her on this life-changing trip.

She tapped the counter. ‘Mi scusi—taxi?’

No, be strong.

‘Please call me a taxi.’ This time her voice wasn’t a whisper.

The receptionist turned to point outside the front entrance. ‘Dietro l’angolo.’

‘Grazie.’ If only she had the energy to get around the corner.

‘Ma-ma-ma-ma.’ Aimee’s tiny fist banged Elene’s shoulder and the bottle went flying, spraying a stream of white droplets over Elene’s crumpled shirt and down to the carpet.

‘Yes, baby girl, you’re right. I need to get a grip.’ She looked across to the receptionist with an apology. ‘Excuse me.’ Why hadn’t she booked a hotel room in Naples for the night? Back in New Zealand, it had seemed such a good idea to get to Sorrento and settle in, catch up on sleep before tracking down her adversary. They hadn’t stopped any longer in the places they’d landed on this endless journey than it took to catch the next flight because, back in the comfort of her cottage in Wellington, getting to the end and holing up until fit and ready for the upcoming confrontation had seemed the best way to go.

The receptionist came around the desk and picked up the bottle. ‘Come on. I’ll help you get a taxi. Where do you want to go?’

‘The hospital.’

The young woman’s eyes widened as she glanced at Aimee, remorse instantly filling her expression. ‘I’m sorry we made a mistake with your booking. I’ll heat the milk for your bambino.’

Elene couldn’t lie. ‘It’s all right. Aimee’s not sick. I know someone who works there who will help me out.’ He’d have no choice. ‘But if you can heat the milk I’d be very grateful.’ Thank goodness Italian was her second language. How she’d manage otherwise didn’t bear thinking about.

‘My sister has a baby too.’

Aimee’s not really mine. Make that not only mine. Because Aimee was hers in a complex kind of way. There was paperwork to prove it. Elene managed to keep the words behind closed lips. Having to explain was too complicated and time-consuming—and irrelevant. ‘Aimee’s had to put up with a lot of flying. She’s been a champ.’

Finally settling into a taxi, she clicked the seatbelt into place, relieved there was a child’s seat since she hadn’t brought one with them, being too bulky and heavy with their other luggage. ‘Don’t go to sleep now, baby girl. Drink your milk instead. We’re nearly there.’ With every turn the taxi took her heart rate quickened. Should’ve stayed at home. Too late now. Or was it? Mattia had no idea she was in Italy, let alone about to knock on his door and burst his over-inflated bubble. She could still run away and forget all about keeping her promise to her best friend.

Aimee’s little chest fell on a sigh as she scoffed the milk.

Elene’s heart squeezed. ‘Love you, baby girl. We’re doing the right thing coming here.’ What if Mattia—?

Don’t go there. Take this one step at a time. This was what Danielle wanted, and what she’d promised to do for her. But she didn’t plan on getting her heart broken. She was thinking about Aimee here, not Mattia’s sexiness, which she’d not managed to forget as she should’ve.

So fight hard for Aimee, for both of you.

It could be a costly battle. Her family had money, but Mattia’s was loaded to the point of being obscene. The smart thing would have been to stay in Wellington and pretend she hadn’t made the promise of her lifetime. The smart thing, also amoral. Being abandoned by her biological father before she’d been born had skewed her thinking until she’d finally met him as a teenager. That was when she’d totally accepted as her father the man who’d raised her after marrying her mother and knew how lucky she’d been. Everyone needed, was entitled to, the unconditional love of good parents. ‘Everyone, baby girl.’

The taxi stopped outside Sorrento’s hospital all too soon. After settling Aimee into her stroller, Elene moved towards the lift that would take them up to Mattia’s office, tugging their bag behind her. Despite the spring heat, her skin lifted in cold bumps. The time had come. Her hand tightened around the stroller handle. ‘Please say I’m doing the right thing. It’s what your mother wanted but I can’t deny the fear of losing you to him blocking my throat.’ She had to trust all the kind things Danielle said about him.

The lift must have been boosted by a rocket launcher. Ping, floor three. Then the doors slid open so fast she was spilling out into a corridor bustling with medical staff, orderlies pushing beds and patients on crutches. Sucking in her stomach, lifting her chin, she stepped into the office with the sign declaring ‘Dottore Mattia Ricco’ and up to the woman behind the desk and said, ‘My name is Elene Lowe. I am here to see Dr Ricco.’

‘You don’t have an appointment,’ responded the woman in a don’t-fool-with-me voice.

‘I don’t, but I can wait until he is finished for the day.’ Any time soon, surely? The clock outside the door had read eighteen-oh-five.

‘The doctor doesn’t see people without an appointment. He’s a very busy man.’

‘Please tell him I am here and let him decide if he’ll see me.’ Because if he refused she had his home address on her phone, and right about now she’d do whatever it took to find a bed for Aimee.

The woman glanced at the closed door to the side. ‘I can’t do that.’

Just then Aimee let out a shriek and began pummelling her thighs, pushing her little body against the stroller restraints.

‘I think my baby needs changing.’

‘There are public toilets on this floor.’

Elene’s eyes suddenly stung. It was all too much. ‘Please.’

‘Sorry.’

Typical of Mattia to have a heartless lioness guarding his patch. Not that she had any right to complain, but there was no accounting for exhaustion and worry. ‘I am going in to see the doctor now, and taking my child with me.’

The woman rose. ‘You can’t. He’s unavailable right this moment.’

Of course. He’d be with a patient. She lifted Aimee out of the stroller. ‘Then I’ll sit here and wait. I am not going anywhere until I’ve talked to Mattia.’ She wasn’t risking him leaving while she was in a bathroom.

‘I’ll call Security.’

‘That won’t be necessary, Sonia,’ came an annoyed command from behind Elene. ‘I will see to this lady. You can go home. It is late for you to be here.’

‘But—’

‘No buts, Sonia. Please do as I say.’ Mattia might be talking to his secretary but his gaze was fixed on Elene when she twisted around to face him. Those almost black eyes were wide with surprise. ‘Elene.’

So he hadn’t recognised her from behind. Nor her voice. Or he had and hoped he was wrong. ‘Mattia,’ she acknowledged. Let the show begin. Better yet, could it wait twenty-four hours? She might be more prepared.

‘This is an unexpected pleasure.’

‘I’m sure pleasure is the last thing you’re feeling.’ They had rarely got on well enough to have more than a professional relationship, and when he’d dumped her best friend in preparation to swan out of Wellington onto his next adventure they’d drawn battle lines.

‘Still blunt, I see.’

‘Only way to go,’ she snapped, before remembering she was supposed to get on with him or there’d be no hope for her or Aimee. ‘Sorry. It’s been a long and arduous couple of days and my tongue’s getting the better of me.’

His gaze alighted on her mouth, his eyes widening almost imperceptibly. She was hallucinating. Could he be remembering that awkward moment back in Wellington? But why would he? It wasn’t as though he’d have been celibate in the intervening year after leaving Danielle. He asked, ‘You’ve come all this way to see me?’

The disbelief was so tangible she could almost see it hanging in the air between them. She could certainly feel it. Not that she blamed him. Turn the situation around and she’d be reacting exactly the same. ‘Can we talk in private?’ Her arm tightened involuntarily around Aimee. Here we go. The stress expanded, spread through her like wildfire in a pine tree plantation.

The dark gaze that had been focused on her lowered to her precious bundle, and Mattia rocked on his feet. His wide mouth flattened, and all that arrogance she remembered rose to the fore.

‘We should take this somewhere else,’ she managed through a dry mouth.

Mattia raised his head to stare at her, shock beginning to shadow that gaze.

He knows. Without a word being said, he’s seen what’s before him.

Mattia stepped back from them—way back. ‘Congratulations on your child. How old is she?’

Denial to the fore. ‘This is Aimee. She’s twelve months old.’ Do the sums. Believe your gut reaction.

But Mattia wasn’t playing that game. He had one of his own on the go. ‘Twelve months, eh? You kept your relationship quiet. I thought you were sworn to a single life.’

She still was. Which was none of his business. Careful, you have to talk with Mattia about some serious stuff in the coming days. ‘I wasn’t dating anyone when you were with Danielle.’

‘How is Danielle?’ His gaze flicked to Aimee, immediately looked away.

Oh, no. She was about to leap right into the middle of the deepest pool without a lifebelt. Her heart was already diving. Inclining her head towards the door that led into his office, she whispered, ‘Can we?’

‘I think we must.’ He turned to his secretary, who hadn’t done as requested and left. ‘Sonia, I’ll see you tomorrow.’ His tone brooked no argument, yet the woman didn’t leap up to leave. Brave lady. Or did she have something on him?

Could she share it with me? Gathering strength from Sonia’s attitude, Elene stepped past Mattia. Then faltered. He had never seemed so tall, nor his frame so solid and imposing. Not even when he’d held her, been about to kiss her. Then, when the office door clicked shut behind them, the air evaporated, leaving her lungs struggling to do their job. Without invitation, she sank onto the nearest chair and settled Aimee on her lap, an arm around her tiny waist.

Mattia crossed purposefully to his desk but didn’t sit, instead staring down at her. At them.

Too late, Elene realised she should’ve remained on her feet. Down here, she was at a disadvantage. No change then. But, for a moment, under that unnerving gaze locked on her, she’d forgotten how to fight her corner.

Two words cracked across the silence. ‘So? Danielle?’

No easy way to say this. ‘Died. Cancer.’ Two months down the track, it hurt like yesterday. The pain was a rock behind her heart. She missed her friend so much. There was anger at Danielle being taken so young, when she had so much to look forward to and a daughter who needed her and who’d barely got to know her mother.

A breath hissed over Mattia’s lips. ‘That I did not expect.’

‘Who would?’ Danielle had been thirty-four, fit, supposedly healthy, with everything ahead of her.

His fingers raked his dark hair. ‘Can I ask what type?’

‘Cervical. It was rapid.’ And brutal. A familiar nausea soured her mouth. Caring for her best friend in those last months had been the hardest thing she’d ever done.

Aimee squawked.

Grateful for the interruption, Elene lightened her grip and kissed Aimee’s cheek. ‘Sorry, darling.’ When she looked up there was no avoiding that dark, inscrutable gaze fixed on them. She had to get this over with. ‘The cancer was discovered before Aimee was born.’

One abrupt nod. ‘So the child is Danielle’s?’

You’ve already figured that out. ‘Aimee. Her name is Aimee.’ Elene leapt up and strode across to stand right in front of him. ‘Get it?’

She had to give him credit. He didn’t back away or make a dash for the door. ‘Yes, I get it.’

That stole her thunder. Did he really understand what she’d been saying without putting it into words? Probably not. Why would he? It wasn’t as though Danielle had rung and told him the instant she’d found out. She hadn’t told him at all. But there’d been that moment of recognition in Mattia’s eyes. Could be she’d misinterpreted it.

Returning to the chair, Elene sat down and tried to relax. Getting angry or upset wasn’t going to achieve a thing, and she hadn’t been kicked out—yet. ‘Aimee’s nearly one, was born on the third of May last year.’

‘Taurus.’

‘What?’ This man with a scientific mind knew his star signs? She’d thought she was beyond being surprised.

‘The bull. Deliberate in actions, methodical. Likes luxury.’

Surprise got the better of her. ‘You know this how?’

‘I too am Taurus. You’ve got your hands full with this one.’

‘We have.’ I want Aimee full-time, but I can’t deny your role.

‘Now we’re getting to the crux of your visit.’ Mattia parked his honed butt on the corner of his desk. ‘Tell me exactly why you’re here.’

* * *

Truthfully? Mattia did not want to know. He really, really didn’t. Sure, he’d made a summation of the situation, but to hear Elene confirm it would mean there’d be no way out. No going back to the life he’d had up until ten minutes ago. At this moment, there was still hope.

So Mattia focused on Elene instead. The instant he’d seen her standing in his reception area, that long auburn hair all askew, escaping the band meant to keep it in place, the slump in her small shoulders, the curve of her hips against the light fabric of her baggy trousers, he’d felt something he shouldn’t have. A wave of lust. For Elene? Couldn’t be, when they’d kept each other at arm’s length, especially after the night he’d come within a whisker of kissing her. Yet the tightening in his crotch was definitely the sensation that went with sexual need. The woman who’d done nothing but annoy the hell out of him had found another way to vex him.

Danielle Hicks had always laughed at how he got so uptight around her friend, said he should get to know Elene properly because she was the best. Sadness engulfed him. Danielle. No one deserved her fate. She’d been such a vibrant woman, bigger than life, fun with a capital F. Being a doctor, he knew there were no boundaries when it came to life dishing out bad calls, but that didn’t mean he had to like them. ‘I’m sorry about Danielle,’ he told Elene with all sincerity. She must’ve been devastated, still would be.

‘Thank you.’ Sì, definitely a wealth of pain and passion in those two simple words.

Mattia found his eyes tracking to the child now starting to grizzle.

Instantly Elene was cuddling and kissing her, before placing her on the floor to crawl. ‘There you go, sweetheart. Freedom at last. All that flying’s over. For now.’

Mattia ignored the ‘for now’. ‘You came straight through?’ That’d be some haul for anyone, let alone a toddler.

‘Yes. It might’ve been better to stop overnight in Hong Kong, but I thought I’d get here, then relax. A prolonged stop mightn’t have worked for Aimee. Then again, I could be wrong.’

The child sank onto her butt and stared around the room, finally bringing dark eyes to rest on him. His eyes. Mattia fought the stab of wonder hitting his belly. But she was his. No denying the toddler came from his gene pool. There were photos on his desk showing almost identical faces—only those belonged to his niece and nephew. Cute like Aimee. Some time in the few weeks he’d dated Danielle he’d created a child. His hands clenched against his hips. He was a babbo. Like it or not.

That he could accept—well, he would after time to think about it and absorb the truth of the matter. He wasn’t going to admit as much to Elene though. Not yet. Not until he learned what was behind this visit. It wouldn’t be straightforward—meet your child and get to know her.

Elene’s sudden appearance without warning was a worry in itself. Back in Wellington, her snippy remarks about his womanising had rankled. She’d also pushed the guilt button for that hot moment with her when he was in the midst of a fling with her friend. In defence, he’d always been honest with women about what he required from a relationship and if they couldn’t agree he moved on fast. Elene had never accepted that Danielle was happy to go along with the rules. Elene was a warrior when it came to protecting her friend. So it stood to reason she’d be the same with her friend’s daughter. My daughter. No. Don’t accept it so readily. There had to be proof and legalities and a whole load of other things to consider first. His stomach clenched so tight it hurt. Because he already knew half the score. Aimee was his. He’d never walk away from her, no matter what.

He demanded of Elene, ‘Why are you here?’ To ask for money? To hand over Aimee and leave, free of obligations? No, even with his high level of distrust he knew she wouldn’t do that. Or would she? Raising a child would interfere with her career, and he’d seen how serious she took nursing. Couldn’t fault her there. He could use her talents here, with the ridiculous lack of suitable nurses at the moment.

‘We don’t have anywhere to stay.’ She’d gone for the immediate situation, not the bigger one. ‘I’m hoping you can look past our previous disagreements to help me out.’

Sì, she could still push his buttons. If he wasn’t careful he could find himself enjoying that. Mattia studied the pale face in front of him. Shadows stained her cheeks, her mouth drooped, as did her whole body, really. She was shattered, and who wouldn’t be after those long flights getting here from New Zealand? Throw a baby into the mix and it was a wonder she was conscious.

‘Believe me, the last thing I’m feeling like is arguing.’ Nor was he mentioning the unexpected heat lancing him internally from seeing her again. She was a breath of fresh, though angry, air.

‘I’m sorry for turning up like this. I’d hoped for a night to recuperate,’ she acquiesced, worrying him more than almost anything else she could’ve done.

‘You came here directly from the airport?’

‘Via the hotel that double-booked my room.’

Blink, blink.

Don’t cry. You are a tough, snippy woman—you don’t do tears.

Then her words swiped his brain. Elene meant it when she said she didn’t have anywhere to stay. Got it wrong about what would worry him the most, hadn’t he? She’d just handed him a grenade. Offering her a place to stay for a few days would mean seeing his daughter every day—bringing home the truth: bang, bang, bang. Having to spend endless hours in Elene’s company was another problem that’d be equally difficult to handle. He breathed deep. Tossing her out on the street wasn’t an option. His house was enormous; this mightn’t be as difficult as he envisioned. Besides, it was said, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. At the moment Elene fell into the latter category. ‘I believe you have a nappy to change.’ He’d overheard her conversation with Sonia.

Her head dropped, rose, in a slow nodding gesture. ‘I do.’

He took charge. ‘I have a patient to check on. It won’t take long, then we’ll head home. Unless you want me to change the nappy first.’ It wasn’t as though he didn’t know how.

She stared at him like there was no strength left in any part of her small frame. As if he’d offered her a gift she was waiting for him to snatch back. Finally she muttered, ‘I’ll do the nappy.’

Who’d have believed he could feel compassion for this woman? Right now he wanted to give her whatever she needed. Anything. He also wanted her back on the other side of the world, out of his hair.

‘You can stay with me until you sort other accommodation. There’s no rush. I have lots of space and bedrooms.’

Elene sagged further and he made to catch her and hold her upright, but as he took a step forward she began pulling herself together, one click at a time. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered.

‘Don’t thank me. It is why you turned up here, isn’t it?’ There. Bring this back to practicalities—definitely not about the child, not about Elene, not his unexpected reaction to her.

‘I was desperate. Aimee was screaming the roof down. The hotel receptionist was struggling to find accommodation at a hostel and—I’m sorry. I couldn’t think of anything else to do.’ Just as it was for him, it was as though Elene was afraid to talk about what had brought her to Sorrento in the first place.

He’d go along with her. There was no way he wanted to delve into that particular mess. Not tonight. ‘You did the right thing.’ By Aimee, at any rate. He’d have been furious if they’d stayed in a room amongst strangers. His daughter deserved better. So did Elene, though he wasn’t sure why he felt that way. Perhaps he’d extend the invitation to stay through to the end of her visit, but he’d wait on that decision. ‘I’ll be back shortly.’

Mattia strode away without a backward glance, despite his head pounding with incredulity. He was a babbo. Elene had brought his daughter to meet him. Sure, he wasn’t naïve; there was a lot to get through, decisions to make about Aimee. But a fizz of excitement ran through his veins.

Except it was Elene’s face popping into his mind, not Aimee’s. Elene’s expression when their lips had brushed that night, the sudden tightening in his blood and manhood when he’d breathed her in. That would not happen again. Not now that they had a child whose future needed sorting out.

He’d never seen Elene so exhausted, heard her voice so flat—not even after a day of emergencies and dramas in Theatre. She’d run out of steam, and was unlikely to be back up to speed quickly. Jetlag was a killer of even the toughest souls, so he’d see she had everything she needed to get through it. If he lived to regret that, so be it. It wasn’t in his nature not to help someone and, in this case, Elene was in a mess partly because of him. Even if he hadn’t had a clue what had been going on with Danielle, he owed Elene for bringing his child across to him, and he hated owing anyone. Debts were repaid pronto. This particular one was too close for comfort, so the sooner it was dealt with the better.

Mattia charged along the corridor, trying to outrun the sight of Elene looking so lost. Normally a feisty woman who rattled his cage and annoyed the hell out of him, this was not Elene Lowe. Bring her back. She might push every button he had and some, but he’d prefer that any day. The feisty version heated his blood with anger, sometimes with lust; this version also made him sympathetic, warmed him towards her. Made him want her with him.

Mattia swore.

CHAPTER TWO

ELENE WAS ONLY vaguely aware of the mansion Mattia drove up to, barely noticed the wide expanse of wall hanging off the hill, her mind busy, racing from Mattia to Aimee to sleep and back again. Once inside, the heat fell away under the onslaught of air conditioning, but she couldn’t find the energy to take in what was in front of her. In her arms, Aimee was busy squirming and staring around, making up for her lack of interest.

Ahead, Mattia paused. Her case swung from one large hand, the stroller from the other. ‘I’ll show you which bedroom you’ll use. There’s a cot in the basement my niece and nephew used when they were a similar age.’

‘That’s a bonus. Aimee will be safer in a cot than on a bed with pillows tucked around her. She’s a restless sleeper.’

‘Shall I put it in the same room as you?’

‘Please. So far she’s doing okay, but being in an unfamiliar room without me on hand could exacerbate her mood.’ The last thing Aimee was about to do was go to sleep; not after the hours she’d put in getting here, while the only thing Elene wanted to do was pull bedcovers over her head and succumb to the lethargy tugging at every cell and not reappear for twenty-four hours. But, hey, that was never going to happen. Not now she was a parent.

‘Let’s get this sorted so you can relax.’ Once again Mattia was striding away and she scurried to keep up.

How long this unusual politeness would last was anyone’s guess. Elene looked around the bedroom he led her into. It was huge and even this late in the day still warm from the sun. A bonus was the attached bathroom. ‘Perfect.’ She’d better not get too comfortable. This was a short-term fix.

‘Glad you’re happy with it.’

‘Why wouldn’t I be?’ No clues in that inscrutable face staring at her. ‘I’ll start phoning around hotels tomorrow so we can get out of your way as soon as possible.’

‘Leave it for a day or two.’

So he wasn’t inviting her to stay for the whole time she was here, but then he didn’t know how long that was, or if she even intended returning to New Zealand. ‘We’re heading home in three weeks.’

His tense stance appeared to relax a fraction, but that could’ve been the play of light from the overhead lamp causing her to think so. Of course he didn’t want her here, had yet to come to terms with Aimee—if he accepted his role in her life. There were many hours ahead for him to come up with lots of questions, demands and denials. The questions she was prepared for. The demands not so much; they worried her enough to make her shake in her shoes, but until she heard them she couldn’t fight them. As for the denials, she’d wait and see.

‘Are you intending staying in Sorrento the whole time?’ He spoke as though holding his breath—as if her answer was important.

‘That depends on you and how things go. I have family outside Florence I might catch up with.’ The trains were reliable and fast, and would make travelling with Aimee a doddle. ‘But this trip isn’t about them.’

‘I’ll arrange transport if you decide to head up there.’

Typical. ‘I am perfectly capable of organising a couple of train tickets, thanks all the same.’ Take it easy. He mightn’t be on the ward now, but there was no need to antagonise him when he was offering help. She wasn’t thinking straight, there was so much fog in her head. Why else did she keep noticing that flat belly and wide chest? Presumably he’d had them when she knew him before and they hadn’t impacted on her in any way then. Oh, yeah? Who do you think you’re fooling?

‘I wasn’t thinking trains.’

They’d be beneath him. Stop it. ‘Let’s leave it until I’ve caught up on sleep and can think straight.’

‘Done. I’ll get the cot.’ Within minutes Mattia returned with a large square bag which he emptied onto the carpet before assembling the cot like a pro.

‘You’ve done that more than once.’ Elene aimed for friendly as she plugged in the nightlight disguised as a plastic teddy. ‘How many nieces and nephews have you got?’

‘One of each, both aged two and a half, and there’re two more bambini on the way.’ He glanced sideways down to Aimee, now crawling towards her bed. ‘She doesn’t look much like her mother.’

‘Except for the curls.’ Those were definitely Danielle’s.

‘Danielle always complained about hers.’ His tone was wistful. ‘Despite what you thought, I liked her a lot. We got on well, but the friendship was never going further than those few weeks.’

Time to fess up. ‘I know.’ When his eyebrows lifted she hastened to explain. ‘I didn’t at the time. I truly thought you’d hurt her, but later Danielle explained she’d only wanted a fling, same as you.’

‘She’d had a few flings. Why was it any different with me?’

Elene struggled to come up with an answer. She’d just always been anti about Danielle and Mattia. Shrugging, she admitted, ‘I don’t know. She was happy, especially when you stood up to that drunk for her.’

Mattia nodded. ‘He’d been ogling her all night in the pub, making her very uncomfortable. When he came across and made lewd comments I’d had enough and suggested we go out the back for a discussion.’ Flicking his forefingers in the air, he emphasised ‘discussion.’ ‘He declined.’

‘Go you.’ So chivalry wasn’t dead. But she wouldn’t expect it to be with a man like Mattia. One thing she couldn’t dispute: he was a gentleman and treated women as they deserved. Except they’d always rubbed each other up the wrong way. Was she in denial? Had there been sparks at other times than that one night she’d tamped down hard because he was seeing her friend? He was tall, good-looking in a dark and dangerous way, intelligent, funny, and—No. She was not noticing anything like that about him. No way. She looked around for something else to focus on.

Aimee was using the cot to pull herself up onto her feet. She slipped and banged down on her bottom.

Elene waited for the indignant shriek that usually accompanied a fail. Instead Aimee turned on her toothless grin and reached for the cot to start over. ‘She’s happy to be free of constraints.’

Mattia was watching his daughter, disbelief and something else on his face. Longing? He hadn’t touched Aimee yet. Not even a finger on her arm. Holding himself back until he’d thought through all the connotations? Afraid of where this might go? Still in denial? Who knew? She certainly didn’t, and right now working it out was beyond her.

For her own sake Elene felt a little bit glad he wasn’t rushing to fall in love with his daughter, if he accepted who she was. Being here was about deciding where Aimee should live and with who, though she was determined that would be her, but denying Mattia fatherhood wasn’t happening either. Bending down, she swung Aimee up to hold her out to her father. ‘Here. You look after her. I need to shower.’

* * *

Mattia automatically caught Aimee in his steady hands. Not that Elene would’ve let her drop, but he hadn’t even thought about not taking her. Holding his daughter out, he watched her kicking her legs and banging her hands on his arms, her face split in a gummy smile as she eyed him up. Hope I pass the test. Gulp. Really? Of course really. He was her father. He didn’t need a DNA test to prove that. Gut instinct brought about by the family likeness and Elene’s honest demeanour, even without putting it into words, told him all he needed—or didn’t need—to know.

‘Hello,’ he croaked around a tennis ball lodged in his throat.

‘Ma-ma-ma-ma.’

‘Is that right?’ A smile was stretching his mouth without any input from his brain. ‘You’re beautiful.’

‘She won’t break,’ came a crisp quip from behind.

What? Oh, hold her against me. Was that what Elene was telling him? ‘Thought you were going for a shower.’ He glanced over his shoulder and saw the apprehension blinking back at him. She was worried about this development. What exactly was her role in Aimee’s life? Number one question to go on the list he suspected would be pages long before many hours passed. Elene’s usually sparkly green eyes were now dark, like the ocean depths. Her tiny, curvy body had shrunk ever smaller.

Trying to reassure, not that he knew what he was comforting her about, he said softly, ‘Go on. I’ll take Aimee out to the family room. Promise I know what I’m doing.’

The tip of her tongue played with the corner of her mouth, tightening his groin again. Then she nodded and headed to the bathroom. Those loose trousers did nothing to hide the curves of her butt, nor the slimmest of waists. An hourglass figure finished off with full breasts that he’d tried not to let his gaze linger on when she’d held Aimee against them.

Aimee. Dragging his attention away from Elene he refocused, bending his arms slowly, bringing Aimee closer and closer until she was against his chest, wriggling like a worm on hot concrete. This was so different to holding Marco or Giulia. This was—parenthood with a capital P. He jerked. I really am Papà. Being a parent meant being involved with a woman, a need Sandy had permanently finished off. Though apparently life had other ideas for him.

Air whooshed out of his mouth, ruffling the curls on top of his daughter’s head. He dropped a kiss on them. ‘Let’s get you some dinner, little one.’ Elene might like a meal too. He was starving. Lunch had been a quick bite hours ago, between a hip replacement and a shoulder reconstruction.

After placing Aimee on the floor out of harm’s way, Mattia poured two glasses of Sangiovese, put one on the table for Elene and studied the contents of the fridge. Anna, his housekeeper, kept it well stocked and there was a prepared meal to reheat, but not enough for two. It’d do for tomorrow’s lunch. Tonight he’d make comfort food, using the pasta dough Anna had also prepared earlier. Elene deserved a little care and attention. That was some trip she’d undertaken with a toddler. For her friend. For him? Something about that deep sadness in her eyes suggested yes to both. Bet she was wondering what he’d do, and where that’d leave her.

Hell. He combed his fingers through his hair. As reality trickled into his brain he tried not to overthink things. They had a lot to process. But not tonight. Because Elene was tired, and lovely and gorgeous. Don’t forget the snippy woman behind that exhaustion. She wouldn’t have stayed back in Wellington while this softer, kinder version made the trip.

Checking Aimee was still happy playing with the coloured wooden blocks he’d given her, he set about putting together the ingredients for an Alfredo sauce. The clock boomed out eight o’clock. Half an hour had passed since he’d brought Aimee through here. Had Elene fallen asleep in the shower? Should he check on her? Entering the bathroom might bring back the more familiar version.

‘Sorry.’ Elene burst through the doorway, her chest rising and falling as though she’d run through the house. ‘That’s one powerful shower. I’ve probably used all your hot water, but it was worth it. All the aches gone, leaving me feeling normal again.’

She certainly looked it. Standing tall for someone so short, her face was relaxed for the first time since he’d discovered her in his waiting room, her gaze clear of worry; she looked alert. Hot and sexy normal. The spoon he stirred the sauce with clattered into the pot. This is Elene. She doesn’t do sexy. Not around him, any rate. She did once.

With effort he rolled a shoulder. ‘There’s a glass of Sangiovese on the table. One of Italy’s best secrets.’ Getting back on track was essential. For his sanity, for the days ahead when they’d no doubt be battling over childcare issues. She’d once called him a fly-by-night. Well, Miss Lowe, I’m going to prove how wrong you were. He had not liked her contemptuous opinion of him, even when he’d understood she was trying to protect Danielle.

Not that he’d deny he’d spent a year living loosely after his fiancée, Sandy, had stolen from his charity and attempted to bring his esteemed family into disrepute by accusing him of taking the funds and setting her up to take the fall. Except Sandy was the one to languish in jail. His family had pushed him to take a year off and go live a little, put his mistake behind him. He’d gone reluctantly, the guilt heavy, but it seemed his parents knew what they were doing. New Zealand, with its great outdoors culture and the easy lifestyle, had been liberating and exciting. Yet from the day he’d landed back on Italian soil he’d been determined never to cause a ripple of trouble for his family again and got on with achieving his interrupted goals. With the exception of one—loving a woman enough to marry her and have bambini. His gaze drifted to Elene, now savouring the wine.

‘Delicious.’ Elene gave him a smile that slid under his skin as easily as cream over hot pie. ‘I haven’t had a Sangiovese since I was last in Italy.’

‘How long ago was that?’ Might as well learn as much as possible while she was in a good mood.

‘Three years. I worked at a hospital in Firenze most of my stay. Loved every moment.’ Another sip, and those full lips were momentarily rich, dark red.

Mattia’s belly tightened. He took a large gulp from his glass. Should not have brought her here. Oh, yes, and what was he supposed to have done when she had nowhere to go? Another mouthful and he reached for the bottle. This was going to be a long night, followed by some long days, and more nights. ‘You had a licence to practice here?’

‘I did, and I’ve kept it up. Easier than having to redo it further down the track if I decided to revisit my family.’

That might come in handy for the future. ‘Your mother’s Italian, right?’ He vaguely remembered something about Elene’s heritage after she’d spoken to him in Italian once in Theatre.

Elene nodded. ‘When she was two her parents moved to New Zealand. Years later she met my dad, who owned a vineyard with his brother in Masterton. Now one of my younger sisters is the winemaker and my parents are happy dishing out advice and being grandparents.’

Grandparents? To his daughter? How did they feel about Elene bringing Aimee over here to meet him and his family? He wasn’t asking. There’d been enough shocks for one day. Time to relax and enjoy dinner—and the company. ‘So you’ll be a pasta fan, then.’

‘Duh.’ Her deliberate eye-roll made him laugh.

‘What about all that lamb and beef Kiwis seem to eat by the ton? You enjoy those too?’

‘What’s not to like about roast lamb leg or medium rare sirloin steak?’ She grinned.

His stomach flipped. He’d never seen her grin before. Better for him if he didn’t again. For some inexplicable reason that grin affected him deeply. It was cheeky, friendly, normal around him. This was not the Elene he thought he knew.

Elene glanced behind him. ‘Your pot’s boiling over.’

Whipping around, he rescued the pot before too big a mess was made on the stove top. Distracted, that was the problem. ‘What about food for Aimee?’

‘I’ve got that covered. I brought enough to get through the first days.’ She was beside him, holding up a sealed packet with a teddy bear with oats in its paw on the front. ‘Just need a small jug to heat this up.’

‘I’ll have to get her onto pasta quick-smart.’ Handing Elene what she required, Mattia returned to concentrating on the pasta sauce. Burning it in front of her was not an option. Nor was letting the water boil over again.

Silence fell between them, occasionally broken by Aimee’s mutterings as she placed block on top of block, only to have them tumble to the floor time after time. Patiently she’d start again, until Elene knelt down to straighten the stack after each placement. Finally all the blocks were used up and Aimee shrieked with delight, clapping her hands wildly and knocking the stack over.

Mattia watched them together. Two very different heads bent over the blocks. One with straight auburn hair, the other black and curly. Chalk and cheese. Elene and Aimee. ‘Why did Danielle choose Aimee for a name?’

That auburn head flipped up, a challenge in her gaze. ‘You don’t like her name?’

‘Did I say that? I was wondering if there was a connection to someone Danielle had been close to, someone special.’ He liked the name even if it wasn’t Italian.

She nodded. ‘Danielle was raised by her Grandma Aimee.’

Mattia nodded. ‘That’s nice. Middle name?’

Defiance filled her eyes. ‘Elene.’

‘So she’s got an Italian name. I like that. Surname?’ Shut up. Mattia snatched up the pot and drained the water from the pasta. And waited for the explosion.

* * *

Elene knew Mattia must be bursting with questions, but right now she needed to take it easy. They’d been together for only a couple of hours and there were ordinary things to do, like feeding Aimee and playing with her until that pent-up energy wore off. Deliberately or not, he’d lured her into a false sense of security. Concentration was required so as not to miss anything.

‘Don’t tell me it’s Lowe,’ Mattia growled impatiently.

Her hackles rose in an instant. ‘What would be wrong with that?’ Her father would’ve been proud for Aimee to have the family name.

‘Nothing, I suppose.’

‘You suppose? Oh, buster, you suppose nothing. You haven’t got a clue what’s happened since you left Wellington. What Danielle wanted for her daughter. What she suffered, knowing she’d never see Aimee grow up. All you’re worried about is a name.’ Where did those damned tears come from? She slashed at her cheeks and reached for Aimee to hug her tight, only Mattia was there, holding out a paper towel for her to wipe her face before he picked up his daughter.

‘Tell me more so I am clued up.’

Reaching for her wine, Elene drew deep breaths. She and Danielle had tried to prepare for this moment, but it was always going to be difficult explaining her friend’s reasons for refusing to tell Mattia about his child, and her own fear that he’d want full custody of his daughter.

‘Elene?’ He said her name softly, touching her deeply, questioning her determination not to fall in love again. ‘I understand talking about her must be difficult.’

She nodded. ‘Did Danielle ever mention her childhood to you?’ She’d be surprised if she had.

Topping up her glass, Mattia said, ‘Not a word.’

‘Her mother ran away when she was three and her father brought her up. Make that dragged her up. There was little money, a continuous stream of women who were unkind to her, and she had few friends. At fourteen she got pregnant and her father tried to force her to have an abortion. Somehow, and I’m not sure of the details here, she avoided the termination, only to have her father make her sign the baby over for adoption.’

Mattia swore. ‘That’s cruel. How did he get away with it? It shouldn’t have been his call to make.’

‘He threatened to turn Danielle out on the street if she didn’t do it. At fourteen, with no other family for support, she had no choice. The social welfare system let her down. Apparently her father charmed them into believing Danielle wanted to give her baby away.’ Elene stared at the carpet. ‘I don’t think she ever got over that.’

‘There are some real monsters out there.’

‘There are. I’ve been very lucky.’ Elene looked him in the eye. An explanation of her own wouldn’t go amiss. ‘The man who conceived me didn’t want me but the man I’ve called Dad all my life more than made up for him.’

‘More cruelty. I’m sorry to hear your stories. You and Danielle would’ve understood each other very well.’

‘We did.’ Needing to get Danielle’s story over with, Elene continued. ‘She intended letting you know about the pregnancy, but kept putting off the moment. She was so happy, so engrossed in having a baby you’d think she’d want to share the joy, but it was like she was holding it all to herself for herself.’ Another mouthful of wine, another deep breath. ‘Then the cancer diagnosis came and you didn’t get a look-in.’

‘She was afraid I’d take the baby away?’

Elene leapt in to negate that hurt. ‘Not because she truly believed you were capable of such cruelty. She wanted every minute she could with her baby without having to fight for the two of them. Not involving you from the beginning was a by-product of her past. I don’t think she ever trusted any man to look out for her.’

‘Thank you for that. Danielle once told me you were the only person she felt completely safe about telling the things that mattered.’ Mattia looked thoughtful.

Get it over with. ‘Aimee Hicks-Ricco,’ she told Mattia, watching for his reaction. ‘The Ricco part yet to be confirmed by you.’

Mattia stared at her as if his last chance of escape had vanished. All the colour drained from his cheeks.

Guilt sneaked up on Elene unexpectedly. She had whacked him over the head with this. ‘I’m sorry. It’s hard, you know?’

‘Yes, I do. Very hard.’ His stunned gaze dropped to Aimee and ever so slowly a glimmer of something she couldn’t quite recognise crept into his expression. Hope? Longing? She waited quietly.

Mattia finally turned back to her. ‘Hicks-Ricco. Aimee will always be aware of her mother. I like that.’

On hearing her name, Aimee banged a fist on her father’s chin. ‘Ma-ma-ma-ma.’

Elene sighed with relief. He wasn’t denying the obvious, had accepted the truth far quicker than she’d given him credit for. ‘I understand you’re full of questions, but can we leave them for now? At least until Aimee’s fed and gone down for the night. Please?’ Now she was begging, and she hadn’t begged since she ran away from her ex. Craig hadn’t taken any notice so maybe Mattia wouldn’t either. But since Aimee came into her life there was no end to the things she would do to get what the little girl needed. Except give her up.

Mattia was staring at her, not in a bad way, nor one that made her sit up with hope, just neutral, as though seeking answers without verbalising the questions. Finally, he nodded. ‘I agree.’

Phew. She headed for the microwave that was regularly beeping the message that the jug of oats was ready. ‘You’ve got milk?’

‘Here.’ With Aimee in one arm, he deftly opened the fridge to retrieve the cardboard container and pass it to her. ‘Cutlery in that drawer to your right.’

How domestic—if bobbing on the top of a tsunami could be called homely. Getting through the coming weeks in this civilised fashion would be ideal. She’d try to keep her best game face on. Falling for Mattia’s charms—those she’d seen him turn on other women, if not her—would create more problems, not less. He liked to control everything and everyone around him. Had he always been like that? Or was it a result of a past relationship?

She’d had the controlling partner, and it had taken her parents’ and Danielle’s support and a lot of courage to leave him. Craig had made it hard, swearing undying love while at the same time demanding her money, dictating her dress style, even her work hours. Everything to suit him. But once he’d started trying to keep her family and friends away she’d packed up her belongings and sneaked out of the sterile apartment Craig owned and into the cottage at the back of her parents’ house until she was ready to branch out and buy her own home.

It’d been crippling, not being able to decide which outfit to wear or what to eat for breakfast, and without Danielle and her family she might never have found the courage to start down the path to freedom. She was not about to put herself into the hands of another controlling man. Which meant she and Mattia were destined to never be more than buddies because he liked to keep everything going his way.

While feeding Aimee, Elene watched Mattia put the finishing touches to the sauce for their pasta which, if the pleased expression on his face when he sampled it was anything to go by, he’d cooked to al dente. He was at home in the kitchen, didn’t have any qualms about cooking dinner or cleaning up as he went. A self-contained man.

‘You look after this place yourself?’

‘No, I cheat. You’ll meet Anna tomorrow. She cleans up after me and makes some meals. Be warned, she adores bambini and will want to spoil Aimee. There’s a small apartment on the ground floor where she lives.’

He declined to look after his home? Like he didn’t put in long hours at the hospital?

‘We can handle that. Aimee loves nothing better. My mum and dad care for her some days when I’m at work, and she can’t get enough of them. To counter that she goes to a crèche three days a week, which I admit to feeling guilty about.’

‘What else can you do? You’re the equivalent of a working mum.’ Mattia was plating up dinner and her stomach was sitting up to attention. Aeroplane food had not been much fun.

‘That smells wonderful.’ She wiped Aimee’s chin before placing her back on the floor by the blocks. The equivalent of a working mum? That stung, but it was true. She was the closest thing to a mother Aimee had right now and, while she’d always have that role, it was yet to be decided if it would be full-time or the days when Mattia was too busy to be with his daughter. Eat, stop worrying over what you haven’t discussed yet. Food would shut up both her stomach and her head for a while.

The fragrance wafting up from her plate had nothing on the flavour exploding across her tongue. ‘You’ll have a battle on your hands if you think you can get me to leave your house before I head back home.’ She’d found it in her to tease this man? The pasta must be even better than she thought.

‘The day I put boiled potatoes and cheese sauce in front of you will be the message to pack.’

‘The day you do that I’ll bake lamb roast with all the trimmings.’ If Mattia hadn’t been smiling she might’ve worried he wasn’t pulling her leg. He needn’t worry. She’d start looking for a hotel tomorrow.

‘The battle lines have been drawn.’ He smiled to take the sting out of his words.

Elene struggled not to stare at those lips, winding up her imagination in ways she’d denied for a long time. Lips that might trail over her skin, leaving her wired and ready. Her libido shot into life, wanting more from Mattia. Ah, hello? You’re waking up after a long drought because of Mattia? This was one diversion she did not need, or want. But his kiss would be like no other.

Her mouthful of wine went down the wrong way and she choked, then had to put up with the embarrassment of having her back slapped with one enormous—and warm—hand. It would be too easy to lean back into that unexpected gentleness and close her eyes. She sat forward, took another, more careful sip from her glass. ‘Thank you.’

‘Eat, relax. I won’t hassle you with any more questions tonight.’ To prove it, Mattia became intent on enjoying his pasta.

While worrying about that, Elene was struggling to keep her eyes open, despite the tasty food. The wine wasn’t helping keep her awake, but she’d earned it. It was good to sit back and take a load off her feet, and her mind. But she couldn’t get too comfortable. She had to stay awake long enough to put Aimee to bed when she was ready, and that looked like being a while away yet.

Mattia stood and cleared their plates, brought a bowl of enormous strawberries to the table.

Then Aimee looked up and threw a block across the floor, followed by a cry that had to be heard back in town. Another block followed the first and more cries filled the room.

‘Here we go. Meltdown time.’ At least it hadn’t happened mid-flight. That would’ve been awkward.

Mattia was staring at Aimee as though he couldn’t believe what was going on.

‘Your niece and nephew don’t have good old crying matches?’ Elene reached down to lift Aimee into her arms, only to get belted on the nose with a flying fist. ‘Ouch.’ Her eyes filled at the pain. ‘Careful, missy.’

The noise intensified. Aimee’s little mouth was wide open, her eyes ferocious slits above her red cheeks.

‘Shh, sweetheart.’ Elene bounced her on her hip.

Aimee wasn’t having anything to do with it. Her fists were flying and the crying changed to deep sobbing, tugging at Elene’s heart with each gasp.

‘Want me to heat some milk?’ Mattia asked.

‘You can try, but I suspect it’s going to take some time to get her to quieten down. I can’t complain since she never cried the whole trip.’

Surprisingly, Mattia’s mouth twitched. ‘Saving it for me, were you, little one?’ He ran a hand over Aimee’s head.

‘I’ll take her to the bedroom and leave you in peace.’

‘Give her to me. I’ll walk around the back yard for a while, see if that distracts her enough to quieten down.’ Mattia stood with his arms out.

Elene gaped. The man was offering to take a crying toddler and try to soothe her? Seemed she knew nothing about him. ‘If you’re sure?’ Already she was handing Aimee over to those large, safe hands, the relief enormous. She didn’t know if she had it in her to walk and talk with Aimee now, for what could be hours. ‘I’ll take over when you’ve had enough. This might go on for a long time.’ He’d soon be sick of the crying and kicking and want shot of Aimee.

‘I’ll manage.’ His arms were cradling his daughter, rocking her slowly back and forth as he began striding across the kitchen. ‘You heat the milk, eat some strawberries and make yourself some tea if you like. I’ll be outside.’

The neighbours were going to love that. ‘If you’re certain.’ But she was talking to herself, alone in Mattia’s kitchen, the crying muffled behind the closed door. She should be glad to have someone to help with Aimee, but she felt as though she were stranded on top of a rock with the tide racing in. Could they make joint custody work?

Nearly an hour later the world became quiet. Elene went outside to take Aimee off Mattia to put her to bed, but she was wide awake, smiles having replaced the crying. ‘You’re supposed to fall asleep now.’

‘Why don’t you go to bed? If you give me a jumpsuit or whatever it is you call night attire for toddlers, I can put Aimee down when she’s ready. She’s going to outlast you by quite some time,’ Mattia said.

It was tempting. So, so tempting. But she was meant to be caring for Aimee, not Mattia. Not yet.

‘Let it go, Elene. You’re exhausted, and staying up any longer isn’t going to help anyone.’

‘You’re right,’ she capitulated.

It wasn’t until she was digging through the case for Aimee’s clothes that it dawned on her that Mattia would be bringing Aimee in here while she was in bed. So what? She’d be out of it. It wasn’t as if the man would have his wicked way with her. And that was not disappointment lapping at her periphery. Besides, the loose-fitting cotton PJs she’d shortly pull on would turn any red-blooded man off in a flash. Yeah, she could stop worrying on that score.

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