As they wheeled her grandmother away, Dante hugged her close. “She’ll be fine, mio fiore.”
She hugged him hard, not wanting to let him go. He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. “I promise, Abby. Your grandmotherwill be all right.”
For the first time in many months, it wasn’t her grandmother she was scared for. Why was Dante having tests performed? He suddenly was welcoming her back into his life when he hadn’t bothered to contact her in three years. Now he was desperate for children right away. Why? She stood holding him so tight she could feel her arms tremble with effort. She’d lost him once before due to her own stupidity. She swore under her breath she wouldn’t lose him again.
“There is no need to be afraid, Abby. I’ll not leave you. You’re a Lombardi. Whatever happens, you’ll never be alone.”
She finally let him go. “I know. Blame it on that time of the month. I’m overemotional.”
Dante accepted her answer and went to get her some tea. She watched him walk away. His presence always filled a room. He walked in anywhere and immediately owned it. Everyone looked to him, the natural-born leader. He was the head of a huge family empire, employees and shareholders his responsibility. He was the head of his family, and their welfare was his concern.
She felt her heart expand in her chest. Who was there for Dante? He might have shoulders that could hold up the world, but who did he turn to when he needed help? Everyone needed help. Everyone needed someone. There was something Dante was not telling her. Not telling anyone. She knew his wanting her back in his bed was not something he’d decided on a whim two nights ago. He always did things for a reason.
Now that she knew about Dr. Cavelli, she was going to find out what that reason was. If it was anything like the suspicions flooding her brain, making her sick to her stomach, then she would be Dante’s rock. His support. She would hold up the world for him. She owed him that.
No. She wasn’t doing it because she owed him. She would do it because she loved him. At some point during the twelvemonths of her marriage when she lived in house and shared his bed, her girlish infatuation had grown into love. That’s why she’d run away. She’d been terrified he’d never love her back. But she had enough love for the both of them. He loved her in his own way, and maybe that could be good enough. Besides, she had given her word. He’d more than helped her grandmother. She would fulfill her side of their deal.
Chapter 10
Dante inwardly cursed. He should have stayed at work this afternoon, but all week, since Mrs. Taylor had been released from the hospital and Abby had come home, he’d been on edge. His body was a mass of raw, pounding testosterone.
The deal with Zanetti was progressing well, but Dante’s takeover target had asked to meet Abby, his long-absent wife. No doubt Zanetti would be suspicious of Abby’s sudden return just when the deal hinged on selling the Zanetti empire to a man with the right values. Rumors were rife about Abby’s sudden reappearance in Dante’s life. Everyone knew she’d applied to the Italian courts for a divorce. No doubt Zanetti wished to see for himself if their reunion was legitimate or simply a means to win his company.
Dante agreed that he and Abby would join the deeply religious man’s family for dinner that evening. Abby was of course nervous. She knew this was a farce and she’d already told him she wasn’t a skilled actress. The fact he wasn’t yet invited to permanently share her bed didn’t help the situation. They were both on edge.
Seeing Abby in his house every day, taking up the reins as mistress of the house, his wife, yet not able to have her in hisbed, was slowly driving him insane. Never a patient man, his body recognized the urgency to procreate. He knew the driving restlessness was because his next batch of monthly tests was scheduled for next week, and he had a terrible feeling the news would not be good.
It wasn’t only that. Gripped by an unrefined, primitive hunger, he was forced to confront an inescapable truth—he not only desired his wife, but his defunct heart beat faster, felt lighter, whenever she was near. She’d brought joy back into his life. He hadn’t smiled at a joke or felt light-headed from a woman’s fragrance and simple touch for what felt like forever. If he understood love he might just think this was it.
He wished it wasn’t so. He purposely kept away from her, trying to deny and destroy those tender feelings. Sighing, he wished for a lot of things. He wished… He didn’t want to face what he wished for. He was a realist.
He wanted the deal with Zanetti, needed it. If something happened to him, with the merging of the two companies, the Lombardi empire would be untouchable. He’d have protected all his family and his employees, while ensuring his father’s legacy. With an angry tug, he loosened his tie and pulled it from his neck, walking through the house like an exhausted man who thought he had crossed the finish line of the marathon, only to learn he still had one more lap of the circuit to run. He felt defeated and for once he wondered if he was doing the right thing.
Was misleading Abby, forcing a child on a woman who, if she had a choice, would not be here in his house, let alone in his bed, the right thing to do? If something should happen to him, if his test results were positive, bringing up a child on her own would be tough.
With more force than necessary, he removed his gold cuff links and threw them on the sideboard. He was tempted to pour himself a large brandy, but it was only one in the afternoon. He shouldn’t drink—he needed a clearhead tonight to get both of them through this dinner where they would be put under the spotlight. Ignoring the alcohol sitting in the decanter, he made his way through the villa, nodding to Pietro as he neared the sun terrace.
“The contessa is swimming, and your mother has taken Mrs. Taylor for a drive and to visit friends.” Pietro’s words were followed by an insinuating smile.
Dante’s pulse kicked up a gear. He was alone in the house with Abby. No mother, sisters, or grandmother.
“When do you expect them to return?” The gruffness in his voice betrayed his eagerness.
“Not until six. You have at least four hours. I’ve persuaded Rachele to accompany me to the markets for supplies. We will be gone all afternoon, too.”
“Remind me to pay you a bonus, Pietro,” Dante said to his smiling majordomo.
Images of how he’d like to spend the afternoon immediately assailed his mind. They needed to connect in order to make their performance tonight a success. Besides, he wanted her. The tension in his body increased. He dropped his tie on the floor and, without any conscious thought, his strides lengthened as he approached the pool, undoing his shirt buttons as he walked. By the time he reached the pool’s edge, he’d stripped down to bare skin. One look at the water, or what was in the water, had his body thrumming with need. Abby was swimming laps in a skimpy two-piece suit that revealed more flesh than it covered. Her pale skin had taken on a golden glow from time spent in the sun, and she looked like a curvaceous sun goddess.
She looked good enough to eat.
The blood left his brain and he dived in, unable to resist her allure. He swam underwater and grabbed Abby’s ankle. She shrieked and floundered in the water until he pulled her hard against him. To his surprise, she did not fight him. Shewrapped her arms and legs around him, snuggling closer. His eyes met hers and raw chemistry exploded between them.
“Dante, you’re home early.”
Doubting that he was capable of speech, Dante licked his lips. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
She pressed closer. “A very good thing.” She pressed her lips to his.
