Abby gave a wan smile and stood up. “I promise.”
“Good,cara. I’ll take him to lunch before I leave for Brazil and report back to you. Ciao.”
Abby sat and finished her coffee. Her head began topound from all the thinking she was doing. Finally she felt composed enough to stand. She went directly to her favorite store and bought a couple of cashmere sweaters for her grandmother and Dante. She had to have something to show for her supposed shopping trip.
In the cab ride back to the villa, she tried to block out everything she’d learned this afternoon. She’d have to put on the best act of her life when she got home. She wasn’t about to tell Dante or her grandmother about her medical situation until her gynecologist had completed his laparoscopic inspection. Then she’d know more about her fate. It would involve a night in the hospital and she’d scheduled it for the week Dante was to be in Paris on business. One of the major department stores the Lombardi Group owned was undergoing a major refit. Dante wanted to ensure it was staying on budget. Until then she’d have to act as if nothing was wrong. She contemplated telling her grandmother, but at this point she had nothing concrete to tell her.
There was no point worrying everyone until after the exploratory operation, when she would know with certainty what she was facing.
Chapter 12
Abby awoke the next morning to a pounding headache. She’d resorted to drinking far too much red wine during dinner with Dante. She couldn’t think of any other way to get through the meal. Dante hadn’t seemed to notice anything was amiss. He’d been attentive and now she wondered if she’d read the situation correctly, for he’d acted almost lovingly. They’d danced most of the night away before he brought her home and made passionate love to her all night. No wonder she was tired.
She opened her eyes. Dante must have drawn back the curtains when he left, for sunlight streamed in the room and she immediately squinted against the glare. Her stomach protested when she tried to sit up. She only just made it to the bathroom before being sick.Serves you right for overindulging, she scolded herself.
Dante thought she’d been celebrating the news that he’d talked Nana into staying in Italy. He’d kindly given her grandmother one of the cottages on the estate. Nana was so excited, planning the move of her possessions over here, that when Abby had gotten home late yesterday afternoon, Nana hadn’t even asked her about the doctor’s visit. She’d have no suchluck today. She cleaned her teeth and rinsed her mouth out. How much should she tell her grandmother? She showered and dressed, taking her time, trying to delay the inevitable. Finally she sneaked from the bedroom and made her way toward the study. Pietro spied her.
“Would you like some breakfast, Contessa? Rachele can whip you up an omelet.”
Abby put her hand to her stomach. The thought of food made her stomach churn. “Just some tea would be lovely, thank you, Pietro.” She hesitated at the study door. “Can you tell my grandmother I need to work for a few hours? I’ll see her this afternoon.”
Pietro shrugged. “She left with Katarina, early in the morning. They are over at the cottage, measuring I believe.”
She shouldn’t feel such relief, but she did. Good, she had time to herself. She needed to think. Her life was fast approaching a catastrophe of hurricane proportions. She needed some space to decide how to survive it.
Dante readthe report in front of him five times, yet not a word sank in.
Abby filled his thoughts.
He couldn’t concentrate on business. All he kept picturing was the satisfied woman he’d left in his bed this morning. A woman who melted beneath him, who drove him crazy with her little sighs and moans, a woman who was becoming a necessity in his life.
He flung the pen he’d been holding onto the desk and swore violently. He was going soft and it was all her fault. Why couldn’t she resent him for forcing her into his bed? Her eagerness to fulfill her role was beginning to undo him. He’d tried to stay immune to her appeal. Previously he’d scented the danger she could become. Only now, inthe years she’d been away, had he let himself forget the power she exerted over him.
It was back in force. His body craved hers. Each time he made love to her, he seemed to want her more. He tried to be rational and tell himself this was purely about getting her pregnant, but he lied. It had taken her less than a few weeks to restore all his past weaknesses. He couldn’t wait to get home from work and see her smile a welcome at him, or hear her laugh about something that had occurred at the villa. When they’d originally married, he’d purposely made himself work late at least three times a week to prove to himself that he was not falling under her spell. Since her return, he hadn’t stayed late once.
Abby sensed this time he was different, their relationship was different, more mature. He ran his hand through his hair. This time she did not understand that keeping emotional distance between them was for the best. He was protecting her. He didn’t want to see her get hurt. Yet here he was letting her fall in love with him all over again.
He’d let Abby sleep in this morning. She’d looked exhausted lying on her side, her hand tucked under her pale and drawn face. He’d really wanted to wake her up and make love to her again, but she deserved a rest after he’d kept her up all night. God, he couldn’t seem to get enough of her.
He finally admitted that making love with Abby had nothing to do with begetting a child. He wanted her with an all-consuming passion that scared him. Each time he made love to her, a little bit of his fortress crumbled. The way she touched him, looked at him, loved him, made tender feelings creep inside his heart.
She was different from the girl he’d married. Different in a good way. She was an intelligent, vibrant woman who had attracted a lot of male attention last night. He’d been the envy of every man in the restaurant. When they walked in, the men followed her every movement with their eyes. He’d liked thefeeling when she’d put her hand in his and had let him lead her to their table.
She’s mine, he wanted to scream. He’d let his possessive stare say it for him.
He pushed his chair back and sighed. He wasn’t going to get much work done today. He wondered if she was awake yet. They could go for a picnic lunch in the vineyards and make love in the olive grove down by the pond all afternoon. For God’s sake, what was wrong with him? He pulled his chair back toward his desk, picked up the report, and tried to concentrate. He hadn’t read more than the first paragraph again when there was a knock on the door.
“Come.”
He looked up to see Elena enter with a frown on her face.
“Dante, can you get Abby to call me? I have to discuss the operating costs for On the Shelf. Without them, I can’t make head or tail of the profit and loss, and you told me to ensure the business doesn’t go into the red.”
It was Dante’s turn to frown. He put down the report he’d been holding. “Why haven’t you asked Peter or Colin? They’re running the store.”
“I’ve got the store’s cost, but I need the online side. It’s the biggest contributor to profit, but I’m unsure what percentage of the costs it represents.”
“Online?”
