He had to be joking!
‘Sex isn’t love, Alessandro. No matter how many times you do it.’
He stiffened and roared, ‘Inferno!I only meant?—’
‘Stop it, stop it, stop it!’
Nat startled at the unexpected interruption, seeing Juliano, Flo in tow, hurling himself between them, tears streaming down his face.
‘Juliano!’ Alessandro muttered, crouching down and hugging his distressed little boy.
Nat was speechless. How long had he been watching them? The poor darling had probably never witnessed a man and a woman arguing. The thought distressed her at the same time as a rush of light-headedness hit, and she groped for something nearby to steady herself.
She swayed a little and vaguely heard Alessandro say, ‘Nathalie?’ as her vision started to blacken at the edges.
‘Alessandro?’ she whispered as she stumbled forward.
Thankfully he reacted quickly, standing in time to catch her as Nat slumped against him pleased for the support. ‘Nathalie? You’re burning up.’
Nat could vaguely hear him. ‘Hot,’ she muttered.
He swept her up into his arms, her head lolling on to his chest and she sighed at the bliss of not having to keep upright. ‘Nathalie?’ he repeated.
‘Papa?’
Juliano’s voice was laced with concern and Nat tried to open her eyes and tell him she’d be fine but they were so heavy and all she managed to murmur was something unintelligible.
Alessandro’s voice was deeper, reverberating through his chest and right into her ear and it was so very assuring. ‘It’s okay, matey. I got her.’
He did and it felt good. ‘Is she sick, Papa?’
‘I think she may have flu.’
‘Swamp flu?’
‘I’d say so.’ He moved then, his voice, somewhere over top of her, saying, ‘Quickly Juliano, clear that stuff off her bed.’
But Juliano apparently had other ideas. ‘No.’ His voice may have been little but it was strong and firm. It cut through the floating sensation inside Nat’s head. ‘When I was sick you let me sleep in your bed. And Nat said there’s no better place when you’re sick than Papa’s bed.’
A sluggish form of protest worked its way through the feverish quagmire of her brain.No. Absolutelyno. She’d be infectious. Plus, there was another reason.
Oh yes… she was still mad as hell at him.
But Nat didn’t get a chance to voice it before Alessandro answered. ‘Good thinking, Juliano,’ and they were off.
Each step of his jarred through her aching joints and she wished it would stop, then suddenly it did, as she was placed on to a soft mattress, her aches easing a little as her head lay on a cloud-like pillow and a cool sheet was pulled up to cover her.
Sheets that smelled like Alessandro. That smelled likeherand Alessandro. And the familiarity was like a warm hug.
Dimly she heard, ‘Keep Nat company while I get her some medicine.’ And then an exaggeratedly hushed voice loudly whispering, ‘Go to sleep,’ as little fingers brushed her forehead.
And there was purring.Purring?Must be Flo.
Whatever it was, it was nice and Nat drifted off until she heard, ‘She’s still sleeping, Papa.’ And then, ‘I imagine she’ll be sleepy for a couple of days,’ before a hand was shaking her shoulder. ‘Nathalie, wake up. I have some tablets for you.’
Nat frowned, the thought of opening her eyes just too damn much right now but the shake came again, firmer this time and she prised her lids open. The room was dim and her surroundings were a little fuzzy but she forced herself to half sit, displacing Flo, who’d been draped across her chest. Alessandro was sitting on the side of the mattress. Juliano sat beside her, his legs outstretched, his back against the headboard.
‘I shouldn’t be in here,’ she protested. ‘I don’t want you to catch it.’ And for other reasons she knew existed but couldn’t quite bring herself to care about at this moment.
