Latin Lovers: Italian Playboys

Nina took Georgia from the woman’s arms and the howling stopped immediately, to be replaced by tiny hiccups and sniffles as the baby clung to her.

‘That’s all right,’ Nina said. ‘I don’t think I will leave her today, after all.’

‘We can try again tomorrow, if you like,’ the woman suggested. ‘As I said the other day, lots of babies find separation from mum hard at first but they soon get used to it.’

‘Miss Selbourne will not need your services any more,’ Marc announced in clipped tones. ‘We have made other arrangements.’

The woman’s eyebrows rose slightly and Nina hastily inserted, ‘This is my … fiancé, Marc Marcello.’

‘Oh … well, then.’ The woman gave a slightly flustered smile.

‘Come on, cara.’ Marc took Nina’s arm and escorted her to the door.

Nina waited until they were outside before she turned on him crossly. ‘You had no right to cancel my arrangements like that!’

He gave her a glowering look as he unlocked his car. ‘Your arrangements were putting my niece at risk. Look at her. She has obviously been crying hysterically; she is feverish and over-tired.’ He took the baby from her arms and cuddled her close, glaring over the top of her head at Nina. ‘I cannot believe you would be so insensitive to leave a clearly distraught baby with total strangers.’

‘Oh, for God’s sake!’ She let out a frustrated breath. ‘Get into the real world, Marc. Mothers all over the world put their children into childcare. They need to in order to work.’

‘But you do not work so it is not necessary for you to engage such services.’ He turned away to secure Georgia in her baby seat in the car.

‘How did you know I was here?’ she asked after a moment of silence. ‘Were you following me?’

He straightened from settling Georgia. ‘In the light of that magazine article, I decided it was wise to keep some tabs on you.’

She gnawed at her bottom lip and then began uncertainly, ‘Marc …’ She tried not to be put off by his stern expression and continued, ‘I haven’t been completely truthful to you. I … I have a job.’

‘What sort of job?’

‘One that pays me money.’

‘That certainly narrows it down a bit,’ he commented dryly. ‘What sort of work do you do?’

‘I’m a librarian.’

She saw the flicker of surprise come and go in his dark gaze as it held hers. ‘Andre did not mention it.’

‘Andre didn’t know. It’s been a … recent thing. I wanted to improve myself … for Georgia’s sake.’

‘Doesn’t one have to study at university in order to be a librarian?’

‘Er … yes, I did that a few years ago … before I … you know … went off the rails a bit.’

Nina knew she was skating on ever thinning ice. She could see the suspicion growing in his eyes as he watched her.

‘How important is this job to you?’ he asked after a small pause.

She looked at the now sleeping baby in her baby seat in the back. ‘Not as important as Georgia,’ she answered softly.

Marc drew in a breath and opened the passenger door for her. ‘Get in. We will talk about this later.’

Nina slipped into the seat and clipped on her belt, all the time wondering if she had blown it. She hoped not, for the thought of never seeing her niece again was unbearably painful.

She spent the rest of the silent journey wondering how she was going to maintain her charade. When she looked up she saw that they were not at her flat but in the driveway of an imposing looking mansion in the exclusive harbourside suburb of Mosman.

She turned in her seat to look at him. ‘This is your house?’

He looked at her for so long without responding that she wondered if she had just made another slip. She’d always assumed that Nadia had met Andre in hotels but it suddenly occurred to her that perhaps she had visited him at home—this home.

‘Do you not remember coming here?’ he asked. She disguised a nervous swallow. ‘It looks vaguely familiar,’ she hedged.

The line of his mouth thinned in anger. ‘You appear to have a very convenient memory pattern, Nina. You simply delete the things you find distasteful to recall.’ He got out of the car and came around to open her door, his expression still tight with fury. ‘Let me remind you, then. You came here the night before Andre was killed, banging on the door and making a general nuisance of yourself. God knows where you had left Georgia. My brother had no choice but to let you in and once inside you tried to seduce him.’ His dark eyes glittered dangerously. ‘Remember now?’

She opened and closed her mouth, not sure how to answer.

‘I could go into more detail if you would like,’ he added. ‘Or are you starting to remember all by yourself?’

‘I don’t need you to tell me how dreadfully I behaved,’ she said, lowering her gaze. ‘I was … upset and lonely, and I didn’t know which way to turn.’

Marc watched her in silence, wondering if he was being too harsh. There was so much about her that was confusing. Just when he thought he had her all figured out she would go and do something that would contradict his assessment of her. Lately he had even started to question all his brother had told him, wondering if Andre had deliberately painted a worse picture in order to exonerate himself from any wrongdoing on his part.

Having a baby without the support of the father was undoubtedly a stressful, worrying experience and, although her behaviour had been outrageous, a part of him wanted to find an excuse so that he didn’t have to hate her quite so strenuously. It had only been just over four months since she’d given birth; she might even be suffering from some sort of hormonal imbalance and the last thing she needed was the heavy hand of judgement. It intrigued him that she could be so shallow one minute and yet so devoted to her daughter the next. Unless it was all an act for his benefit, he knew he would have a fight on his hands convincing any magistrate she wasn’t a fit mother. The truth was, as far as he could tell so far, she was a wonderful mother. The very fact that she had tried to juggle work and childcare in order to provide for her daughter without a handout from him, even though he’d offered it, surely demonstrated that she was keen to turn her bad reputation around.

‘It is pointless discussing it now,’ he said. ‘What is done is done and cannot be undone.’

As they approached the large front door of his house a woman in her late fifties and of Italian descent appeared in its frame. She greeted her employer with deference but the look she cast Nina’s way would have curdled milk.

Marc spoke to her in Italian but, to Nina’s surprise, he didn’t say anything remotely derogatory about her. He simply informed the housekeeper of his plan to marry within the next few days and that Nina and Georgia were to be made as comfortable as possible.

The woman muttered something Nina didn’t quite catch and Marc admonished her. ‘Yes, Lucia, I do know what I am doing and why I am doing it. You will treat both Nina and Georgia with respect at all times.’

The housekeeper grunted something in reply and sidled away as Marc turned to Nina. ‘Just as well you do not understand my language,’ he said. ‘You have not made a good impression, it seems.’

‘No, I imagine not.’

She followed him inside and tried not to look too much in awe of her surroundings, but it was impossible at times not to openly gasp at the priceless works of art which hung from every wall and the plush furnishings that spoke of unlimited wealth.

‘I will have Lucia bring us coffee shortly,’ Marc informed her as he opened the double doors leading to a formal sitting room. ‘But first I would like to speak to you about the arrangements I have made for our marriage.’

Nina followed him into the room, watching as he repositioned Georgia, who was still fast asleep in his arms. He indicated for her to be seated and once she had sunk to the sofa he too sat down, his long legs stretching out in front of him as he tucked Georgia close to his chest.

‘I have to go to Hong Kong on business,’ he said. ‘I will be away until the day before our wedding.’

‘I see.’

‘I would like you to move in here while I am away to settle Georgia into her new home. Lucia can help you with Georgia so you can continue to work, if that is what you would like to do, although you will need to take some leave of absence, as the day after the wedding we will be leaving for a short trip to Sorrento in Italy to visit my father.’

Nina had to stop herself from springing off the sofa in agitation. She stared at him in shock and consternation. She couldn’t leave the country with a child that wasn’t hers! And, even if she dared to do so and wasn’t stopped, how would she cope with a long-haul flight after what had happened the last time she’d flown? Her flight home from a friend’s wedding in Auckland had hit severe turbulence during a storm. It had been the most frightening experience of her life and she had not flown since. The mere thought of boarding a plane made her break out in a sweat, but boarding it with a small child in tow could only be a hundred times worse.

‘I—I can’t go,’ she said. ‘I don’t like flying.’

‘Oh, really?’ He gave her one of his cynical looks. ‘Is this a recent thing?’

‘Yes. I had a bad experience three years ago.’

‘But I assume not bad enough to prevent you from flying to Paris last year to hound Andre,’ he observed.

Nina had forgotten all about Nadia’s trip to Paris.

‘I … It comes and goes. The fear, I mean. Sometimes I’m fine, other times I get all panicky.’

‘Well, perhaps flying in my private jet with my staff to wait on you will alleviate some of your fears,’ he said coolly. ‘I will need your and Georgia’s passports to make the travel arrangements.’

‘I would really prefer not to go.’ She got to her feet and began to pace back and forth. ‘I have to work.’

‘I think in the interests of Georgia you might consider taking leave from work. Most new mothers take a few months off. I am providing you with a generous allowance, so unless you are in particular need of any mental stimulation your job provides, I would suggest taking a break.’

Nina wished she could tell him what to do with his money but unless she went along with Nadia’s plan everything she had fought so hard for would be lost.

‘What am I supposed to do with my time?’ she asked after a moment or two of silence.

‘Look after your child,’ he answered. ‘I do not expect you to do so all on your own, of course. I will help whenever I can and so too will Lucia. She is an experienced mother and grandmother and will do an exemplary job of minding Georgia whenever the need arises.’

‘I don’t want to live here until absolutely necessary.’

‘You have no choice, Nina. I have already contacted your landlord and informed him you will be terminating your lease as of tomorrow.’

‘You had no right to do that!’

‘I have every right. I will be your husband in a matter of days. I would be failing in my duty to protect both you and Georgia if I did not ensure you were safely housed in my home as we begin our life together.’

‘You’re only doing it because you don’t trust me, so don’t insult me by pretending anything else,’ she spat.

‘You are correct. I do not trust you. As soon as my back is turned, no doubt you will be off with one of your men friends, but this way I get to keep Georgia safe.’

‘You make it sound as if I mean to do her harm.’

He held her fiery gaze with equanimity. ‘You may not intentionally mean to do so but your erratic, irresponsible behaviour of the past indicates you do not always act in her best interests.’

‘It seems I have little choice in all of this. You have organised it all without consulting me.’

‘All I have arranged was what we agreed on. We will live as man and wife and jointly raise Georgia until such time as we both feel the marriage is no longer viable.’

‘It’s not viable now! We hate the sight of each other; what sort of marriage is that going to be?’

There was a knock at the door and the housekeeper came in bearing a tray of coffee and biscotti. Marc exchanged a few words with her and she left with a black look cast in Nina’s direction.

‘Do not take any notice,’ Marc said once the housekeeper had left. ‘She had rather a soft spot for my brother.’

‘So, like you, she blames me for his death?’

Marc gave her a studied look before responding. ‘It is hard sometimes for those who are still grieving to see the other side of the story.’ He glanced down at the sleeping infant in his arms and added, ‘It cannot have been easy for you, left alone with a child to raise without her father’s support.’ He lifted his eyes to hers and asked, ‘Did you ever consider an abortion?’

‘I—I was talked out of it.’

‘By whom?’

Nina looked at her hands in her lap. ‘By someone who has done her best to support me through my difficult years.’ ‘A close friend?’

‘More than a close friend,’ she said. ‘More like … a sister.’ There was a small silence.

‘I am glad you did not get rid of her, Nina,’ he said. ‘Georgia is my last link with my brother. Thank you for having her. I know it cannot have been easy, but I cannot tell you how much it will mean to my father to hold Andre’s child in his arms.’

Nina gave him a weak smile as she reached for her cup, her stomach fluttering nervously at the thought of how complicated her life had become. Within days she would be married to Marc Marcello, living with him and jointly raising Georgia as their child.

For now her secret was safe—but how long was it going to be before he realised he had married the wrong woman?

CHAPTER EIGHT

NINA was glad Marc was absent when she and Georgia moved into his house. It was bad enough dealing with the surly housekeeper, who seemed intent on making Nina as unwelcome as possible. Her treatment of Georgia, however, was an entirely different story. Lucia cooed and smiled at the infant with great affection and looked for opportunities to spend time with her alone.

Nina resisted her attempts at first but after a while realised the older woman genuinely cared for Andre’s child so she allowed her to watch her once or twice while she attended to unpacking their things into the bedroom and nursery Marc had assigned.

She had handed in her temporary leave notice at work the day after Marc had left and was surprised how much better she felt knowing Georgia would not have to suffer the fear of separation any longer. The baby seemed happier already and, while she kept telling herself she was probably imagining it, Nina couldn’t help wondering if Georgia was intuitively aware that she was living in her loving uncle’s house and under his protection. Having grown up without a father, Nina knew Georgia would be blessed indeed to have someone as strong and dependable as Marc to nurture her throughout her childhood. It made the sacrifice she was making a little more palatable; her tiny niece would never know the aching sadness of not having a reliable parent to lean on.

* * *

On an impulse she wasn’t entirely sure she understood herself, the day before the ceremony Nina withdrew the last of her savings and bought herself a wedding gown and veil. Without a mother or father to help her prepare for the wedding she had dreamt about for most of her life, she decided that no one was going to stop her being a proper bride, even if the marriage itself was just a sham.

She stood twirling in front of the full-length mirror in the boutique’s fitting room, the soft organza floating around her like a fluffy cloud while Georgia chortled delightedly in the pushchair beside her.

‘So what do you think, Georgia?’ she asked as she lowered the veil over her face. ‘Do I look like a real bride?’

Georgia began to suck on one of her tiny fists, her black-as-raisins eyes bright with alertness as she peered at her aunt through the cloud of fabric.

‘Peek-a-boo!’ Nina crouched down and popped back the veil to expose her face to her niece, who began to chuckle again.

She felt a rush of love fill her at the happy sound and, leaning forward, pressed a soft kiss to the baby’s downy head, her eyes misting over with sudden emotion.

‘One day I hope you will marry a man for all the right reasons, Georgia, a man who will love you to the ends of the earth and back. The way every woman deserves to be loved.’

She straightened and, spreading her voluminous skirts around her, turned to face her reflection in the mirror. The magnolia creamy white of the gown made her eyes a bottomless grey and the tone of her skin like velvet smooth cream. She knew it was quite possibly as close to stunning as she was ever going to get.

Too bad it wouldn’t be appreciated, she thought with a little sigh.

* * *

Nina was still settling Georgia for the night when she heard the sound of Marc’s car returning, the low growl of the powerful engine as it pulled into the sweeping driveway making her stomach turn over in reaction.

In less than twenty-four hours she would be his wife. She would share his name and his life but not his bed.

She heard him enter the house and the sound of his tread on the marble staircase as he approached the nursery where she stood watching Georgia drift off to sleep.

Marc met her eyes in the soft light. ‘Hello.’

‘Hi.’

She stepped away from the cot so he could check on his niece but in the small space she felt the brush of his body against hers and her pulse instantly quickened. She stood to one side and watched as he gazed down at Georgia, his features softening as he listened to the snuffling sound of her breathing.

He looked tired, Nina thought. His eyes were slightly bloodshot as if he hadn’t slept well for days and his jaw looked as if it hadn’t been near a razor for over twenty-four hours. She longed to run her fingers over his face to feel the rough raspy growth through the soft sensitive pads of her fingertips. She wanted to press her lips to the line of his mouth, to make it soften in desire. She wanted to feel him reach for her and.

She jerked away from her wayward thoughts as he turned his head to look at her, his dark gaze tethering hers.

‘Is something wrong?’

‘No.’

‘You look … flustered.’

‘I’m not.’

‘Have you settled in?’

‘Yes.’

‘I would like to talk to you about our trip to Italy,’ he said, moving across to hold the door of the nursery open for her. ‘I will meet you in my study in twenty minutes. I would like to shower and shave first.’

Nina moved past him and made her way downstairs, taking the portable baby monitor with her. Lucia had left for the day so she set a tray with coffee and some cake the housekeeper had baked and carried it through to Marc’s study to wait for him.

He came in a short time later, his black hair glistening with dampness, his face cleanly shaven and his casual jeans and long-sleeved close-fitting black T-shirt making Nina’s pulse start to race.

‘How was your trip?’ she asked, disguising her reaction to him by concentrating on the coffee tray.

He took the cup she had handed him, his eyes meeting hers. ‘Am I to presume you are rehearsing your role as my wife by serving me coffee and asking me such solicitous questions?’

She turned away from the cynicism she could see in his eyes. ‘You can presume what you like. I don’t care how your stupid trip went. I was just being polite.’

‘Do not exert yourself trying to be polite to me, Nina. It does not suit you.’ He took a sip of his coffee but when he met her slightly wounded expression he instantly regretted his terse words. He put the cup down and came across to where she was standing and, taking one of her hands, slowly lifted it to his mouth and pressed a barely there kiss to her fingertips.

She stood transfixed, her heart thudding behind her breast as she held his mesmerizing gaze.

‘Why did you do that?’ she asked.

‘I am not sure,’ he answered somewhat gravely. ‘To tell you the truth, Nina, I sometimes feel when I am with you that I am dealing with two different people.’ He paused for a moment, his dark eyes boring into hers before he added musingly, ‘I wonder which one I will be marrying tomorrow.’

Nina pulled her hand out of his and put some distance between them as she tried to stem her rising panic.

‘I can’t imagine what you mean by that. You make it sound as if I have some sort of multiple personality disorder.’

‘My brother told me many things about you but I am at a loss for I do not see any evidence of those things that disturbed him the most.’

‘Perhaps I’ve changed,’ she said, deliberately avoiding his eyes. ‘People do, you know. Having a child is a very life-changing event.’

‘Undoubtedly, but I cannot help thinking there must be more to it than that.’

‘W-what do you mean?’ She gave him a wary glance, her hands twisting in knots in front of her.

Marc watched the play of emotions on her face, the shadow of worry in her eyes and the way her smooth forehead adopted that slightly anxious look that he found so incredibly engaging. He had spent the whole time he was away thinking about her, wondering what it would be like to sleep with her, to have her long blonde hair splayed over his chest, her slim limbs entwined with his, her body satiated by his. It was as if, knowing she was forbidden to him, his body had decided to crave her relentlessly. He could feel it now, the steady throb of desire pounding through his veins, making him hard just looking at her.

He wanted to hate her, needed to hate her in order to keep her at a distance, but in spite of all his efforts his hatred was slipping away to be replaced by something much more dangerous.

‘I sometimes feel as if my brother was talking about someone else entirely. It just does not add up.’

Nina was at a loss to know what to say in response. She thought of chipping back with a Nadia-type retort but couldn’t bring herself to do it.

‘Have you nothing to say, Nina?’ he asked after another long silence.

She lifted her gaze to his, deciding the only way out of this was a complete change of subject. ‘You said you wanted to discuss our journey to Italy. When do we leave?’

‘We will leave the day after the ceremony. I will get Lucia to pack for you. She will accompany us to help with Georgia.’ He reached for his discarded cup and refilled it from the pot before turning back to her. ‘I should warn you that my father will not welcome you with open arms. He is an ill man who is still grieving. I will try to protect you from any unnecessary unpleasantness but I cannot guarantee things will be easy.’

‘I understand.’

‘The ceremony will be conducted at ten a.m. tomorrow,’ he said. ‘It will be a low-key affair as befits the circumstances.’

Marc watched as she made a movement towards the door as if she couldn’t wait to be rid of him. He considered calling her back but thought better of it. It was asking for trouble to spend too much time alone with her. He was already treading a very fine line and it wasn’t going to take too much to push him over.

As the door closed softly behind her, he wondered if he was more than halfway there already.

CHAPTER NINE

MARC stood at the foot of the stairs the next morning and watched as Nina came down dressed in full bridal regalia. She gave him a defiant look from beneath her veil as she traversed the last steps.

‘You look very nice,’ he said, giving her a wry look. ‘Going somewhere special?’

She twitched her train out of his way as she moved past him. ‘Nowhere special, I just felt like dressing up.’

She was certainly dressed up, Marc thought with an inward frown. She looked absolutely stunning, just as a real bride should look. Why had she done it?

Nina stood silently beside Marc half an hour later as the brief ceremony was performed. ‘You may kiss the bride.’

Her eyes widened in alarm at the celebrant’s words, her palms sticky with sudden nerves as Marc turned towards her, his hands reaching out to lift the gossamer of her veil from her face.