Her Brooding Italian Boss (4 page)

Because there were no lights in the pool area, he thought Laura Beth must have been more tired than she’d thought and retired to her room. Glad he didn’t have to face her until the next day, he headed back to the office to turn off the light.

But when he stepped inside, he stopped dead in his tracks. There, behind the stacks of unopened mail and the wide computer monitor, was Laura Beth.

He raced to the desk. “What are you doing?”

She looked up at him. “I’ve been sitting here fighting the temptation to read your mail.” She pointed at one open fan letter. “I know you well enough that I could answer that for you. And any letter like it.”

Fear collided with anger. But the stacks appeared to be untouched. The computer hadn’t been turned on. She couldn’t have seen anything.

His head began to pound anyway. Still, he calmed his voice before he said, “You went into my office without permission.”

“I didn’t touch anything but this one letter that was already open.” She met his gaze. “Plus, it’s my job to get you organized.”

He sucked in a breath. Memories of finding his wife’s itineraries and the matching itineraries of her lovers swam through him, making him shake with anger. Not at Laura Beth, but at his wife. At her shameless audacity. And his just plain stupidity. Add to that the abortion information. The appointment on the calendar. The payment in her check registry. The way she hadn’t even tried to hide the fact that she’d taken his child from him.

How the hell could he face that? How could he face another person knowing that his wife hadn’t even told him of the pregnancy?

It took great effort for him to soften his voice, but he did it. “I’m not ready for this.”

She pointed at the stacks of papers again. “You don’t have to be ready. If most of this is fan mail, I can answer it. I can create lists of requests for charitable events. I can coordinate your schedule with Olivia,” she said, referring to her friend, who was also his manager. “And I think that’s Constanzo’s point. A smart PA could do a lot of this work for you.”

“I don’t want you in here! I don’t want anybody in here!”

His shout echoed off the walls of the quiet office. Laura Beth shrank back, her big green eyes round and frightened.

He ran his hand along his nape. “I’m sorry. But this will not work for me.” He motioned for her to rise. “Please come out from behind the desk.”

She rose and stepped away from his desk.

“You are welcome to stay for the next two weeks. Rest in the sun. Be a tourist. Hell, I can take you around to see the sights. But I do not want a PA.”

To his great dismay, her lower lip trembled.

“Seriously. When you return to New York, you can stay in Constanzo’s penthouse. And Constanzo is writing a check for a huge severance.”

The lower lip stopped trembling as fire came into her green eyes. “What?”

“This is Constanzo’s mistake. He will pay for it.”

“I don’t want your severance! I want a job. I’m insulted by your charity when it’s pretty clear I could earn my keep, and even more clear that you need me.”

To his surprise, she propelled herself toward him and stood directly in front of him. The tinge of flush in her cheeks matched the glitter of anger in her green eyes. Heat poured from her, triggering his attraction. He’d always loved the way she could stand up for herself.

“I don’t want to go home! I want this job. I need this job!”

She stepped closer. The raw power in her glittering eyes hit him like a punch in the gut. He hadn’t seen this kind of passion in years. Hadn’t felt it himself in forever. It was everything he could do not to pull her to him and kiss her senseless to capture it.

He stepped back. “You think you want this job. You think living in Italy will be a grand adventure. But trust me. You will miss your city and your family.”

She eliminated the distance between them again. The fire in his belly spiked. He caught her gaze. Was she daring him to kiss her?

She didn’t back down. She stood toe to toe with him. Fire matching fire. “And you can trust me when I tell you that I will not regret being thousands of miles away from my family. I need to be here. I want this job!”

He snorted in derision. He was feeling passion. She was talking about a job. He must really be tired to be so far off base, thinking a woman was daring him to kiss her when she was simply fighting to keep her job.

He turned away, started walking to the door.

Quiet, but close, as if she’d followed him, her voice drifted to him. “Antonio, I need to be away from my family and friends. For a while. I have more than job troubles to figure out.” She said nothing until he faced her again, then she caught his gaze. “I’m pregnant.”

CHAPTER FOUR

“P
REGNANT
?”

Laura Beth watched Antonio, her heart chugging, her nerve endings glittering. Her announcement might have settled him down, but while they’d argued, she’d seen something in his eyes. She’d expected anger and had been prepared to deal with it, but the smoldering gazes? Sweet, considerate Antonio had been replaced by sexy Antonio, a man who looked as though he wanted to kiss her.

The only way she could think to deal with it was to tell him the truth, and now here they were, talking about something she wasn’t even ready to announce.

She stepped back. “I’m only two months along, but pregnant all the same.”

He rubbed his hands across his eyes, as if confused. Whatever had been happening with him in that argument had disappeared, and he was back to being sweet Antonio, her friend.

“I’m a man. Right now I have no idea if it’s appropriate to say congratulations or offer sympathy. I mean, I know this is trouble for you, but babies are wonderful.” He shook his head. “And my dad? He goes bananas over babies. Boy or girl. It doesn’t matter. He’s a cuddler.”

A laugh bubbled up. Not just from relief. He’d made her think about the baby as a baby. A little girl. Or a little boy. She wasn’t just going to be a mother; she was getting a baby.

“Congratulations are what I want.”

“So the father’s on board?”

She swallowed hard, not sure what to say. But she’d be answering this question for the remaining seven months of her pregnancy, so she might as well get used to it.

“No.” She cleared her throat. “Let’s just say his response was less than enthusiastic.”

“And there’s no wedding in your future?”

“He doesn’t want to see me again or see the baby at all.”

Antonio pointed a finger at her. “With my dad’s lawyers, we can force him to be part of the baby’s life.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want him to. He said he would send child support, but only if no one knows it’s coming from him.”

“I think you just blew that by telling me.”

She paced away. “If he doesn’t want to be part of our baby’s life, then I don’t want him to be. I think an angry dad would do more harm than good. And I don’t want his money.”

Thankfully, Antonio refrained from pointing out the obvious: that she needed money too much to turn any down. Instead, he asked, “What do you want?”

She shrugged and spread her hands. “Time. I have to tell my conservative parents that their little girl is about to become a mom with no father for her child. Ultimately, I’ll need a job that supports not just me, but me and a baby. So working for you kind of solved all my problems.”

He winced. “You can stay.”

Hope blossomed in her chest. Being here was the perfect opportunity for her. But she couldn’t take charity. “And be your assistant?”

“You’re my friend. You don’t have to work for your keep.”

She stormed over to him. “Yes! I do! I can’t be a charity case. Don’t you see?”

He sighed and shook his head. “All I see is a woman with a lot of pride.”

“Oh, yeah?” She crossed her arms on her chest. “What I see is a man with a lot of pride. You’re fighting with your dad about hiring one measly assistant—whom you need—and you won’t budge an inch! Why won’t you let me work for you?”

“We’re friends. I should be able to let you stay in my home as a guest, not an employee.”

“That’s not why you’re fighting Constanzo.”

He gaped at her. “Now you’re telling me how I feel?”

“Before you knew I was pregnant, you didn’t want me working for you. You said you don’t want a PA. But it’s clear you need one. So obviously there’s a reason you’re fighting having someone work for you.”

He sighed.

“Fine. Don’t tell me. Because I don’t care. What I do care about is earning my keep. And just from the glance I got at your mail, it was clear that I could at least answer your fan letters. I minored in accounting, so I could also keep track of your money. Anything else in your office, in your life, in your world, I wouldn’t care about.”

He sighed again. “You are a pregnant woman who needs a rest. Just take the time here with me to have some fun.”

She raised her chin. “No. If you won’t let me work, I won’t take your charity. Not even your offer of Constanzo’s penthouse. I’m going home.”

“You don’t have a home to go back to.”

“I’ll think of something.”

“If I tell Constanzo you’re pregnant and refusing a few weeks of rest, he won’t let you use his plane.”

“Then I’ll fly commercial.”

He raised his hands in defeat and slapped them down again. “You can’t afford that.”

“I know. But I’ll be fine.”

“No. You won’t!”

“Then let me stay here for two weeks as your assistant. If you don’t like what I do or still feel you don’t need someone at the end of two weeks, I’ll take another two weeks to rest and then go home.”

He stalled, as if unaccustomed to someone compromising. His brow furrowed. His expression and demeanor were so different than five minutes ago that confusion billowed through her. When they’d first begun arguing, before he’d known she was pregnant, his eyes had been sharp. Glowing. She could have sworn he wanted to kiss her.

Her eyes narrowed again. He might have been seductive Antonio, but he hadn’t made a move to kiss her. It was as if he had been daring
her
to step closer—

Had he been daring her to step closer?

He might have been. But to what end? She’d been close enough to kiss, yet he hadn’t kissed her.

She swallowed just as he said, “Really? If I let you work for me for two weeks then you’ll spend another two weeks resting and not arguing about going home?”

“Yes, I’ll get out of your hair if you let me work for two weeks and rest for two more. But that’s if you still want me to go home.” Her voice shook a bit as she considered that he might have actually been attracted to her. If she hadn’t told him about being pregnant...he might have kissed her. Just the thought almost made her swoon.

Telling herself it was foolishness to deal in
what if
s, she said, “But who knows? You might—” she swallowed again “—like me.”

Her heart thrummed as their gazes met. He didn’t seem to get the double meaning.

He broke their connection and stepped back. “Constanzo can help you find a job in New York.”

She smiled sadly. Before he’d discovered she was pregnant he might have found her attractive, but he didn’t now. Though something in her heart pinched, it was okay. It had to be okay. She had bigger worries than disappointment over being wanted one minute and discarded the next. After all, why would a man who’d been married to a supermodel want a pregnant commoner?

She took a step back too. “I’d have to make a ton of money to be able to live in New York on my own, especially with the added expense of a baby. If I couldn’t make it as a single woman, it’s pretty far-fetched to think I could make it as a single mom. At the wedding, I thought about finding new roommates, but I now realize it might be impossible to find two women who want to share the small amount of space we could afford with an infant. I think, in the end, I’m going to have to go back to Kentucky. Live with my parents until the baby is born and then hope I can find a job.”

* * *

The sadness in her voice sat on Antonio’s shoulders like a cold, wet coat. Two minutes ago, she’d been so fiery he’d wanted to kiss her. But suddenly she’d become meek, docile.

Not that he wasn’t glad. Now that he knew she was pregnant, everything inside him had frozen with a new kind of fear. The last thing he needed in his life was someone who would remind him of the child he had lost. He might be able to keep her in his home for the four weeks of rest she needed, four weeks before her pregnancy showed...but he couldn’t handle watching another man’s baby grow when he knew his own child had been cast aside.

She pointed behind her to the door. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to go to the kitchen to make a sandwich.”

“I’ll show you—”

She waved a hand to stop him. “I’m fine. I really do need some time by myself.”

She turned and walked out of the room, and he fell to the tall-backed chair behind the desk and rubbed his hands down his face. The man who loved peace and quiet now had a constantly hungry pregnant woman in his home. Pregnant. As in with child. Here was a single woman with no money who was willing to beg and sacrifice to figure out what to do with her life so she could keep her child—and his wealthy wife, who could have hired all the help in the world, had aborted his baby.

He squeezed his eyes shut. He had to get her out of his house before her pregnancy showed, before the constant reminder drove him insane with sadness and anger.

But he wouldn’t do it at the expense of her feelings. She’d left his office believing she’d done something wrong, when she had done nothing wrong. His jumbled emotions had caused him to react poorly.

He should apologize tonight, before she went to bed, so she didn’t take the weight of this job loss on her shoulders like one more mistake.

He bounced out of his chair and headed for the kitchen, but when he got there it was empty. And clean. Not even a bread crumb on a countertop.

Regret tightened his stomach. He hoped to God he hadn’t upset her so much she’d decided not to eat. Thinking that she might have gone outside for some fresh air before making her snack, he waited in the kitchen for twenty minutes. But she never came in.

Irritation with himself poured through him. Of course he’d upset her by telling her she couldn’t stay. She was pregnant and sensitive. Right now she was probably taking responsibility for everything that happened to her.

Knowing he had to apologize and make her see it wasn’t her fault that he couldn’t keep her, he headed upstairs to her room. The strip of light below the white door to her bedroom indicated she was inside, and he knocked once.

“Laura Beth?”

There was no answer, but the light told him she was still awake, probably reading the science fiction novel she’d had on the plane.

He knocked again. “Laura Beth?”

This time when she didn’t answer, he sighed heavily. She might want her privacy, but he didn’t want a sleepless night, angry with himself for being the cause of her anxiety and going to bed hungry. And he didn’t want her upset with herself.

He twisted the knob. “I’m coming in.”

As soon as the door opened, he knew why she hadn’t answered. Sprawled across the bed, wrapped in the bath towel she’d used after showering, lay his houseguest. Her toes hung off the side. Her hair fell down her long, sleek back. The towel cruised across her round buttocks.

The fact that she was angry with him disappeared from his brain like a puff of smoke as interest and curiosity fluttered inside him. He told himself to get out of her room. She was sleeping. Obviously exhausted. And tiptoeing closer was not a very gentlemanly thing to do.

But right at that moment, he didn’t feel like a gentleman. The artist in him awoke and cautiously eyed the smooth lines of her back, the long sweep that spoke of classic femininity, the perfect milk-white skin interrupted by dark locks of hair that shimmered when she sniffed and shifted in her sleep.

Longing to paint coiled through him. Swift and sharp, it stole his breath. His fingers twitched, yearning for the slim wooden handle of a paintbrush, and also pulling him out of his trance.

Oh, dear God.

He squeezed his eyes shut.
He’d wanted to paint her.
For real. At the wedding he’d wanted to capture the expression in her eyes, but that had been more like a wish.

What he’d just felt was a genuine yearning to see her form on a canvas, to bring her essence to life.

Excitement raced through him and he studied her back, her hair, her peaceful face against the soft white pillow. His unwanted attraction to her blossomed, but the desire to paint didn’t return.

Anguish filled him, but he brushed it off. He couldn’t explain the fleeting moment of wanting to paint her, but it was gone and that might be for the best. His decision to let her go was a good one. Even if his ability to paint returned, he could not paint her. It could take weeks to get the image of her he wanted and by that time she’d be showing and he’d experience all the sadness of the loss of his child a hundred times over.

He quietly tiptoed backward toward the door and left her as she lay.

* * *

The next morning, Laura Beth awakened to the bright Italian sun peeking in through the blinds behind the sheer aqua curtains. She stretched luxuriously on the smooth, cool sheets that felt like—terry cloth?

Her brow furrowed and she looked down with a gasp as the events of the night before tumbled back. She’d been too tired to make herself something to eat but had forced herself to shower, then she’d fallen asleep before she could even get into pajamas. Pregnancy was full of surprises.

But that was fine. Today was the second day of her life as a realist. No more dreaming or rhapsodizing for her. She had a child to consider. She might have told Antonio the night before that she envisioned herself going back to Kentucky, but that wasn’t the optimal plan. Her parents would eventually come around and love the baby, no matter that it didn’t have a participating father and that their daughter wasn’t married. But there weren’t a lot of jobs for IT—information technology—people in Starlight, Kentucky, the small town in which she’d grown up. If she was going to earn a decent living, it would be by getting a job where she could use her degree. And that was what she needed to consider while she had this one-month reprieve. She had to think about exactly what kind of job she could do and in what city she would find it.

She dressed in her best jeans—which were nonetheless worn—and a pink tank top, then ambled downstairs feeling a little better. Because she’d slept later than she normally did, her morning sickness was barely noticeable. Antonio might not be giving her a shot to prove that she could be a good assistant, but she needed time to really think through her options. And he was giving it to her. In beautiful Italy.

Technically, she was lucky.