by Joyce Jordan
All three laugh. Then seem to remember why Moira was in this predicament. She hadn’t practised safe sex.
“Anyway, we go through the wallet and find nothing. Fortunately the phone doesn’t have a password so we go through the contact list and find what we think could be the numbers for his parents. We think it’s probably easier to try the dad first and we get lucky. When a whole entourage of people come through the hospital doors, it hits us that this is some rich high society person. The police had let me go from the scene of the crime, and now they are at the hospital where they question me again, then question Moira, and when Antonio wakes up, he collaborates part of our story.”
“Fortunately I don’t have any injuries besides my foot. Nothing major. I get crutches and am discharged the next morning. The police have some information and we find out that my cousin was behind it all. So we don’t press charges trying to keep it within the family,” Antonio said. “My cousin’s dad who has since passed, was seriously ill at the time. So we didn’t think he could handle the news of what his son had just tried to do. Unfortunately, over the years, he has continued to be a pain in my side, but fortunately nothing as serious as that day.”
They were quiet as their plates were removed and dessert was brought it.
“Once I was discharged we go to find Sam and Moira. My mother doesn’t know how to express her gratitude for her only son. And when she finds out that they were now on their own, she practically adopts them. She sets up ten million dollar trust funds for them, flies them here for about a week and makes them promise to keep in touch. And since then we talk from time to time, everytime I come to Miami, we hang out. They are like the brother and sister I never had, so to answer your question Sam, yes, I may have misled you.” he pushed his plate away, then continued, “I was protecting my little sister. Not necessarily from you, but from King over there.” He sighed. “But at the time you called, I told you she wasn’t in Rome. At the time she was still in the air. Had you called after she had arrived, I would have told you she was here,” Antonio told him.
“I appreciate you looking out for her. Although a hint would have been nice.”
“Would you have been able to keep King in the dark?” Antonio asked.
“Probably not for long. I for one wasn’t keen on their relationship from the get go. I almost had a heart attack when she told me. It helped that I had some time to think about it before I confronted him. I knew if I said anything negative they would just meet behind my back. And besides when I saw how far gone Conrad was, I knew I would at least get the satisfaction of seeing him chase his tail. And until she ran away, it’s been pretty fun seeing Mr. CEO here be whipped into shape by little Moira,” he said laughing at Conrad.
“I would have paid to see that,” Antonio replied grinning in Conrad’s direction.
“Back then I would have denied everything, but not now. She is the one for me, and I have come for her. I really would like to see her now, if you are both done with laughing at my expense.”
“Actually she had made plans to return on Friday. But we can go home to see her, although I will need to prepare her for your arrival. No, that part is not negotiable. And you can rest assured she won’t run away.” Antonio stood and they followed. “You can follow me, and I will need at least thirty minutes with her. Hopefully less. Gentlemen, if you are opposed you can forget it. You may as well wait until she is back in Miami,” he said forcefully.
“As much as it galls me to say it, I agree,” Conrad hissed.
“Oh come on King, we are family now. You and me at family gatherings, what can be more fun?” he asked with mischief in his eyes.
“After today, I hope to never set eyes on you,” Conrad replied.
Antonio laughed with glee. “Even if I don’t see you after you return, you can bet on the land you stole from me that come November I will be front and center in your face.”
“November? Ah! You can forget about being there for the birth of my child. I’ll slap you with a restraining order so fast your pretty Italian face will set into a freeze.”
“I’d like to see you try.”
“Guys, I hope this is not how you are going to behave in front of Moira,” Sam stepped in trying to bring some sense into the two who were acting like kindergartens.
“Moira already knows what a scumbag King is. Why do you think she didn’t want to marry him?”
“De Marco, I swear the only thing keeping you alive and in one piece right now is that I need to get to Moira. Once I do, all bets are off. So why don’t you be a good little prince and take me to her.”
“All in good time baby daddy.” Conrad swung and hit Antonio in the jaw. He saw the blow coming but reacted a little to slowly. It hurt like a bitch but fortunately he had swerved so didn’t get the full force of the blow.
Sam grabbed Conrad off Antonio before it became a full fledged fight. “You two can beat each other to a pulp for all I care, but at least tell your security to let me in so I can see my sister,” he shouted at them.
“Fine. I’ll call her.” He pulled his cell from his pocket and dialled. When Moira was located and came on the line they only heard his side of the conversation. “Bella! I’m on my way home. How about some tea when I get there.”
He listened while Moira responded.
“In our secret place. I have some good and bad news.”
He laughed at whatever she said to him.
“I’ll be right there. And if you like the news, we could celebrate. Ciao bella.”
Then he turned to face them. Conrad was rediating with rage. “You have a secret place with Moira? What the fuck have you been doing to her? I swear if you touched her, that death I promised you, will be slow and painful.”
“Ha! Ha! I am shaking in my Italian loafers,” he replied.
“Time out. Can we go now?” Sam intervened thinking they were both lucky to have been single children. They might have killed their siblings.
Antonio smirked at Conrad then led the way out. When they got on the road, their convoy was ridiculously long. As if a dignitary was coming through. Traffic was light and they seemed to have taken a short cut back to the Castle. They were shown to some room while Antonio left in a different direction. It was torture waiting while knowing Moira was just a few steps away.
π
Moira was surprised when she got the call from Antonio saying he was coming home early. She wondered what news he had, but something about him was a little off. And for the life of her she couldn’t understand what he had meant by referring to their secret place. So she just decided it would be safer if she waited in her bedroom. These were her last few days. She dressed up not because it was expected of her, but it was fun playing dress up. When she opened her door to greet Antonio, she swore that even after hours at the office, not a hair was out of place. She had teased him about it the first few days. And now he was cutting his hours at the office short. Should she get worried?
“Antonio, I know I will be leaving in two days, but you don’t have to play baby sitter,” she admonished him.
He kissed her cheek in greeting. “What can I say, you make a lovely baby. And I don’t even need to get paid for it.”
“You were a bit cryptic on the phone. What’s going on? Why do you look like you were brawling?”
“This?” he said touching his side. “Just some misunderstanding at the office with an old enemy of mine. But let’s have tea first,” he said to her. He guided her out and took the direction of his study.
“Should I be worried Antonio?”
“No. Besides, its not good for my godchild. And just to set you mind at peace, I had some fun today. But I’ll tell you all about it after tea.”
“The doctor was here this morning, he say everything looks okay. And when I get back, I’ll probably see my OB/GYN sometime that first week,” she told him. “I know I am not yet showing but it’s exciting. And if only the baby daddy and me could come to some agreement.”
Moira
played hostess and poured the tea and handed Antonio his cup. She then placed a couple of thin slices of cake and placed that in front of him and did the same for herself.
“So are you going to marry him, or live together?”
“Marrying is out of the question. At least not just for the sake of the baby. But I am not opposed to living with him. He’s a great guy despite your hatred of each other. And I’ll need you to behave when you come and visit,” she told him.
“Tell that to the fucker,” Antonio mumbled.
“What was that?”
“Nothing bella. I think I can be civil if he can,” he said instead.
“That’s good, because I can’t have my child’s father and godfather at loggerheads. How’s Little Bo Peep supposed to turn out?”
“You know the boy would turn out better if you named him Antonio, or Antonia if it’s a girl?”
“Be that as it may be, but I think Conrad would stroke, unless of course whatever issues you told me about are now water under the bridge?” she asked hopefully.
“Moira, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Maybe you should ask him how he feels first.”
“I intend to, as soon as I get back to Miami,” she said.
“How about right now?” he asked.
“You want to call him? No, it’s better if we have this conversation face to face. Conrad can be a little tricky to deal with.”
He hollered with laughter. “I think you know him better than I gave you credit for. But I meant face to face right now.”
Finally it sank in. “You mean he is here in Rome? How did he find me?” But she wasn’t afraid anymore. If it had happened two weeks ago, she would have turned tail and ran.
“Yes, in the castle,” he responed looking for panic. And when he found none, he continued, “And he found a picture of the two of us from that after premiere party. Apparently someone had a hidden camera and took a few pictures, one of which was of the two of us.”
“Flora showed it to me, but I didn’t expect him to read an Italian newspaper, so I didn’t think much about it,” she told him.
“So what do you say? Sam too is here,” he told her. “If you don’t want to see them, I’ll just have King escorted off the property, but Sam has the option to stay. You know both you are equally welcome here.”
“No, no. It’s fine. I’ll see them. It’s just two days earlier than I thought, that’s all,” she said and took a deep breath.
He escorted her to the family room where Sam and Conrad were pacing the floor. Sam was quicker to react and hugged her tight to him. He loosened his hold when she laughed and told him the baby couldn’t breathe.
Conrad stood glued to the floor, a little unsure of his welcome. Moira walked to him and palmed his cheek. He put his hand on top of hers and breathed in. “Moira baby. Please tell me I am not dreaming?”
Moira stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips softly.
He engulfed her and returned the kiss, telling her how much he had missed her and how sorry he was. They touched foreheads and smiled. “I missed you too and I’m sorry.”
“No baby. I am the one who is sorry. Very sorry. If you come home I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you and being the best damned baby daddy ever to walk on this earth.”
“Yes,” she simply said.
“Oh baby,” Conrad said and then kissed her again. It was a relearning experience. They kissed like both new and old lovers. They took their time and enjoyed being back together.
Finally the other voices in the room pernetrated through the fog.
“Now that everyone has kissed and made up, I bet it’s safe to say that you will all be sleeping here, yes?”
Conrad looked at Moira. She nodded and on Antonio seeing that, he snickered at Conrad. They arranged for two of his men to collect their belongings from the hotel. As they waitied for their bags, Conrad and Sam updated Moira on what had happened when she left. At first Conrad had refused to go through it again, but finally relented. None of them had gone to work that first week, searching high and low. They had been frustrated when not even a single lead had surfaced. They couldn’t believe that someone not in some type of law enforcement could vanish without a trace like that. Conrad had paid professionals to trace her steps, and poof nothing. It had looked like the perfect crime.
They had about three hours before dinner. Antonio suggested that they relax after the long flight and then they would meet up for dinner. Sam was given his old room, and Conrad opted to go with Moira. When Moira’s didn’t refuse, he was relieved thinking he may have pushed the gun.
When they got to her room, he undressed her, then he undressed himself. He picked up up, pulled the duvet and top sheet down then carefully placed her in between and followed behind her. He turned her to face away from him and held her tightly to his body. “I haven’t slept more than a couple of hours each night. I hope it’s okay if I just hold you baby. I just need to make sure this is real.”
Moira nodded and within a short time they both fell asleep. A couple of hours later, Moira woke to a knock on the door. She tried to get out of bed, but Conrad had her locked to him with his arms and legs. Clearly he wasn’t taking any chances. She realized he would eventully be woken up by the knock, so she shook him awake. They had about an hour before dinner. When he woke up he let her go and she took her robe from the chair in the corner then went to the door. Flora was outside. She had been sent to make sure they would make it to dinner on time. Meals at the castle were all about being done at specific times. Moira thanked her and went back inside.
“That was Flora, the maid Antonio assigned to me. She wanted to make sure we were up and getting ready for dinner,” Moira told a still in bed Conrad. She proceeded to the bathroom and started filling up the bathtub. She had gotten used the taking baths and with the slower life she had been living for the past weeks, it made perfect sense. She found him still sitting in bed. “Conrad. Did you hear a word I said?” she asked.
“Yes, but I am just enjoying the parade too much to get up. You know your breasts are so much fuller now. I hope you will breast feed,” he said.
“Keep talking and you will be sleeping in your own room tonight,” she told him and went to the closet. Moira laughed when she heard someone tripping and swearing. He must have tried to rush out of bed and entangled himself. She found a dress she wanted to wear and came back and placed it on the bed.
“Can we talk about that last comment you just made?” he said coming to her. Naked in his glory.
“Sure. I said the sooner we go for dinner, the sooner we can be back and then I get to fuck your brains out. That plain enough for you?”
“Jesus Moira!” Conrad exclaimed and sat on the bed behind him. Clearly she had flustered him. Moira dropped to her knees and took his gorgeous cock in her hands. She just took him in her lips and savoured his taste and pulled while lightly caressing his balls. “Oh Fuck Moira!” He hissed and clenched his teeth like a man in absolute pain. “It’s been over four weeks. Too damn long to come that fast.” His hands held her head and he tried to pull her off. Moira breathed deeper then took him whole againand sucked her cheeks in and Conrad lost the battle and errupted. He came hard and fast and errupted what seemed like cups and cups of cum.
Moira stood. “Now get your ass in the shower and don’t be late.” She walked out of the bedroom and left him still trying to get himself under control. She settled in the bathwater and leaned against the back. She saw him enter the bathroom, then he looked from the shower to the bathtub. When she saw him step next to the bathtub, she leaned over and he stepped in behind her.
“That was quite the performance Moira. You know I’m going to be as brutal when I return the favor?”
“Oh, I’m counting on it. It’s been four and half weeks of abstinence for me too. Friday would have made it five weeks. I’m as horny as they come, so be prepared,” she said and immediately felt his cock thicken again behind her.
“Game on baby,” he told her then s
tarted washing her. When she was done, he helped her out of the tub, then washed himself.
They made their way to the library and found Sam and Antonio sharing an evening brandy. Antonio poured a glass for Conrad then a ginger ale for Moira.
“So you boys want to tell me why Conrad hit Antonio?” Moira asked. She had seen the way Conrad’s gave stayed too long on the blue/black side of Antonio’s jaw.
All three men almost choked, then looked away guiltily.
“I’m wating,” she reminded them.
“It was just a slight misunderstanding,” Conrad told her.
“After which he threatened my body parts,” Antonio added.
“Moira, it’s best you don’t ask more. They are like two year olds once they start,” Sam told her.
“Well, whatever has happened in the past, it stops now. If you can’t kiss and make up, then neither of you will be welcome at my baby’s birth,” she told them.
“Well, I can’t be absent, I am the baby’s father,” Conrad sneered at Antonio.
“Same here, I am the baby’s godfather,” he grinned gleefully at Conrad.
“You’re what? Over my dead body.”
“Well, that can be arranged.”
Sam turned to Moira to say you see what I meant. They looked ready to go at it. Whatever business deals had gone south with them must have been pretty bad.
“Moira, please tell me this fucker is delusional. How can he be the godfather?” Conrad pleaded.
“Sorry, Conrad. I should have discussed it with you. He’s a good guy and will be a great godfather to Little Bo Peep.”
“Baby…”
“Conrad. Please.”
“Okay, but supervised visits.”
