Baby Steps

by Lily Zante

  “And there’s me thinking you only came because you were afraid I’d go and visit that other family.”

  He winced. It had been a factor—but it hadn’t been the only reason. “I didn’t like the idea of you turning up on the doorstep of people whose child had been hurt by something they bought from you. What made you think you were safe going to see them?”

  “You were right all along,” she said, lying back down with her cheek against his chest. “I was crazy silly to do that but I have no intention of doing something so stupid again.”

  “And now that you’re talking about selling out, and I don’t see that making you happy.” When she didn’t say anything, he pressed her further. “Is that what you really want to do?”

  She shrugged, still silent as she lay on his chest. “Ava?”

  “Isn’t that what you want?” she asked.

  “I want you to be happy. Running your business makes you happy but I don’t want to see you killing yourself, running yourself to the ground—rushing everywhere and struggling to do everything, sitting at your desk feeding Elisabetta and checking your emails at 2am. I just want you to slow down. I’m scared you’ll make yourself ill. But I also know that you love what you do, Ava, or at least you used to love it.”

  “I know. I love it when I don’t have lawsuits and other problems to deal with.”

  “You were this ambitious and strong minded woman I met and fell in love with, and you’re still the same now except that we have a baby and you’re still trying to carry on the way you did before. You can’t. Something has to give.”

  “That’s why I considered selling out.”

  “You don’t have to sell. Just get more help. Give Kim more responsibility, take on more help at home. Work when you’re at work and play when you’re at home, play with me,” he begged, his soft brown eyes twinkling as he said it.

  She dropped a kiss on his lips because it was hard not to.

  “We’ll get through this together, Ava.” He needed for her to know how much he was going to be there for her. He took her hand. “I came here because I missed you and Elisabetta. Because I didn’t want to make the same mistake my father did. Because when you told me you were thinking of bailing out on your business I knew something was wrong. Because I’ve been a jerk lately, and because I love you and I’m no longer putting you second. I never intentionally put you second, but the papers and the media, and the pressure, the cost of not opening…I couldn’t find the time to fit you in and I’m sorry.” She rolled on top of him and he wrapped his arms around her waist. “I came here because I miss my wife, and because she won’t make love with me anymore.” She licked her lips and smiled when he said it. “I miss those nights with her.”

  She stared down at him with dark eyes and he knew what that look meant. His hands slipped down to her blouse, his fingers working quickly to unbutton it. They kissed for longer, their mouths and bodies melting into each other. It had been too long.

  She hoisted herself up a little to make it easy for him as he fumbled and felt his way around her clothing. “Nico,” she murmured, and he hoped this wasn’t an I’m-not-ready-yet announcement. It didn’t seem to be, the way her fingers trailed along his chest. Hope grew as sharply as his excitement. Nothing was going to get in the way today. Not leaky breasts or other excuses. He stroked her hair, his fingers itching to stroke her skin, to trail along her collarbone and slip lower. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered, his voice hoarse, his skin prickly with anticipation. He tugged off her blouse and stared at her hungrily. She wasn’t wearing a maternity bra today and he was desperate to strip her down but he was also wary of letting the pace be something she controlled even if it killed him to slow down.

  “Nico,” she said, in a voice that promised much. “It’s been too long…” And then she licked her lips and bent down and licked his lower lip, slowly, teasing, dragging out the moment, making time slow down while his insides shuddered and jolted and waited for release.

  Damn right it had been too long. Months of no sex made him feel like a virgin at a bachelor party. He couldn’t wait, not when she looked at him like that, her scorching gaze sending shockwaves through his body, it took all of his restraint to hold back, to keep up the pretense that he had this under control. He could no more control this than he could the twitch between his legs, or his heavy breathing. He could no longer hold back, and his mouth sunk to her neck. In the next moment they were a chorus of strangled noises, soft mewls and moans with hands and fingers flying everywhere, each trying to remove the other’s clothing. Hungry lips teased and sucked, and tongues sought and thrashed. In seconds he was down to his boxers and she wore only her bra and panties.

  He didn’t wait for her to take off his boxers. He fumbled, pulling them down as best as he could while still lying down, and then he watched as she pulled her panties down, and then at last removed her bra. A hungry growl escaped his lips. He lay back as she slowly and silkily slid onto him, burying him deep within her. He uttered her name, unable to hold back as her warmth and wetness turned him delirious. She moaned softly as she bent down to kiss him, their lips joined, tongues deep and wet and probing as she found her rhythm. They breathed like one, fast and ragged and all he could see were her eyes, wet and moist, her mouth half-open. He put his mouth to her breast and sucked hard, heard her moan as she writhed above him, dissolving into pleasure, into him, into them.

  It was fast and out of control, as if it were their first time together, and in a strange way, it almost was.

  Chapter 33

  The best thing about Nico appearing out of the blue was that everything was spontaneous—having sex, having meals, working, everything. They ditched the daily timetable and were at last able to reconnect, get back on track, make up for lost time, as much as it was possible to.

  Having lots of sex while the baby napped was a great way to do that. Ava slowed down, spent a few hours at work instead of the whole day and Kim and Rona understood. Nico had a chance to be a stay at home dad and look after his daughter.

  It was better for Elsa too. They hadn’t seen her much since Nico had arrived and Ava was glad that her mother could spend time with her neighbor and spend her day as she pleased.

  Ava would start work early in the morning and be back in time for lunch. They’d spend the rest of the day together, eating out, going for walks, visiting the park, but most of all, being together. Most of the time they liked being back in Ava’s apartment and preferred to spend the evenings with only the two of them and Elisabetta. It had been hard to turn down dinners with the family and they’d had dinner at Elsa’s once when she’d insisted on having her whole family together. Apart from that, and Nico going out with Carlos once, they had managed to keep their time just for themselves. She had even managed to postpone Connor, who had texted a few times, expressing his desire to see the baby.

  Having this time with Nico was precious because she knew all too well that once they returned to Italy, she would have to fight for his attention because she’d be competing with his chain of hotels. He said he would make more time for her and Elisabetta, and she believed him, but she knew that despite his best intentions, there would be many moments when business decisions were crucial and required his all. At times like that she would have to take a back seat.

  Because the hotel wasn’t opening yet, there was no need to rush back but Nico seemed mindful of not being away too long. They were due to fly back together on the first day of March.

  The days melted away, and before long they were at the end of their time in Denver. It was late afternoon and they were still in bed, holding hands, their bodies loose and well spent, feeling lazy and contented. Elisabetta’s travel crib moved around a lot more, from the bedroom where it was during the night, to the living room during the day time. There was only so much sex they could have in the living room.

  “I wish Carlos didn’t have dinner planned for tonight,” she said, sighing.

  “He’s been wanting to have e
veryone over all week. We have to go today.”

  “I like that the two of you get on,” she said. “Sometimes I think you two get on better than Rona and I do.”

  Nico chuckled. “Carlos is easy to get along with. He always made me feel welcome.” Her brother-in-law was good like that.

  “We should pack,” she said, as he propped himself up on his elbow and his hand skated along her belly.

  “We could do something else.”

  She snickered. “We’ve been doing something else all afternoon. What time is it?” She reached over to pick up her cell phone just as Nico bent down and left a trail of kisses along her shoulder. “Time for more fun,” he murmured, his hand dipping lower, his fingers probing. “You want me again,” he said, and when he moved closer she felt the jab of his excitement along her hip.

  “This whole week has been like another honeymoon,” she said, arching her back as his fingers worked their magic. The beep of a text message coming through temporarily interrupted her and she reached out to check her cell phone but Nico grabbed her forearm, entwining his hands in hers and holding her captive. “It’s only ten minutes since you last checked,” he whispered, blowing on her wet nipple before he bent down and sucked it again.

  “It might be…” Rona or Kim or something to do with the cribs, but the thought was soon lost as electric sparks skimmed across her skin. Each time he flicked his tongue over her breast, her insides fluttered.

  Nico shifted himself on top of her and stared down at her with hungry eyes. “Nothing you can do about it right now,” he whispered, and thrust into her, the friction and feel of him made her body rumble, leaving her senses intoxicated. She opened her mouth and moaned, because it felt so good, and when his mouth claimed hers and he buried himself inside her, it felt even better.

  ‘I’ll be passing by around 7. Hope you are in. Would like to see the baby before you leave.’

  The shock of the text message had just about worn off by the time Nico came out of the shower and she broke the news to him. It was a message from Connor.

  “He’s coming now?”

  “At seven,” she said. They had half an hour. At least she was showered and dressed and ready.

  Nico scowled. “Why’s he coming?” Nico asked, his voice peppered with irritation as he pulled on a casual shirt. His hair was still damp and beads of water rested against his neck.

  “He wants to see Elisabetta,” she said, taking his towel and drying his neck. “I’ve been putting him off, because we had better things to do,” she said, kissing him again, trying to cheer him up. “Be nice to him,” she said, aware of Nico’s feelings toward Connor. He dismissed her comments with a wave of his hand. “I don’t want to be late getting to Carlos’ place.”

  “I doubt he’ll stay for long,” she said. Especially now that Nico was here. She had just finished putting on a pair of clean tights and a new top on Elisabetta when the doorbell rang. She picked up the baby and started to walk towards the door.

  “I thought he was coming at seven.”

  She shrugged and lowered her voice. “What do you expect me to do? Turn him away?”

  “I prefer that option,” said Nico. “Give her to me,” he said, taking Elisabetta from her.

  “Be nice.”

  “I’ll try.”

  She opened the door to a nervous looking Connor. “Hi,” said Ava. “Come in.”

  “Sorry for the short notice and for being early,” said Connor, walking in and looking around. “But we’re going away tonight, and I didn’t want to miss you in case you left before we got back.” She found the over-explanation forced, and caught the subtle emphasis on ‘we’ but didn’t press him on it.

  “This brings back memories,” mused Connor as he followed her into the small living room. Nico stood there like a wolf guarding his pack.

  “Nico?” Connor couldn’t hide his surprise.

  “Connor,” said Nico. The two men faced one another for a few awkward moments until Ava raised an eyebrow at Nico, prompting him to step forward and offer Connor his hand. They shook hands briefly.

  “Congratulations,” Connor eyed Elisabetta as if she were an untouchable porcelain doll. “Hello Elisabeth,” he said, peering at her as if he didn’t want to risk touching her.

  “Elisabetta,” Nico corrected, speaking with an over pronounced Italian accent.

  “Right.” Connor smiled at the baby then turned to Ava. “She’s beautiful. She’s the spitting image of you with those eyes.”

  “She’s an Italian princess,” said Nico, hugging the baby closer to his chest as a few more seconds awkwardly ticked by.

  “Would you like to hold her?” Ava asked, more to make small talk than anything else. If Nico hadn’t been here she had a feeling that things might have moved more smoothly but having her former lover and her husband in the same room didn’t bode well.

  “No, no,” Connor insisted, shaking his head as if she’d asked him to hold a burning log. “I’m not good with babies. Though I suppose…”

  She waited for him to finish his sentence but he didn’t. “Sit down,” she said, hoping that he might relax a little. He seemed to be very edgy. They all sat down in her small living room. “Can I get you a drink?” she offered.

  “No, thank you,” said Connor. “This is for,” he paused, before he said her name. “For Elisabetta.” He handed Ava a small box.

  “That’s very sweet of you,” said Ava, opening the box. “Awww,” she gushed, pulling out a fluffy little donkey and a comforter. “How cute! Look Lisabetta,” she said, waving the fluffy donkey before Elisabetta’s eyes.

  “Is there an age limit on that,” Nico asked, and immediately looked at the label. “Not suitable for children under 12 months. Would you look at that.” Ava threw him a stony stare.

  “Thank you,” she said to Connor. “It’s very thoughtful of you. She’ll be able to play with it later.”

  “I had no idea you were here,” Connor said to Nico.

  “I missed my wife.”

  Connor cleared his throat. “Actually, Ava, if you don’t mind, I’ll have a can of soda,” said Connor.

  She disappeared into the kitchen and when she returned, Nico was securing Elisabetta into the baby bouncer. The baby gurgled and waved her hands excitedly when he turned the music on.

  “She seems happy,” Connor commented. “I expected her to be crying and whiny, but she seems kind of calm. That’s good to know.”

  “They can be a lot of work,” said Nico, placing his arm protectively around Ava’s shoulder. He pulled her closer towards him. “I underestimated how tiring and full on they can be. Ava’s been amazing, dealing with everything.”

  Connor glanced up at them and for a moment, as he took in the both of them, his smile slowly disappeared. “I’m married to a superwoman,” declared Nico, “And I didn’t even know it.” Ava shuffled uncomfortably. Nico was laying the love on strong, and she knew that most of it was to piss Connor off.

  “We’re having a baby,” said Connor, matter-of-factly, dropping the bombshell.

  Ava sat up. “Who’s having a baby?”

  “Meredith and I.”

  “Congratulations,” said Nico, sounding rather enthused about this latest announcement.

  Meredith. The name didn’t sound familiar. Connor cleared his throat again and his cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink.

  “She worked in that law firm and…she was the one I met at the conference…”

  Ava frowned. “Have I met her?” She wondered why he was telling her this.

  “No,” said Connor, “She was the one…” She looked at him, puzzled. It sounded as if he was about to make a confession.

  “The one I met at the law seminar…in Connecticut.”

  It shot through her like a bullet from the past.

  “The one you cheated on me with?” She asked, her voice sounding edgy, and shrill. She tried to calm herself down. “Why are you telling me this?” She asked, astounded by his thoughtlessness
in raking up that episode from her past. It was something she wanted to forget’ a past that had no future in her life.

  “She—uh, she left her husband.”

  Oh boy, it just kept getting better. She sat forward, moving away from Nico’s protective arm and looked at Connor as if he’d gone mad. “I don’t need to know the details. I don’t need to know anything at all.” Because I don’t care. But he’d raked up that pain from the past, from that moment in her life. He’d brought it all back to the present. Why did people do that?

  “I want to...” He cleared his throat. “I want to own up to what I did. Meredith thinks it would be good for me to have closure.”

  She fought to stifle her gasp of astonishment. “Closure?” She cried, needing to make sure she’d heard right. He could take Meredith’s advice and choke on it for all she cared. “I had closure the moment I met Nico. You were already out of my head before the plane landed in Verona.” It wasn’t that she felt any feelings for this man, or that she felt sad, but him bringing up that time now, seemed to stir up old memories. She felt Nico’s hand closing over her arm, hugging her tighter.

  “I need closure,” said Connor. Ava looked at him wondering what she’d missed. Connor had never been in touch with his feelings before. This confession, so unnecessary, especially in front of Nico, puzzled her. Was it because he was becoming a parent, or because he was in love? What was it?

  “She left her husband?” Nico asked, his voice casual.

  From the sounds of it Connor and this woman both deserved one another.

  “You told me that babies weren’t in your career plan,” she said, quoting his exact words from that dump-text he’d cowardly sent her.