‘Grazie.’ Antonio thanked the tourist and took back his phone and looked at the photo. She watched as a range of emotions swiftly crossed his face. Then, just as quickly, they were gone; he put Leo down and slipped his sunglasses back on. The controlled Antonio Di Marcello was back in place, the moment of softness with his son over—or had she imagined it?
As they made their way back to the busy streets, the atmosphere of the past left behind within the walls of the Colosseum, she couldn’t help thinking it was a shame that their past couldn’t be consigned behind high walls so easily. Maybe then she wouldn’t have to fight a growing attraction for the man who’d let her down in the worst possible way.
* * *
Even though it had been a week since their day out at the Colosseum, Sadie felt as if it had only just happened. Leo had settled into his new home far better than she’d ever thought possible, but his attachment to Antonio was becoming stronger and she worried that he would be let down, as she had been.
That worry intensified as she flicked through one of the glossy celebrity magazines she’d bought the previous day. The image she saw staring back at her brought everything that had happened that day sharply into focus. Her mastery of the Italian language wasn’t perfect, but she could translate the majority of the article which accompanied the photograph of the three of them outside the Colosseum.
Had it been an opportunistic photographer who had witnessed that single moment when the three of them had become a family, or had it all been set up by Antonio? He had, after all, made it perfectly clear he would do anything to be in Leo’s life. Was this his way of ensuring she didn’t back out on the marriage?
All day she stayed in the apartment, even though Leo didn’t like the confinement. She was worried by the thought that other photographers would do the same and while Antonio was at his office she tried to occupy Leo. It kept her mind from exploring those questions, but once Leo was tucked up in his bed and asleep she knew there was only one way to get the answers she wanted.
She sat on the terrace as the heat of early summer was cooling a little in the evening. Throughout the meal she and Antonio had shared, he hadn’t made any reference to the article. It was up to her to say something. At the very least she wanted reassurance that he’d had nothing to do with it, but doubt assailed her the more she thought about it.
‘I bought a copy of a magazine yesterday,’ she began as he joined her on the terrace. ‘Our photograph was in it.’
She looked directly at him, watching for any hint that he knew. Instead he frowned. ‘Which photograph would that be?’
‘Of us all together at the Colosseum.’
‘And Leo?’ Doubt and suspicion filled his voice, making her question if he really had instigated it. She wanted to believe that he hadn’t. He had much to gain from it and, from the way he’d brokered a deal with her, as if in a boardroom, he had scores to settle. Scores with her for shutting him out of Leo’s life.
‘Yes,’ she snapped, unable to calm her panic or soothe her humiliation that he was prepared to use his own son. ‘And now it is being used to name him as the love child who destroyed your marriage, and I am the gold digger who has snared a billionaire.’
She got up and went to the corner of the terrace to stand looking out over the rooftops of Rome. She couldn’t look at Antonio; it hurt too much. What she felt for him was coming back stronger than ever and her resistance was weakening. She wanted him to hold her, tell her it was all okay, but how could she trust him? He’d abandoned his billionaire lifestyle, lied to her for two weeks, pretending to be another man, just to satisfy himself that Leo was his child.
He approached her. She briefly closed her eyes as he lifted her chin with his fingers, forcing her to look at him, the intention in his gaze clear. ‘Don’t do this, Antonio.’
‘Do what, Sadie? Kiss you?’ His words were a husky whisper and, before she could do anything, say anything, he pulled her against him and his lips claimed hers.
Sadie’s body was on fire. The firmness of Antonio’s chest was against her and she couldn’t decide if it was his heartbeat she could feel or hers. She shouldn’t want this, shouldn’t be kissing him like this, but she couldn’t help herself. She was drowning in desire and all the emotions she’d worked hard to bury when he’d walked away from her rushed to the surface again.
She wanted to lose herself in his kisses, sink into his embrace, but she couldn’t. This was no longer about just the two of them. This was about Leo and, thanks to the deal Antonio had felt compelled to make, it was about her parents too.
These sobering thoughts dimmed the desire within her and she pushed against him. ‘This isn’t what I want.’
‘Isn’t it, mia bella?’
‘No. I’m here for Leo’s sake. He likes you. He wants you.’
‘And you? Do you want me too, like I want you?’
‘No. I don’t want you—or any of this. All I want is for Leo to be happy.’
She stumbled back a step as he let her go, the closed-off expression on his face only confirming what she’d suspected since the moment he’d walked into her apartment in Milan. He wasn’t here with her because of any feelings for her. He was here out of duty or honour to Leo.
‘What is it that you do not want, mia bella? Marriage to me or my kiss?’ The hint of huskiness in his voice didn’t quite disguise his contempt for the idea of marriage and a shiver of doubt slipped down her spine. This version of Antonio was so very different from the man she’d loved in such a carefree way four years ago. If he was here now, so much would be different.
‘I don’t want either, Antonio.’ She folded her arms across herself, hugging against the chill which suddenly hung in the evening air.
‘Then you are as calculating as I am, Sadie. Our marriage will be a perfect match.’ Antonio moved towards her with fierce intent, but she refused to move, refused to be intimidated.
She looked at him as below them the city of Rome bustled, but the air on the terrace was drenched in tension, not only from his commanding words but from the kiss which had just added heady sexual tension to the mix.
‘I am not, unless you consider doing what is best for me and my child as calculating. It wasn’t me who brought my parents into this—you did, Antonio.’
‘I thought you’d want your parents at the wedding, even if it is only a civil ceremony.’ The anger in his voice only irritated her further.
‘I don’t want my parents to know anything until we are married.’
‘And why would that be?’
‘So that they can’t talk me out of it.’ She hurled the slashing retort at him and turned to walk away. Then she stopped. What good would that do? Surely it was better to sort it all out now.
‘Why would they do that, when such a lovely, happy photo of the three of us has been published?’
Shock slipped over her like icy water. He’d known. This was just what he’d wanted.
* * *
Calmly Antonio opened the magazine, making a show of looking at the image, thankful that his PA had thought to warn him about it. Obviously, speculation over the demise of his first marriage was still rife. He placed it on the table, the happy shot staring out at him, and he watched as Sadie looked at it, questions racing over her face—the same questions he’d asked himself. Who had taken it? When? How?
She moved back, away from him, anger and hurt glittering in her eyes.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said and walked across the terrace to her, his steps firm and decisive. Sadie tensed as he drew nearer. ‘I have no idea who took it or why.’
He watched as Sadie turned to pace across the terrace. She folded her arms and stood with her back to him, looking out over the city. Waves of hurt and betrayal radiated from her, but he couldn’t do anything about it. He couldn’t tell her how he’d thought about her even after he’d married Eloisa. His family had emotionally blackmailed him into marrying her, the marriage based purely on his mother’s need for Eloisa to be the daughter
she’d never had, as well as the considerable financial gain of their union. He couldn’t soothe Sadie’s pain because the promise he’d made to Eloisa bound him. He was a man of honour and he would keep his word.
‘I’m sorry, Sadie.’ His voice sounded harsh and insincere even to his ears. Sadie turned as he drew nearer. He saw her shoulders stiffen and he stopped.
‘He’s just a child, Antonio.’ She turned to look at him, protective passion filling her voice, and he couldn’t help but recall another time when her words had been full of passion. A time when it had all been for him. He wanted that again. How the hell Sebastien had known he still wanted her, after all this time, he didn’t know, but he’d been right—as usual.
‘And if I had known, I would have stopped it. You can be sure of that.’ He meant it and not just out of a need to protect his son. He had no wish to see Sadie so upset.
What he couldn’t tell her was that his first marriage was the root cause of the press interest. He couldn’t say a word to her because of the promise he’d made to his ex-wife, who had willingly sacrificed her single status by marrying him. Very soon her real motives had become clear, and that had set him free, but now he could make the marriage he needed to keep his son and heir in his life. All he needed to do was find the woman who’d allowed him to be truly himself, even if it had been for only a weekend four years ago, but she was buried beneath so much hurt and, like him, she had her defences raised higher than ever.
‘It all seems very convenient to me. Are you using us as a way of explaining why such a dynastic marriage failed within months instead of shouldering the blame after your playboy behaviour, or are you backing it up by claiming him as your son?’
* * *
Antonio looked at the angry jut of her chin and the glitter of contempt and disappointment in her eyes. Guilt raced through him, but he couldn’t help wondering if such anger was born out of the attraction they had both been almost powerless to resist four years ago and felt again now. Did the fact that she knew of all the women he’d dated in a bid to draw attention from Eloisa mean something?
He stepped closer to her. ‘I didn’t know you were carrying my child, Sadie. You believe that, don’t you?’
‘I had thought that after our weekend together you would have at least seen me, heard what I had to say, even if you didn’t want a child.’ Hurt sounded in her voice—hurt he’d caused.
He closed the distance between them and took her hand in his. ‘I wish I had got the letter and messages.’
Her raggedly drawn-in breath gave him the strength to continue, to reignite the passion they’d shared. She had been the only woman who’d made him feel, made him want more, and now she was the mother of his child. He gently caressed her face, but she pulled away.
‘So do I.’ Hurt cascaded from her like a river in flood plunging over the rocks of a waterfall.
‘I know that you saw my mother.’
‘She turned me away, Antonio. An illegitimate child would only sully their ancestry.’
‘You told her about Leo? That you were carrying my child?’ He knew what he was hearing was true and recalled what she’d almost told him when she’d believed he was Toni Adessi. He’d never have believed his mother could be so vile that she would deny the existence of her own grandchild.
‘About two seconds before the door was slammed in my face.’ She lifted her chin indignantly and looked at him, daring him not to believe her. ‘I wrote one more letter after that.’
Anger bubbled inside him. How different his, and Eloisa’s, life could have been if he’d been told of Sadie’s visit. Fate had dealt him a blow with such a disastrous marriage, but it had also brought Sadie back into his life and that wasn’t so bad after all. Not now he knew he had a son.
CHAPTER SIX
SADIE’S HEART FLUTTERED with nerves. Today she would marry the man she’d once loved.
Doubts careered around in her mind, the truth of how it was actually going to be colliding with what she’d always dreamt of. It wasn’t about the white dress and veil, or the fun of having all her friends there to witness the occasion. For her, the idea of marriage had never been about that. It had always been about love and now she was marrying a man she was in danger of falling for all over again, a man who’d coldly informed her love didn’t exist.
Sadie looked down at the skirt of the white knee-length dress she’d selected for her wedding, her fingers tracing the pattern of navy blue embroidery. It didn’t really matter how or where she got married, or even what she wore, but the wedding she’d always dreamt of would be to a man who loved her—unconditionally. A man she loved with all her heart. This was so very different.
She had loved Antonio once, before he’d shown his true colours, but it was painfully clear that not only had he not loved her, but he never would. This marriage was a deal for his child. A bargain struck after a deceitful two weeks pretending to be someone he wasn’t. Someone he never really could be, not when he had such a ruthless disregard for anyone else.
‘Are we going to see Antonio?’ Leo’s question dragged her back into the here and now as the car Antonio had arranged to take them to the town hall for the civil ceremony negotiated the busy streets of Rome.
‘Yes, Leo, we are.’ She hadn’t explained anything to him yet and certainly hadn’t told him she was about to get married to Antonio. She’d taken extra care over her appearance, but, as was to be expected, Leo hadn’t noticed. Guilt made saying anything else impossible for the moment. She was doing this for him, yet being cooped up in an apartment more in keeping with Antonio’s family roots wasn’t good for Leo.
Maybe Antonio would allow her to find a small apartment, one more suited for bringing up a child. No sooner had the thought entered her mind than she dismissed it. Antonio wanted Leo and she suspected nothing other than living with him would be sufficient. Thank goodness he hadn’t pushed the boundaries of separate rooms in the two weeks since they’d arrived in Rome and she hoped that exchanging vows today wouldn’t change that.
‘I like Antonio.’ Leo once again centred her thoughts.
‘That’s good, darling.’ She was on the verge of telling him she and Antonio were to be married and that he’d be his father when Leo cut forcefully across her words.
‘I want Antonio to be my daddy.’
Sadie blinked in shock and looked down at her son, his dark eyes, so very like Antonio’s, looking up at her, the happiness in them almost breaking her heart. If only Antonio wanted that as much as her little boy did.
‘Do you?’
‘Yes, and he said I can call him padre.’ The excitement and happiness in Leo’s voice constricted her heart. She’d denied her son his father for three years, but Antonio had no right to force her hand on how or when she explained things to her son.
A dart of fury for the man she was about to marry surged through her. Why had he said that and, more to the point, when? What else had he told Leo?
‘Would that make you happy, Leo?’ she asked tentatively, wondering if the circumstances meant that now was the time to tell him exactly who Antonio really was. That the man he wanted to be his father was just that.
‘Yes. And he has a surprise for you—to make you happy.’ Leo’s voice bounced with excitement and she could see he was bursting with it, but she guessed that, whatever this surprise was, even her son didn’t know yet.
The car stopped and Sadie looked around her. So this was it, the moment she married the man who had stolen her heart four years ago and made it impossible to love any other man. The father of her son. This was the moment she would say I do to Antonio Di Marcello.
Nerves skittered down her spine and beside her Leo became restless, itching to get out of the car. She looked down at him—was she doing the right thing? For Leo, yes, but what about her? After taking a deep breath she stepped out of the car and took Leo’s hand as he stood with her outside the tall and imposing building that was the town hall.
‘Antonio!’ Before she could fo
cus her mind, Leo pulled free from her hand and ran to Antonio as he came out of the large wooden door which must have witnessed many such marriages. She watched as Leo ran to Antonio and without a moment of hesitation Antonio scooped him up. Antonio laughed as he settled his son into his arms and looked at her.
His dark grey suit hugged his body and long legs, making him look as if he’d stepped from her dreams. The expression on his face as his gaze met hers left her in no doubt that the simmering tension which had leapt to life between them last week was still very much alive, despite his contrived distance over the last week.
She walked towards him, her heels making each step feel precarious, like those of a newborn fawn. Her heart was thumping hard as she reached him and looked up into his handsome face, mesmerised by the dark depths of his eyes.
‘You look beautiful, mia bella.’
* * *
Antonio watched the hint of a blush caress Sadie’s cheeks and he wanted to reach out to her and kiss her as he had last week. The white dress with navy embroidery clung to her slender frame, highlighting her tiny waist as the skirt flared out. It was just a dress, which he never really took note of on a woman, but on Sadie it was more than that.
She looked stunning and, as she took Leo’s hand, he knew he was doing the right thing. She was the mother of his son and the one and only woman who had captivated him so instantly. On top of that there was a mutual attraction, a passion which burned between them—even if she was still denying it. The kiss on the terrace had left him in no doubt of that.
But how much longer could she push him away? How much longer could he resist her?
‘Padre.’ His son smiled shyly and stepped back a little behind Sadie as he used the Italian form of ‘father’ to him for the first time.
He crouched down to Leo’s level and smiled at him. ‘Your mummy is going to marry me today and that means I will always be your father now. That is good, no?’
He knew there was a connection between him and Leo, but the reaction he got was so unexpected it took him aback. Leo threw his arms around his neck, burying his little body deep into his embrace as he held him close. Stunned to the point of silence, he looked up at Sadie and knew then that whatever it was that had brought them together no longer mattered. The only thing that did was making his son happy.
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