by Maggie Cox
* * *
A few nights after making their momentous decision to marry, and arranging their wedding date, Bastian agreed to give Lily some space in order to finish her current illustrative assignment before they wed. But his sense of being satisfied with his decision to marry was to be shaken by an unexpected event.
At home one evening, having just finished work in the olive groves, he had a panicked phone call from his father’s housekeeper, Dolores.
‘Signor Carrera—you must come to the house quickly! Your father has pain in his chest again and I’m afraid he might be having another heart attack!’
Swearing under his breath, Bastian slammed out through the door to his car parked outside. The vehicle flew down the dirt tracks and Tarmac roads to the house that anyone who saw Alberto regularly knew as home from home, because they were always guaranteed a welcome there.
He didn’t think much beyond that. He definitely wouldn’t go down the terrifying route of imagining that he was in danger of losing the man who meant the world to him...
When he arrived, Dolores immediately ushered him into the kitchen. Alberto was slumped in a rocking chair with a cushion behind his back and he was sweating profusely. As he strode towards the older man, whose greying hair was coiling damply to his brow, he demanded urgently over his shoulder as to whether the housekeeper had rung for an ambulance.
‘Si, signor. It is on its way. I have been trying to give your father some water, but he doesn’t seem able to swallow.’
Bastian hardly heard her. He was crouching down beside the older man and smoothing back his hair. Then, taking his father’s hand in his, he assured him that everything was going to be all right, that they were blessed enough to be able to pay for the very best of care and he would soon be back on his feet and giving Dolores merry hell when her cooking didn’t come up to scratch.
He heard the older woman sniff, as though she was finding it hard to hold back the tears.
Giving his son a painful half-smile, Alberto whispered, ‘Lei e una cuoca terribile!’ She is a terrible cook. He tried to laugh but ended up nearly choking.
Bastian instantly brought him further forward in the chair, in a bid to help him clear his throat, and began to thump on his back. It was at that very moment they heard the distinctive sound of an ambulance siren.
* * *
Bastian was emotionally wrung out and numb with fatigue. The day’s events had conspired to give him some of the most stressful few hours of his life. Now it was three in the morning, and he’d stayed at his father’s bedside since the ambulance had brought him to the hospital.
Thankfully Alberto was now sleeping soundly, in a private room, and Bastian had been assured by the heart specialist who’d attended him that he was going to be all right. He would pull through. He needed plenty of rest and the professional care of his medical team.
But it was hard to believe that things would improve when his father looked so ill and was struggling to breathe. Now, having been put through all the various tests he’d needed, he had been fitted with an oxygen mask and it seemed to his son that he was rallying. But he wouldn’t go home until he was convinced that he wouldn’t take a turn for the worst as soon as his back was turned.
By the time he did head for home he knew he couldn’t return to an empty house. It was only when he automatically found himself parking outside Lily’s place that he realised her house had always been the only destination he’d had in mind...
‘Bastian...it’s nearly four in the morning. What’s happened? Is something wrong?’
Beneath an open silky green robe that was decorated with slim-stemmed flowers, she was wearing a short cream nightgown that paid homage to her shapely slim legs, and she had clearly had got straight out of bed to answer the door. Her fair hair was prettily dishevelled and she was still rubbing the sleep from her incandescent green eyes.
He couldn’t imagine that a more delectable sight existed.
‘My father’s in hospital with a suspected heart attack.’
Unable to help himself, he let his voice break then, and he sensed the tears he hadn’t been able to hold back since he’d left Alberto’s bedside temporarily blurring his vision.
Seeing that he was clearly in some distress, Lily opened the door wider, softly remarking, ‘I’m so sorry to hear that. What do you need? If there’s anything I can do to help you know I won’t hesitate.’
‘I don’t want to be in the house alone. Can I stay here for the rest of the night with you? That’s the only help I need.’
He heard a softly released inward gasp before she answered, ‘Then let’s go upstairs.’
CHAPTER SIX
HE’D MADE LOVE to her voraciously into the remaining hours of the morning. There had been no time for any demonstrations of finesse. Bastian had been hostage to the kind of urgent primal need that could present itself when someone was faced with the threat of death, and he had instinctively sought an affirmation of life to counteract it. The fear that had eaten him up at seeing his father so ill again had been tangible. Consequently he’d been a little less gentle than he could have been when his body had claimed Lily’s.
Afterwards he’d apologised profusely, murmuring over and over again, ‘Sono cosi dispiaciuto...’ I’m so sorry. Then he’d kissed her from her head to her toes, as if to soothe any hurts he might have unwittingly inflicted and to let her know that he genuinely cared about how she felt.
Lily had been utterly swept away by him. Even in her most private dreams she’d never ever been able to conjure up a lover with the devastating touch of Bastian. But as she’d driven her fingers into his richly dark hair it had come to her that he was like a flint that could turn the merest spark of her desire into a conflagration, no matter what the situation or where they were.
It was as though their need for each other was unquenchable and there was nothing that could slake their thirst. Their shared desire was constantly simmering, ready to catch fire the moment they caught sight of each other.
Naked, and tangled in the single cotton sheet that was left on the bed after their passionate lovemaking, Lily turned carefully onto her side and met Bastian’s sexily drowsy gaze. As she looked at him she whispered, ‘We really ought to try and get some sleep. You’ve already been up most of the night at the hospital.’
‘I know,’ he murmured. ‘Forgive me for keeping you awake so long, tesoro.’
She didn’t miss the glint of regret in his deep brown eyes. Laying his hand against her belly, that he must surely see was becoming gently rounded, he asked, ‘You are feeling all right? I mean...the baby is doing well?’
‘We’re both doing just fine. Don’t give yourself anything else to worry about. You have enough to think about with your dad being ill.’
‘Si...but you and the bambino will soon be my family too, remember?’
Her insides turned over at the statement. Her mind immediately returned to his intention of legalising their union, and she knew the idea still made her nervous. In light of her previous failed marriage to Marc it was understandable that she was guarded about making another emotionally costly mistake.
‘And, speaking of the baby, in order to ensure you get the very best of care I’d like you to see a private obstetrician. Do you agree?’
‘Of course, but...’
‘You seem hesitant?’
‘It’s just that I’ve already seen a local doctor and I was quite satisfied with him.’
‘That may be so, Lily, but that’s not good enough for me.’
‘Do you really want to go to the expense of paying for private care when it’s not necessary?’
‘Frugality has dulled your senses, sweetheart. I don’t need to think about the cost. All I want is the best care for my fiancée and my baby. To that end, I will gladly pay a fortune.’
‘But—’
‘No
more buts. I will make the necessary calls tomorrow.’
He drew her protectively against his warm, muscular chest and planted a kiss on the top of her head. Right then she had never felt more as if her wellbeing mattered. Given her history, that had to be a first.
Knowing that she’d given him the satisfaction he craved when he’d most needed it, she hoped it had helped him to set his fears and worries aside for a while. Sensing that he’d fallen into a gentle doze, she started to relax. As she closed her eyes and started to drift off to sleep herself, she was reassured that at least she and Bastian shared a strong physical attraction and he was more than willing to meet his parental responsibilities when he became a father.
Yet somehow, before she fell asleep, thoughts of her marriage to Marc drifted into her mind. Yes, she’d initially had high hopes of a secure future with the handsome broker, but if she’d loved him at all it had been as a friend, and not because theirs was a love match in any sense of the word.
During their first few meetings they’d shared a few chaste kisses, and Lily had been charmed by his politeness and thoughtfulness. But, if she was honest, she had been concerned about his lack of passion. She’d pondered that maybe it was because she didn’t know how to turn a man on and her lack of experience was too evident. And she’d mused on the fact that surely it was natural that a soon-to-be married couple should have more physical contact then they had.
The situation hadn’t improved—even though Marc had promised that their wedding night would be everything she’d dreamed it would be, and that he was holding back on physical contact till then so she would enjoy their special night even more.
But the fact was he’d knowingly deceived her. Their wedding night had turned out to be an unmitigated disaster. He couldn’t consummate their marriage, he’d confessed, because in truth he wasn’t attracted to her in ‘that way’.
It had seemed as if her worst fears had come true. Feeling like an out-and-out failure, she’d demanded to know why he hadn’t told her this before? Why he had led her to believe they could be happy together?
Breaking down, he had finally told her that he loved and respected her, but he was gay.
Glad that that bittersweet episode in her life was now firmly behind her, Lily reflected on the instantaneous hunger that she and Bastian had shared. Was it any wonder that her pent-up feelings and lack of physical attention had exploded into a demanding need she could no longer ignore, causing her to spontaneously have sex with him?
Nothing that anyone had told her, or that she’d read in any erotic work of fiction, could have prepared her for the reality of such a thrilling event. And, little did her lover realise, the event had far more significance than just the fact he’d made her pregnant...
* * *
Bastian’s heart thudded when he opened his eyes. Full daylight was streaming into the room and he realised that he wasn’t in his own bed but in Lily’s. A jolt of disappointment churned in his gut when he saw that she’d already risen and gone downstairs. Her scent was all over him, and more to the point he wanted her again. Why had she so quickly deserted him?
Glancing irritably down at his watch, he saw the time and at exactly the same moment remembered that his father was in hospital.
‘Damn!’
He could hardly believe he’d slept so long. He urgently needed to know how things were.
Reaching for his mobile from atop the bedside cabinet, he saw it was thankfully devoid of any new messages. Sighing with relief, he composed a quick text to the doctor, asking for an update, and then sent a longer one to his dad, telling him not to worry, that he was in good hands and that Bastian would come in and see him later that morning. He finished by asking if there was anything he wanted brought in for him.
After that he headed for the shower, and saw that Lily had left him a stack of pristinely fresh towels on the artisan chair positioned outside the door.
It didn’t take him long to freshen up, and as soon as he was done and dressed he went downstairs. Heavy-eyed, and still fastening his leather belt round his jeans, he scented the welcome aroma of coffee brewing. Finding his lover in the kitchen, dressed in a simple yellow cotton dress with her feet tantalisingly bare, he saw that she was busy frying some bacon at the stove.
The woman seemed to know instinctively just how to please him.
Stealing up behind her, Bastian caught her by the hips and turned her around to face him. ‘Buongiorno...’
Planting a warm kiss at the side of her neck, he saw the tell-tale bite mark he’d left behind last night and felt his blood start to heat at the memory.
Breathing in her beguiling scent, he smiled slowly into her eyes. ‘You were in a hurry to get up before me. I’d very much hoped we could get reacquainted before we had coffee this morning.’
She looked endearingly self-conscious, and a touch of crimson swept into her cheeks. It made him realise that one of the most appealing things about her was her modesty.
‘I got up early because I wanted to make us some breakfast. I hope you like eggs and bacon?’
‘I like whatever you care to give me, sweetheart, especially if it’s made by your own fair hands.’
She turned back to the stove, but not before saying, ‘I can see you’ve inherited some of Alberto’s charm.’
When he didn’t immediately reply, Lily set the sizzling bacon aside and wiped her hands on a nearby tea towel.
Her brow crumpled concernedly. ‘Have you heard anything...from the hospital, I mean?’
‘No, I haven’t. I sent a couple of texts but I haven’t had any replies yet. I think I’ll just go outside and ring—see if I can speak to the doctor personally. Can you put breakfast on hold for a couple of minutes?’
‘Of course. I’ll pop it in the oven. Take as much time as you need.’
When he returned it was with a great sense of relief. Dropping down onto a nearby chair, so that he could easily observe Lily as she worked in the kitchen, Bastian confided, ‘He’s not out of the woods yet, but his doctor told me he’s doing much better than expected. He’s sleeping right now, but I was told I can go in and see him this afternoon. Would you like to come with me? I’m sure it would please him.’
Lily flushed, as he had suspected she would. ‘Of course I’d like to see him, but...’
‘I see that yet again you’re searching for an excuse.’
‘It’s not an excuse. It’s just that it’s only natural he’ll want to see you on your own first. Perhaps I can come in some other time soon?’
‘What’s on your mind? Tell me.’ Straight away he went over to her and took her in his arms.
With a heartfelt sigh she replied, ‘I’m not family. I’m not even a close friend.’
‘I disagree.’ A lock of hair was drifting very close to her eyes and he gently swept it aside. ‘You are having my baby and we are soon going to be married. I can’t think of anything that epitomises “family” more than that.’
As if uneasy with this statement, she carefully stepped out of his hold and briskly wiped her hands on the apron she was wearing.
‘I’m sure you’re right. Now, why don’t you go and sit down and I’ll bring you your breakfast? After that we can decide when we’re going to leave for the hospital.’
* * *
She had changed out of her cheerful sun dress and replaced it with a much more demure blue tunic over white linen trousers. The only decoration she wore was the dainty gold cross and chain that had been an eighteenth birthday present from her mother.
Lily didn’t wear the jewellery very often, because it reminded her that her parent had long since moved away to Scotland, announcing that she wanted to live a new life and put the old one behind her.
Lily’s father had finally walked out on Lily’s mother after years of persistent arguments over his infidelities, leaving her to raise their daughter alone,
and she had very few happy memories of their life together. The irony was that her mother was living in her new place with another man and was helping to raise his child from a previous relationship.
Had it never crossed her mind that her own child was bereft of her love and care? Lily doubted it.
It wasn’t surprising that people were cynical about the possibility of having a relationship that stayed the course. To her mind, both her parents had deserted her long before she’d experienced any kind of stability. Was it surprising that her nature had developed into such an insecure one?
However, she put all thoughts of her past aside as she and Bastian took the elevator to the topmost floor of the hospital, where the private suites were situated. After walking down an elegant corridor that was decorated with artistic prints, to her surprise he caught her hand as he opened a door labelled ‘The Da Vinci Room’.
He hadn’t said very much during their car journey, but she sensed that despite his putting on a brave face worry and fear about his dad were never far away. However, his trademark dazzling smile had started to form even before his gaze met his father’s.
Still looking a little frail after his unexpected health scare, and attended by a tall, slim uniformed nurse who had clearly just taken his temperature, Alberto almost did a double-take when he saw Lily enter the room with his son. However, his attention was soon diverted as Bastian approached the bedside.
‘Hey, it’s good to see you looking so much better. I see you no longer have to wear the oxygen mask? That has to be a good sign.’ The younger man enveloped him in a careful but loving hug, so as not to dislodge the wires and tubes he was attached to, and added mischievously, ‘I’m told you’re driving the medical staff crazy with all your demands! No doubt they assumed a man of your age would be much more manageable and not give them any trouble.’
His father’s eyes crinkled in amusement. ‘I do not give anyone any trouble. I am like a teddy bear.’
Bastian laughed.
