Raising His Baby

by Tressie Lockwood

  “I’m not some scared little woman who’s going to cower at your threats and insults. You get that straight right now.”

  A harsh laugh escaped him. “Ah, I got it wrong. You like to wear the pants. Tell me, did you order my brother around while you made love? Did you give him commands about how to satisfy you? Now that get a better look, nothing about you is feminine.”

  Her temper flew out the window at his meanness. She balled her fist up and sent it straight into his chin. The crack echoed off the walls, and his head snapped back. Pain exploded from her fingers to her wrist and up her arm, but she ignored it.

  Ezio swore and dragged her off her feet, holding her by both arms. Unlike Romy’s gentle manhandling of her, she felt nothing but rage at Ezio and prepared to kick him in the junk. He shook her so hard, her head wobbled, and she couldn’t get her bearings to punish him.

  “You’re going to pay for your attitude,” he growled. “No one disrespects me and gets away with it.”

  She cried out, and an explosion of sound lit the hallway. The next instant she was wrenched from his hold. Rapid-fire Italian came from several directions. Sonya couldn’t translate a word because she was so shaken up.

  “What do you think you’re doing, Ezio?” Romy demanded. He swung on Ezio, but his brother blocked the punch. Ezio didn’t retaliate against Romy. He raised a hand and wiped a bit of blood off his nose and upper lip. Sonya assumed the nosebleed came from her punch and silently cheered.

  “Don’t you ever put your hands on Sonya like that again,” Romy said.

  Shakarri, Cason, and two of the bodyguards started down the hall toward them. Ezio ignored them and frowned at his brother. “You’re defending her? I don’t suppose you noticed the blood? She punched me, and I was defending myself.”

  “Against a tiny little woman?”

  Sonya tried to move out from behind Romy, but he kept shoving her back. She could only peek around his thick shoulders. The last thing she wanted that Neanderthal Ezio to think was that she was afraid of him.

  “Move, Romy. I’ll finish what I started. He’s not going to treat me like that and think I’m scared of him.”

  “You’re not fighting my husband in the middle of the night,” Shakarri said. She swelled up with indignation, arms folded over her chest and dressed in a silky robe. It looked to be far more expensive than anything Romy wore.

  “I will if he gets in my face,” Sonya said. “And I’ll take you on too if you want to get froggy.”

  Shakarri cringed. “She’s so common, Ezio. Where did he find her? Better yet, take the baby and get rid of her.”

  Emotion choked Sonya, and she backed up toward her room with her fists raised. “Nobody’s taking my son from me! Not you, not Ezio, and definitely not Romy! I mean it. I will fight you all day and night for the rest of my life. Try me.”

  He hands shook harder than when she was nervous about sleeping with Romy. A lump formed in her throat, and tears wet the corners of her eyes. She wouldn’t amuse them with even a drop falling, so she blinked them away.

  Romy swirled to face her. “Sonya, easy. I’m not taking the baby from you.” He glanced at his family. “Is that clear enough for everyone? Second, nobody, and I do mean nobody, is to touch her or to insult her in any way.”

  The dangerous glint in Ezio’s eyes didn’t seem to faze Romy. Silence reigned in the hallway until Romy repeated his mandate. Sonya figured Romy would give in first, but Ezio rolled his shoulders and cleared his throat.

  “Whatever you want, fratello,” Ezio said.

  Sonya’s jaw dropped at the respect Ezio gave Romy. She wasn’t sure if he offered it because he didn’t demand what he didn’t give, or if it was because at the end of the day, Romy was his elder brother.

  Romy’s hands landed on Sonya’s shoulders, and he spun her to face her door. He reached ahead of her to open it and gave her a small push to get her moving inside. She started to protest when he followed, but being cut off from Ezio’s hostility let her relax a little. All the pent up energy she used to face him drained away, and she sank down on the side of her bed. Romy clicked the lamp on and studied her face a minute.

  “Are you okay?” He reached a hand out to her, but she smacked it away.

  “I’m fine, but I won’t be abused by your brother.”

  He looked sick. “Ezio is not an abuser. He’s never put his hands on a woman to hurt her.”

  “Oh, that’s funny because I was dangling in the air while he shook me like a rag doll. If that’s not putting his hands on a woman to hurt her, I don’t know what is.”

  “Sonya—”

  “Don’t defend him to me. I don’t want to hear it. You can get out before you wake Arron up.”

  “We need to talk.”

  She hugged herself and then decided it looked too vulnerable. Her legs wouldn’t hold her, so she had no choice but to sit there. “About what? How your whole family wants you to take Arron away from me? Heck, you probably plan on it too. You just thought it would be more peaceful if you pretended you wouldn’t.”

  He frowned. “So you’ve decided what kind of character I have?”

  “Whatever. Just leave me alone. I’m tired and—” She hiccupped.

  Oh crap! No, Sonya, don’t cry.

  A teardrop plopped onto her cheek. She jumped to her feet and spun away. That evil man said nothing about her was feminine. Romy had even asked what kind of woman didn’t cry when she sprained her ankle. They were so wrong about her.

  “Sonya.” His voice was too soft, held too much concern for her.

  “No,” she croaked. He was making things harder. “Don’t…”

  He came up behind her and scooped her off her feet. This man was making a habit of treating her like she was helpless, and she didn’t like it. While she struggled in his arms, he moved to the chair near the window and sat down with her on his lap.

  “Stop fighting me.”

  “Then let me go.” She swiped at the tears. “I told you I can look after myself.”

  “I believe you.”

  She glanced over her shoulder at him. He didn’t look like he was patronizing her.

  “I want you to relax. Did you notice you were limping more just now?”

  “My ankle is fine.”

  “You didn’t stay off it much.”

  “It’s fine. For someone who told me straight out he doesn’t trust women, you sure are doing everything you can to make me trust you.”

  He didn’t respond. She couldn’t read his mind or his expression.

  “I’m not your enemy, Sonya.”

  “Aren’t you? Your brother sure is.”

  She tugged at the arm around her waist. He didn’t budge, and she sighed. Looking down, she took in the way his hips and thighs stuck out from either side of hers. His body was unyielding beneath hers, reminding her of his strength. What Romy wanted he was going to get. Some part of her knew it even as she mouthed off to all of them in the hall.

  “Arron will be with me from now on,” he said.

  She started to protest.

  “Hear me out. I work a lot, and I can’t spend all my time with him. He’ll have to have someone to look after him when I’m working. A nanny isn’t unreasonable in my family’s position.”

  She started to speak again, but he laid a finger across her lips.

  “I prefer the woman who takes care of my son to be you.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “I told you I’m not going to take him from you. I was dead serious about that. Besides, you’re more than qualified. You even learned Italian to honor his heritage.”

  She didn’t tell him she had always loved foreign languages and knew a few words in several languages. Of course, she had concentrated hard on Italian from the moment she met her sweet Arron.

  “An employer doesn’t hold his nanny on his lap unless he wants a lawsuit,” she quipped.

  He stiffened. “You’re not a nanny.”

  “You got that right. I’m his m
amma, and I always will be. Now let me go, Romy.”

  He hesitated.

  “Please.”

  He released her, and she couldn’t get up fast enough to put distance between them. She felt his eyes on her, taking in every part of her. This time she could read his thoughts. He still wanted her even after spending half the night in bed together. She wasn’t going to lie to herself and say she didn’t feel the same way, but sleeping with Romy complicated things—especially her emotions.

  She cleared her throat and turned away from him to walk over to the bed. He wouldn’t get the satisfaction of knowing he was right about her ankle. The truth was, it had been feeling much better lately. Her fight with Ezio had wrenched it some, but she knew it would be fine since the sprain wasn’t that bad from the beginning.

  “So we’re clear?” she said. “I’m raising Arron, and you’re not taking me to court over him?”

  He hesitated, and her stomach knotted. She knew what he would say before he said it. The last few days had taught her a lot about the Sartoris.

  “I want you to sign over custody of him to me.”

  Her heart sank. She didn’t have money for a decent lawyer, and all the threats they made were probably true anyway. The courts would give him custody even if she fought him.

  “My request has nothing to do with whether I trust you.”

  She dropped onto the side of the bed. “Doesn’t it?”

  “I want him to have my name. To do that, I have to adopt him. The smoothest transition is for you to sign over custody.”

  She had no idea if he was lying or just making assumptions or telling her the truth. “I could make it difficult for you.”

  His gaze narrowed, not with anger but speculation. The funny thing was none of what he was saying was spoken with the spite his brother had spewed. Romy stated the facts in an almost kind tone of voice. It didn’t stop her from wanting to smack him, but she didn’t have the energy to get up off the bed.

  “Is that what’s best for him?” he asked.

  She rolled her eyes and felt a bought of tears coming on again. If she just signed Arron over, it was giving up all rights to him. Why hadn’t she thought all this through before she came into contact with this family? Charlize never intended to tell Romy about the baby, and Sonya assumed much of that decision had to do with Romy probably not wanting a child he didn’t plan with some random ex-lover. If her sister thought that, they were both wrong about him. From the first moment Romy latched on to Arron and wouldn’t let go.

  “I want some assurances,” she said. “In writing.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Like?”

  She clenched her hands into fists at her sides. “Like rights to be his mamma, even if you get married.”

  “That’s unusual. The courts—”

  “Don’t even start with that. Whatever you put in a contract will work. I want joint custody.”

  “No.”

  She stood. Her ankle ached, and she sat down again. “Why not? You said you want me to raise him.”

  “You will, as long as you wish to…and we’re amiable.”

  If she only had fingernails to scratch his eyes out. “Amiable? You mean as long as I let you in my bed?”

  That shocked him. “No! What I meant was as long as you don’t purposely counter every decision I make regarding my son.”

  She cringed at his use of “my son,” but up until it was established that he was Arron’s father, she’d done the same thing. “So we’re back to me being nothing more than a nanny. I don’t have a say at all.”

  “You are very important, Sonya. You’ve raised Arron up until now, and I know very little of caring for a baby. I’m not an ogre, and generally, I’m not the domineering type. I have no wish to control your every decision, even when it comes to Arron. From what I’ve seen, I believe you love him very much, and you’ll do what you feel is best for him.”

  “I hear a but in there.”

  He smiled, and despite her annoyance with him and her fears, her heart skipped a beat. “But I’m the final authority. There are some things I know about, like keeping my family safe and what that involves.”

  He stood and strolled over to her. When he towered above her, she turned her head, but he reached out to touch her cheek anyway. Why in the world did he have to do that and send chills racing over her skin and down her spine? He had worn her out earlier, and yet her body reacted to him as if they hadn’t done anything together.

  “I want to continue where we left off tonight. Think about it.” He moved to the door and let himself out before shutting the door softly behind him.

  Yeah right. She refused to go there with him again. No way in the world. Not when she was already at his mercy with Arron. Ezio had her wrong. She would never sleep with Romy to get him to bend on the subject of his son. In fact, it felt like if she ever did again that’s exactly what she’d be doing. She would have to do whatever it took to avoid the temptation, and she would do it within the bounds of his rules.

  Chapter 10

  Romy’s phone rang, and he answered without looking as he studied the papers before him. “Sartori.”

  “Mr. Sartori, this is your security company, Greg speaking.”

  Romy stilled his pen and straightened. “Greg, is there a problem?”

  “No, sir. I mean, our procedure is to let you or Mr. Ezio Sartori know if we’ve received a request that didn’t come through one of you. I phoned your brother, sir, but I didn’t get an answer. I didn’t want to leave a message in case—”

  “What request did you receive?”

  The man cleared his throat. “Ms. Davis asked us to run a Kevin Johnson through the system to get clearance to visit the mansion, sir.”

  The pen snapped in two under Romy’s grip, and ink stained his fingers. So she had no intention of considering him as her lover. Or perhaps she did and she wanted to juggle them both. Anger made him grit his teeth together so hard his jaw ached. He shouldn’t be surprised.

  “No,” he said. “I don’t care what the report says. He’s not to receive clearance. Better yet, send me what you pulled up on him.”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll fax it over immediately. What shall I tell Ms. Davis, sir?”

  “Don’t worry about her. I’ll talk to her myself.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Romy disconnected the call and leaned back in his chair. When he noticed his fingers again, he grabbed a tissue from his desk and wiped his hands. He considered how he would tell Sonya she wouldn’t be bringing any man to his house.

  He dialed his secretary, and she answered right away. “Clear my schedule for the afternoon. I’m leaving early.”

  “Romy, you have a meeting with Mr. Sartori.”

  He stood and gathered his briefcase to stuff the papers into it that Ezio had given him that morning. “He can call me at home. If you need anything, talk to his secretary. If there’s an emergency, call me directly.”

  “All right then. Have a good evening.” He heard the hesitation in her voice. This new woman had decent skills, but Ezio intimidated her just as he did most of the secretaries who temped for him. Oddly enough, after half a morning with Sonya as his secretary, he preferred her. The fact that she brought him his son and her bold personality had improved his mood so that he no longer resembled Ezio in attitude. He knew the rumors were flying around the office, but he didn’t care.

  A short while later, he walked through the front door of the mansion as Goro held it. “Mio figlio?” he asked the butler, referring to Arron. “And Sonya?”

  Goro beamed. She’d won at least one member of the household’s heart, even if it was a servant and not family. “Signorina Sonya ha preso il bambino al parco.”

  “English,” Romy insisted. “Practice your English, Goro.”

  “Mi dispiace, Mee-ster Romy.” He spoke haltingly. “Ms. Sonya take baby to park.”

  “Frost?”

  “Si, signore. Frost is also.”

  Romy paced before heading
out again. He hated how she occupied his thoughts just as much as Arron did. Sleeping with her was probably a mistake because it served to seal her in his mind.

  Probably what she intended all along.

  He grumbled under his breath as he sped down the drive. Was she playing games with him, knowing he would find out she had requested clearance for a lover? The leather crackled beneath his tight grip on the steering wheel. He didn’t know one way or the other, and asking her would mean nothing.

  “Frost,” he said into his phone after he dialed the bodyguard. “What park are you in?”

  Frost provided the name. “Everything’s fine, Mr. Romy. She even let me drive her and the baby down here. She’s staying close, and at one point when I had to ask her to stay put for a minute, she did.”

  “Thanks for letting me know.”

  “Of course.”

  Romy ended the call and drove over to the park anyway. He parked in a spot where he could make out Sonya and Arron. She pushed him gently in a baby swing. Now that he was here, Romy wondered if he should just go. The last thing he wanted to do was to rule her or restrict her in any way that wasn’t necessary.

  “If that’s the case, what are you doing here?” he murmured to himself.

  The truth was, he was jealous, and he knew it. He chided himself for his actions and then froze when a man exited a vehicle that had just parked nearby. He recognized the face and that scrawny build. How did Kevin Johnson know where to find them?

  Romy left his car just as Sonya was greeting Kevin—without surprise. So she’d called him. Technically, she was obeying the rule about no visitors to the mansion who weren’t cleared.

  “Every time I see you, you get more and more sexy,” Kevin gushed. “When are we going to get our date?”

  She snorted. “You mean you don’t like this one?”

  Romy, who walked a few steps behind Kevin and hadn’t been seen yet, could imagine the look of disgust that must have crossed Kevin’s expression. “Tell me this isn’t your idea of a date,” he whined. “I’m talking about just adults. You know for some—”