Baby Mine

by Tressie Lockwood

  When he reached his destination, he paused and scanned the room. The doors on the opposite side had been left open, and a warm breeze swept the interior. He crossed to them and peered outside. Nicoletta stood with sheers and a basket pruning flowers in the garden. He approached her. “Nicoletta, bion giorno.”

  She glanced up at his voice, and he winced at the open joy in her expression. She cast down long, thick lashes and smiled. “Bion giorno, Renzo. I hoped I would see you before you left.” She approached him and laid a possessive hand on his arm before leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss him. Renzo just turned his head in time, but her lips landed just beside his. The disappointment in her gaze radiated, and he chided himself for not making his intentions plainer. Now that he stood here, he wondered if this was the time. If she became emotional, he could not be rude and cut her off simply because he would be late for work.

  “I have a full day, but I wanted to talk to you,” he began.

  She gazed at him with expectance and then stepped closer. Her small breast brushed his arm. He cleared his throat, irritated this wasn’t going as smoothly as he thought it would. In business dealings he intimidated others to get what he wanted. Hell, in his personal life he had no trouble wrapping the women he chose to give attention to around his little finger. However, he had no wish to hurt Nicoletta.

  “You are a very good friend of my family. Your father was instrumental in helping my father purchase his first winery, and my father bought out yours within a few years. That’s how successful he was at growing the company. He went on to expand his holdings until—”

  Nicoletta pressed closer, if that were even possible. “Renzo, why are you giving me a history lesson?”

  He frowned. “I’ve always felt responsible for you. The direction your family took in business wasn’t the wisest after your father let go of the winery.” He stopped, not wanting to remind her of financial trouble. Just recently her father had come to him for a loan.

  The confusion on Nicoletta’s face cleared, and she radiated more happiness than she had moments earlier when he greeted her. “Renzo, you’re asking me to marry you.”

  Renzo stared. Words escaped him. The gasp and the sound of shattering glass startled them both. He turned from Nicoletta to find Jada standing there with a teacup on the path in front of her, the contents spilled, and the china in bits. The curse he’d avoid earlier slipped out now.

  “Jada—” he began.

  “Oh damn, I’m so sorry.” Jada bent over the mess and started gathering pieces of the teacup. For an instant he saw a quiver in her hands, but questioned if he was seeing things when it disappeared. “I bet that was expensive. I’m going to replace it. I promise.”

  Renzo rushed to her side and pulled her away from the mess. “Leave it. I’ll get a maid to handle it.”

  She struggled in his hold. “No, I did it, and it’s my responsibility.”

  He tried looking into her eyes, but she wouldn’t meet his gaze. He held on to her upper arm, wanting to keep her near so he could explain, but he also needed to disabuse Nicoletta of her wrong conclusion. Irritation rose in him. He should have handled this better, and of all times for Jada to show up just when he spoke with Nicoletta. He realized now it must have been Jada on the elevator. “Hold on a second,” he insisted. “Stay right there, and I will get a maid. Do not move.”

  Even before he spun away, he caught the frown and stubbornness coming into her eyes. She would not be ordered. He regretted walking out on her the night before, knowing her reaction to his high-handed treatment. The entire time in Italy, he had carefully wooed her. The only explanation he could give himself now was that he had felt more relaxed, confident she was where she belonged—with him.

  He pushed a hand through his hair as he went in search of someone to clean up the mess. Only after he reached the kitchen did he recall he’d left both women alone together. “For the love of—”

  “Renzo!” His mother glared at him. Her English did not extend far, but she’d learned quickly, probably because she’d raised two boys, the usual ways one might swear in a foreign language. Renzo would never disrespect his mother by deliberately uttering one in her presence, but she’d caught him out a few times in the past.

  “Mi dispiace, Mamma.” He breathed a sigh of relief to find Marie in the kitchen. He gave the maid instructions and turned on his heel to return to the women he left behind. He could only hope Jada hadn’t fled and Nicoletta hadn’t confronted the woman he truly intended to make his wife.

  * * * *

  Jada stooped to place bits of broken china in her palm. She kept her gaze focused on the task at hand because if she didn’t she’d either attack the woman in front of her or cry like an idiot. Neither Nicoletta nor Renzo were getting the satisfaction. What she should have done was crack Renzo upside the head. Sure, Nicoletta was nothing to him except a family friend. What a load of crap. The bastard had asked her to marry him. At least she knew the truth now, but did it have to make her feel like someone had stabbed her in the heart and twisted the knife? Why the hell did she have to fall for him?

  A shadow fell over her, and she peered up, sunlight blocking her vision. She paused in her movements to shield her gaze. Nicoletta, the delicate sweet beauty, stood there with a hard expression making her lips look too thin. Not that the change in attitude surprised Jada.

  “I don’t know why you’re here, but I can guess.” She put long, slender fingers on hips that must fit in size two jeans or smaller. Well, if she wore jeans. Right now she stood in a soft, flowing dress that revealed a modest amount of long, shapely legs. Demure on one hand, sexy on the other. “You’re one of the many women Renzo slept with while he was away on business, and now you’re here hoping to get a little piece of his money. Don’t you think we’ve seen this a million times? We’ve sent them all away with nothing.”

  Jada stood slowly. “Is that right?”

  “Oh yes. As you overheard, I’m going to be his wife. I don’t mind him having a little extra fun. He does have a big appetite. What I do mind is them coming here thinking they will get even a cent of the Mariani fortune.”

  “Because that’s all yours,” Jada quipped. “Look, bitch, I don’t care about you or your fiancé. Got that? I don’t want or need his money.”

  The disbelief stood stark in Nicoletta’s face, pissing Jada off even more.

  “I came here to give him some information. I did that, and now I’m out. You can stay here and allow your husband to cheat on you. By all means, continue to enjoy yourself!” She spun on her heel to walk away. Let him get a maid to get the teacup. She no longer gave a damn.

  After crossing the room she’d used to get outside, she spun around the corner only to smash face first into Renzo’s massive chest. His hands came up to her waist to steady her, and she began struggling to get away on instinct.

  “Get your hands off me!”

  “Jada, I need to talk to you,” he insisted.

  The thought of being one of many women sharing his bed surged through her mind, and she fought him harder, forgetting about the glass in her hand until the pain registered. She winced at the sting, and Renzo released her in an instant. Tiny strands of blood dripped over the side of her clenched fist, and she eased the hold.

  “Cara, what have you done?” The concern in Renzo’s tone made her heart ache.

  He yanked her close and bent over her hand. The gentle touch as he unfolded her fingers and picked the shards of glass from her palm brought tears to her eyes, but she blinked them away.

  “Come, we’re going to the hospital,” he announced.

  “It’s just some tiny cuts, Renzo. You don’t need to panic.” She tried to pull away, but he held on, and the next instant they were in the bathroom with her in front of him at the sink while he ran cool water over her hand. She had no choice but to wait in silence while he cleaned her wounds and searched for any more glass. In the mirror, she studied his handsome face. He drew her to him without a word. She wanted to be
near him, hear his voice and see his smile. His touch sent her into orbit, but this man could consume her whole in more ways than one. If she gave in to him, she’d lose herself. Of that she was certain.

  Back in Venice, they spoke often, but she couldn’t remember anything of consequence. She’d known nothing of his family except that he had siblings. She’d not learned his father had passed, and there was only his mother and an uncle left. Not that she’d asked him. She didn’t want to know because she viewed it as a step toward falling in love. In the same way, she never told him she was an only child and that she’d lost her parents within a year of each other a decade ago. That time had been hard because she’d been only nineteen. Yet, it made her strong and more determined to make her own way in the world. She had, as a paralegal. She enjoyed most of it, doing legal research, drafting documents for court, and most of all interviewing people. She couldn’t give legal advice since she wasn’t a lawyer, but she had a great repertoire with the men and women in her office who were, and she had connections with others associated with the field like private investigators. That was how she’d been able to find Renzo. She loved her life and didn’t need anything from her former lover or his family.

  “Renzo, I think we’re done here,” she said, meeting his reflected gaze.

  “I’m not marrying her, Jada.”

  She shook her head. “What you do is your business. I just came to tell you about the baby.”

  “You keep saying that, but if all you cared about was meeting an obligation you felt about telling me, a phone call could have sufficed. You came across the country to see me.”

  She chewed the inside of her lip. He wasn’t supposed to notice that, and she kicked herself for the millionth time for giving in to her emotions. She’d done so well leaving the first time. Well, I’ll do it again and get it right.

  Renzo turned the water off at the sink and raised her hand. She started to protest, but he touched his lips to the sensitive skin before she could stop him. Tingles of pleasure vied with the sting of the cuts and raced over her arms and down toward her pussy. She resisted snatching away so he wouldn’t suspect how he affected her.

  “Don’t you think you need to be out there setting your little girlfriend straight?” she demanded.

  He caressed her cheek and then raised her chin. “I’d rather be in here, setting you straight.”

  She opened her mouth to tell him where to go, but he covered her lips in a searing kiss that drew her up to the tips of her toes. She forgot about the pain in her hand as she slipped her arms around his neck and pressed in close to his chest. Her nipples tightened, and Renzo brushed her side with his hand until he reached one aching peak. His thumb plucked at the small bud through her blouse, and she whimpered.

  Sanity flooded back when he squeezed her ass and slid fingers lower until they just reached her pussy. She jerked away, panting, and dragged a hand over her mouth. “Stop it, Renzo. I told you we’re not doing this anymore.”

  She stepped past him, expecting to be halted, but when he didn’t lay a finger on her, she kept moving as quickly as possible until she made it back to her room. While she folded the clothes she’d taken from her suitcase into the carrier, a knock on her door interrupted her. She grunted and rolled her eyes. “Come in.”

  When she turned, instead of Renzo this time it was his sister standing in her doorway. Jada searched her memory for the woman’s name.

  “I’m Zita.” With a determined step, Zita strode into the room and shut the door behind her.

  Here we go again.

  Chapter Four

  “Was there something you needed? I’m about to leave, and I don’t have a lot of time.”

  The frown put her in her place without a word. Jada was being rude, but she didn’t give a damn. These people had smiled in her face while they thought she was a lost tourist. Now they all seemed to think she was beneath them because she’d had an affair with Renzo. They could think what they liked.

  “I wanted to ask you to stay.”

  Jada blinked. “Come again?”

  Zita shrugged and floated over to the window to peer out. Jada had a flashback to the historical romances she used to read for years. Zita could be one of the heroines, exotic and beautiful, and there was an innocence about her too.

  “I don’t care why you’re here and if you’re just trying to get my brother’s money. It doesn’t affect me at all. My inheritance can’t be touched. My father made sure of that.” Zita swung to face her. “What your presence does do is get my brothers and my uncle’s focus off of me. I saw that in one night, and it’s great. With all their arguing last night, I was able to… Anyway, stay. Get whatever it is you want. After all, doesn’t your baby deserve the best life it can get?”

  Jada stared at her. “You know about the baby?”

  Zita laughed. “Like I said, they were arguing half the night. I don’t know why any of them bother, though. No one has ever been able to make Renzo do what he doesn’t want to. No one except Dad maybe, but even then he came with a good argument because I think my big brother was born knowing exactly what he wanted, and nothing ever stopped him from getting it.”

  Jada at last came out of her shocked daze and put her hands on her hips. “So as much as you admire your brother, you don’t care if he marries a gold digger as long as it doesn’t get in your way? Who the hell are you people?”

  Zita frowned. “It’s not like that.”

  “No? Then how is it?”

  The younger woman stomped over toward the door but turned back to Jada. “I love Renzo, and he’s brilliant. He’s excellent at judging character. So either he thinks you’re a good person, or he has calculated the risks of having you around and figures he can control you.”

  “What?” Jada’s temper flew through the roof. “Nobody controls me.”

  Zita eyed her up and down. “I admit I don’t know any black people personally.”

  Again, she took Jada’s ability to speak.

  “You’re interesting. I like the way you speak and the attitude. I think you can stand up to him and my family, and I’d love to be able to do that and get away with it. Even still, I’ve never seen anyone get the better of Renzo, and I don’t think you will either. Don’t run away. See where it goes and see how you can help your baby. Renzo would make a great dad, just like ours was. I know it.”

  With that announcement, the young woman was gone, and Jada stood where she was, replaying everything the spoiled little rich girl had said. Even if her motives were selfish, some of what she’d shared made sense, and it got Jada to think of other considerations. If Renzo was serious about being a part of his baby’s life, then she’d do a lot better to work with him rather than antagonize him. In the end, the man had money and probably influence. If he decided to fight her, she could lose, and that wasn’t acceptable under any circumstances. One thing was for sure though—Jada Thompson was not going to be controlled by any man, rich or poor.

  * * * *

  Jada tossed her towel aside and approached the water. She marveled at how huge the Mariani pool was and the fact that it was an indoor heated one. After dipping a toe in to test the temperature, she scanned the room. At this hour everyone must be in bed, so she took advantage of being alone. Not being used to a house full of people, she tended to look for spots to disappear, especially with Renzo’s family and their varying reactions to her. Over the last couple of days, she’d not known how to react to any of them. Ettore kept a friendly smile in place, but she had the feeling he didn’t trust her. Renzo’s mother never bothered to speak to her in English. Zita acted like they were co-conspirators, and Renzo’s uncle showed open dislike whenever she had the misfortune of running across him. Nicoletta had gone home, thank goodness, after Renzo let her down about marrying her.

  With all of their attitudes, the one she found hardest to deal with was Renzo himself. The man never let up in his pursuit of her, and she began to think Zita was right. Renzo wanted more than just sex, but she
didn’t know what. Their talks so far had been him insisting she move to California and her refusing. Renzo didn’t push too hard, nor did he back off. The single fortunate incident in all of this was that she was able to work on a project for her company that included a bit of research here in California. Of course the work wouldn’t last long, so she couldn’t put off returning to Charlotte forever or she’d risk losing her employment. Renzo needed to give, or she would have to do what she had to.

  On impulse she dove into the deep end of the pool and cut through the water with even strokes. Rolling over to attempt a few backstrokes, she thought she heard another splash but had to focus on swimming, as this technique wasn’t her strong suit. When hands came up around her waist, she yelped and would have sank beneath the surface if the same grip didn’t keep her up and haul her against a hard body.

  Jada glared above her head at the big oaf who thought he could manhandle her whenever he wanted. “What do you think you’re doing, Renzo?”

  He grinned. “I think I am enjoying a midnight swim, same as you.”

  “I thought everybody was asleep.”

  His gaze dropped to her breasts. Why the hell had she worn the two-piece? Vanity had made her do it before she could no longer get away with showing off her body. Soon her belly would be so round it would disgust her, let alone everyone else. She put a hand up to her cleavage, but Renzo tugged it down.