“They, uh, investigated you. But found nothing wrong,” he added quickly.
She stood, glaring at him. “I can’t believe this. Did you put them up to the investigation? Was this all your idea?”
“No, they did it on their own. You know how skeptical they were about us. I tried to tell them to mind their own business, but they didn’t. And for once, I’m glad.” He stood and gripped her by her arms, giving her a little shake. “Paige. You ran out before I could talk to you again. You wouldn’t answer your phone. How come you talked to my mother and not to me? I may be the one who overreacted and behaved like an ass, but you ran away. I need your trust too, you know.”
“You’re right.” She pressed her lips together. “I’m sorry I ran.”
“And I’m sorry I reacted the way I did. It’s hard for me to let my walls down, but for you, my love, I have.” The anxiety coiled within him slowly unwound. He was this close to getting back into her good graces again. “I love you, Paige. I never wanted to hurt you and I’m sorry. I could tell you a thousand times, but it would never be enough.”
“I’m sorry too.” She gasped when he reached inside his pocket and pulled the diamond pendant she left on her dresser. He’d been destroyed when he found it. Spotting the necklace sitting there, her leaving had felt so final, their relationship so completely destroyed by a few choice, ugly words.
And he’d let them fill him with doubt. How he hated that. He hated even more how much he hurt her.
“You forgot this,” he said solemnly, holding it out to her.
She shook her head. “I didn’t think it belonged to me anymore.”
“It’s yours. Just like my heart is yours.” He reached for her and slipped the necklace around her neck, doing the clasp with ease.
Reaching up, she touched the stone, running her fingers over it, her gaze never leaving Matteo’s. The tears started again, and he stopped them with a gentle brush of his thumb. He hated seeing her so upset, knowing he was the cause of her distress. “I’m too much trouble.”
“What?” He slipped his fingers under her chin, his thumb caressing her along her jaw. “You’re not any trouble. Why would you say that?”
“Everywhere I go, I seem to cause trouble. At the Leonards’, with you.” She sniffed. “Maybe it would be best if I did return home.”
“No,” he said vehemently, shaking his head. His fingers trembled beneath her chin. “You’re mine, Paige. I love you. You love me. We belong together.”
Her eyes went wide and she parted her lips, almost as if she couldn’t believe what he said. “I’m yours?” she whispered.
“All mine.” Leaning in, he kissed her, wanting to convey all the love, all the hope and joy he felt for her in that one brush of his lips. “I love you. Matty loves you. I want you to be a part of my life, Paige. Forever.”
“Forever.” She slipped her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair. “I like the sound of that.” Her lips moved against his as she spoke just before she kissed him.
“I do too,” he whispered just before he took the kiss deeper.
And then proceeded to show her just how much she meant to him.
Epilogue
Eleven months later…
“I want to see the baby!” Matty cried, banging his fists on the kitchen table.
“Matty, stop,” Paige chastised, sending Matteo a look. That same look she always gave him when she was overwhelmed by Matty’s antics. The one that made him feel like a hero, because only he could help her.
“Matty, don’t be so rude. Your aunt and uncle will be here any minute with the baby. And they won’t let you see her if you keep acting like this,” Matteo explained.
Matty pouted, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I don’t want a baby cousin. I want a baby sister. And a baby brother.”
Matteo agreed, but he wasn’t one to push. They’d been married three months. Paige was young. He couldn’t force her to have a baby. Though the idea held such tremendous appeal he’d dreamed of it just last night.
He blamed the dream on Stasia giving birth to a beautiful baby girl they named Nicola. It felt like only yesterday that they’d gone to the hospital to see her briefly, leaving Matty with his grandmother. Such a beautiful baby when she’d been born, with thick, dark hair and rosy skin. Matteo had never seen Gavin look so proud or Stasia look so content.
Months later and the even more beautiful Nicola smiled and cooed, so chubby and happy, especially when little Matty played with her. She lit up the entire Renaldi family with her sweet baby laugh.
The doorbell rang and Matty ran to go get it, throwing open the door and yelling with such abandon, both Matteo and Paige winced.
“Your family’s here,” Paige murmured, a little smile curling her lips.
Matteo went to her, drew her into his arms and pressed a gentle kiss to her mouth. “Let’s go greet them. Or we could run away and hide.”
She laughed, pressed her hands against his chest. “I’m dying to see the baby.”
“You’ve seen one baby, you’ve seen them all.” He shrugged, though he didn’t mean it. He’d never been so happy.
When Paige had permanently come back home with him, he’d demanded she become his in every way. And now she was. It pleased him to see his ring around her finger, and it made him proud to wear hers. To know she belonged to him—that they belonged to each other. And she had formally adopted Matty, which Matty delighted in—especially when he got to call her “Mama”.
They were a real family in every way.
As a wedding present, Matteo had revealed to Paige that her former boss and wife were being investigated for money laundering. A nasty little tidbit the investigators his brothers recommended were able to discover for Matteo. It gave him a big pleasure indeed when the information he’d provided to the IRS had seemed to help. Those rats had been out for Paige’s blood and now Matteo had both of theirs.
After that, everything—life, work, home—seemed so damned rosy both he and Paige sometimes lay in bed at night, just staring at each other and not believing their good fortune.
Now, Paige’s cheeks were bright red in excitement. In fact, she looked so eager to see the baby he rather liked the idea of making one with her tonight. He imagined her swelled with his child and his erection swelled in response at the thought of planting his seed inside the woman he loved.
“What about if we were to have a baby? Would you feel like that?” she asked him. Her eyes glowed as she studied him, her fingers curling into the front of his shirt.
“I thought we weren’t ready for babies yet.” Hope rose within him, but he batted it down. She wore the diamond around her neck, the pendant he’d given her the night of the fashion gala, and it filled him with pride to see it lying against her skin.
He most preferred to see her wearing that necklace and nothing else…
“I thought I wasn’t either. But sometimes, life delivers you a little surprise.” She smiled and he thought he might burst apart at her news. Wait. So…for real? She was pregnant?
“You’re serious?” He could hardly contain himself and felt too big inside his skin.
She nodded, her eyes shining with tears.
“You’re—pregnant.” He could hardly get the words out—he couldn’t believe what she was saying.
Paige nodded again, standing up on tiptoe so she could kiss him. “Are you happy?” she asked, her mouth against his.
“Paige.” Matteo closed his eyes for a moment and held her to him, breathing into her and she laughed. “I’m so happy I can hardly speak.” He slipped a hand down to her belly, caressing her still flat stomach. “A baby.”
“Yes. A baby. It’s like a miracle.” She sighed as he caressed her middle. God, he was consumed with so much love for her, he could hardly stand it.
“It’s our miracle,” he whispered as he pulled away from her, her hand grasped in his. “Let’s go see the baby. And tell everyone there’s going to be another one joinin
g her in…”
“Seven months, give or take.” Paige beamed at him. “I love you.”
“I love you too, bella. More than you’ll ever know.”
About the Author
Karen Erickson has always loved the written word. From being one of the best readers in her kindergarten class to penning romantic stories that never ended about her favorite band members (Duran Duran) in high school, she always wanted to write. It just took her a while to seriously pursue it.
With the birth of her third child came a realization—it’s one thing to talk about writing a book, another thing entirely to actually do it. She’s been published since 2006.
Karen’s a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite with her husband, three children, one dog and too many cats.
To learn more about Karen, visit her online:
www.karenerickson.com
Blog: karenerickson.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/karenericksonwritesromance
Twitter: www.twitter.com/karenerickson
Look for these titles by Karen Erickson
Now Available:
Spontaneous
Jesse’s Girl
Fortune
Fortune’s Deception
Fortune’s Promise
Fortune’s Chance
Playing with Fire
Forbidden
Tangled
Scandalous
Notorious
Fated
Under My Umbrella
Baby, Don’t Lose My Number
Simple Twist of Fate
Tahoe Nights
My Favorite Mistake
End of Days
Neon Chaos
Worth It
Worth the Scandal
Worth the Risk
Worth the Challenge
Worth Everything
The Renaldis
Temporary Arrangement
Print Anthologies
Midsummer Night’s Steam: Hot Summer Nights
Luck of the Draw
Playing with Fire
Tahoe Nights
Coming Soon:
The Renaldis
Kidnapping His Bride
Print Anthologies
Playing With Fire 2
Twist of Fate
Can two lost souls find their way to love?
Worth Everything
© 2013 Karen Erickson
Worth It, Book 4
Anastasia Renaldi’s life is a complete lie. Disinherited from the family fashion-accessory business and informed she’s the illegitimate daughter of the famous—and long-dead—Michael Worth of Worth Luxury, she has no one to turn to. No real family, no job, no identity to claim. Lost and confused, she turns to the one man who can help her obtain what is rightfully hers.
Attorney Gavin Westmore is hired to discover the truth. Does Stasia Renaldi have a stake to claim in the Worth empire? From the moment he meets her, Gavin knows what sort of woman Stasia is. Calculating, devious—she won’t let anything or anyone get in the way of her pursuit of a fortune. As long as he can collect his generous fee, he’s fine with it.
But Gavin soon discovers his perception of Stasia is wrong. She truly is confused, a sweet, ambitious woman who wants what rightfully belongs to her. Soon they’re spending lots of time together—and it goes beyond the attorney/client type meetings. The only question is, after untangling the web of lies to get to the truth, whether there will be any room left for love.
Warning: A secret Worth sister? Yes, indeed. Not only will you catch a glimpse of all those delicious Worth brothers one last time, you’ll get to know their sweet, feisty sister—and the man who’ll tame her. All in the name of love.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Worth Everything:
Stasia watched him eat, afraid to say anything for fear he’d snarl and growl at her again like some sort of feral beast. She’d had no idea the polished, handsome attorney could turn so coarse and rough in such a short amount of time. It had surprised her.
Aroused her.
Frowning, she pushed her food around on her plate, her appetite having fled. She didn’t want to fight with Gavin, but she didn’t want him to think so terribly of her either. This driving need to know this other, lost part of her life had nothing to do with money and everything with her half-brothers.
She had six of them. It was crazy to imagine, let alone realize that it was indeed true. Six brothers, every one of them older than her.
And not one of them wanted to be with her. Well, the three she’d been raised with were trapped by the restrictions of their father’s will and their own very busy lives. The other three looked at her as if she were some sort of interloper they wanted no part of.
It hurt, all of it. She’d never felt so exposed, scrubbed so raw. Gavin’s accusations were like salt rubbed into her wounds, stinging and burning until she could hardly concentrate.
She knew Gavin wouldn’t give, though. No he wouldn’t apologize or offer any sort of sympathy, not that she expected him to. This last month she’d learned to harden her heart, not to count on anyone to help her. Everyone in her family had abandoned her, even her mother. She had absolutely no one.
More than anything, she needed to remember that.
“Stasia.” His deep, calm voice broke through her painful thoughts, rippling her nerve endings like a rock skipping across an otherwise smooth pond. “I don’t want to argue with you.”
“Well.” She met his gaze, found herself momentarily lost in that stark green gaze. So stupid. “You must be a mind reader, because I don’t want to fight with you either.”
“Misunderstandings are futile.” He tried to smile, but it wasn’t sincere. It didn’t even reach his eyes. “Perhaps we can start over and discuss the matter in a more…civilized manner.”
She remained quiet, contemplating him. He seemed like a man who preferred polite conversation. Who did everything by the book, never diverting, never daring to break the rules or do something that would damage an attorney/client relationship.
A few minutes in her presence and it was as if he was ready to throw away the veneer of perfection and argue with her until they ran out of breath. She couldn’t wrap her head around it. His reaction to her, their reaction to each other, made no sense.
“I agree,” she finally said, noting the relief softening his otherwise stern expression. “I think we’re both on edge and we’re—taking it out on each other. We need to put that past us and focus on what needs to be done.”
“And what is that exactly, Stasia? Tell me what you want from me, what you want from the Worths.”
“I want a sense of family. I want…” She sighed, the sound so full of wistful longing it sent a pang straight to her vulnerable heart. “I want to belong. To someone, somewhere. I need to.”
Now it was his turn to study her, not saying a word, though she saw the surprise in his gaze. He believed her some sort of she-devil out to take the Worths for everything they had when that wasn’t her intention. Money didn’t matter. A person could have all the wealth in the world, but it still didn’t make them happy.
She’d been happy, once upon a time. Successful at her job, excited to start working on her own jewelry line, and part of a family that had been in the fashion accessory industry for generations. With three brothers who loved her, a father who doted on her and a mother who thought she was completely spoiled.
That had been wiped from her life with her father’s shocking will.
“I think we need to go farther back.” He cleared his throat, his gaze, his face so utterly serious, she leaned toward him, eager to hear what he had to say next. “I think we need to find your mother and talk to her.”
Stasia reared back, emphatically shaking her head. “No. That’s impossible.”
“Why? Why won’t she talk to you? Have you tried?”
“Of course I’ve tried. She refuses to talk to anyone. She’s staying in Italy as if she were exiled.”
“We’ll go see her, then.” He cocked his head to the side. “Don’t you want to learn the truth? The details as to how you…came to be?”
Her chest tightened. What if those revelations, those stories, were too painful for her to endure? Then what? She’d have to live with them the rest of her life. She didn’t know if she was ready for that yet.
Would she settle for the unknown, though? Perhaps it was better, knowing exactly how her mother could betray her “father” so completely.
“Are you afraid, Stasia?” His voice lowered a notch, so husky-deep it seemed to reach inside her and touch her quivery heart. “Is that it? Are you too scared to face the truth?”
“No.” She blew out a harsh breath, hating how her voice trembled. “I refuse to be afraid. Then I’ll turn into my mother, all alone and refusing to talk to anyone.”
“Exactly. You need to be stronger than that. And I know you have it in you.” Gavin then did something so shocking she thought she might jump out of her skin. Reaching across the table, he rested his hand atop hers in what seemed to be a comforting gesture.
He had no idea his touch seemed to reach something dark and forbidden deep within her. Desire swirled, gathered low in her belly when she felt the gentle sweep of his thumb across her sensitive skin.
“Let’s go to Italy and talk to her,” he murmured. “Find out everything she knows before we go to the Worths. It might be smart, strategically. We could fill them in with the details as well. Don’t you believe they’re just as curious?”
Were they? She hadn’t a clue, since they refused to look at her, let alone speak to her. Besides that one moment with Rhett, which felt like a lifetime ago. “What if my mother tells us nothing?”
The smile that curved his generous mouth was a real one this time, and absolutely devastating in its power. It sent a spark of heat whispering over her skin, along her nerve endings. “If we go all that way to question her, I believe you’ll get her to talk.” He removed his hand from hers, leaving her a little lost without his touch.
Tempted by Her Boss: The Renaldis, Book 1 Page 16
