Her Shameful Secret (9 page)

He watched the muscles in her back move sinuously as she hooked her bra. Her fingers fumbled on the last hook and Antonio stood very still as desire whipped through his body. He wasn’t going to offer any assistance. He would not brush her hands away and let his fingers graze her skin as he unhooked the bra and peeled it off …

Antonio cleared his throat. “That was before I knew you were carrying the Rossi heir.”

She glanced over her shoulder. “A deal is a deal, Antonio.”

He could argue, point out that she had withheld important information. Instead he watched, fixated, as Isabella bent from the waist. Her long blonde hair swayed along her shoulders as she shimmied into her jeans.

“Wait until the results are back?” he suggested. It
wasn’t a great idea. For his own preservation it would be better if Isabella was far away.

“There is no need,” Isabella said as she hastily put on her shirt. “I know what the results are going to say.”

“But you don’t know what you plan to do. If you want to support your interest in the Rossi fortune then
you
need to learn the business, too. That means staying here.”

“And you’re going to teach me? Is that right?” she asked as she straightened the hem of her shirt. “And eventually my child. That way you can wield influence even if you
don’t
have all the power.”

He gritted his teeth. “Your child needs to grow up here in Rome. She needs to understand where she comes from and who her family is. Then she will know what to do when she takes charge of the family business.”

“Heritage?” Isabella paused in slipping her foot into her shoe. “She needs to know her heritage?”

Antonio was surprised by the longing in Isabella’s voice. “She can only do that around her remaining family,” he added. He needed to keep a close eye on Isabella. The last thing he needed was another man in the picture. Antonio’s stomach twisted violently at the thought.

“It’s a good point.” Isabella said, her gaze on her feet. It was obvious that she was having second thoughts. “I need to think about this.”

“Think about it here in Rome,” he urged.

She nodded slowly. “I’ll stay until the test results are ready.”

“Good.” Antonio felt a hint of relief. He had a week to seduce her. Considering their history, she would capitulate sooner than that.

Isabella reached for the sonogram printout. “Once
we’re done here I’ll move into a hotel. I don’t have the money right now, but maybe I can work something out with the lawyers dealing with the will.”

Hotel? He couldn’t let that happen. “I have no problem with you staying in my apartment.”

“I don’t want to take advantage of your hospitality,” she replied. “I think I’ve already overstayed my welcome.”

“Not at all. In fact I won’t be in Rome for the rest of the week. I have business to attend to in Paris,” Antonio lied.

Isabella bit her bottom lip. “I don’t know …”

“Stay. I insist.” His strategy would only work if she remained in his home and in his control. “It will put my mind at ease knowing that you are cared for while I’m gone.”

“Okay, thank you,” she said with a grateful smile. “By the time you come back I’m sure I’ll have made my decision.”

And Antonio was determined to do everything in his power to have the decision work in his favor.

CHAPTER SEVEN

F
IVE
days later Isabella sat in Maria Rossi’s grand home just outside Rome. She perched on the edge of a sofa and silently accepted a fine china teacup. She winced when the cup rattled on the saucer.

Do not drop it
. The tea set looked like it had cost more than her entire college tuition fees. The rug beneath her feet had to be obscenely expensive. It didn’t take any expertise in antiques to know that everything in the room was priceless. She needed to keep her hands in her lap and refrain from making any sudden movements.

She and Antonio’s mother made an odd tea party. Maria wore a silk dress and pearls, while Isabella wore dime-store denim and cotton. Her skin prickled as she remembered the disapproving look from the butler when she had arrived. She fought the urge to tug at her skirt, which was several inches above her bare knees.

Isabella wasn’t sure what the protocol was for tea, so she waited for the older woman to drink from her own cup, then took a polite sip from her tea and carefully set the cup and saucer down gently on the table in front of her.

“It was kind of you to invite me to your house, Mrs.
Rossi,” Isabella said, hoping to get through this quickly. “I’m wondering what the occasion is.”

“Please, call me Maria.”

The woman must want something if she was trying to be friendly, and Isabella felt a stab of guilt. She didn’t know anything about Maria Rossi. It was possible that she was a kind soul who only turned into a lioness when she felt her family was being threatened. It was highly unlikely, but anything was possible.

“It must be important,” Isabella continued. “I know you aren’t entertaining while you’re in mourning.”

“This isn’t entertaining,” Maria corrected her. “You’re practically family.”

She was glad she wasn’t holding the china cup when Maria said that. Unsure how to respond, Isabella smiled tightly and glanced around the room. Her eyes bulged when she recognized a painting from one of her art history classes.

Her fingers tightened and she pushed her elbows in closer to her body. She’d never seen a home like this, even when she’d used to clean houses with her mother. It made her uncomfortable. Nervous.

“I understand you took a DNA test to establish paternity?” Maria said.

Isabella slowly returned her attention to Antonio’s mother. “Just a formality.” She was sensitive about the fact that she had been made to take the blood test. She wasn’t a slut who didn’t know the father of her baby.

“Have you received the results?”

Please
. Isabella narrowed her eyes at Maria. She’d got the call this morning and an hour later had been summoned to the Rossi family estate. That was no coincidence.
Maria had probably known the results before she had. “Yes, I have.”

“And?” Maria prompted as she took another sip of tea.

Isabella took a deep breath, knowing that Maria was going to be a part of her life once she gave the answer whether she liked it or not. “Giovanni is the father.”

To her surprise Maria’s eyes dulled and a sad smile flickered across her lips. “It’s a shame he will never be able to see his child,” she said softly.

Isabella tried to remember that this woman was grieving for her son. Maria had been rude and hurtful to her, but she was suffering. Isabella remembered how it had felt when her mother had died, and tried to find some compassion.

At least Maria had Antonio, Isabella reminded herself. She wouldn’t feel lost and alone. Unlike her, Maria had other family to rely on.

Maria regained her composure and took another fortifying sip of her tea. “Anything else?” she asked briskly.

Isabella wasn’t sure what she was asking. Did Maria know something she didn’t?

Isabella shrugged. “Antonio thinks it’s a girl.”

“I’m only going by the ultrasound.” Antonio said as he entered the room.

Isabella heart lurched when she heard Antonio’s deep voice. She whirled around and saw him striding toward her. He was a commanding figure, his confidence and energy crackling into the stifling atmosphere. Although he was dressed casually, in faded jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, Antonio looked like he ruled the world.

She didn’t know why she had such a fierce reaction
from seeing him again. It had only been five days. It wasn’t as if she’d been out of contact with him. She had spoken to him daily on the phone while he was gone. He had also sent links throughout each day to websites about pregnancy and maternal health. Only this morning she had discovered he had been in contact with the doctor’s office, asking advice about her debilitating morning sickness.

This was a side to Antonio she hadn’t expected, Isabella realised as she watched Antonio greet his mother with brief kiss on the cheek. He was her fantasy lover and a fascinating man—but thoughtful and protective …?

She saw Antonio pause as a shadow passed along his face. Isabella immediately knew he had caught a glimpse of Giovanni’s photo next to Maria’s chair.

He was being a picture of strength and power for the sake of his mother and the employees who depended on him, but she knew he was hiding his own suffering. Giovanni had been his brother. Isabella wanted to offer him comfort, but he was too proud for that. She would lighten his burden if she could, but Antonio wasn’t someone who shared his thoughts or his pain.

Oh, damn
. Isabella closed her eyes weakly as the truth hit her. She was still in love with Antonio. She had never stopped loving him. For months she had wished for reconciliation, with the loss of what she’d had with Antonio almost driving her mad. She’d tried to be practical, tried to move on, but she couldn’t extinguish that whisper of hope.

Rubbing her aching head, Isabella wondered if she’d ever learn. This was why she needed to keep her distance. She wasn’t going to start up again with Antonio.
It didn’t matter how much they wanted each other or how much she loved him. Nothing would change the fact that he still believed she had been unfaithful.

“What are you doing here?” Isabella blurted out.

Antonio faced her, his gaze warming as it traveled from her face to her bare legs and back to her eyes. “I was going to ask you the same.”

“I invited her to tea,” Maria explained. “She told me the blood test results are in and Gio is the father.”

Isabella saw a stealthy look pass between mother and son. She didn’t know what it meant. Had they seriously questioned the paternity of her child?

“And,” Maria continued, “I was hoping to know what her plans are now.”

The two looked at her expectantly and Isabella felt her nervousness spike. She knew they weren’t going to like her decision, but she had to be strong.

“I’m leaving Rome. Today,” she added. She had to leave before Antonio discovered her weak points. Had to get out before he talked about family and heritage. Before he made seductive promises he had no way of keeping.

She sensed Maria’s disappointment. She tried not to look directly at Antonio. She couldn’t determine his reaction. Was he surprised? Did he know how much she had wrestled with this decision? Had he been hoping she would stay?

Maria frowned. “But …”

Isabella raised her hand to hold off any arguments. “I plan to visit Rome frequently. I want my child to know his or her family. But it’s best for me to return to Los Angeles and finish my degree.”

Maria tilted her head to look at Antonio. “Talk to
her,” she said in Italian. “Take her into the gardens and convince her to stay in Rome.”

Isabella lowered her head and kept her gaze on her hands. Did Maria think she didn’t understand
any
Italian? How did she think she had been able to live in Rome all these months? She pressed her lips before she corrected the older woman. She knew some Italian, but not enough to speak fluently.

Isabella’s pulse quickened as Antonio approached her. She glanced up and her heart did a slow tumble when she saw his weary face. She didn’t think she’d ever seen him like this. She wanted to smooth away the lines and hold him tight.

“Bella, let’s discuss your travel arrangements,” he said in English. “Would you like to join me in the gardens?”

Isabella nodded and rose from her seat. She quietly followed him to a door that led out to the magnificent garden. It was as large as a public park, artfully designed with statues and fountains. The lush green lawn was beautifully maintained, and contrasted against the crimson and gold leaves on the large, solid trees.

She shouldn’t be doing this, Isabella thought as she walked alongside Antonio. She was obediently following him just to
be
with him. Her chest tightened as she realized this was the last time they would be alone together. Instead of getting closer, she needed to start creating distance.

“You don’t need to pretend, Antonio,” she said. “I understood what your mother told you.”

“I know,” he said with a hint of a smile. “But I didn’t want to have this conversation in front of her.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. I thought about staying
here in Rome, so my child would know his family and his heritage, but I think it’s best for me to return to Los Angeles and finish my college degree.”

“You can always finish your degree here.”

She shook her head. “My Italian isn’t good enough.”

“Those are obstacles we can easily overcome. Tell me what you need and I’ll make it happen.”

Isabella stared at the pale stonework under her feet. No one had offered that kind of support for her while she’d pursued her education. She had done it all on her own. She was proud of her accomplishments, but she’d love to share her future ups and downs with Antonio. Have someone at her side during the journey.

But she couldn’t rely on him. If she accepted his help he would expect something in return. Something like allegiance and obedience when it came to matters concerning the Rossi fortune.

“I appreciate the offer,” she said woodenly. “I really do. But—”

“What is the real reason you’re leaving Rome?” he interrupted. “It’s not because you want to continue your education. The academic year has already started and you can’t re-enrol for another couple of months. So what is the urgency?”

“Once I make a decision I act immediately.”

“No, that’s not it.” He dismissed her answer with the flick of his hand. “You’re leaving because of me.”

“You are so—” She stopped herself. What did it matter if he knew how she felt? “Okay, fine.
Yes
, Antonio. It’s best for me to leave Rome because of
you
. You think I cheated on you. I gave you no reason to be jealous, and there is no evidence that I cheated, but you’re determined to believe the worst about me.”

He took a deep breath. “I regret letting Giovanni get between us.”

Isabella stopped walking and closed her eyes as old pain washed over her. “But you believed him. You
still
believe him.”