Secret Heirs: Baby Bargain

Immediately her parents descended, followed by her sister, and for the next two hours there was blessed reprieve from her thoughts.

With all the romance in her soul she was tearful during the ceremony, and proud as punch at the stunning picture her cousin made in her meringue of a wedding dress, befitting a girl who had spent the first eight years of her life believing that she was a fairy princess.

There were hundreds of photos outside the church, and then the bride and groom left for Clarissa’s parents’ house in a white Bentley. Everyone else made their way the five miles or so in assorted cars.

Susie, sandwiched between her mother and her sister, half listened to Alex telling them about her new promotion, which would see her in line to become the youngest ever neurosurgeon at one of the leading hospitals in London. When there was eventually a lull in the conversation she half-heartedly told them that she was finally beginning to see some light in trying to track down clients for her illustrations.

At least her mother had steered clear of talking about guys so far.

‘Susannah, darling, what’s happening on the man front with you? I thought you might have surprised us by bringing a nice young man with you to the wedding...’

‘Er...they’re thin on the ground, Mother...all getting snapped up by beauty queens like Clarissa...’

‘Darling, you look perfectly charming today...’

‘What about all the other days?’ Susie asked wryly.

Louise Sadler gave her a fond pat on the arm. ‘You could add to your wardrobe of jeans with some more feminine clothes...you look an absolute dream in dresses...’

‘A bad dream.’

Up ahead, the mansion that was Kate and Richard Princeton’s house rose splendidly into view.

‘The house looks nice. I like the lanterns lining the sides of the drive...’

‘It’s all a bit much, if you ask me, but you know my sister...she’s never been able to resist the lure of trying to impress everyone... Still, I suppose Clarissa is the first in the Thornton line to get married. Hopefully you’ll be next...’

‘Or Alex.’ She poked her sister in the ribs and Alex instantly chipped in that there was no time even to think about marriage—not when she was building a demanding career that ate up most of her leisure time.

Alex was just the sort of woman Sergio was drawn to. She, Susie, was the exception that proved the rule. Wasn’t that why she had never mentioned her high-achieving family? Because she didn’t want any comparisons? Because she wanted to keep living in a little bubble where she was appreciated in her own right? If he never met her family then he would never take a step back and wonder what the heck he was doing with her.

It was a mortifying thought, tapping into her own silly insecurities, and she fought against it, knowing that it wasn’t fair.

In the bigger scheme of things, silly insecurities were the least of her problems.

‘I myself am not a believer in marriage,’ she declared, to the astonishment of both her mother and her sister, and also her father, who craned back and looked at her with raised bushy eyebrows.

‘Since when?’ he demanded.

‘Since...er...living in London...’ she said airily. ‘I guess I finally see that it’s perfect for an independent woman to live her life without a guy in the background, nagging about when the dinner’s going to be put on the table while he watches the footie...’

‘You really do need to get rid of those young men you seem to like hanging around with...’ Louise Sadler gave a little moue of distaste.

‘And just for the record...’ this as her father’s driver was pulling into the courtyard, making a graceful turn before pulling to a stop and rushing round to open doors ‘...I think in this day and age it’s absolutely acceptable for a woman to bring a child up on her own! You could say I’m a changed person—forging ahead...pretty much a feminist... It took me a while to get there, but better late than never!’

She leapt out of the car and immediately immersed herself in the nearest group of guests hovering by the front door. But she was nervously perspiring, relieved that neither of her parents had had the chance to follow up on that remark.

* * *

No drinking. Just one measly glass of champagne. She wondered how on earth she would make it stretch until one in the morning.

She knew a huge amount of the invited guests. There were relatives from all corners of the globe. But she’d barely had a chance to chat to the bride and groom—just a few snatched words of congratulation.

The marquee, which dominated much of the enormous back garden, was a thing of splendour, with lots of white swirling drapes and chandeliers. The flower arrangements on the tables were so huge that they would struggle to get through her front door, and they would take up more space in her sitting room than...

Than a hundred assorted roses.

She and Sergio had transported most of them back to his place the morning after he had brought them for her, had laughed and then fallen into bed—and had kept falling into bed because they couldn’t not.

She felt a lump in her throat, and was on the verge of pinning a bright smile on her face to cover the moment of sadness when a voice behind her drawled, ‘Don’t burst into tears. It’ll look like sour grapes...’

Susie swung round, shocked to her very core, scarcely believing her eyes.

She’d been standing at the very edge of the garden, half concealed by dense shrubbery, nursing her single glass of champagne. He had crept up on her, unobserved, and for a few breathless seconds she was lost for words.

‘Surprised?’ Sergio asked softly.

If she was, then she couldn’t be more surprised than he was. He had had no reason to question his assumption that she came from humble origins. So she had a couple of expensive things in her flat...? Certainly not enough to make him think that she was anything but a girl venturing out in a fairly hazardous profession. He had assumed that whilst she might have moral support from her family, that was pretty much it on the support front.

In fact he had dared to question Stanley’s map-reading skills, only realising that he was, indeed, at the right place when the car drove up the lantern-lined drive.

And now here he was.

And there she was. Staring at him as though she expected him to disappear in a puff of smoke.

‘What are you doing here?’ Susie demanded.

He looked perfect. Every inch the drop-dead gorgeous, brooding alpha male who had stolen her heart.

‘I couldn’t resist the prospect of pulling you behind the bushes and having my wicked way. Something about that dress...’

‘You’re supposed to be wrapping up a deal in New York.’

‘I like breaking with the expected now and again. Where’s the radiant bride and the lucky groom? I have to say...this isn’t what I was anticipating...’

Susie flushed guiltily. She knew why she hadn’t breathed a word about her family—knew that if she had he would have seen her as just another little rich kid, all caught up in doing nothing much because she knew that she could be bailed out of her discomfort if she got bored or fed up. Why would someone like him want to go out with someone like that?

‘What did you anticipate?’

‘Why did you let me assume that you were penniless?’

‘I didn’t let you assume anything. Did you decide to come here so that you could check out my background?’

‘Comes with the terrain,’ he answered coolly. ‘We’ve been lovers for over two months. I like to know exactly what I’m getting into.’

‘And what if you’d found that you’d “got into” someone from a council house background? Or worse...a criminal background...? Would you have got out of it pronto?’

‘I don’t deal in hypothetical situations. At any rate, I never took you for someone from a long line of train robbers...’

That said it all, she thought.

Suddenly everything seemed very complicated. Her parents would adore him. He was just the kind of guy they’d been hoping she would bring home one day. But what was the point of introducing them to someone who wasn’t going to be around for very long? And when she broke the news to them that she was pregnant...

Susie blanched. They would immediately know the identity of the father. Did she want that? Would her parents make it their duty to confront him? They were very traditional.

She felt that she hadn’t thought anything through—but then how could she? She’d barely had time to digest the revelation herself.

‘You shouldn’t have come,’ she told him flatly.

Sergio looked at her through narrowed eyes. ‘Not the response I was expecting...’

‘This isn’t a normal relationship, Sergio. This is...sex—and meeting my family isn’t part of the deal...’ She had to say it because she needed to start distancing herself.

‘But I’m here now...’

‘Not because you wanted to come as my partner.’ She looked up at him steadily. ‘In a normal relationship we would have travelled here together. You would have wanted to meet my parents, wanted to take that next step into the future...a future of getting to know one another’s family and friends...’

‘Where has this come from?’

‘Does it matter? I’m just telling it like it is. You showed up here to do a background check on me... I suppose now that you’re here and my family has passed muster it’s all right for you to meet them?’

‘You’ve managed to blow all this out of proportion and I’m wondering why...’

Dark eyes that saw far too much rested on her flushed face and Susie did her best to get her breathing under control.

‘I’m a little stressed,’ she muttered, looking down. ‘It’s not every day the guy you’re going out with decides to check up on your family to make sure they’re not escaped convicts.’

‘That’s not the only reason I came.’

Sergio was willing to let this go. What they had was good—better than good. He didn’t want her to start getting ideas about his place in her life because she was at her cousin’s wedding. He didn’t need long, intense conversations about normal relationships, where boyfriends couldn’t wait to meet the family and have friends over for Sunday lunch.

‘Isn’t it? What, then?’

‘I missed you.’ He smiled slowly.

‘Why is it all about sex for you?’

She could read that smile as easily as she could read a book, and it still had the power to turn her legs to jelly even though her mind was doing its best to resist.

‘It’s not. Making money ranks highly as well. Ah. I spot curious eyes and a few people descending... Looks like you’re going to have to do a round of introductions whether you like it or not.’

So he’d wanted to show up unannounced...? He couldn’t see what the big deal was. When he had started this fling with her he had not expected it to last longer than a week or two. She didn’t fit his profile, and he was smart enough to work out that if the women who did fit his profile were done and dusted within a month or two then there was no chance that her novelty value would outlast a night in the sack, maybe two.

But she was still around, and he wasn’t sick of her yet... And, that being the case, it had made sense to see her in her own surroundings—the surroundings she had always made sure to keep quiet about. He had wanted to know exactly what he was dealing with instead of taking her at face value. That was just the man he was. Where was the problem?

She was still looking at him with wounded, accusing, angry eyes.

‘You know where I’m coming from,’ he said flatly. ‘I don’t need you getting weepy and hysterical. I came here to make sure you weren’t playing some kind of long game. But, like I said, that wasn’t the only reason. And now that I’m here there will be questions asked if you’re sour and defiant about introducing your boyfriend to your family. So relax, Susie.’

She’d forgotten just how inherently suspicious he was, but it had been brought back to her now. She had fallen in love with a man who would only ever let her get so far and no further. There would always be part of him that was locked away. He was a charming, seductive lover, but a proper relationship would always threaten his self-control so he would never allow it. She’d conveniently managed to forget that part of him, and it hurt now to have been reminded of it.

‘I’m relaxed!’

‘You could have fooled me,’ Sergio murmured. ‘I think I know how to relax you, though...’

He kissed her on her mouth, felt a whisper of protest, and then she melted into him until he drew back and looked down at her with a sexy smile.

‘Much better.’

‘Mum! Alex...’

It wasn’t much better. She might have been able to hide away in their private little bubble before, but now she had to stand up and be counted—because there was a third party on the scene: a baby. She couldn’t keep going weak at the knees every time he glanced in her direction, pretending that the future was something that would take care of itself in due course.

‘This is... This is...’

‘I know who you are...’

Alex had moved into charming mode, and Susie sighed as she watched her older sister do what most women did when those deep, dark eyes fastened on them. Her brilliant, sharp, independent and undeniably striking sister blushed.

‘Mother, this is only Sergio Burzi. I might be a neurosurgeon,’ she added coyly, ‘but even I know who you are. How on earth did you meet Suze?’

‘You naughty little thing!’ Louise Sadler was smiling, her beautiful aristocratic face creased with delight as she looked at Susie. ‘You kept this one well hidden under your hat. I expect you were hoping to surprise us...?’

‘Or maybe,’ Alex inserted, ‘you didn’t want to say anything just in case your date didn’t turn up. You must have your diary filled to overflowing, Mr Burzi...’

‘Sergio, please...’

‘You probably don’t remember me at all, but we were at the same art gallery opening a few months ago...’

‘Sergio...’ Louise stepped forward, still thrilled to bits, and took his arm. ‘You must come and meet the rest of the family. Your father is going to be delighted,’ she whispered to Susie, who had reluctantly fallen into step as they moved towards the main party, ‘that you’ve brought along such a gorgeous chap...’

‘Mum...’

Too late. Events had been taken out of her hands. Or rather transferred from her hands into her family’s hands—and now, as the evening progressed, everyone else’s hands.

So many people had heard of him. She hadn’t known him from Adam when she had plonked herself next to him uninvited because she had been on the run from her dinner companion. She hoped to God that he didn’t breathe a word about that.

Having had him all to herself for the past few weeks, she was awestruck at the ease with which he mixed. He knew just what to say to everyone. He charmed. He was witty. He was flatteringly attentive to her. And she couldn’t help but feel a treacherous burst of pride at having his arm slung over her shoulders.

Even Clarissa, who was getting steadily more tipsy as the evening wore on, and who barely had time to talk to anyone because she was so wrapped up with Thomas, dragged her to one side and told her that she wanted to hear everything the very second they were alone together once she’d returned from her honeymoon.

Under any other circumstances, Susie would have been over the moon. Had they been seriously involved, and had their relationship gone beyond sex—had she not now been carrying his baby—she would have been bursting with happiness and daydreaming about being the next one to walk up the aisle.

As things stood...

‘Did Stanley bring you? I guess you’ll be wanting to head off now...’

Most of the guests had left. Only a circle of hard-core friends, all drunk, were swaying inside the marquee with glasses in their hands.

Outside, the temperature had dropped and she hugged her pashmina around her.

Somewhere in the course of the evening Sergio’s bow tie had been discarded, and she wanted to slip possessive fingers under his shirt and feel that hard, roughened chest against her skin. She itched to do it.

‘You’re not drinking?’

‘I...I’ve had a headache all day,’ Susie mumbled.

‘What’s eating you?’

‘Why didn’t you tell me that you were coming?’

‘Not this again. I wanted to introduce the element of surprise—let’s not breathe new life into that particular argument.’

‘You don’t know what you’ve gone and done.’

‘Really? Enlighten me.’

‘Now that my parents have met you...especially in the presence of every single one of my family members on my mother’s side...they’ll all be thinking that what we have is serious—is going somewhere...’

‘I’m not responsible for what other people think.’

The cool detachment in his voice washed over her like freezing sleet, penetrating through every part of her being. ‘I know you’re not.’

‘I’m taking it that you can’t face everyone’s disappointment when this is over and we part company?’ he said, in the same horribly remote voice.

‘My parents have had a very happy marriage. Uncle Richard and Aunt Kate the same. I come from a long line of boring, happily married people...’

‘They surely can’t expect you to marry the first guy you meet?’

‘Of course not.’

‘Then you have nothing to worry about.’

‘It’s not that easy, Sergio. You’ve got the makings of the perfect son-in-law—especially after some of the guys they’ve met in the past. You’ve come here... They’ll be thinking that...’

That we’re in love...because they’ll want someone like you for me...

It occurred to her that she had never told him how she felt about him, never breathed a word, because she had been so sure that she could play by his rules. No wonder he was having a hard time trying to work out why she was so hot and bothered because he had shown up.

‘Stop analysing everything. You’re so keyed up, worrying about what other people might think, that you can’t seem to see that it’s your life at the end of the day. You live it as you see fit. If other people have other plans in mind, then tough.’

‘You’re so black and white.’

‘Like I said, I’ve seen what misplaced emotion can do. I stick to what I know. It makes life a damned sight less complicated.’

‘What...what was that girl like?’

She hadn’t been aware that she was going to ask that question until it left her mouth and Sergio, caught on the back foot, raised his eyebrows in a perplexed, impatient frown.

‘What are you talking about?’

‘You once said that you’re the way you are because you had a learning curve... Who was the woman who provided the learning curve?’

‘What difference does it make?’

‘None. And if you don’t want to talk about it, then forget I asked.’

She shrugged, started making for the kitchen door of the house, which she knew would lead to the spacious ground floor and eventually the front door and her way out—although how she was getting home she had no idea. Her ride, in the form of her parents and Alex, had gone an hour and a half ago. It would have to be another taxi.

‘Where are you staying?’

‘Bed and breakfast. It’s in the village. A bunch of us are booked in there.’

‘And I,’ he said smoothly, ‘am booked into the one and only five-star hotel ten miles away.’

‘I’d rather not come with you...’

‘Sure about that?’

And he swooped to kiss her, his tongue probing into her mouth, enveloping her in a swirl of heated responses that shook her to the core.

He did this every time. She needed to think...not say goodbye to all her thought processes and cling to him like a vine.

Yet of their own volition her arms curled round his neck and she found herself gently but efficiently propelled back until she was pressed against the wall in the deserted hallway.

‘We can’t... Not here...’

‘Then I guess that means you’ll be coming back with me...’

CHAPTER SIX

‘HER NAME WAS Dominique Duval. Still is, for all I know—although who can be sure? She might have moved on to marriage number two...or three...or four by now. It’s been a few years, and no one could ever accuse Dominique of being anything other than a fast worker. I met her in a club.’

‘You know, you don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to...’

Was she really ready to hear a story of thwarted passion? Was she ready to learn all about his one and only true love and how she’d let him down? Left him to marry someone else?

‘You asked, and after more time together than I’d anticipated it’s only fair that you understand why me and commitment will never have anything more than a passing acquaintance.’

‘When you fall in love with someone it can be brutal when things go pear-shaped—especially if you’ve pinned your hopes on it working out.’

She heard a certain wistfulness in her voice and pulled herself up sharply, because the last thing she wanted was for him to guess at the depth of her feelings for him. When she told him that she was pregnant she would do so as a calm, collected adult whose only priority was to discuss technicalities and to reassure him that he could take as much or as little interest as he wanted.

‘Or so I would imagine,’ she added.

‘I have no idea what you’re talking about,’ Sergio informed her. ‘I was never in love with that woman. It’s true she made a pass at me the first time we met, but I was involved with someone else at the time, and having fun with two women at the same time has never been my style.’

‘You were never in love with her? But I thought...’

‘You assumed—from a couple of throwaway remarks.’

‘How can you have a learning curve from someone you met in a club when you never had a relationship with her? Did she try and pickpocket you?’

‘My hotel. We’re here.’

Susie followed the direction of his finger to see a grand country house that was lit from top to bottom. Two uniformed men stood outside, as if guarding the entrance. She knew her aunt and uncle came to this hotel on a regular basis with friends. Apparently it did a very good dinner.

‘And, no...pickpockets don’t engender learning curves. Dominique Duval was a nurse, and she made a pass at me because she knew who I was. I was young at the time—barely out of my teens—and from a wealthy family. My mother had died years before and my father had never remarried. I was in line to inherit his fortune, but I think she knew from the get-go that a fortune in the future was a lot less enticing than a fortune she could lay her hands on immediately. Maybe if I’d been interested she would have climbed into bed with me for the fun of it, but she had set her sights higher.’

Looking back, he had been able to make sense of the interest she had shown in his background, in his widowed father—the caring, attractive ex-nurse, with a heart full of compassion and empathy because, after all, she had seen so many hurt and lonely widowers in her line of work.

‘She was a nurse? I thought that was a caring line of work...’ She was hanging on to his every word, barely noticing the grand surroundings of the hotel, or the way the woman manning the reception desk in the early hours of the morning jumped to attention the second he strode in and then scrambled behind them as they headed straight to the bank of lifts.

‘You’d think...’ Sergio flicked her a wry glance. ‘My first powerful lesson in never judging a book by its cover.’

‘And in always assuming the worst when it comes to other people’s motivations...’

‘Very good.’