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She moaned. “That wasn’t a fair question to ask you since the circumstances aren’t the same as they were two months ago. I didn’t know you already had a son and a troubled marital history.”
“That’s one way of putting it.”
“I—I’m sorry your first marriage didn’t work out—” her voice faltered “—but it’s not just that. There is something else I need to tell you, something…”
“What is it, Irena? What is it that has changed since our last meeting?” Vincenzo was again silent for a moment, clearly in deep thought, before his gaze shifted to Irena once more. “Irena, are you pregnant…with my baby?”
Shocked at his insight, Irena lowered her head, hating what she had to tell him. “I’m pregnant, Vincenzo, but I don’t know if the baby is yours. I’ve been to two OBs for opinions. Both worked out the timetable with me and came to the conclusion that we can’t be sure either way who the father is.”
“Simonides doesn’t know?” Vincenzo was a proud man. She’d been expecting that question and was prepared for it.
“I only came from the second doctor yesterday afternoon before I flew here.”
“And he’s on his honeymoon…” Vincenzo’s eyes narrowed on her face. “How soon do you plan to tell him?”
“I don’t.”
“As in never?”
“If you think that makes me an evil woman, I’ll understand.”
“Since I know you’re not, why in heaven’s name wouldn’t you tell him? He has the right to know.”
“It’s a long, complicated story.”
“I doubt it rivals my own.” There he went again alluding to a life that she knew next to nothing about. “Go on.”
“Look, Vincenzo. I’ve wasted enough of your time. I shouldn’t have come here. Please just drive me to the airport.”
“Not until you explain.”
Irena threw her head back, causing her hair to resettle around her shoulders, and closed her eyes. Then she took a deep, cleansing breath before she began to speak. “It all started over a year ago when Leon, Andreas’s brother, and Deline, Leon’s wife, had a very serious quarrel. He was working long hours as Andreas’s assistant, was hardly ever at home and it hurt Deline a lot. She accused Leon of neglecting their marriage and her. She wanted to start a family, but hadn’t been able to get pregnant and things were bad between them.
“They separated for a couple months. When Deline told him she was thinking of making the separation permanent, Leon was so hurt he got his friends together and took out the Simonides yacht. His friends invited some women on board and everyone got drunk. Then a terrible thing happened.”
For the next little while Irena relived the nightmare that had come close to destroying so many families. “I still don’t know how Deline is handling it. Besides being pregnant with Leon’s baby, she’s taking care of the twins he fathered on board the yacht with Thea Turner that night.”
“She must love him very much.”
“She does. I believe their marriage has a good chance of making it. But if I were to tell Andreas about our baby, it could destroy not only him, but his marriage, too. Gabi’s an innocent in all this and went through hell when her half sister died in childbirth. Until Gabi contacted Andreas, she was the one who took care of the twins for the first four months of their lives. If this baby is Andreas’s, how would this news affect her?”
Vincenzo moved his hand to play with the ends of her hair. “The more the plot unravels, the more it sounds like my own complicated family saga.” This was the second time she’d heard him mention anything about them.
“All the families have been in crisis, including mine. My parents had been counting on my marriage to Andreas. They’ve been grief stricken since he married Gabi. They think I’m heartbroken over it! If they knew it was his baby, they’d insist he take responsibility.
“And Andreas would insist on taking control, because that’s the way he’s made. But then everyone would get in on the act to make things right with me. Nothing would ever be the same again.”
Hot tears rolled down her cheeks. “It would ruin so many lives—that’s the reason why I have to keep this a secret from Andreas.”
Vincenzo cocked his dark head. “Does anyone else know you’re pregnant?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“If we’re going to get married, I insist that everyone believe the baby is mine.”
Irena gasped. “Vincenzo, what I said earlier…You don’t want to marry me! Especially not now.”
“Irena, the baby you carry has as much chance of being mine as Andreas’s. As you have explained, he already has a wife, therefore I insist on taking responsibility. You need a husband, the baby needs a father and I need a wife.”
“Vincenzo…”
“I’ll ask you the question again. Does anyone else know you’re pregnant besides me and your doctors?”
“Yes.”
“Who is it?”
She bit her lip. “It’s Deline.”
Vincenzo rubbed the side of his jaw. “Under the circumstances she’s probably the only person you know who could be trusted. Do you think she’d be able to take our secret to the grave?”
Our secret. Irena couldn’t fathom that he was really considering the idea of marriage to her, especially after what she had just told him.
“If I didn’t believe that, I wouldn’t have told her in the first place.”
“Does she support you in keeping this from Andreas?”
“No. She’s afraid that if I don’t tell him, it’ll come out one day anyway. But she would never betray me.”
“Can you trust the doctors not to contact Simonides? He’s too well-known for them not to make the connection.”
“I did what you did when you told Dino my last name was Spiros. How did you know that by the way?”
“When you came before, I saw the name on your passport. Irena Spiros Liapis.”
She blinked. “I’m surprised you would remember.”
“I’ve forgotten nothing about you, Irena.” His velvety words melted through to her insides.
“When I went to the E.R., I told them my name was Irena Spiros. I was referred to the OB under the same name. Including the doctor I saw yesterday, none of them has any idea I was the other woman mentioned in the headlines about Andreas.”
“Then it’s settled. We’ll be married as soon as I can arrange it. Since you don’t subscribe to any religion, we’ll say our vows in a civil ceremony.”
“Stop, Vincenzo!” She shook her head. “You’re going way too fast for me…and yourself.”
“Don’t presume to tell me my own feelings, Irena. If it had been possible, I would have married you when you were here before.”
She took a shaky breath. “Without my having met your son first?”
“I would have introduced you. The three of us would have spent the day together before I asked him if he wanted to watch us get married.”
Irena averted her eyes. “Whether he approved of me or not, he would have said yes because he loves you. He’ll do anything to make you happy.”
“But I wouldn’t marry a woman unless she could make him happy, too.”
“You hardly know me, Vincenzo. We hardly know each other.”
“I know one of the most important things about you, Irena. You have an exceptionally kind nature that spoke to my son. After last night and today, Dino knows it, too. Shall I tell you what he whispered to me in the foyer before Mila appeared? He said he hoped you would be with me at the next visitation.”
Her eyelids smarted. “He’s very sweet.”
“You took the time to play with him and make him feel like he was an important person.”
“All children are important.”
“Not everyone feels that way inside. I watched you with him last night. You put him at ease.”
“I’m glad.”
“Glad enough to marry me and help me raise my son while I father our baby?”
She avoided his gaze and stared out the side window. “It couldn’t be that simple, Vincenzo.”
“Of course not. I never suggested otherwise. We’ll be one of those families of this generation that fits all the odd parts into one new whole. Hopefully it will work, but there are no guarantees.”
Irena let out a sad laugh. “We’re nothing alike.”
His eyes grew hooded. “You and Andreas came from the same world, but you didn’t make it to the altar. I wasn’t as lucky as you, Irena, and didn’t escape in time. My family thought I should marry someone like me, and you see what happened. I think being opposites with no expectations will be very good for us.”
He’d said that before.
“I was in lust with you the second you walked in my office. That hasn’t changed.”
Her heart jumped. His honesty shocked her, but it was also that quality which had first attracted her. And his looks…She couldn’t deny how physically appealing he was to her. Knowing he was already a father, having met his son, it surprised her that she found him more desirable than ever. But she couldn’t allow that magnetism to blind her to the realities of the situation.
“I don’t care what you say about Dino liking me. If we were to marry, he would feel another loss. You say you only get to see him one weekend a month and twice a year for a week. If we were to marry he would then have to share that precious time he has with you with me. The poor little darling would be so hurt.”
In the next breath Vincenzo pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair. “Once we’re married, everything will change for the better for both of us.”
“Vincenzo—we can’t even think about it without Dino having a part in the decision.”
“I’m way ahead of you, so this is what we’ll do.” He lifted his head, forcing her to look at him. “There’s a hotel nearby where I always take Dino when I’m in Milan on visitation. I’ll drive you there now and then I’ll bring Dino back with me. We’ll have an early dinner together and tell him our plans.”
Everything was moving too fast. “That sounds good in theory, but you’ve only just dropped him back with his mother. What if she has arranged something special for him? He hasn’t been home in a week.”
A tiny nerve hammered at the edge of his mouth. She noticed it appeared when he was unusually tense. “If she has plans, it will be a first. As for my needs, this time they’ll have to take precedence.” After pressing a warm kiss to her lips, he let her go with reluctance and started the car.
Chapter Three (#ulink_c52737a6-83df-5dd6-a355-799c6cec1595)
BE THERE, ARTURO.
“Vincenzo! I saw your name on the caller ID and couldn’t believe it. We haven’t talked in ages. What can I do for you?”
“I need my attorney’s help.”
“Of course.”
“I’m in Milan and am driving over to Mila’s villa right now to pick up Dino. It’s imperative I take him out for a few hours, then I’ll return him. She’s going to refuse because I only just brought him back from our holiday in Riomaggiore, but something’s come up and it’s vital I talk to him alone. Be the master counselor you are and call her attorney to let him know my special circumstances.”
“I’ll get on it right now.”
“Grazie, Arturo.” He clicked off.
Whether Arturo could reach Mila’s attorney or not, Vincenzo had no intention of letting his ex-wife thwart him. She was already worked up because Dino had told her about Irena. He could just imagine the fireworks when he showed up at the door in a few minutes, but this was one time he didn’t care, because hopefully it would be the last time he or Dino would ever be at her mercy in the same way.
“Signore?” The maid looked surprised to see him at the door.
“Would you tell Mila and Dino I’m here to see them.”
“Sì.”
He moved inside the foyer and shut the door. The noise resounded in the tomblike interior. Pretty soon he heard the patter of feet.
“Papa!” Dino came running into his arms.
Mila followed. “What are you doing back here?”
“Something important has come up. I need to talk to Dino for a little while. I hope you don’t mind.”
She had to think about it. “You can go in the salon.”
“No, I meant I need to talk to him away from here, Mila.”
“I don’t want him leaving the house.”
“Do you have plans for him?”
“We don’t, do we, Mama?” Dino piped up.
“That’s not the point, Dino.”
“Then it won’t matter if I take him for a few more hours. I’ll have him back in time for bed.”
“You’ve had your week with him, Vincenzo.”
