The Unwanted Wife(39)

Theresa stared up at him uncertainly. Dare she believe that he meant this? That it wasn’t just a really good act? She cleared her throat, trying to formulate a response, but he leaned over and kissed her gently, stilling the words.

“Don’t say anything, Theresa. Just give me a chance.” He looked like a man perched on a ledge with her as his last chance of redemption. How did she resist that? How could she? “I know I’m asking you to make yourself vulnerable again, and I’m so sorry for that. But I want you to trust me. Just one more time…allow yourself to trust me.” She bit her lip before taking a deep breath and stepping out onto that ledge with him.

“We need to name this little one before we take her home,” she said lightly, ignoring the way he released the breath that he’d been holding for countless moments. She felt the tension drain out of him, and his relief was so overwhelming it was an almost tangible thing.

“Any ideas?” he asked huskily, reaching over to stroke the top of the baby’s soft head with his thumb, somehow managing to brush the sensitive skin of her breast too, and she shivered at the contact. “Well, since she has all this fuzzy black hair, we should probably stick with Lily.” His face lit up with pleasure, and he dropped a quick kiss on her smiling mouth. “I only hope she has the temperament of a Lily and not that of a Sofia.”

“If she takes after you, we’re in for a bumpy ride,” he joked, and she rolled her eyes.

“Please, you’re no angel yourself,” she retorted without any heat. “Let’s just name her Lily and hope for the best.”

“Hmm, if she does have your stubbornness and fiery temper, I’ll adore her even more,” he admitted. “It’ll certainly make life interesting.”

“Why did you keep buying girl’s toys and clothes, Sandro?” she asked after a short silence, and his thumb paused its stroking for an infinitesimal second before continuing on. “I mean, I’m grateful for them now, of course. But why?”

“Why?” He shook his head and hesitated again before raising his eyes to meet hers. “I was just…hoping for a girl.” Her jaw dropped as she gaped at him for a few moments. That thought had never once crossed her mind.

“You were hoping for a girl?”

“Yes. Very much,” he staggered her by confirming, his eyes remaining steady so she was in no doubt as to his sincerity.

“I don’t understand.” She shook her head slightly. “Why?” He didn’t respond, dropping his eyes to the suckling infant at her breast.

“Sandro?” She prompted, and he raised his eyes to hers once more. He smiled cryptically before shrugging.

“This is neither the time nor the place to be having that particular conversation, Theresa,” he frustrated her by saying.

“But…”

“We’ll discuss it soon, but right now I think Lily is ready to be burped.” He pointed to the infant whose tiny mouth had slackened. She awkwardly dragged her bodice back up and then clumsily repositioned Lily until the baby was draped over her shoulder.

“Could you get the nurse?” she asked Sandro, putting his previous comment from her mind for now. “I’m not sure how to do this.”

“Rub your hand on her back in a circular motion.” He noted the surprise in her eyes before shrugging. “The nurse showed me how to do it last night. You were out cold, but they managed to get her fed and handed her over to me for burping.”

Theresa complied with his instruction and was soon rewarded with a tiny burp. The sound was adorable in a way that only a new parent could appreciate, and they grinned at each other when they heard it. In that one glorious moment of solidarity, Theresa started to believe in the possibility of a happily ever after again, and it frightened her to death.




The thin sound of a distressed infant’s wail jerked Theresa from a restless sleep. She sat up and fought her way out of bed before groggily trudging to the nursery. When she got there she blinked up at the already-present Sandro who was cradling his crying daughter tenderly in his strong arms. He was wearing only a pair of boxers and held the tiny baby up against his strong, naked chest. He was crooning gently to her and Theresa was transfixed by the sweet picture they presented.

He looked up and saw her standing in the doorway. His hair was messy and standing up in spikes.

“Hey.” He smiled over at her. “I was hoping you’d sleep through this. You looked exhausted earlier. I don’t think she’s hungry. Just cranky. I think her wet nappy woke her up. I changed her and she’s all dry and comfy now, but she hasn’t worked the bad mood out of her system yet.” Theresa walked over to them and peered over one bulging bicep into Lily’s scrunched-up little face and smiled in amusement.

“Very cranky.” She leaned over to drop a kiss on the baby’s damp forehead and felt Sandro tense when her cheek brushed against his chest in the process. They both paused awkwardly before Theresa cleared her throat and stepped back. She dropped into the padded rocking chair and tucked her feet up beneath her and watched as Sandro continued to pace and gently talk to the crying baby.

He eventually sank down into the second rocking chair beside Theresa’s, while continuing to soothe the baby. Lily’s wailing eventually decreased down to a few sad sniffles before she dropped back to sleep. Theresa looked over and smiled when she saw that Sandro had fallen asleep too. Lily was firmly anchored to his chest and held in place with a broad hand on her tiny back.

She looked from the man to the infant and smiled at the similarities between them. Lily had his mouth and something about the set of her brow was one-hundred-percent Sandro. Theresa got up quietly and went over to pick up the baby. Sandro’s brow furrowed when she tried to move his hand and instead he tightened his grip slightly.

“Sandro,” she whispered, “let me put her to bed.” His eyes fluttered open, and he smiled when he saw her leaning over him.

“Theresa,” he murmured, and in that unguarded moment, Theresa saw a depth of emotion in his liquid brown eyes that staggered her. She blinked and in that split second he came fully awake and his eyes shifted back to neutral and slightly distant. Theresa wasn’t sure if she’d imagined the intensity of the emotion or not. He relinquished his hold on Lily and ducked his head to drop a loving kiss on top of her downy soft black hair.

Theresa was aware of him getting up and following her to the crib. He stood directly behind her and watched over her shoulder as she put the infant to bed. Theresa was intensely aware of him and of the fact that all that stood between them and total nudity was her nightgown and his boxers.

“She has your nose,” he whispered into her ear and she jumped, surprised and disturbed to feel his hot breath on her skin.

“Do you think so?” she asked casually. “I can’t tell.”

“It’s an unmistakable nose…” His hand came to rest on her shoulder, and she tensed at the feeling of his warm hand on her bare skin. Her breathing went shallow. His hand swept down her shoulder in a gesture that couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than a caress and shackled her upper arm loosely. He brought his other hand up to grip her free arm in a similar fashion. He gently dragged her back until she was leaning against his hot, hard chest, and he released his grip with a rumble of satisfaction. His strong arms encircled her waist, and he held her as they both watched their sleeping baby.

The tension eventually left her body as she allowed herself to relax against him and tilt her head back to rest against his shoulder.

“Look at what we did,” he murmured into her ear, his low voice brimming with love and pride. “She’s perfect.” Theresa smiled at the awe she heard in his voice.

“It’s been said that any fool can make a baby,” she teased, and he snorted.

“Yeah, but have any of them made a baby as absolutely perfect as this one?”

Theresa looked down at the sleeping baby, with her wrinkled face and the slight milk rash that pinkened her cheeks and her patches of soft spiky hair. She looked like a wrinkly, grumpy little old lady…but she was their wrinkly, grumpy little old lady, and she was adorable.

“No…I don’t think any of them has,” she concurred smugly.

“Theresa…” His voice took on a serious tone and she tensed again. “I just…I wanted…” he seemed at a loss for words, and Theresa frowned, wondering if they would actually have that promised conversation. It had been more than a month since Lily’s birth, and they hadn’t yet discussed his claim that he’d hoped for a girl.

“Thank you,” he finally said, and she turned slightly to look up into his face, visibly surprised by his words.

“For what?” she asked.

“For giving me everything I never knew I wanted,” he said after a long pause. His voice was thick with emotion, and he met her eyes directly. His eyes were burning with intensity as he willed her to believe him.

“What have I given you, Sandro?” she asked, turning fully in his arms.

“A life.” The two words frustrated her because they told her nothing. She was about to ask him to elaborate, when more words came tumbling out. “Happiness, contentment, and a beautiful daughter.”