Baby for the Billionaire(20)

“With Porter being in hospital.”

“Oh.” She swallowed. “Yes.”

His look sharpened. “You’ve been tense all night. Are you sure you’re telling me everything? He’s not taken a turn for the worse, has he?”

“No, he’s fine.” Panic bounced inside her. She had to get thoughts of her father out of Nick’s mind and onto something else. Otherwise she might give herself way. “Brenda called me, you know.”

He straightened in his chair. “What? When?”

“Sunday morning after you went to your father’s place. She said she was returning your call.”

The look in his eyes turned hard and dangerous. He would be a formidable enemy. “She did, did she?”

“So you didn’t call her?”

“No.” His gaze focused back on her. “Did you think I had? Is that why you didn’t tell me before now? You’ve been worrying yourself sick about it.”

“No, that’s not it at all. I figured you just wanted to tell her to stay away from you.”

“I’d already told her. And she knows the score. She was just trying to cause trouble.” He stared at her. “And succeeded.”

“No, she didn’t.” Brenda had tried to make her doubt Nick, but in the end she hadn’t succeeded.

Nick’s eyes were razor-sharp. “You’ve been upset all evening. In fact, you haven’t been yourself since Sunday at the party.”

Somehow she held it together. Sunday was when she’d learned what her father had done.

“I told you it’s because of everything else.” She swallowed past her dry throat. “I believe you, Nick. I swear I believe you.”

He studied her face, taking his time to measure her words. Finally a gentle look came into his eyes. “Thank you,” he murmured.

Her heart tilted inside her chest.

In the end they stayed for over two hours, talking about nothing much in particular and listening to a folk singer. Sasha could feel the tension easing out of her as the wine took hold.

“I think that did us both good,” Nick said on the drive home.

She leaned her head back against the leather seat and smiled sideways at him. “We should do it more often.”

He chuckled. “I believe you’re slightly drunk, Mrs. Valente.”

“Enough to take the edge off my pain,” she said without thinking.

His scowl was instant. “You’re in pain?”

She bit her lip and thanked heaven he had to concentrate on the road. “I had a headache before,” she lied. “I thought it was going to turn into a migraine.”

He darted a look at her. “Do you often get migraines?”

“No.” But she had the feeling she may well start after all this.

Without warning, he gave a crooked grin. “Don’t worry. I’ll kiss you better if it returns.”

“Then it’ll be worth it.”

“Don’t say things like that when I’m driving,” he pretended to growl.

She just smiled.

They arrived home and he parked the car in the sweeping driveway, but something happened inside her as she watched him come round to open the passenger door. A sense of impending doom centered in her chest. Suddenly she had the feeling this was all coming to an end.

“Come on, milady,” he drawled, holding his hand out.

She vaguely heard him. This moment was far more important than joking or teasing or anything else in this world. God, she loved this man. How could she ever tell him the truth?

She stood up and cupped his face with her hands. “Make love to me, Nick. Make me forget all my headaches.”

He looked down at her, his brows drawing together. “What’s all this about?”

“Nick, don’t talk. I need you tonight. Make me yours.”

He opened his mouth to speak, then must have thought better of it. He released his breath and lowered his head.

After that it seemed like they kissed all the way to the bedroom. And in the bedroom … dear God, in the bedroom … their lovemaking took on a poignancy she was sure Nick felt, too. There was a deeper focus in his eyes as he looked at her. A longer than usual pause as he entered her.

And when he made her his—perhaps for the last time—her heart hurt.





Eleven


Sasha’s pace quickened as she stepped from the elevator and walked toward Nick’s office in the House of Valente building just before noon. Her sense of impending doom from last night had alleviated by the time she woke this morning, making her realize it had mostly been the wine.

But not all.

There was still a heavy feeling inside her that she’d been trying to push aside all morning, and it hadn’t helped that the hours had dragged until it was time to come into the city for the harbor cruise. She’d needed to keep busy.

And she’d needed to see Nick again. Hopefully being with the man she loved would help push away those demons and doubts riding on her shoulder.

“He’s in the conference room,” Nick’s personal assistant said. “I’ll just let him know you’re here.” She went to press the intercom.

“That’s okay, Joyce. I can wait in his office.”

“No, he said to tell him when you arrived. It’s only the family in there anyway.”

Knowing he was waiting for her filled Sasha with pleasure, more so when Joyce said to go straight into the conference room.

“Thank you.” Sasha’s steps were lighter as she continued along to the end of the corridor. The view of the harbor through the panel of windows called out to her and she was really beginning to look forward to the cruise today. The harbor breeze could be just what she needed right now, especially if she was sharing it with Nick.

“Come in,” Cesare called out in response to her knock.

Sasha opened the door with a smile. She had to admit she really liked being a part of the Valente family. Growing up, she’d often been a little wary of Cesare but he was a good man and so were the others.

“Well, well,” the older man in question said as she came toward three of the Valente men sitting at the conference table. Nick was standing at the window looking out, his back to her. “You’re just in time.”

Sasha’s steps faltered at his tone. “I … am?”

Why hadn’t Nick turned to face her?

“In time for what, Cesare?”

“For me to have your father arrested for fraud.”

Sasha’s heart dropped to her toes.

“We’ve found out what he’s been up to. Did you think we wouldn’t?”

Sasha couldn’t find her voice.

“I can’t believe Porter thought he could get away with it,” Cesare continued. “Does he think the Valentes are stupid? And you were in on it, too, weren’t you, girl?”

She gasped at the accusation, aware of three sets of eyes upon her, but the eyes that mattered—Nick’s eyes—were still turned away from her.

“And I, fool that I am, wanted Nick to marry you. I thought you were perfect for my son.” He gave a harsh laugh. “No wonder Porter wanted you to marry Nick, and no wonder you agreed to the marriage. If it was all in the family he’d get that contract, no questions asked. Of course you had to say no first, didn’t you? That way you could dangle yourself as bait in front of Nick and—”

“Enough!” Nick spun around, his face taut as he glared at his father. “You’re accusing Sasha without any evidence. You don’t know she was involved in any of this.”

“Then ask her, figlio mio,” Cesare said. “Ask her, and then we will know.”

She watched Nick hesitate, and felt like she’d been slapped in the face.

He doubted her.

Then he straightened his shoulders and walked toward her. “Sasha,” he said, his voice quiet but firm, his eyes with a hint of pleading in them. “Please tell me you didn’t know about any of this.”

A moment crept by. The others receded into the background. There was her and Nick.

Only her and Nick.

And soon.…

She trembled. “I … I … can’t.”

He sucked in a sharp breath.

“Nick, I—”

His glare silenced her. “No excuses.”

“But—”

“This was your sick way of getting revenge, wasn’t it?” Disgust filled his eyes now. “Very clever, Sasha.”

“Revenge? I don’t know what you mean.”

“Remember that kiss in the gazebo? Remember how you thought I’d rejected you? You wanted to pay me back for that, didn’t you? You wanted your revenge.”

“No!” she whispered, her voice threadbare.

“Yes.”

At that moment, she knew it was over. He wasn’t prepared to let her explain any of this. He wasn’t even prepared to ask if there were extenuating circumstances, nor give her the benefit of the doubt.

And could she really blame him?

Giving a small cry, she spun away and ran from the room. It was over.

“I’m sorry, figlio mio,” Cesare said, coming up behind Nick and putting his hand on his shoulder.

“Not as sorry as I am, Dad.” Nick’s gut was one big knot of pain. He’d trusted Sasha. Trusted her like he’d trusted no other woman.

He should have known she’d let him down.

Cesare’s mouth tightened. “Santo cielo, I’m going to see Porter myself!”