‘No.’ Lily hesitated, looking at his expression. His black brows were drawn down with concern, creating two vertical creases between his eyes. She was close enough to wonder at their amazing colour—the incredible vibrancy of sky-blue that made her feel like summer had come, rather than the cold and damp of early spring that still felt like winter.
But she’d worried him—something she’d never meant to do. She should tell him the truth at once.
‘I’m pregnant.’
Lily could not have prepared for what happened next. She’d anticipated surprise, maybe even displeasure. But she’d never expected the sudden dramatic change in his expression—as if cold steel-shutters had dropped down over his features. Nor the brutal finality of his words.
‘Pack your things.’ He jerked abruptly to his feet, letting her hand fall from his fingers as if he could no longer bear to touch her. ‘And get out of my house.’
CHAPTER TWO
LILY opened her eyes and looked groggily at the clock. Damn! She was late.
‘Aren’t you up yet?’ Anna said, already smartly dressed for work, walking across the open-plan lounge to the kitchen area of her flat. ‘I thought you had that presentation this morning. You know—the big make-or-break— one.’
‘Yes, it’s at nine o’clock.’ Lily pushed herself up into a sitting position on the sofa. She was so grateful to her friend for letting her stay since Vito had thrown her out, but this sofa wasn’t exactly the most comfortable place she’d ever slept.
‘Oh dear, you look awful,’ Anna said. ‘I thought morning sickness was only supposed to last the first few months.’
‘So did I.’ Lily moved and breathed slowly in an attempt to keep her stomach calm.
‘Here,’ Anna said, placing a glass of milk on the coffee table. ‘Good luck this morning,’ she added, already halfway to the front door.
Lily picked up the milk and took a careful sip. It was cool and comforting, and within a couple of minutes she felt her stomach start to settle enough for her to manage a quick shower and get ready for work. Thank goodness for Anna, who’d remembered one of her colleagues talking about how milk had worked wonders for the nausea she’d suffered from during pregnancy.
Forty-five minutes later Lily climbed out of a black cab she could ill afford, and hesitated on the wide London pavement, staring up at the imposing steel-and-glass— building that was the home of L&G Enterprises. It was a subsidiary of the Salvatore empire, and a menacing shiver ran down her spine at the thought that Vito might be inside. But if she’d really thought, even for a moment, that there was any chance of him being anywhere near, she would never have agreed to make the presentation today.
She took a deep breath, gripped her heavy briefcase tightly, and walked into the building. A long blonde coil of her curly hair was bouncing in front of her eyes, so she tucked it back forcefully behind her ear. She’d been so late that there hadn’t been time to straighten and style her hair properly. She’d settled for pulling it back tightly into a twist at the nape of her neck, but it was already showing signs of breaking free.
It was important she did well this morning. So far she hadn’t managed to find the permanent job she desperately— needed. But, if luck was on her side today, this could be the break she needed. She’d approached her old boss at the computer-software company she’d been working for when she’d met Vito, and as a personal favour he’d been prepared to offer her a chance. If she could sell his company’s web-conferencing system to L&G Enterprises, he’d give her a commission and find her a permanent job.
‘But didn’t Suzy Smith set up the pitch?’ Lily had asked, thinking of the flamboyant brunette who’d willingly stepped into her shoes when she’d handed in her notice so that she could move to Venice to be with Vito.
‘She did,’ Mike, her old boss, had conceded. ‘But honestly, Lily, she won’t be able to cut it. L&G are a notoriously— hard sell. Trust me, Suzy will be glad to hand this one over to you—she even tried to persuade me to take it on.’
‘Why don’t you?’ Lily had smiled wryly, realising she was halfway to talking herself out of this job opportunity.
‘Because you’re better,’ Mike had said truthfully. He might be a computer genius, and was making a success of his small business, but sales spiel was not his greatest strength. ‘You know your stuff,’ he’d continued, pulling out all the necessary files and information for the presentation. ‘And you won’t let those stuck-up executives throw you off your stride.’