Harlequin Presents January 2015 Box Set 3 of 4(236)

‘Well, I didn’t.’ Shaking her elbow free, Lottie defiantly     glared back at him. ‘And for your information I actually managed perfectly fine     until you started interfering.’

‘Right.’ Rafael matched her stare. ‘So it’s my fault,     is it? My fault that you were hurtling towards the shore at sixty knots per     hour?’

‘Yes—yes, it was.’ Lottie wasn’t going to back down. ‘You made     me lose my concentration.’

‘Well, all I can say is it’s a good job I did. Your     “concentration” was going to end up taking you to the bottom of the lake—along     with a pile of fibreglass that had once been my boat.’

‘Don’t exaggerate.’ Tossing her head, Lottie turned to retrieve     her bag from the seat of the damaged boat.

‘Where have you been, anyway?’

‘Just to do a little shopping.’

‘Why didn’t you answer my calls?’

Retrieving her phone from the bag, Lottie registered the seven     missed calls. ‘I was driving, remember? Surely you know you shouldn’t use your     phone when you are driving?’

She raised her eyebrows at him, all too aware, but not caring     in the least, that she was seriously winding him up.

‘So, where is this shopping?’ Not that it mattered.     But, needing the distraction, Rafael looked around and could see no evidence of     it.

‘Here.’

Their eyes met over the chemist’s bag that Lottie slowly     withdrew from her handbag and the world around them suddenly skidded to a     halt.

‘Ah. I see.’

Silence hung heavily between them.

‘You are going to do it now?’ His voice seemed to come from a     long way away, his eyes remaining fixed on the unremarkable bag.

Lottie nodded. ‘I guess so.’ She gave a throwaway laugh. ‘Now’s     as good a time as any.’

There was another brief silence.

‘Buono.’

Brisk now, businesslike, Rafael took a step towards her and     attempted to put an arm around her shoulder. But Lottie refused to respond and     it ended up more like a manly pat on the back. Awkwardness pushed them apart     again.

‘Come on, then.’ Clearing his throat, he tried again. ‘Let’s do     this.’

* * *

Rafael was standing by the window, his back to her, when     Lottie emerged from the bathroom. She was delicately holding the tester stick in     front of her, as if it was made of plutonium, or something capable of destroying     their lives.

‘How long?’ Turning, Rafael looked at her, then at it, the     catch in his voice betraying his tension along with his shoulders, which were     hitched unnaturally high.

‘It says up to three minutes.’

Lottie could barely speak. Sinking down on the bed, she tried     to regulate her breathing—to breathe at all, in fact. She felt dizzy, her hands     shaky and clammy as they gripped the plastic time bomb.

Crossing over to the bed, Rafael gently took the tester stick     from her and placed it face-down on the table. He squatted beside her, taking     her hands between his own, his warm strength pumping into her.

‘I want to say something to you, Lottie.’

Lottie didn’t want to hear it—not now, not ever, actually. She     couldn’t face any more emotional trauma. This waiting was threatening to kill     her, literally. She realised she couldn’t breathe any more and the room     was starting to spin.

‘Lottie.’ Giving her hands a shake, Rafael halted her panic     attack enough to make her suck in a breath and look at him. ‘I want to say thank     you for doing this.’

‘There’s no need...’

‘Yes—yes, there is. Whatever the outcome, I truly appreciate     that you were prepared to at least try to give me my last chance of being a     father.’

Why was he talking like this? As if he already knew the result     was going to be negative? He who had always been so convinced that this time it     would work. Did he know something she didn’t?

Lottie looked at him with fear in her eyes.

‘I know this is the last thing you expected when I asked you to     come to Palazzo Monterrato. That you actually thought you had come to sign     divorce papers.’ A tightness pulled at the corners of his mouth as he spoke.     ‘And if there is no baby you will, of course, have your wish. I will put divorce     proceedings into place straight away and you will have your freedom. But either     way I want you to know you have my heartfelt thanks.’