He must have loved Annamaria to have told her about his childhood. In stark contrast, he had never spoken about personal matters to her during their affair, she thought bleakly. Admittedly, he had confided in her now, but only because he needed to explain why he had snatched Nico. He had also asked her to marry him, but not because he loved her. He wanted security for Nico, and she couldn’t blame him for that after hearing about his desperately sad childhood.
But sexual compatibility was not a firm basis for marriage. What would happen if Sergio’s desire for her faded? She couldn’t bear the prospect of being his wife in name only while he had affairs with other women. Oh, she was sure he would be discreet, but she would be so unhappy, like her mother had been with her stepfather.
‘I know I hurt you four years ago,’ he said quietly. ‘I did not realise how much until you told me that you believed I did not want the baby you miscarried.’
He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her towards him, his jaw tightening when he felt how stiffly she was holding herself. She had put up barriers between them and he could hardly blame her when he had done the same during their affair, Sergio acknowledged heavily. But although she was wary of him she adored Nico and surely she must see that for his sake they had to put the past behind them.
‘I promise I can change from the person you knew four years ago,’ he said intently. ‘I have changed already. I no longer feel the need to prove myself to my father. Being Nico’s father is more important to me than any business deal.’
The rigidity of her shoulders told him she was not reassured, and there was a wary expression in her bright blue eyes that warned him he must curb his impatience. He had sprung the idea of marriage on her and, although to him it was the obvious solution that would allow Nico to live with both his parents, Kristen clearly had reservations. He could hardly blame her after he had revealed the abuse he had suffered as a child, he acknowledged bleakly.
‘There is evidence which seems to show that in some cases a person who was badly treated during childhood can go on to mistreat their own children,’ he said quietly. ‘But I swear I would never harm Nico in any way. If I believed there was even the slightest chance that I could lose my temper with him I would give up my right to be his father.’
Kristen was unbearably moved by the pain she heard in his voice. ‘You have already shown yourself to be a brilliant dad and I trust absolutely that you will always take care of him.’
‘Then why are you hesitating about accepting my proposal? The quicker we get married the quicker Nico will settle into his new life here at Casa Camelia.’
Sergio’s statement set off alarm bells in Kristen. ‘That’s a very big assumption you have made. Why would we have to live in Sicily? I have a life in London, a career that I enjoy and a wide circle of friends, many of whom have children who are Nico’s playmates.’
He shrugged. ‘He would make friends here.’
‘Probably, but that’s not the point.’ Frustration surged through Kristen. ‘You told me you’ve changed from the man you were four years ago, but I can’t see much evidence of that. You still want everything to be your way. If we were to marry, why couldn’t we live in England?’
‘I need to live here because the Castellano Group is based in Sicily.’
As soon as the words left his mouth Sergio knew he had made a mistake. The flash of anger in Kristen’s eyes warned him he was in danger of losing any headway he had made with her.
‘So, just as it did four years ago, the company comes first in your list of priorities, and if I agreed to marry you I would have to change my whole life to fit in with yours.’