‘We’ll have to take the motor launch across to the beach. I’ll hang on to Nico because he’s as wriggly as an eel.’ Sergio grinned as he swung his son into his arms. ‘I want you to promise me that you will sit still when we go in the little boat, piccolo.’
‘I will, Papà,’ Nico said earnestly.
‘Good boy.’
Watching her son rest his head on his father’s shoulder, Kristen acknowledged that the bond between them grew stronger with every day. Nico hero-worshipped his daddy, and Sergio’s love for his little boy shone in his eyes and was evident in the tenderness of his voice. It was wonderful to hear Nico laughing again, she thought. He was no longer the sad little boy he had been in London, and his grief over his nana’s death had been forgotten in the excitement of getting to know his father.
Nico obediently sat still on Sergio’s lap as the motor launch skimmed towards the shore and only once did he lean over the edge to try to catch the spray, causing his parents a few moments panic.
‘He’s utterly fearless,’ Sergio said with rueful pride in his voice when they reached the beach and he set Nico down on the sand. ‘I think we’ll have to postpone another trip on the Dolphin until my nerves have recovered.’ He smiled at Kristen as they strolled along the beach after Nico, who had shot off in front. ‘What did the two of you get up to while I was away?’
‘I took him swimming in the pool every day. He’s only been learning for a few weeks since we arrived here, but he’s almost ready to try without his armbands.’ She gave him a quick glance. ‘He really missed you.’
‘The business trip to Hong Kong was booked months ago and I couldn’t get out of going,’ he said quickly. ‘But I won’t go away again or, if I do, I’ll take Nico and you with me. I missed both of you.’
Sergio caught hold of her hand and wrapped his fingers around hers as they continued to walk towards the beach hut. Kristen let out a soft sigh. The day had been perfect so far, but then every day that she spent with Sergio was wonderful. The easy companionship that had developed between them reminded her of the early days of their affair. When they had first met he had been recovering from a sports injury which had meant that he’d had to take time off work. They had quickly become lovers, and she remembered they had spent lazy days on the beach and nights of incredible passion back at Casa Camelia. His commitment to the Castellano Group had not been a problem at first, but once he’d returned to his role as head of the property development side of the company their time together had been limited to nights of wild sex, and Kristen had felt hurt that his only interest seemed to be in her body.
Would the same thing happen again if she agreed to marry him? The evidence so far was that he had changed from the man he had been four years ago, she acknowledged. He only went to his office for a few hours a day, and was always home by mid-afternoon to play with Nico. She had come to love the hours that the three of them spent together almost as much as the nights when Sergio made love to her so beautifully that sometimes she had to blink back her tears before he saw them.
She suddenly realised that he was talking to her, and quickly dragged her mind back to the present.
‘Did Rosa come over to play with Nico?’
‘Yes, Salvatore brought her so that she could swim. He says Rosa has come out of her shell a little since she has had Nico as a playmate.’
Sergio frowned. ‘I’m surprised my brother brought her, rather than the nanny. Perhaps Salvatore enjoyed being with you while the children played.’
Something in his tone made Kristen stop walking, and she turned to face him. ‘I like your brother, and it was nice to chat to him. He is frustrated that he is still suffering from amnesia and can’t remember anything of the accident. He blames himself for Adriana’s death.’ She watched Sergio’s frown deepen and shook her head. ‘Surely you can’t be jealous of my friendship with Salvatore?’