The CEO's Unexpected Child(11)

"That is no excuse," Luca said, leaning in to her and covering her hand  with his. "It is natural for a woman to want a child. When there are  difficulties, her husband should be more attentive and supportive than  ever. To stray from your bed because he felt like he wasn't getting  enough attention is absurd. I was always raised to believe that a woman  is meant to be treasured. She is a gift, an angel sent into your life  from the heavens. To treat her as anything less is an abomination."

Claire watched him speak with a mix of disbelief and wonder in her gray  eyes. She leaned into him, her lips parting. They were soft, plump lips  that had gone too long without kisses. That was a tragedy in Luca's  eyes. A few kind words and she was melting like butter. She deserved  better. Unfortunately, Luca was not the man to give it to her. He sat  back and pulled his hand away.

She snapped out of her trance and moved her hand down into her lap. "Do you really believe all that?" she asked.

"I do. My parents have been married for over thirty years keeping that philosophy in mind."

"May I ask why you haven't married, then? I'm sure there are plenty of  women out there who would love you to treat them like a precious gift."

Luca tried not to stiffen at her question. He had done his fair share  of prying into her personal life; it shouldn't be out of bounds for her  to do the same. But there were land mines in this field he didn't want  to hit. Not tonight and not ever. Instead, he shrugged and relied on the  story he had told again and again over the years.

"Since the day I was born, I was groomed to take over the family  business. Moretti's has always had the oldest son running the company. I  went from high school to college to grad school to the boardroom. Once  my father retired, I had this huge weight on my shoulders to keep the  company running and profitable, or I would be letting everyone down.  That hasn't really left me much time for anything else. Not just  relationships, either. I never travel. I have almost no hobbies or  interests outside of work. I have my business. That's it."                       
       
           



       

What Luca left out was that it was all by design. His father had  managed to run the company while having time for his wife and children,  so he knew it could be done, but keeping busy was the only way Luca  could get through the lonely times. Claire wouldn't understand that,  though, because she didn't realize he was damaged. She only saw the  successful, confident businessman he portrayed to the world.

"You've never been in love before?"

Luca considered his answer before speaking. "No," he lied. "I got close, but I was wrong."

"That's kind of sad," Claire said. "For all your money and success, all  you have to show for it is money and success. You don't even get to  enjoy it with someone. When was the last time you took a vacation?"

"I'm on a vacation right now," Luca argued.

"No. Before this one."

Luca thought back, but he knew there wasn't really an answer. "I've  never taken a vacation as an adult. Not a real one, at least.  Occasionally my family gathers for a long weekend in the Hamptons during  the summer."

"It sounds like you're going to be an old, lonely bachelor before too  long. What will your family do if you don't have an oldest son to take  over after you?"

That was a question that had plagued Luca since the day of his  diagnosis. In reality, there were plenty of people in the family who  could take the reins. His younger brother Marcello had a son who could  easily be the next CEO. But now he had a new possibility. "Well, this  isn't the fifties anymore. It isn't written anywhere that it has to be a  son. I may not marry or have any more children, but through a twist of  fate, I do have Eva in my life. It's always a possibility that she could  take over for me."

"If she wants to," Claire countered. "It's nice to have a family  legacy, but I don't want her pressured into a life and a career she  doesn't want."

"Of course." Luca didn't want that for his daughter, either. He hadn't  been pressured into taking the company over, thankfully. It was  something he'd always dreamed of doing. His family was important to him  and carrying that legacy on was an honor. He'd once hoped that he could  pass it along to his child, too, but that was a fantasy he'd given up  years ago. "We have the next three weeks to worry about before we need  be concerned with Eva's career path."

Claire nodded and turned back to her food. Luca watched her eat for a  moment, sipping his wine thoughtfully. At this angle, he could see the  faint gray circles under her eyes and the defeated slope of her  shoulders. The stress wasn't just wearing her thin. It was eating away  at her.

He recognized the look from the days his mother sat at his bedside at  the hospital, worrying over him. He hadn't been in any condition to help  his mother, but he could help Claire, if she'd let him. Being a single  mother had to be incredibly difficult, even with resources at her  disposal. She needed this vacation more than even he knew.

They had come here to get to know each other and hash out a custody  arrangement, but now he had a different goal: to find a way to make  Claire happy again.





Five

Claire couldn't sleep that night. Her head was spinning with everything  Luca had said to her at dinner. She wasn't sure if he was telling the  truth or if he had the ability to charm a woman by knowing exactly what  she needed to hear. They'd spent only a week together. Was she that easy  to read? Either way, it was working. A combination of gentle words and  strong wine had weakened her defenses. By the time they'd finished  eating and cleaned up the kitchen, she would've agreed to anything he  suggested. Even the kind of things she knew were a bad idea.

Like touching him. All through dinner she wanted to run her fingers  though the dark waves of his hair. She wanted to brush the pad of her  thumb over his bottom lip as he spoke the words she'd longed for a man  to say to her her whole life. What would he do if she reached out to  him? Would he pull her into his arms or push her away? Would he call her  tesorina? She had no idea what it meant, but whenever he said it she  felt her knees soften beneath her.                       
       
           



       

Now there was a restlessness inside her, keeping sleep at bay. An ache  deep in her belly. She didn't know if it was heartburn from the spicy  tomato sauce or her long-dormant desire coming back to life, but neither  was welcome.

She'd come here to get to know her baby's father, but not in the  biblical sense. After her disastrous relationship with Jeff, she'd  resigned herself to not falling in love again. It was too hard on her  heart, and she didn't think she could take that risk a second time. If  she did, she needed a man who was first and foremost honest, and she  couldn't trust a word out of Luca's mouth right now. They were on  opposite sides of this custody battle. But between the beautiful beach  views, the amazing meals and the stimulating conversation, it was easy  to let that slip her mind. That would be a dangerous mistake, as she was  pretty certain Luca wouldn't do the same.

Frustrated, she flung back the blankets and headed out into the living  room. Tonight, she'd been warm from the wine, so she'd opted for a thin,  baby-doll nightgown with spaghetti straps. It was short and nearly  see-through, but she couldn't bear to put on her flannel pants and top  when she went to bed.

Fortunately the house was dark and quiet when she stepped into the  hallway, so her attire wouldn't matter. Claire wasn't entirely sure what  she was after, but she ended up in the kitchen. She didn't bother  turning on the lights. Doing that would ensure she'd never sleep.

Instead, the moonlight through the windows illuminated what she needed  to see. Deciding on a cup of tea, she found some in the cupboard and put  a mug of water in the microwave to heat. She opened the refrigerator  door, looking around for something of interest, but nothing caught her  eye. When the water was warmed, she shut the refrigerator and pulled the  mug out of the microwave. She let the tea bag steep, then added some  honey to sweeten it.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness again, but when  they did, she turned and noticed a large, dark figure standing at the  edge of the kitchen.

A jolt of panic rushed through her as the shape came closer, until she  recognized Luca's gait. Finally, the moonlight from the window lit him,  and her heartbeat started to return to normal. Well, at least until she  realized he was wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts.

The silver light highlighted the curves of his muscular arms and cut of  his chest. The sprinkle of dark hair across his chest narrowed and ran  down his belly. Her eyes followed the trail along his hard abs, and she  felt the heartburn start to rage more intensely inside her.