Six
Luca sat in a beach chair quietly scowling. Claire was with Eva as they carefully splashed in the waves. The baby was wearing a rainbow-striped swimsuit with ruffles on her bottom, although most of her was held out of the water by her mother. Eva would squeal every time the cold water rushed over her feet, then giggle as if it was the greatest thing she'd ever experienced. If Claire let go of her hands, Eva would grab fistfuls of wet sand and mush them between her fingers.
It should've been a happy and amusing sight for Luca. He should be out there in the freezing water with his daughter. Instead, he was sitting at a distance, practically pouting beneath his ball cap and sunglasses. He had no reason to pout, really. He'd succeeded in pushing Claire away. That was what he'd wanted to do, or at least what he felt he had to do when she got that moony look in her eyes. He might have slipped up the other night and let himself get carried away physically, but that didn't change the fact that he was not the man for Claire. He wasn't a romantic savior there to sweep in and rescue her from her loneliness. It was better that she learn that now rather than later.
And yet the past few days had been miserable. At first, Claire had been focused on Eva and caring for her as she got over her illness. When the baby was well, she continued to keep her distance. She wasn't rude, but she wasn't as open and chatty as she had been before.
He should've been content that she got the message. Instead, Luca was surprised to find himself missing their talks. He'd also found himself lying in bed at night thinking about the kiss they'd shared in the kitchen. Lord help him, he couldn't stop himself. Once he got a taste of her, it was as if something had been unleashed deep inside him. Every touch, every soft sound she made, urged him on. If Eva hadn't woken up with that fever, he wasn't sure what would've happened.
He could tell that Claire was relieved by the interruption. They'd been caught up in the moment. Time and perspective would prove it wasn't the best idea in their situation. It didn't change how much he wanted her, though. The next morning, when she seemed more open to the idea than he expected, he wasn't sure what to do. Claire was not a casual romance type of woman, that was obvious. He'd done a better job of charming her than he'd intended to, and suddenly he found himself in a position he hadn't expected.
So he pushed back. It was the best thing to do, really. Claire deserved a relationship with a man who could give her everything she wanted, including love and another child. That wasn't going to be Luca, no matter how badly he ached for her. It was better to put a stop to all this before it went too far.
Looking back out at the sea, Luca couldn't help but admire Claire's figure on display. Despite her claims of excess baby weight, she looked great in her shorts and bikini top. Her skin was golden from their time at the beach, and the blond in her hair seemed to be picking up some lighter streaks from the sun. Her curves were highlighted by the halter cut of the bikini, giving him a tantalizing glimpse of her full breasts.
There was nothing not to like about Claire. That was the problem. It was too easy to like her. Too easy to find a reason to touch her. His blood would sing in his veins whenever he caught a whiff of her scent. There was a restlessness in every muscle when he lay alone thinking about her upstairs in the dark. It was as if his body knew they had a child together and was ready to start on another one as soon as possible.
And if Luca could provide that for her, he might be in the water instead of sulking in his chair. But he couldn't. Luca would rather live his life a bachelor than a disappointment to the woman he loved. His only alternative would be to find a woman who couldn't have children of her own. They didn't exactly walk around advertising that fact, however.
Looking back at the water, he noticed Claire and Eva had moved to drier sand to play with the plastic bucket and shovel they'd carried to the beach with them. Looking at the dark curls of his daughter, all he could do was shake his head. What a bizarre twist of fate that would give him a child. It was like a perfectly imperfect storm that brought two people together to have a child neither of them expected to have.
Wait a minute... Luca sat up taller in his chair. Claire may very well be that woman. She hadn't spoken extensively about her fertility issues, but she had to have some or she wouldn't have been at the clinic. He'd avoided the subject, as well. He didn't like people knowing he had cancer, much less the kind he'd had.
Luca wasn't the type to really believe in fate, but life certainly seemed to be convincing him otherwise. What if Claire was the chance he'd never let himself believe in? If he let their attraction evolve into a relationship, this could be his second chance. It would work out perfectly. They already had a child together. If they were to marry, it would tidy up the whole custody situation. He'd get the full-time family he wanted, and Claire wouldn't have to be away from Eva when it was his weekend.
Claire approached his chair with a sand-covered baby in her arms. "I'm going to hose this little monkey off and put her down for a nap."
"Okay. I'll pack up and be back at the house in a few minutes."
He watched Claire disappear, their dating scenario playing out in his mind. Wooing her was the perfect solution. It had been dropped in his lap, really. They'd both benefit from the scenario. Claire would get a full-time father for Eva and a man to treat her the way she deserved to be treated. Luca would get the family he never thought he'd have, and he'd get his mother off his back once and for all. It would be nice to have someone to come home to, to talk to. His apartment was becoming unbearably empty.
Never mind the fact that he'd finally get to touch her. Seducing Claire would be the best part of this plan. No holding back, no excuses, no interruptions. He'd get to run his hands along those long legs and cup her breasts in his needy palms. Luca was hardly celibate, but thinking about Claire made him as eager as a virgin. And as nervous.
He'd only attempted to be in a relationship once before, and it hadn't ended well. Even if he'd wanted to try again, he'd hardly had the time. The best he could manage was a few dates with a woman before things got in the way and she'd break it off. Aside from Jessica, he'd never even dated a woman long enough to consider her his girlfriend, much less look ahead to her being his wife. Could he do it now for his daughter's sake?
Reluctantly, Luca got up from his chair and started gathering their things in a bag. With every toy he stuffed inside, the more certain he became that the answer was yes. He'd do anything for that little girl. She was the child he never expected, and he wanted her to have a real family. Despite what Claire thought, he didn't want Eva shuttled back and forth between households, caught up in visitation agreements and who gets which holidays. That meant taking a chance on having that real family with Claire.
But would Claire want anything to do with him? He'd pretty much told her he wasn't a candidate for any of her romantic notions. She'd had an unhappy marriage and wouldn't settle for the same this time. She'd want love and passion and everything that went with it. Luca would happily give her the passion and attention she needed. Love was another matter. He'd already made the mistake of giving that too freely once, and it had blown up in his face. That could happen with Claire, too, if he wasn't careful.
He slung the bag over his shoulder and started back up the sandy path through the dunes. He knew that if Claire found out what was wrong with him, she would feel betrayed, bringing up all the emotions of her first husband's infidelity. To protect himself from the possibility of being hit with emotional shrapnel, he'd have to keep his emotions soundly out of the equation.
That meant she couldn't know the truth. Not about his cancer and not about how he really felt. He'd have to make sure he did everything right so she'd never question his love for her. It wouldn't be hard to treat her better than Jeff had. Just a kind word was enough to make her melt. She deserved better than he'd treated her. Luca might not let himself love Claire, but he'd certainly do everything in his power to make her feel loved.
By the time he reached the house, Luca knew exactly how he would start his bid for Claire's affections. To do it right, he knew he'd have to take the ultimate risk-to call his sister in Newport.
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