Claire looked around, awkwardly shuffling her feet as she studied the house. She probably wasn't sure how they were going to work out the arrangements here. Obviously they wouldn't be sharing a room, as much as he'd like to. They were here together as a family, but also to become friends and soothe her concerns about him caring for their daughter. She might be the most alluring woman he'd laid eyes on in a long time, but sex would most certainly complicate their already complicated situation.
"You and Eva should take the master," he said. "Gavin said there's a crib in there because they got the place not long before their daughter, Beth, was born. There's also plenty of room for the playpen and all of Eva's things there." Luca opened the door to the master suite and gestured her to go inside ahead of him.
"Are you sure?" she asked as she stepped inside and surveyed the room with its cheery yellow walls and iron king-size bed. There was a crib and changing table along one wall and a large dresser along the other. "We'll be just as comfortable downstairs."
"Nonsense. This is perfect for you." And it was. The room suited Claire as though it was made for her. Elegant and cheerful, comfortable and effortless. Claire was all that and more. Her beauty was natural, not forced like that of so many other women. She wore just enough makeup to highlight her features, not disguise them. Her clothes looked comfortable, but stylish. Even the scent of her was perfection-like vanilla and cinnamon. It all came together into a distracting and enticing package.
It didn't stop at looks, either. Driving out here, he was impressed by how intelligent and articulate she was. Working at a museum with a degree in art history, she could just as easily discuss impressionist pieces as ancient Egyptian tomb paintings. He hoped their daughter would be as beautiful and smart as her mother. He doubted he could've picked a better woman to have his child if he'd done it himself. The Fates worked in mysterious ways.
The Fates? His mother's superstitious ways were creeping into his thoughts today. With a dismissive shake of his head, Luca went back out to the living room and started bringing Claire's bags inside. "I'll let you get settled in. I'm sure you could use a nap or something after that long drive."
Claire chuckled and settled on the edge of the bed with Eva. "I doubt I'll get a nap, but maybe there will be some quiet tummy time in our future."
He nodded and slipped from the room. Luca stomped down the staircase to the first floor. Once there, he took a deep breath and exhaled Claire's scent from his lungs. If only his thoughts of her could be expelled so easily.
Grabbing one of his bags, he went into each bedroom, selecting the one the farthest from Claire. He dropped the bag on the floor at the foot of the bed and flopped down onto the queen-size mattress. The room was tidy, with blue walls and distressed furniture. In the end it didn't really matter. All he needed was a bed and space away from Claire to keep a clear head.
Four weeks was a long time to be alone with her here. With the longing she stirred inside him with only a glance, it would feel even longer.
Four
The morning light shone through the window and roused Claire from her sleep. She yawned and stretched, feeling luxuriously lazy for not setting an alarm. She could get used to this vacation thing. For the first time in a long time she felt well rested. She'd slept like a rock last night. She hadn't done that since before Eva was born.
Wait a minute... Eva!
Shooting up in bed, Claire looked over to the crib. If the alarm didn't wake Claire up, the baby usually did, so if she was still sleeping, something was wrong with Eva. Her eyes scanned the unfamiliar crib, but there was no baby to be found.
"Eva?" she called out with an edge of panic in her voice.
Claire whipped the blankets back and leaped from the bed. A quick search of the crib and the surrounding area confirmed what she already knew. Eva was missing. "Eva!" she shouted again, throwing open the door of the master bedroom and skidding into the living room. She came to a sudden stop, not quite sure she could believe what her eyes were seeing.
"Good morning. Are you hungry?"
Luca was standing in the kitchen with Eva perched on his hip. Together, they were cooking breakfast. The billionaire CEO was mixing pancake batter while playfully gumming at her infant's fingers and making yummy sounds. Luca looking so casual holding her daughter was a surreal sight after their tense conference room showdown. Was this the same man who had threatened her with prison time? "We've been enjoying our morning, haven't we, bella? We had a bottle and coffee out on the deck and watched the seabirds, and then we decided to make pancakes for breakfast."
She was happy to find Eva safe, but she didn't appreciate the fright he'd given her. Luca's brows drew together. "Claire, are you okay?"
She didn't answer him. Marching across the living room, she took Eva from his arms and cradled her to her chest. Then, and only then, could she respond to Luca. "Please don't do that," she said.
"Do what?"
"Take her without telling me."
"You mean take her like she's my child and care for her as a father would do?"
Claire frowned at him. He might technically be her father, but he hadn't earned the right to just wander off with Eva without her permission. Her daughter barely knew him. "The point of this trip was so that I could get comfortable with you handling Eva. It's been less than twenty-four hours and I can assure you that I'm not comfortable yet."
"I'm sorry," Luca said, coming around the kitchen island with a mug of coffee in his hand. "I get up early, so I came and got her so you could sleep. It defeated the purpose to wake you up and ask if you minded. Would you like some coffee? I made this cup for you, but again, I didn't ask permission first, so you may not want it."
Claire ignored his sharp tone. He was annoyed, but she didn't care. It was far too early for him to start ignoring boundaries. Being temporarily under the same roof didn't turn their situation into some family sitcom. Of course, neither did her snapping at him.
"Sure," she replied quietly, still a little off-kilter from her scare and not entirely pleased with how she'd handled all this in that state. "Thank you."
Luca set the mug on the counter within her reach and turned to the kitchen. With his back turned, Claire did a quick assessment of Eva and found her to be fed, changed and clean. She seemed happy and not at all concerned to be away from her mother with a strange man. Claire had obviously underestimated Luca when it came to caring for children. He knew more about it than he let on in their previous discussions.
"Do you want bacon?"
Claire turned back to Luca. He seemed to have cast aside their little skirmish and refocused on breakfast. "That sounds great." She slipped onto one of the stools at the kitchen counter to watch him work at the range. The in-control businessman appeared to have stayed back in Manhattan and in his place was a man enjoying his vacation. He was wearing a blue T-shirt and flannel plaid pajama pants with bare feet. His hair was slightly messy, and morning stubble lined his sharp jaw.
She imagined that this was a sight few people outside his immediate family got to see. She liked it. More than she wanted to admit. She wondered what his rough stubble would feel like against her cheek. Against her thighs...
Claire squeezed her eyes shut for a moment to send that sensation out of her mind. She wasn't allowed to snap at him, then fantasize about him a moment later. That was craziness.
When she reopened them, she focused on Luca's cooking. Even in his pajamas, he moved around the kitchen with purpose and fluidity. Luca certainly knew what he was doing. For some reason that surprised Claire. There was a lot about this man that wasn't what it appeared. "I knew you ran restaurants, but I never thought about whether you could actually cook," she admitted.
Luca flipped a pancake, then looked at her with a disarming smile. "In my family, food is life. All our family gatherings revolve around the meals we make together in the kitchen. Once a kid is old enough to peel a potato, they're put to work helping with Sunday suppers."
"Do you have a large family?"
Luca chuckled and flipped over another pancake. "Yes. I'm actually the oldest of six kids. My father is the oldest of five. When we all gather together with the cousins and spouses, there's easily forty or fifty of us."