The Sicilian's Unexpected Duty(44)

                One thing he was not, though, was hurt. His ego might be a touch bruised but, on a personal level, it made no difference if Cara was willing to share a bed with him or not. There were plenty of women out there who were. And in reality, it was probably better that they didn’t resume a sexual relationship, especially as she was of a completely different mindset from his usual lovers.

                He doubted there would ever come a time he would be able to bump into Cara at a party, sidle over to her, maybe give her bottom a cheeky pinch, and then catch up on old times.

                The animosity would always be there.

                In any case, if her baby did prove to be his, then he had to concede she would be a huge part of his life...well, for the rest of his life. If the baby was his then they would be for ever united, even in the most cerebral fashion.

                An image of a tiny baby with a shock of Cara’s flame-red hair came into his head, an image he blinked away along with the nagging voice that kept piping up, asking him if he really wanted nothing more than to be a part-time father.

                He clenched his hands into fists.

                He didn’t want to think that far ahead.

                He didn’t want to imagine how he would feel if Cara really was carrying his child.

                Once, a long time ago, he’d been caught up in the magic of pregnancy, the unmitigated joy and wonder of knowing he had shared in the creation of life and that soon he would be a father. The child had been no more than a foetus but already he had loved it, had thought of the future that child would have with him and Luisa, and the family they would create together.

                His child would never have felt second best.

                His child never got the chance to feel anything, least of all second best.

                Luisa had ripped that chance away from him.

                Cara was nothing like Luisa.

                Cara was like no one he’d ever met.

                But what did he know of her really? He’d known Luisa pretty much all of his life but he’d never guessed she was capable of ripping his heart out and stamping on the remnants.

                He would never trust another woman. He couldn’t. There was only so much pain one man could take and he’d reached that limit before he’d even finished his teenage years.

                Only when Cara’s baby was born and the paternity test established that he truly was the father would he allow himself to think properly of the future.

                Only then would he allow himself to think of what it truly meant to have a child.

                Until that time came, his life would continue as it was. Except with a houseguest. A fiery, sexy houseguest.

                Suppressing a yawn, he checked his watch. It was time to call it a day. There was a party he had to attend, a party he’d been looking forward to until approximately five days ago, being hosted by a good friend who was celebrating his first wedding anniversary. Not feeling in the mood to drive, he got his driver to take him home, all the while trying to shake himself out of the melancholic mood that had crept under his skin.

                By the time he arrived back at his home he felt no better, but, with practised ease, slipped his old faithful smile on and strolled into the house.

                ‘Where is Cara?’ he asked Monique, who had hurried out to greet him.

                ‘In her room.’