by Andie Brock
Pulling herself together, Leah shook off the unwanted sentiment and pushed back her shoulders. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the room.
‘What do you think you are doing?’
She knew she sounded unnecessarily aggressive...snarky. She knew, too, that an agitated flush had spread over her cheeks.
Jaco looked up from where his gaze had been fixed on his son’s face, meeting her eyes with deliberate calm. ‘What does it look like I’m doing?’ He threw down the words like a gauntlet. ‘I am holding my son.’
‘Well, don’t.’ Leah advanced towards him like the wind before a storm. ‘I’m here now. I’ll take him.’
Positioning herself in front of him, she held out her arms to take Gabriel from him, but clearly Jaco had other ideas.
Swinging the cradle of his arms to one side, he moved Gabriel out of her reach. ‘All in good time.’ He looked down at his son before raising his eyes to hers again. ‘We are just starting to get to know one another.’
‘Well, don’t bother.’
The surge of emotion at seeing the two of them together had sharpened her tongue like a blade. She moved in front of them again, pointedly waiting for Gabriel to be transferred to her.
‘It’s no bother.’ This time Jaco didn’t move, standing his ground instead, like a bronzed statue.
‘Really? Then how come it’s taken you all this time to even pick him up?’ Leah gave him both barrels. ‘In fact, you have barely even looked at him.’
It had surprised Leah at first—Jaco’s lack of interest in his son. She had fully expected him to take control of Gabriel the way he took control of every aspect of his life. To own him like a piece of property. But instead he had barely acknowledged Gabriel’s existence, deliberately keeping his distance, looking the other way when Leah walked through the villa with Gabriel in her arms, avoiding the shady area on the decking where she had taken to laying out a rug to let him kick. In fact, during the whole, torturous nine days they had been together on this island, Jaco had never enquired after his son’s well-being once.
Leah had told herself she didn’t care. More than that, it was a relief. Pushing aside the niggle of hurt that Jaco could be so dismissive of something as amazing as their son, that he failed to see the wonder they had created and, by association, her part in that wonder, she had decided his indifference was actually a good thing. It was another reminder of why Jaco was a totally unsuitable father. Quite apart from his depraved behaviour, he was obviously a man with no heart.
‘I admit it’s taken me a while to get my head around the idea of being a father.’ Jaco coolly deflected her ire. ‘But don’t forget I haven’t had as long as you to get used to the idea.’
The implied meaning of his words hung between them, just as he had meant them to do.
‘However, I’m starting to get used to it.’ He looked down at Gabriel, who was wriggling now, and adjusted his arms to try and make him more comfortable. ‘I have to say he is certainly a bel bambino.’ He laid a protective hand over the top of Gabriel’s head. ‘Or what is it you say in Scotland? A bonny baby?’
Leah glared at him. His attempt at a Scottish accent was frankly dreadful. In any case, she didn’t want him describing Gabriel in any language. She didn’t want him to have anything to do with her precious son.
‘I don’t see any point in you trying to bond with Gabriel when your contact with him is going to be so brief.’
‘Mi dispiace? I’m sorry?’ Jaco raised cold eyes to look at her. ‘Whatever makes you think that?’
‘Well...’ Leah forced herself to meet the glitter of his stare. ‘I assume that once this wretched deal of yours is completed Gabriel and I will be free to go back to the life we had before you kidnapped us. That you will leave us in peace.’ She was trying for an air of superior sarcasm, but there had been more than a hint of desperation in there.
‘Then you assume wrongly.’ His gaze sharpened. ‘I intend to play a full and active role in my son’s life.’
‘Right.’ Leah gave him a mocking pout. ‘And how exactly do you intend to do that when we live in different countries?’
A foreboding silence fell between them, punctuated by a small gurgle from Gabriel. Even before Leah had finished saying the words she felt the trap opening up beneath her, saw herself falling into it. She could only wait, with dread in her heart, to hear what might be coming next.
‘I have been giving that some thought.’ Jaco brushed a stray eyelash from Gabriel’s cheek. ‘And I have decided that Capezzana would be the best option.’
‘The best option for what?’ She really didn’t want to hear this.
‘For us to live in, of course.’
‘Us?’
‘Sí—you, me and Gabriel.’
‘No!’ Leah let out a gasp of shock. ‘I mean there is no us.’
‘I think you’ll find there is.’ He jiggled Gabriel in his arms, already more confident with him.
‘Don’t be ridiculous. There is no way Gabriel and I are going to move to Capezzana—I can tell you that right now.’
‘I seem to remember you jumped at the chance the first time I suggested it.’ Jaco’s reply was as smooth as silk.
‘Well, yes, but that was different.’ Leah cast around, looking for some sort of lifeline that wasn’t there. ‘At the time I needed a change. I needed a job.’
‘And now you have a job. The most important job in the world, in fact. That of being the mother of my child.’
Leah felt the blood surge through her veins, and her palms itched to wipe that sanctimonious look off Jaco’s infuriatingly handsome face. How dared he pontificate on the importance of motherhood? And what was all this my child business? As if he somehow had the right to dictate her behaviour.
‘I don’t need your patronising advice, thank you very much. Especially when you hardly know one end of a baby from the other.’ She tossed back her head with such force that Gabriel blinked at her in surprise. ‘You seem to be forgetting that I have actually lived and breathed the job for the past three months.’
‘I know that.’
‘No, you don’t, actually.’ She was on a roll now, picking up temper as she went. ‘You have no idea...no idea at all...what it’s like to be responsible for a newborn baby all on your own. How you worry about every little thing—whether he’s too hot or too cold, whether he’s feeding too much or not enough, whether those little spots really are just a milk rash or something much more serious. Whether you will ever get him to sleep and then...and then...’ She took in a shuddering breath.
‘And then what, Leah?’ Jaco’s eyes bored into her. ‘Go on.’
Leah drew in a ragged breath. ‘And then, when he finally does sleep through the night, the blind panic that comes over you that something terrible must have happened to him. The way your heart stops as you look into the crib, only starting again when you realise he is alive, when he is pressed against your chest, soft and warm and breathing.’
She stopped abruptly, realising she had said far too much, given herself away. Her hands flew to cover her hot cheeks.
* * *
A bruised silence settled around them as Jaco studied Leah’s flushed face, searching deep into her eyes. The colour of autumn leaves, those eyes had held a fascination for him from the start. The way they glowed with vitality when she laughed, shot sparks of fire when she was angry, darkened to a sultry heat when she was aroused. But now... Now they were clouded with strain and anguish, unwittingly revealing the terrors of the last few months, the sheer weight of the responsibility she had had to endure. Alone.
He sucked in a breath, the impact of that realisation pressing down on his chest. He had been so angry when he had found out about Leah’s deception, so enraged that she could have given birth to his son without telling him, that he had failed to look at it from her point of view at all. Until now.
Did she really hate him so much that she had been prepared to endure any hardship rather than ask him for help? And, if so, why? After he had had to cut short their initial conversation on the subject, any further attempts to get answers from her had been blocked with furious contempt.
Not that it mattered now. Jaco couldn’t do anything about the past, but he could determine their future. From now on he would be there for them, whether Leah wanted him to be or not. From now on Leah and his son would be his main priority.
‘You are right.’ He emphatically ended the silence. ‘I did have no idea.’
He saw Leah bristle, her jaw tightening in readiness to do battle again as she fought to banish any trace of vulnerability. But he’d had enough of point-scoring, of trying to get inside Leah’s head.
Bending down, he gently replaced Gabriel in his crib before turning to face Leah again. ‘I can see that things must have been tough for you.’
‘Well...yes.’ Leah stared at him defensively.
‘But all that is going to change. You are not on your own any more. From now on you have me to take care of you and Gabriel.’
‘I never said we needed taking care of.’
‘No arguments, Leah.’
‘But...’
‘I said no arguments.’ Swallowing the space between them with a single stride, he took hold of Leah’s chin, tipping it so that she had no alternative but to meet his determined gaze. ‘You and Gabriel will be coming to live with me.’
As he spoke the weight of his words turned to certainty. He knew he was going to make that happen, no matter what. And as much as he told himself he was doing this for his son, and to ease the burden on Leah, deep down he knew there was another, far more potent reason. He wanted Leah in his bed.
As he gazed at her now his hands itched to thread through her hair, to dislodge the purple flower that she had tucked behind her ear, accentuating her guileless beauty. He had noticed it straight away, that flower, and something about the frivolous gesture had speared his heart. It reminded him of the old Leah. The one he had known before she had been weighed down with responsibilities.
He let his eyes fall to her mouth and felt his breath stutter at the sight of her swollen pout, felt his control slipping still further as the powerful lurch of desire kicked in.
He had no idea how she did this to him, how all his resolve turned to dust whenever he was near her. He wanted to kiss her so badly he almost shook with it, but he refused to give in to his weakness. Not now. Now was not the time. For the time being he would have to content himself with the promise of things to come. Because he knew for certain that they would. The pull of attraction between them was far too strong to be ignored.
Letting go of her chin, he brought her into a hug. That way at least he was spared the pull of her gaze, the torture of her lips—he could almost convince himself he was doing it to comfort her. Circling his arms around her in a close embrace, he was surprised when Leah didn’t fight him, just let herself be held.
For a moment they stayed like that: Leah’s head resting against his shoulder and Jaco breathing in the scent of her hair, feeling the effect ripple through his body like a glass of champagne. But the moment didn’t last long. When Leah stirred in his arms he released her slightly, looking down into her tortured face.
‘No, Jaco, I won’t do it. I have fought so hard to make a life for me and Gabriel. I refuse to give up my freedom and independence now.’
‘Freedom and independence?’ Jaco threw her words back at her. No way was he going to accept that that was what it had been. ‘To me it sounds more like three months of struggle and worry.’
‘Well, of course there were times like that, but...’
‘Not any more, there won’t be. From now on I will take care of you both.’
‘No.’ She raised her hands to lever herself away from him. ‘Gabriel and I can’t move in with you. I can’t let you take over our lives, determine our futures, just like that.’
‘Yes, you can.’ Taking her hands, he clasped them in his own, holding them against his chest. ‘You can and you will.’
CHAPTER SIX
SITTING DOWN IN front of the mirror, Leah stared critically at her reflection. In the past she had always taken pride in her appearance, straightening her unruly auburn curls into a sleek curtain and artfully applying make-up to accentuate her eyes. But recently she had hardly given it a thought. What with all the stress of finding out she was pregnant and moving to London, she had had other things on her mind. And coping with a newborn baby had left no time for preening herself. Besides, what was the point? The only man in her life was Gabriel, and luckily he seemed to adore her no matter what she looked like.
But now she leant in for a closer look, frowning at the dusting of freckles that had appeared across her nose. They might be the unwanted result of nearly two weeks in the Mediterranean sun, but she had to admit her skin had a glow to it that had been missing for months. Her eyes looked clearer too—less tired and sleep-deprived. For some unknown reason, Gabriel had taken to sleeping really well here, going right through the night for the last three nights in a row, which was almost unheard of.
Leah told herself that it was because it was so quiet—no police sirens or drunken brawls or thumping music from the neighbours. But somehow he just seemed altogether more settled, almost as if he had come home. Which was ridiculous. But it did mean that Leah had had more uninterrupted sleep than she’d had for a very long time and she knew she felt better for it.
Rooting around in her make-up bag, she found some bronze eyeshadow and mascara and set about applying them. A touch of blusher on her cheeks and some red lipstick and she was done. As she regarded her reflection again she was surprised to see how much more like the old Leah she looked. Apart from her hair. She hadn’t bothered with straighteners for months, and she certainly hadn’t thought to bring them here, with Jaco breathing down her neck as she had been bullied into packing her belongings.
Releasing the band that held her ponytail, she shook her head so that the loose curls fell over her shoulders. Then, picking up her brush, she set about taming them as best she could, vigorously brushing until her hair shone.
Finally ready, she stood up, firmly pulling down the hem of the halter-neck minidress she was wearing. She had very little in the way of clothes here—hardly surprising, considering the circumstances. This emerald-green number was the only thing she had that even approached ‘smart’, and it seemed a whole lot snugger now than it had when she had worn it pre-Gabriel—before her life had been turned upside down.
Smoothing the lightweight jersey fabric over her bottom and across her bust, she wondered if maybe it was too revealing. Oh, what the hell? Picking up the baby monitor, Leah peeped into the crib one last time to check that Gabriel was sound asleep, and headed for the living room. What difference did it make anyway? Jaco would probably barely notice what she had on. They were having a meal together this evening to talk about the future, about how they could make it work with the three of them. It was most definitely not about anything else.
Leah could hardly believe she was contemplating any sort of future with Jaco in it, but what choice did she have? He was Gabriel’s father, after all, and such was his determination, his wealth and influence, she strongly suspected that to fight against him would prove to be futile. Worse than futile. If she continued to struggle she would just be causing herself more pain.
So when Jaco had suggested that they sit down for a meal together and talk things through, and had said that he would cook, she had fought against her natural instinct to tell him what he could do with his cooking and reluctantly agreed instead. Her only hope was that she could make him see sense—see that the three of them living together could never, ever work.
The open-plan living area was empty when Leah walked in, the wide glass doors open so that a gentle breeze stirred the
air. Ignoring the strip of dark blue water bisecting the room, she moved to the doorway, letting her shoulders drop for a minute as she took in the expansive view of the sea and the sky, bathed in soft evening light. Cicadas chirped in the ancient olive trees as she breathed in the scent of jasmine and lavender, the slight tang of sea spray carried in on the breeze.
It occurred to Leah that on paper this place was as close to paradise as you were ever likely to get. But having to share paradise with the pervasive influence of a dark and brooding Jaco Valentino meant it felt more as if she had dropped through the burning doors of hell.
A sound to her left made her turn her head, and Jaco appeared from the steps that led down to the terraced garden. Wearing black jeans and a white tee shirt, he looked relaxed and bronzed and as effortlessly handsome as ever. He stopped when he saw her, pushing his sunglasses up onto his head, and his eyes travelled rapidly over Leah’s body, leaving a blazing trail in their wake.
‘You look...’ His hesitation only set Leah’s heart thumping harder. ‘Molto bella.’
‘Thanks.’ She couldn’t meet his eye. She didn’t want his smooth, well-worn compliments. Instead she glanced at the small bunch of herbs in his hand. ‘What’s that?’
‘Oregano.’ He advanced towards her. ‘It grows wild around here.’ He crushed some of the leaves between his fingers and held them in the palm of his hand. ‘Here—smell that.’
Leah did as she was told, inhaling deeply, closing her eyes to block out his nearness. She opened them again to see Jaco staring intently at her. For a moment he didn’t move. Seconds passed.
‘Right, well...’ Finally Jaco broke the silence, his throat sounding parched. ‘I guess I’d better get on with the cooking.’
‘Anything I can do to help?’ She badly needed to do something practical—anything to take her mind off the sexual tension that was swirling around them like an impending storm.
‘No, no, it’s all under control.’
Of course it was. When wasn’t every aspect of Jaco’s life under control?