by Andie Brock
‘Leah?’ Jaco’s eyes had darkened. ‘What is it?’
‘I need to be sure, Jaco.’ She swallowed painfully. ‘I mean totally, one hundred per cent sure.’
‘Certo—I understand.’ He stiffened, moving slightly away. ‘I’m rushing you. I’m sorry. It was stupid of me to expect you to make a decision when I have just sprung this on you. Take all the time you need. I will wait as long as it takes for your answer.’
‘Oh, Jaco.’ Leaning in, Leah stole his words with a light kiss. ‘I don’t mean I need to think about my feelings for you. If anything, I love you too much. And that’s the problem...’
‘But why? I don’t understand.’
‘Because if you were to change your mind...’
‘Never!’
‘If you were to decide that you don’t want to be with me after all and the relationship breaks down...’
‘That will never happen, Leah.’
‘I honestly don’t think I could bear it.’
‘You will never have to. Lo prometto. I promise.’
‘I want to believe you, Jaco, really I do. But I’ve messed up so many times in my life I no longer trust my own judgement.’
‘Then trust mine. It’s always right.’
‘Oh, Jaco.’ Leah’s laughter was choked with tears. ‘I do love you.’
‘Bene. Then that is all that matters.’ He kissed her softly on the lips. ‘Because I love you too.’ He linked their fingers, squeezing tightly. ‘I’m just sorry it took me so long to recognise it. I have been focussing on hate for so long that it had begun to consume me. I see that now. To the point where I barely recognised love, even when it slapped me in the face.’
‘Slapped you in the face?’ Leah giggled. ‘Is that what happened?’
‘Yes, it did.’ Jaco’s brow furrowed in mock concern. ‘In fact I think you may have tried a physical slap once or twice.’
‘Hmm...’ Leah pulled an apologetic face. ‘Sorry about that.’
‘Don’t be. You have no need to be sorry about anything. I’m the one who should be apologising. I was so twisted up with hatred that I couldn’t see straight.’
‘Because of the Garalino family, you mean?’
Jaco nodded grimly. ‘Sí. You have no idea how evil they were, Leah.’
‘Then tell me.’
Jaco hesitated, a muscle working in his jaw. ‘They blighted my childhood, which was bad enough, but they almost destroyed Franc. He wasn’t as strong as me—on top of which, he was struggling with his gender nonconformity issues. The Garalinos persecuted him mercilessly.’
‘Oh, Jaco, I’m so sorry.’
‘And do you know what tortures me more than anything else?’
Leah felt her heart constrict with pain at the sight of Jaco’s anguished face.
‘The fact that I put my trust in this evil family—to start with at least. That when we were children I tried to make Francesco fit in...bullied him into doing what they wanted to try and save him from another beating. I didn’t protect him as I should.’
‘But you were so young, Jaco. You wouldn’t have known any better.’
‘I should have done more. I should have taken Franc with me when I escaped to New York.’
‘I’m sure you did everything you could at the time. You must never blame yourself for the Garalinos’ wickedness.’
Jaco shook his head despondently.
‘So that explains why you have been so protective of Francesca ever since?’ Leah’s voice was soft.
‘Sí, I suppose it does. But there is something else.’ He hesitated again, dragging in a deep breath. ‘Luigi Garalino killed my parents.’
‘No!’ Leah’s hands flew to her mouth.
‘I’m afraid it’s true.’ He waited for the horror to sink in before catching her hand and holding it to his mouth. ‘There—now you know everything. Now you know why I have found it so hard to trust anybody ever again.’
And in that moment Leah did know. More than that, she knew that he really did love her. She could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice, feel it in the way he had laid himself bare.
‘Don’t cry, Leah.’ Jaco stroked his finger down her cheek, removing the silent tears she hadn’t even known she was shedding. ‘The past is over—done with. This is about the future. A future that I could never have imagined twelve months ago. You, me and Gabriel. My family. Who would have thought?’
The clouds parted as his handsome face cleared.
‘What with all the horror and anger, the nightmare of trying to bring the Garalinos to justice, I had never given any thought to having a family of my own. And yet here you are, right before my very eyes.’
Leah felt the emotion shining from his soul, its warmth radiating through her like a sunbeam.
‘And I haven’t even thanked you yet.’
‘I don’t need thanks, Jaco.’
‘Oh, but you do. Thank you, Leah. Thank you un milione di volte for the precious gift of our son. You have no idea what that means to me.’
Leah swallowed, biting down on her lip. She loved this man so much.
‘Well...’ The twinkle of tears in her eyes turned into something more mischievous. ‘I didn’t make him all by myself, you know.’
‘True.’ Jaco matched her look. ‘Maybe it’s time to remind ourselves just how we did it.’
‘Maybe it is.’
Drawing her to him, Jaco enveloped her in his strong embrace, tangling their legs beneath the water, pressing himself seductively against her. With their bodies sealed together, Leah sighed with happiness.
‘I love you, Leah McDonald.’ Jaco breathed the words into her hair. ‘Ti amo moltissimo.’
As the warm steam rose around them he peeled them apart just enough to bring his lips down on hers, to kiss her with all the passion and possession of a man intent on proving just that.
* * *
With the sun beginning to rise over the sea, Jaco adjusted the throw around Leah’s shoulders and glanced down at his son, who was wriggling on her lap.
‘You’re sure you’re not cold, either of you?’ He looked doubtfully at Gabriel, who gave him a broad, gummy grin in return.
‘We’re fine.’ Leah turned to smile at him, raising her hand to smooth Gabriel’s curls. ‘You are talking to a girl raised in the Highlands here. And Gabriel...’ She lifted him up under the arms so that she could adjust his position on her lap. ‘He’s just thrilled to have anyone awake with him at this ungodly hour of the morning!’
‘He certainly seems ready to start the day.’ Jaco tickled his son under his chubby chin.
It had been Leah’s idea to come up onto the deck to see the sunrise. Neither of them had had any sleep, unwilling to waste a single precious moment of the night.
They had settled themselves on the sofa in the lounge, talking in hushed whispers as Leah had gently probed Jaco about his past—the Garalinos, their part in his parents’ deaths, his cruel upbringing—until Jaco had firmly kissed away her tears of sorrow and insisted they moved on.
So instead they had discussed the future—making plans, sharing their hopes and dreams. And they had made love slowly, tenderly, revelling in the incredible intensity of feelings they aroused in one another, stunned by the power of true love.
When Gabriel had woken for a feed about an hour ago they had torn themselves from each other’s arms and slipped into bed on either side of him. Gabriel’s delight at having two people to entertain him evident in the way he had shown absolutely no intention of going back to sleep. So they had thrown on some clothes and come up here into the salty fresh air, seating themselves on one of the wide cushioned loungers, positioned for the best view of the sunrise.
Now, pressed against Leah so tightly that there was not a whisper of space between them, Jaco revelled in the warmth from her body that was seepi
ng into his side, the sound of her soft breathing, the scent of her hair as she angled her head against his neck.
This was happiness, he realised. Pure, unadulterated happiness. And he was so full of it that he thought his chest might explode.
‘Beautiful, isn’t it?’ Leah gazed at the fiery sky, painted so dramatically with reds and oranges, turning the water to a milky blue. ‘You want to bottle it so that you can take out the cork and look at it any time you want.’
‘You don’t need to do that, mia cara. I can offer you all the sunrises you like.’ Jaco reached to take Gabriel from her lap. ‘And sunsets and starry nights and cloudless skies. Sicily has an abundance of such things.’
‘It does, doesn’t it? I love it here—you know that.’
‘So it’s agreed?’ He gazed at her hopefully. ‘We will make Sicily our home?’
‘Agreed.’ Leah kissed him affectionately on the cheek.
‘Capezzana?’
He heard the businessman in him hurrying to close the deal. Because he knew with absolute certainty that this was the most important deal of his life. That if he didn’t have Leah by his side—permanently and for ever—he would never be whole.
‘Capezzana would be wonderful.’
‘Grazie.’ Jaco pressed a kiss to her lips, then turned his attention to his son, jiggling his knees to rock him from side to side, which produced a throaty, gurgling laugh of innocent pleasure.
Behind him, the rising sun highlighted Gabriel’s curls, the halo effect making him look like a little cherub—albeit one in a stripy sleepsuit.
Never had Jaco thought himself capable of such a depth of love for a child, even his own flesh and blood. And never had he imagined an intensity of love such as he felt for Leah—so fierce, so all-consuming that it almost hurt.
‘I can’t wait to meet Francesca.’ Leah broke through his thoughts, gazing at him lovingly. ‘When are you going to introduce us?’
‘Very soon, I promise.’ Jaco tucked a windblown strand of hair behind her ear. ‘I know the two of you are going to get along famously. In fact...’ He glanced back at Gabriel. ‘I’ll be looking to you for some male support, mio figlio. Once those two gang up on us we won’t stand a chance.’
‘And don’t forget Harper.’ Leah gave him a playful smile. ‘Gabriel hasn’t even met my twin sister yet, or his little cousin, Alfie.’ She paused, suddenly serious. ‘Trying to keep Gabriel a secret from Harper was the hardest thing. It was inevitable that I would crack in the end.’
‘And I’m very glad you did. If you hadn’t told Harper, and Harper hadn’t told Vieri, and Vieri hadn’t told me...’
Leah cast him an apologetic glance. ‘It scares me to think that if it hadn’t been for that we might never have...’
‘Let’s not dwell on the past, cara.’ Jaco laced his fingers through hers. ‘Let’s look ahead. In fact, there’s something—’
‘I know what we should do!’
Leah spun around to face him full-on, her eyes dancing with excitement, stopping Jaco in his tracks. He thought that he had never seen her look more beautiful.
‘We should have a party. At Capezzana. We could invite everyone we know and love.’
Jaco hesitated. He had something far more important on his mind. Something that wouldn’t wait a moment longer.
‘We could.’ He brought her hand up to his lips, lightly kissing her knuckles. ‘But I have a better idea.’
‘You have?’
‘Sí.’ He hesitated. He had to be sure he found the right words. ‘Instead of a party we could have a wedding.’
‘A wedding?’ Her eyes brightened with shock.
‘Sí.’
With her heart in her mouth, Leah watched as Jaco rose to his feet and carefully settled Gabriel on the cushions of the lounger. For a moment his tall frame blocked out the fiery ball of the sun, but then, in a dramatically graceful movement, he was down on one knee before her, one hand behind his back, the other reaching for her free hand.
‘I love you. Leah, with every beat of my heart, every thought in my head. I love you far more than there are words to say it. So I am just going to ask you this...’ He paused, his throat working on a swallow. ‘Leah McDonald, vuoi sposarmi? Will you marry me?’
‘Oh, Jaco!’ Jumping to her feet, Leah brought him up to stand with her, flinging her arms around his neck, pressing herself to him. ‘The answer is yes.’ She drew back to look into his eyes. ‘Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!’
Silhouetted by the sun, their bodies entwined, they sealed their pact with a lingering kiss, lost in the wonder of love.
Behind them a small person raised his chubby fists in the air, waving them about in celebration, impatiently waiting for someone to notice him. When that didn’t work he tried a loud squawk, followed by a winning smile when they finally turned to look at him.
Ah, that was better. Swooped up by his father, he snuggled into the crook of his arm, popping his thumb into his mouth. All was well with the world.
* * * * *
If you enjoyed Kidnapped for Her Secret Son, you’re sure to enjoy these other stories by Andie Brock!
The Shock Cassano Baby
Bound by His Desert Diamond
The Greek’s Pleasurable Revenge
Vieri’s Convenient Vows
Available now!
Keep reading for an excerpt from The Tycoon’s Ultimate Conquest by Cathy Williams.
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The Tycoon’s Ultimate Conquest
by Cathy Williams
CHAPTER ONE
‘THERE’S A PROBLEM,’ the middle-aged man sitting in the chair in front of Arturo da Costa stated without preamble.
Art sat back, linked his fingers on his stomach and looked at Harold Simpson, a man who was normally calm, measured and so good at his job that Art couldn’t think of a time when anything had been a problem for him. He ran the vast legal department of Art’s sprawling empire with impeccable efficiency.
So at the word problem Art frowned, already mentally rescheduling the meeting he was due to attend in half an hour as he anticipated a conversation he wasn’t going to enjoy, about a situation he would not have foreseen and which would be tricky to resolve.
‘Talk to me,’ he said, his deep voice sharp, knowing Harold was a rare breed of man who wasn’t intimidated by his clever and unashamedly arrogant and unpredictable boss.
‘It’s the development in Glouc
ester.’
‘Why is there a problem? I’ve got all the necessary planning permission. Money’s changed hands. Signatures have been put on dotted lines.’
‘If only it were that simple.’
‘I don’t see what could possibly be complex about this, Harold.’
‘I suppose complex wouldn’t quite be the right word, Art. Annoying might be the description that better fits the bill.’
‘Not following you.’ Art leaned forward, frowning. ‘Don’t I pay you to take care of annoying problems?’
Harold deflected the direct hit with a reprimanding look and Art grinned.
‘You’ve never come to me with an annoying problem before,’ he drawled. ‘Perhaps I was rash in assuming that you dealt with them before they could hit my desk.’
‘It’s a sit-in.’
‘Come again?’
Instead of answering, Harold opened up his laptop and swivelled it so that it was facing his boss, then leaned away as if waiting for the reaction he was expecting, a reaction which would have sent strong men diving for cover.
Fury.
Art looked at the newspaper article staring him in the face. It was from a local paper, circulation circa next to nothing, read by no one who mattered and covering an area where sheep probably outnumbered humans, but he could immediately see the repercussions of what he was reading.
His mouth tightened and he reread the article, taking his time. Then he looked at the grainy black-and-white picture accompanying the article. A sit-in. Protestors. Placards. Lots of moral high ground about the wicked, cruel developers who planned to rape and pillage the countryside. Him, in other words.
‘Has this only now come to your attention?’ He sat back and stared off into the distance with a thoughtful frown, his sharp mind already seeking ways of diverting the headache staring him in the face and coming up with roadblocks.
‘It’s been simmering,’ Harold said as he shut the lid of his computer, ‘but I thought I could contain the situation. Unfortunately, the lawyer working on behalf of the protesters has got the bit between her teeth, so to speak, and is determined to put as many obstacles in the way of your development as she can. Trouble is, in a small community like that, even if she loses the case and of course she will because, as you say, all the crosses have been made in the right boxes, the fallout could still be...unfortunate.’