“I hope I’m ready for that.”
“I have no doubt you can do it, Amedeo. You’ve accomplished so many other things in your life.”
Leave it to Madge to pour reality on him, then cheer him up about it. She’d been with him for so long that she was sometimes the voice in his head when he was making a decision. She made noises every few years about retiring, but he couldn’t imagine life without her.
He was able to be successful because of her.
“Will I make a good dad?”
“You will, Amedeo. You don’t do anything halfway and to be a father you need to do it right. Or not at all.”
“Not at all is not an option. I take my responsibilities seriously,” he said.
He couldn’t imagine abandoning Violet like her father had done to her mother. That was not what a man did. That was not how father raised him. If he had a son, he wouldn’t raise him that way either.
“Why do men do that, Madge? Why would a man walk out on his child?”
“Because they aren’t men.”
Madge had pegged it; they weren’t men. “Can you find me a flower shop on my way home?”
“Why?”
“I’m going to buy Violet flowers. I’m sure she’s going out of her mind home in bed.”
“Flowers, huh? But you aren’t in a relationship?”
“I can make her life easier without falling in love and wanting to marry her.”
Madge just nodded a smug smile on her face. Amedeo had no desire to fall in love. He wasn’t going to get all mushy about Violet. He was just trying to ease her frustration.
“I’ll call them and have a bouquet ready.”
“I’d appreciate that,” he said.
That way he wouldn’t have to wait long on his drive home.
***
Violet knew she shouldn’t be up, but she felt so good and she was going stir crazy in bed. She could only watch so many movies.
She figured she could be back in bed before Amedeo arrived home, but she’d waited too long. He was walking through the front door and she couldn’t sneak back to his room. Shit. He’d be mad.
In fact, now that she was up, she wished she hadn’t gotten up. From being lazy, she was now a little dizzy. She gripped the kitchen counter, realizing she shouldn’t have tried to make dinner. She’d just wanted to surprise Amedeo since he’d been so sweet to her.
“Violet?”
He was in the kitchen doorway, a bouquet of flowers in his hand. For her?
“Amedeo.”
“What are you doing out of bed?” He took a good look at her. “Violet?”
He put the flowers on the counter, then took a hold of her arm.
“I’m okay. Just a little dizzy.”
He picked her up. He didn’t need to do that. “Let’s get you back to bed.”
She rested her head on his chest. She couldn’t do anything else. He didn’t seem to be mad, though he didn’t say much as he climbed the steps. Knowing she wasn’t a small girl, she said “you’re going to hurt yourself.”
“I’m fine, Violet.”
He wasn’t even breathing heavily when he put her back on the bed. He pulled the covers over her.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, Violet. You feel better now?”
“Yes. Not so dizzy.”
He sat on the edge of the bed. “Why did you get out?”
“I was bored. I wanted to make dinner.”
“I can make us dinner. We’ll eat up here. Dinner in bed instead of breakfast.”
“You aren’t mad?”
“I wouldn’t be a good patient either. Hopefully, no harm has been done.”
Violet put a hand on her stomach. “I hadn’t thought about that. I’m not bleeding.”
“Then you probably didn’t do any damage. It’s fine. Please stay in bed. I’ll make dinner? Can I get you anything else?”
“No, I’m good, but hungry.”
He patted her hand. “I’ll go make it now.”
“I can wait. It’s fine,” she said.
He disappeared then returned with a vase of flowers. “For you. To cheer you up.”
She couldn’t help smiling. That was so sweet. “Thank you.”
He nodded then left. She settled back into the pillows, admiring the flowers. Not roses, but wildflowers. Something she didn’t see often in the city. She couldn’t help but smile at them. Amedeo was being so thoughtful.
He came back a half an hour later with a tray with two plates on it. He crawled into bed next to her, putting the tray between them.
“We’re going to make a mess,” she said.
“Then I’ll have to change the sheets. It’s fine. You don’t expect me to eat dinner by myself in the kitchen. How boring.”
He sat with his ankles crossed and his plate on his lap. She did the same, eating the pork chops and applesauce he’d cooked. “This is tasty. Thanks.”
“No problem. Just please stay in bed tomorrow.”
“I will. I promise.”
“Have you thought about names, Violet? I’m thinking we should bat some around,’ he said.
She had been thinking about names. Ever since she heard that heartbeat and the situation became real. She knew they needed to think this through. “Are there any names in your family that are important?”
My father’s name was Vincenzo. I kind of like it,” he said.
“How about Vincent?”
“Could work. What about Amelia for a girl?” he said.
“Amelia Taylor.”
“Taylor? Why would the baby have your last name?”
“Oh, right. I guess the baby could have your last name. I have my mother’s, but my father wasn’t in the picture.”
“Then I’d like the baby to have my last name. Amelia Killiano.”
“That sounds pretty.”
“I like it, too. Vincent Killiano works also.”
“Okay. Vincent and Amelia.”
“That was easy,” he said. “What other problems can we solve?”
She laughed. “I’m not sure world peace is so easily solved.”
“You never know. We haven’t put our minds to solving it.”
“I don’t think I’m up to that tonight. I shouldn’t be tired. I’ve just been in this bed all day.”
“Maybe the spotting you experienced was your body telling you to slow down. You’ve been under some stress because of Tory.”
She waved her hand. Tory didn’t really stress her that much. Well, okay, maybe she had. “I should be able to handle it.”
“You’re pregnant, Violet. You aren’t at your best because you’re tired and your hormones are nutty.”
Nutty? “Have I been nutty?”
“No. I don’t know how you are getting on so well. I think I’d be a mess.”
She was feeling off her game. “I’ll be okay. Plenty of women work during pregnancy.”
“True.”
“I’ll be back on my game after tomorrow. I promise.”
“I’m not concerned. You made a lot of progress while you were in the office. Carl is excited about what you’ve done to find the hacker.”
“He is?”
She hadn’t thought that she did much, but if Carl wanted to be happy, he could go ahead.
“He is.” Amedeo put his empty plate onto the tray. “You underestimate your abilities. If Carl is happy then things are good.”
“Okay.”
Maybe she had been taking crappy pay for jobs that she shouldn’t have. It was just tough to hold out for the right price if you needed to pay rent.
“Do you have any other clients at the moment?”
“No. I finished with everyone that first day I moved in here.”
“Then you should raise your prices,” he said. “You have some flexibility right now to pick and choose your jobs. Do it and start making more money.”
His advice seemed sound. He was a businessman who knew what he was doing. He’d sold two comp
anies already. Maybe she had been underestimating her income potential.
With a baby on the way, she couldn’t afford to do that anymore.
***
Fresh off bedrest, Violet was back to work in time for it to be Friday. Amedeo had tried to talk her into staying home one more day, but she was having none of it. Afraid her brain would go to mush, she insisted on going to work with him.
Ensconced in her office, she was knee deep in code when her phone rang. Kalia?
“Hey, girl,” Violet said.
“Nice to hear from you. I’m down in your neck of the woods for something and I wanted to see if you could come out for lunch.”
“I can. What time and where?”
“Noon. Pick a place and text me. I don’t know exactly where you are.”
Three hours later, Violet met Kalia at a restaurant in downtown Princeton. The town was a mix of rich people and rich students. Violet had never seen anything quite like it.
Some of the architecture was new and some old.
Kalia hugged Violet. “You’re looking good. You really are glowing.”
“Thanks.”
The hostess led them to a table in the back.
“Tell me what’s been going on,” Kalia said when they had ordered.
“Where do I start? I’m living with Amedeo. We’ve heard the heartbeat and I’m working at his company to track down a hacker.”
“Wow. That’s a lot for one sentence,” Kalia said.
“In such a short time, right? It’s been a whirlwind.”
“How’s Amedeo been?”
“What do you mean? He’s been great.”
“Is he pushing for a paternity test?”
“I’ve already agreed to it. I have no fear that he is the father of my child. I didn’t have sex with anyone else,” Violet said.
“So he’s a man and he’s sticking around.”
“Maybe it’s because he’s had a European upbringing.”
Violet shrugged. Whatever it was, she was thankful. She’d probably be out on the street at this point if he weren’t around. Amedeo was being very good to her. She would never be able to repay his kindness, but she had a feeling he didn’t expect her too.
“I don’t know what it is, but he’s made it clear, he wants to be in the baby’s life if I end up deciding I want custody.”
“You don’t know if you want to raise your own child?”
“What experience do I have? My mother was nuts. I have no role models. Her mother threw her out so I’ve never even had a grandmother,” Violet said.
She’d refused to try and contact her grandmother when her mother died. The woman should have been in her life. Just like her father should have, but she didn’t know who he was. Her mother had never told her.
“But you could do it.”
“Maybe. There are days when I think I can. Other days I think that visitation rights might be a good idea. Let Amedeo worry about the day-to-day stuff.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“You would keep a baby if you had it?”
“Yes.”
Kalia had been pregnant, but had an abortion. Violet surmised that her friend regretted it daily. “I don’t know. My brain is all a jumble these days.”
“Pregnancy hormones.”
“So Amedeo hired you also?”
“Yes he did. He has a hacker that has broken into his system. I’m pretty close to tracking down the person.”
“He’s paying you?”
“More than any client I’ve ever had. The money is good if I go after the right people to be my customer.”
“Are you sleeping with him?”
Violet paused at the question. She usually shared everything with Kalia, but this seemed too personal. “Okay, we are.”
“How is he in the sack?”
“He’s pretty amazing. Best lover I’ve ever had.”
“He’s hung?”
Violet chuckled. “Yes.”
Kalia smiled. “Lucky you. He sounds like the real deal. You need to hang onto this man.”
“Why? We’re just having fun until the baby comes. Then we’ll return to our lives.”
“It won’t be that easy.”
“Why not? We’ll have the baby in common, but that’s it.”
“That’s it? Violet, do you hear yourself?’
“What?”
Kalia shook her head. Violet didn’t know what she was thinking.
“You’re in love with this guy.”
In love? “No I’m not. We had a one night stand and now we’re having sex. It’s all good. I’m not in love.”
“You keep telling yourself that, girlfriend.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Violet said.
She didn’t have feelings for Amedeo. Okay, she liked him, but not that way. Not in a romantic way. She’d miss the sex, that was for sure. Kalia was reading too much into the situation.
“Whatever.”
Their meals arrived. Violet’s was a cheeseburger. Kalia ate a salad. She eyed what Violet was eating. “Must be nice to eat what you want.”
“It is. I don’t eat bad stuff all the time, but sometimes I really crave meat.”
“You must be having a boy.”
“Why?”
“Don’t men like meat more than women?” Kalia said.
“I don’t know. I don’t know that much about men.”
“You know how to land one for sure.” Kalia laughed.
Violet hadn’t gotten pregnant on purpose. She didn’t feel she’d landed Amedeo either. They weren’t in love. They weren’t going to be in love either. They were having fun while they could. That was the end of it. Anything else that Kalia saw was her own imagination.
“I didn’t land Amedeo. He just happens to be the father of my child.”
“I’ll bet he does everything in his power to keep you happy because of that.”
“It’s just his nature.”
“Whatever.”
Violet was beginning to hate that word. Kalia was so sure she was right. Her friend always thought she was right. Violet let out a breath. She didn’t want to fight with her best friend, so she chose not to.
“Let’s not fight, okay? I don’t get to see you that often.”
“I’m not trying to start a fight. I’m sorry,” Kalia said.
Violet nodded, knowing everything would be okay between them.
Chapter9
Amedeo had been thinking about the future all day. The idea that he was going to be someone’s parent was becoming more and more real as time progressed. . Violet would eventually be showing. He’d see an ultrasound that looked like a baby.
He had to stop and catch his breath. Having a child was nothing like running a company or even selling a company. He would have to figure out something new. Not that he wasn’t up for the task, he just couldn’t do as much research as he normally did when he embarked on a new venture.
Running a company was the same no matter what the business was. The models were all the same. Raising a child was a very different prospect. Madge had faith that he could do this and she knew him better than even his mother.
Damn. He still needed to talk to his mother. She wouldn’t want to find out from someone else, but no one in his circle of friends would reveal anything. Most of them didn’t know. He hadn’t been forthcoming with anyone, but Dante and Salvatore and he knew they wouldn’t want to tell his mother.
He sighed. His life was about to get even more complicated.
Then he had a thought. His child would be born out of wedlock. His child would be a bastard. No. He didn’t want that. He would have to marry Violet. Then they could divorce and she would get a settlement from him. They could have a prenuptial agreement. That’s how the paperwork would work out.
She would have to be his wife when she delivered the baby. She could be on his insurance then and he wouldn’t have to pay so much out of pocket. Why didn’t he think of that before?
“I just solved a few of my problems.”
“Oh?”
“I don’t want my child to come into this world a bastard.”
She waved her hand. “That doesn’t hold any stigma anymore.”
“It does for me. I’m old-fashioned.”
“So what’s the answer?”
“I’m going to marry Violet. I can put her on my health insurance. We can draw up a prenuptial agreement and then she’ll be set when we divorce.”
Madge looked at him like he had two heads. “So you think this independent woman is going to just up and marry you?”
“Yes. Why not? It makes the most sense.”
“You think a woman wants to get married because it’s practical?” Madge said.
“We’re not in a romance.”
“What are you doing then?”
“I don’t know what you’d call it, but we aren’t in love. Violet will see the benefits of what I’m talking about.”
Madge shook her head. “She’s not going to like it.”
“Well, I think she will.”
Amedeo shook his head. He knew women. If he and Violet were married, her life would be even more secure. “I’m going to ask her.”
“I would pay to be in that room.”
“You can’t. You have work to do.”
Madge left him. Amedeo found Violet in her office. She was intent on whatever she was doing. Her face held a frown. Maybe this wasn’t the time, but he was a man of action. He couldn’t wait to put this plan in motion. It was a good one.
He waited for her to look up.
“Is it lunch already?”
“No. I have a question for you.”
She took a deep breath, then stretched. “Okay. Go ahead.”
“I was thinking about the future and I think it would be a good idea for us to get married.”
“Married? You and me?”
“Yes. I can put you on the health insurance plan. We can draw up a prenup so that when we divorce after the baby comes, you’ll be taken care of. You can consult a lawyer and make sure nothing is amiss. What do you say?”
“You think we should get married so that I have health insurance? Isn’t that health insurance fraud?”
The Billionaire's Secretly Fake Bride (MANHATTAN BACHELORS Book 3) Page 35