“It’ll hurt him when he finds out,” Xander said reproachfully. She knew from past discussions he couldn’t understand her hesitation.
Listening to him talk about how hurt Leonardo would be almost made Alexa smile. He made it sound as if Leonardo experienced the same emotions as the rest of the mere mortals. Little did he know, Leonardo didn’t need anyone, and whatever he may feel when he found out she was pregnant, it wouldn’t be hurt.
He might want to wring her neck, but he would refrain for the sake of the unborn child he’d tried in the past to convince her to carry. She knew she should tell him about the baby, but she was worried he would try to resume their marriage. That wasn’t what she wanted—at least, not for that reason.
She wanted him to reach out to her because he loved her, not because she was having his child.
“I’ll tell him when the time is right.”
Xander looked skeptical. “The time was right three months ago when you found out for sure.”
Alexa sighed and rested her hand on her stomach. “I know.” This was the first instance since they were kids that Xander had been so displeased with her, and it made her unhappy.
She knew she should tell Leonardo. She just didn’t have the guts to face him. Plus, she had been so busy with Second Chance Closet, the fundraiser, checkups, and morning sickness, that before she knew it, three months had passed and she hadn’t contacted Leonardo.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. One day she did call, but his assistant stated he was out of the country and asked if someone else could help her. She’d wanted to leave the message, It’s his wife, and I’m pregnant. But she didn’t.
At some point she would have to tell him.
* * * *
The evening was a smashing success. Of the over one hundred people in attendance, a number of them represented businesses. One company in particular, Demming Technology, a successful software company based in Atlanta, made a sizeable donation in addition to the funds they had paid for attending the event. This prompted others to do the same.
The total funds raised for Second Chance Closet were more than Alexa expected. Her mind was already racing as she envisioned what she could do with the money, such as opening a second store outside the city limits in Gwinnett or DeKalb County.
“Good night.” Alexa waved to the last of her guests as they left. She was sitting at the table in front of the stage.
Xander sauntered over. “You did good,” he said proudly. He dropped a gentle kiss on top of her curls.
“Thanks. I can’t believe how much money we raised.” The satchel containing all of the checks was on the table next to her laptop.
He nodded. “When it turns out better than you expected, that means you did a great job. And I made some good contacts tonight, so I expect business will increase for me in the near future.”
“Yes. Just make sure you give Ryan all the contacts so he can follow up.”
Ryan, who started out as a part-time office manager, had turned out to be invaluable. He was now the bakery’s full-time operations manager and was in charge of business development. He was as indispensable to Xander’s business as the commercial ovens.
“I know.” Xander rolled his eyes.
Fighting back a grin, Alexa glanced around the room. “Well, I’m going to—” She broke off when Xander’s phone rang.
He answered, listened for a few seconds, and then said in a weary voice, “Yes, dear. I’m on my way home, and don’t worry, I won’t forget to stop at the store. I have the list with me.” He rolled his eyes, pretending to be annoyed with his wife. After a few noncommittal words, he hung up. “All right, I need to leave,” he said to Alexa. “I’ve been summoned. Let’s get your stuff and get out of here.”
Xander picked up her laptop and satchel, while Alexa eased her weary body out of the chair. It had been a long day. She was only five months along, but she was feeling the effects of her pregnancy—most notably in her lower back.
“Alexa.”
The sound of her name caught her attention, but it was the recognition of the person who spoke it that stilled her fingertips where she was absentmindedly massaging the base of her spine.
Gradually, she turned her body ninety degrees in the direction of her husband’s voice. He stood a few feet from Xander, his expression giving away nothing.
He’d changed since the last time she saw him. His face looked bleak. Was it her imagination, or did he look thinner, too? The lines of his handsome face and the angles of his cheekbones appeared more pronounced.
“What are you doing here?”
“I heard about the fundraiser.”
Xander spoke up. “Maybe I should go.”
Alexa felt lost, panicked. She didn’t want to be left alone with Leonardo. This was all so unexpected.
“We’re about to leave,” she said.
“We need to talk.”
Xander chimed in. “That sounds like a good idea.” Before Alexa could disagree, he put the satchel and laptop back on the table.
“What are you doing?” Alexa demanded frantically. Her eyes widened in dismay. Xander was abandoning her.
“He’s right. You need to talk.” He touched his lips to her temple. “Call me later.”
As he was walking away, a look passed between him and Leonardo. She knew she didn’t imagine it, and she figured she knew what had happened. Within seconds, she was left alone with her husband.
“You knew, didn’t you?” She placed a hand on her stomach.
“Yes.”
“How did you find out?”
“Xander.”
Xander! Her own brother, just as she suspected. Where were his loyalties? Apparently they could be bought with a quarter of a million dollars. “When?”
“Two days ago. I was in Rio, and I flew back as quickly as I could.” Quiet descended on the room. He was staring at her protruding belly as if he’d never seen a pregnant woman before. “Am I so horrible that you would keep my own child from me?”
Guilt assailed her, making her wish she had made more of an effort to contact him sooner. “I wasn’t planning to exclude you from our child’s life.”
“Then why didn’t you call me and let me know you were pregnant?” he asked, stark emotion etched in his face.
“I did, but when you weren’t in, I…don’t know. I needed time to think, to make a decision about what to do.”
“A decision? There’s no decision to be made. There’s only one way this can go. Starting now, I want to be a part of my child’s life. I intend to participate in everything, going to the doctor’s visits, making sure you have the proper prenatal care, looking at the ultrasounds. I won’t be excluded!” His voice became louder and harsher at the end. “I’m sorry,” he said more calmly, running his fingers through his hair. Alexa noted they were shaking a bit. “I shouldn’t upset you in your fragile state.”
“I understand that you’re angry.” Alexa clasped her hands in front of her. “I should have told you.”
His gaze flicked over her. “Are you well? Is everything fine with the baby?”
Alexa nodded. “I had a checkup a few days ago.”
“Is it a boy or a girl?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t want to know. Not yet.” Not without you there, too.
“Were you ever going to tell me?” he whispered.
She could see the pain in his eyes, and it grieved her that she had been the one to inflict it on this big, strong man. Xander had been right, and she had been wrong. He was hurt. Tears sprung to her eyes.
“Of course! I wouldn’t keep you from your own child.”
“It happens often enough nowadays, and it’s not as if you need me or anything I have to offer. Each time you left me, you left behind everything I ever gave you.” He clenched his jaw, an indication he was crushing some deep emotion.
“I didn’t need any of those things.” She averted her eyes. “I swear to you, I would have told you. I know how much you wan
ted a child, and it would be wrong for me to keep you apart.”
“I want you to come home, Alexa.”
She looked into the bottomless depths of his black eyes. “No,” she said firmly.
“Why not?” Leonardo demanded, his brow furrowing with displeasure. “I don’t want to be cut off from my own child.”
“You won’t be cut off. You’ll have as much access as you want, but I’m not moving back in with you.” She swallowed hard, hating to tell him what she was about to say. “I’ve contacted an attorney. I want a divorce.”
He looked shell-shocked, as if he couldn’t fathom how she could say something so outrageous.
“You want to divorce me now?”
“It should have been done a long time ago. We’re not happy together, and staying together for the sake of a child is not a good reason.”
“I’m not giving you a divorce,” he said evenly, struggling to remain calm. “You’re pregnant with my child! I’m not letting you go.”
“Why not?” Alexa asked, her voice wobbling. “You did before. Because I’m pregnant you want to hold on to me? I’m important to you now?” Alexa could feel the tears burning her eyes, and she willed herself not to cry. “I won’t step foot back in that house, because nothing’s changed.”
“What is it that you want?” Leonardo asked, spreading his palms upward in exasperation. “You left me—twice. You chose to leave, and it didn’t matter what I wanted. What is it that needs to change? Talk to me. Tell me what you want. We have to figure this out and make it work. I know what it did to my father when my mother and I moved away from him. I have to be there, every day, every night.”
“Will you really be there?” she asked.
“Yes,” he promised. “I’ve worked with an attorney at Russell’s practice for the past year. She showed me how I could restructure the firm and still maintain the level of control I’d be comfortable with even though the day-to-day operations would be handled by my top executives.”
Alexa knew it was difficult for him to release control. “I can’t believe you did that.”
“Believe it.” He stepped closer. “I will be there, Alexa. I won’t neglect my child. Is that all you want?”
Alexa felt her face crumble. She should be stronger than this. It was a simple question, but her doctor had warned her she could become emotional since her hormones were out of whack. That had to be the reason why the tears burned past her throat and fell onto her cheeks unrestrainedly.
She bit her lip and brushed them away, but others quickly replaced them.
“Alexa,” Leonardo groaned. He reached for her, then thought better of it and pulled back.
“Maldição.” The soft curse seemed torn from him. “What is it?”
“Hormones,” she said brokenly.
“No. Tell me, what is it that you want?”
She couldn’t reveal what she secretly yearned for. It was foolish to spill everything inside her heart. Because even though it was clear Leonardo wanted and already loved their unborn child, it was equally plain he didn’t love her. She’d been gone five months, and the only reason he was standing in front of her was because he found out she was pregnant.
“I have to go.” She turned back to the table to pick up her belongings. “We can talk later.”
“We will talk now. We never talk.” He took her gently, but firmly by the arm and turned her back to face him. “What do you want, Alexa?”
She pulled back, but his gentleness was her undoing. “I want you to love me.” She couldn’t retract the words, and even though he looked stunned, confused, it was a relief to tell him how she truly felt. “You’ve never said it. I’ve never heard you say you love me, Leo.”
“I didn’t think I needed to. I thought giving you everything you wanted was proof of my love for you. I worked hard to provide for you.”
“You’ve always worked hard, and you know I don’t care about those things,” Alexa said.
His expression became bleaker. “I know…and yet…” He shook his head as his words trailed off. “I can’t let you go, Alexa.”
“You already did,” she whispered. “You only came back because you found out I was pregnant, and I won’t subject my child to the life my brother and I had to endure as children. I won’t fight with you all the time in front of our child, and I won’t let you ignore our child so you can spend all your time at work. I already know what it feels like, and I won’t do that to my baby.” She spread protective fingers across her stomach.
Leonardo’s gaze followed the gesture. “Your pregnancy isn’t the only reason I returned. It just caused me to return sooner.” He lifted his eyes to her face. “My work is important to me, but you’re more important. When I moved to Rio three months ago, I wanted nothing more than to take you with me, but I realized I would be subjecting you to the same treatment as before. I had to spend the time necessary to launch our Latin American headquarters.
“Before our first separation, I was working like a man who wasn’t married, and that wasn’t fair to you. It’s all I know, querida. It’s what I saw my father do all his life. I was five when my parents divorced, so I didn’t fully understand why my mother left.”
He stepped closer to her. “I’ve spoken to my mother, and I understand now. I’ve changed. I don’t work the same hours, and I’ve been making preparations for you to come live with me. Everything isn’t ready, but I had to come get you as soon as I found out about your pregnancy. I’m not giving you a divorce, and I’m not leaving without you.”
Leonardo took her face in his hands and looked down into her water-filled eyes. “Meu amor,” he murmured, pressing his lips against her cheeks to kiss away her tears. “How could you doubt how much I love you, when I can’t even sleep without you beside me?”
Alexa’s eyes widened in her face.
“Eu te amo, querida,” he whispered. “I love you so much, that if you don’t come back to stay, I think I’ll die this time.”
Alexa couldn’t believe it. Finally, the words she longed to hear were released from the lips of the only man she’d ever loved. Getting up on tiptoe, she flung her arms around his neck. “I’ve waited so long to hear you say that.”
“I’ll say it every day for the rest of our lives.” Leonardo rained little kisses across her eyelids, down her nose, and across each cheek, warming her insides. “Eu te amo. Eu te amo. Eu te amo.”
Alexa looked up into the eyes of her husband. She believed him. He’d changed, and she would, too. She had been afraid of turning into her mother. She had been worried her marriage would mirror the unhappy mess her parents’ had been.
She would no longer hide her feelings, and she would let Leonardo know if she felt neglected. She couldn’t expect him to know what was wrong if she wasn’t vocal about her needs.
She pulled down his head and pressed her lips against his. “I love you, too.”
Epilogue
Alexa’s bare feet padded softly across the tile covering the rooftop patio where Leonardo was reclining, the cell phone glued to his ear as he conducted business in Portuguese. The sun was low in the sky, but it was still warm in Rio de Janeiro, where they’d been living for the past year.
Their daughter, Lucélia, was born in Brazil, where Leonardo was successfully spearheading the launch of Radiant Communications into the Latin American market. In a couple of years, they planned to return to the United States once the business was established.
As Radiant Communications flourished, so did Second Chance Closet. There was now a smaller store in DeKalb County, and the larger one in Atlanta had grown by taking over empty retail space next to it. Additional staff was hired and more volunteers recruited to help Edna, who became the general manager and oversaw the running of both stores. She and Alexa held weekly meetings via Skype and communicated via e-mail.
Alexa set a glass of caipirinha on the table next to Leo. She was proud that she had become an expert at fixing Brazil’s national drink just the way Leonardo liked
it. However, she was unable to indulge herself at this time, settling for a glass of the Brazilian soda guaraná, since they’d gotten the good news just days before that she was pregnant again.
Alexa cleared her throat loudly, settling a hand on her hip. It was a few minutes after seven. Business was cutting into her time.
Leonardo’s appreciative gaze ran over her shapely figure in the sarong and bikini top. Smiling, he spoke rapidly, then hung up with a brisk “Ciao.”
“Come here,” he said, setting her glass next to his on the table.
Gladly, Alexa sat on his lap, draping her arms around his neck.
“Where is Lucélia?” he asked.
“Downstairs with your mother, taking a nap.”
“Hmm…interesting.” He ran his warm palm down her back. Her body’s instantaneous reaction was to heat up. “Have I told you I love you today?”
“No, you haven’t,” Alexa said saucily, cocking her ear toward him.
“Eu te amo, meu amor,” he whispered hotly. He then plucked at the fleshy lobe of her ear with his lips.
“Leo, behave,” she said halfheartedly as heat began to pool between her legs.
“I can’t,” he said, nuzzling her neck. “Your brother and his family will be here tomorrow, and they’re staying for a couple of weeks. Including my mother, that’s three other adults and a total of five children. I have a feeling our sex life won’t be the same for a while, so I’m getting all I can now.”
“In that case…” Alexa stood up. His pupils dilated when he saw her reach behind her back and undo her top. “Come get me.”
She tossed the bikini in his face, but before she could get away, he was already on his feet. He swept her up in his arms to her squeals of delight.
“I always do.”
Then Leonardo strode into the house with Alexa in his arms.
The End
The Ultimate Merger
Hot Latin Men 1-5 Omnibus Page 9