Sweet Italian Christmas: Three Christmas Romances

by Helen Scott Taylor

  "You'll never have to find out. I'll do anything for you, Em. You know that. I want you and Giorgio to stay here with me. We belong together."

  • • •

  Savino tapped at his laptop keyboard with one hand, his other arm cradling Giorgio against his chest. For the last two hours he'd made phone calls, read reports, and answered e-mails, all one-handed.

  Giorgio seemed to have day and night mixed up. As soon as Emily went to bed he woke up, and at dawn, after a feeding, he fell into a deep sleep. Poor Emily was exhausted. Although Savino had offered to help at night, she never woke him.

  This morning he'd taken matters into his own hands and brought Giorgio's bassinet into his home office, leaving Emily to get some much-needed sleep before his family visited after lunch.

  Despite the pressing business matters Savino had to deal with after his absence, he hadn't been able to concentrate with his son a few feet away. Every little snuffle and movement from the bassinet caught Savino's attention.

  In the end, he'd picked up the tiny boy and held him. Not that this helped him concentrate on work, but he loved the feel of his tiny wriggly boy in his arms. After one last important call, he put down the phone and gave up any pretense of work. Laying Giorgio along his forearms, Savino cradled the newborn's head in his cupped hands and stared down at his son's face.

  "Hey, my sleepy bambino. You're the sweetest little boy in the whole world, aren't you?" He lifted Giorgio and kissed his forehead, then his tiny button nose and each of his plump, rosy cheeks. The depth of his love for this tiny human being floored him. Silly, soppy things he'd never imagined saying in a million years now fell from his lips as easily as breathing.

  He loved his niece and always enjoyed visiting with her, but that affection barely scratched the surface of how deeply he loved his son.

  His mobile phone vibrated on the desk, and Savino settled Giorgio back into the crook of one arm. Glancing at the screen, he checked he wanted to take the call before answering his sister.

  "Ciao, Gina."

  "How's the newest member of the family?"

  "Very well. I'm holding him."

  A long, wistful sigh gusted down the phone. "I can't wait to see him. The photos you texted of him were adorable."

  Savino pressed another kiss to his son's forehead and sucked in a breath to control the swell of love that filled his chest. He didn't usually share his feelings with his sister, but this was different. "He's amazing. I had no idea…" Savino had to swallow before he could continue.

  "Savi, are you all right?"

  "I love Giorgio so much, Gina. It terrifies me that Emily might take him back to England. I'll do anything to keep him in Italy with me."

  "Then you'd better persuade his mamma to stay for good."

  "I'm trying, Gina. I'm trying."

  "When I meet her this afternoon, I'll tell her what a wonderful brother you are."

  Savino laughed wryly. "You didn't always think so."

  "You may not be perfect, Savi, but your heart's in the right place. That's more than I can say for most men. See you in a few hours."

  Savino put down the phone and opened his office drawer. He took out the small leather box that contained the emerald-and-diamond engagement ring. He flipped the lid up and stared at the stones. Would Emily like the fact it matched her grandmother's earrings? Should he have let her choose? But if he'd suggested they shop for engagement rings, she might have declined.

  He hugged Giorgio close, staring out over the peaceful Mediterranean towards the ruler-sharp horizon. Things seemed to be going well between him and Emily, but this was a turbulent time for her. Once her life settled down again, would she distance herself from him?

  He had to make sure she didn't do that, had to prove to her she was important to him. He rose, walked along the hall, and took the stairs to the next floor. Emily's door stood ajar. He pushed it wider and when he was certain she was asleep, he entered softly and walked to the side of the bed.

  Emily's dark hair lay spread across the pillow, her porcelain skin almost translucent beneath the crescents of her dark eyelashes. Beneath the thin quilt, she was now slender again. Having grown used to her pregnant shape, the sudden change was almost a shock.

  This was the woman he'd fallen in love with, but so much had changed between them. How could he possibly persuade her to abandon her Cornish home and move to Italy with him for good?

  • • •

  "Ciao, Savi."

  "Ciao, Mamma. Ciao, Papa."

  Emily stood back from the door, butterflies filling her tummy as Savino greeted his family at the door.

  "Buon giorno, Emily. I'm so pleased to meet you." Signora Marin strode towards her, tall, slim, and elegantly dressed, her dark hair pinned up. She embraced Emily and kissed both her cheeks.

  "Buon giorno," Emily replied, grateful she could speak Italian fluently. "It's a pleasure to meet you too."

  Signore Marin shook her hand while Savino's brother, Leo, who'd given them a lift from the airport, kissed Emily's cheeks. Then Leo's wife, Claire, embraced her and introduced their daughter, Violet, who clutched Claire's hand and stared up at Emily shyly.

  Then a stunning woman with thick, glossy hair, who looked as though she'd just stepped off the pages of a magazine, greeted her. "Ciao, Emily. I'm Savi's sister, Gina. Wonderful to meet you at last. My brother should have brought you home sooner."

  Emily smiled and didn't attempt to explain that Savino had dumped her months ago, and if not for Giorgio, she and Savino would probably never have met again.

  As the Marin family all greeted Emily warmly and welcomed her to Italy, embarrassment warmed her cheeks. They obviously had the impression she was here to stay for good, yet she was far from sure of her plans.

  Grateful as she was for Savino's help during this difficult time, she couldn't imagine living in Italy forever. Wherever in the world she'd worked, her grandma's cottage in Cornwall had always been her home.

  Beneath a startling blue sky, warm sun flooded through the tall windows into the living room at Savino's villa as the Marin family gathered around the lace-trimmed bassinet.

  "Ah, mio nipote, my grandson. He is a gift from God for Christmas. May I hold him?" Signora Marin addressed her question to Savino. He turned and raised his eyebrows at Emily.

  "Of course," she said, surprised and pleased he automatically sought her opinion before he agreed. She'd feared that when they were in his home, he'd take over and try to make all the decisions about Giorgio. In her experience, Italian men tended to make the decisions while their wives did what they were told.

  After a few minutes, Signora Marin reluctantly handed Giorgio over to Gina.

  "Oh, such a handsome boy, you are my little cucciolo. Zia Gina will spoil you, bambino."

  Next Leo's wife, Claire, opened her arms to accept Giorgio. She was quieter, smiling down at him while Leo stood at her side with his arm around her waist.

  "You're so lucky," she said softly to Emily as the others chatted. "We're trying for a baby, but so far no luck." Emily immediately felt at ease with Claire and could imagine them being friends.

  Claire sat on the sofa, and Violet knelt beside her to look at her tiny cousin. "Can I hold him, please, Mamma?"

  "That's up to Zio Savi and Zia Emily, sweetheart," Claire told her daughter.

  Savino wandered around the sofa and put his arm around Emily's waist. "If Violet sits on the sofa and one of us sits at her side, Giorgio should be safe."

  Emily's instinct was to protect her baby boy and say no, but she was likely setting the tone for her relationship with Savino's family, and she didn't want to alienate them by being unreasonable.

  "Of course," Emily said. "Claire, perhaps you can sit on one side of Violet and Savi on the other."

  Savino squeezed Emily's waist and moved to take his place as Claire and Violet shifted along. Once the little girl had Giorgio cradled in her arms, she stared down at him, her big brown eyes wide with wonder.

 
"He's like one of my dolls," Violet said.

  Leo crouched in front of his daughter. "Your dolls are toys, piccolina. Giorgio is a real baby boy. Every day he'll grow a little bigger until one day he'll be old enough to play with you."

  "Take some photos, darling," Claire said to Leo.

  The rest of the family all grabbed their mobile phones from bags and pockets and snapped pictures of the children. Emily did the same, taking images of the family group as well to send to Seth and Marc. She'd already sent them tons of shots of Giorgio and of Savino's villa.

  After everyone had some coffee and pastries, the Marin family all kissed her good-bye.

  "Please join us for lunch on Christmas Day," Signora Marin said. "I won't invite you for Christmas Eve. Dinner is too late and will upset Giorgio's routine."

  "Thank you, Mamma. We'll see. Maybe we'll stay here on Christmas Day and come to you for Epiphany."

  "As you wish." Signora Marin embraced Savino and kissed him, whispering something that made him smile.

  "Arrivederci. Good-bye, see you soon." Then the Marins left and it was suddenly very quiet.

  Giorgio screwed up his face and gave a mewling cry, pushing his tiny fist into his mouth. Emily was pleased for an excuse to retreat to her room and be alone for a while to process her thoughts and feelings.

  Savino's family seemed nice and they had welcomed her. She could imagine getting to know them better and becoming friends with Claire, and maybe Gina. But before she could even contemplate that, she needed to decide how she felt about Savino.

  Chapter Seven

  Emily sat up in bed with Giorgio at her breast, his tiny body in the curve of her arm with a pillow on her lap to support him. Even though it was the middle of the night and she had a headache from lack of sleep, she smiled down at her darling little boy as she cradled his head in her hand and stroked his soft hair.

  This overwhelming love had taken her by surprise. Of course she'd expected to love her baby, but not this all-encompassing emotion that eclipsed everything else in her life. He had quickly become the center of her world, and everything else took second place.

  Yet despite her devotion, she was struggling to manage—or she would have been without Savino's help. When she'd heard women say they found it hard to cope with their newborns, she'd secretly thought they must be lazy or not practical enough. How could one tiny baby take up as much time and energy as they claimed?

  Well, now she knew. Feeding every few hours, waking at the wrong times, bathing, diaper changing—the endless round of demands left her exhausted.

  When Giorgio stopped feeding, Emily lifted him to her shoulder and gently rubbed his back until he burped. Then she slipped out of bed, laid him on his side in his bassinet on the stand beside her bed, and covered him.

  After staring down at her darling angel for a few moments, she wearily climbed back into bed. It was just after four on Christmas morning. What a strange Christmas Day this would be.

  Her head had barely touched the pillow before Giorgio's irritable mewling cry came from the bassinet. Emily boosted herself on an elbow and watched her tiny boy wriggling and fussing.

  "Why can't you just go to sleep, sweetie?" Her voice caught with a sense of overwhelming helplessness. She'd thought she was a capable woman until she had Giorgio. Now she felt like an exhausted failure.

  A soft knock on the door pulled her out of her miserable daze.

  "Emily, would you like me to take Giorgio so you can get some sleep?" Savino stepped into the room, his tall, lean body draped with a blue silk robe. He appeared to be wide awake and totally in control.

  Tears flooded Emily's eyes and she nearly sobbed with gratitude. She'd told Savino she didn't need his help during the night, wanting to prove she could cope on her own. Thank goodness he'd ignored her.

  "Yes, please. That would be great. He won't settle."

  "He just needs to learn that nighttime is sleep time. Don't you, little rascal." Savino wrapped Giorgio in his blanket and lifted him into his arms. He pressed a kiss to his son's forehead and smiled down at him with that same rapt attention he used to focus on Emily.

  She might be uncertain of Savino's feelings for her, but there was no doubt in her mind that he loved and adored his son.

  "You get some sleep. I'll wake you when the hungry boy needs his next feeding."

  "Thank you." Emily flopped back into her pillows and watched Savino carry Giorgio out of the room before her eyelids fell.

  When she woke, the first light of dawn glowed through the window. A glance at her phone on the nightstand showed it was nearly seven a.m. Her internal clock must have woken her as it was time to feed Giorgio again.

  She blinked sleepily, getting her bearings. Savino's voice came from the other room. In a smooth tenor, he sang a lullaby to Giorgio. Emily closed her eyes again and let the melodic tones soothe her. She'd never heard him sing before, and he had an incredible voice. He sang that babies were a gift from God, and how much he loved his son.

  Tight, aching pain gripped Emily's heart until she had to breathe through her mouth to stop herself from crying. How could she ever return to England and take Giorgio away from Savino?

  Emily slipped out of bed, splashed some water on her face, and put on her robe. Her slippers had been ruined in the flood, so she padded along the cold tile floor on bare feet and paused in the living room doorway.

  Savino stood by the glass windows that led to the veranda, his back to her. The early morning light silhouetted the masculine shape of his wide shoulders and narrow hips.

  The mellow tone of his voice flowed through her like a caress, and the familiar longing tingled along her nerves. When she'd first met Savino, it was as if she became more of a woman. Sensual feelings she'd never experienced before woke and took her over.

  No man had ever attracted her like that before, and in the months since Savino had walked away from her, nothing had changed. He was still the only man to make her feel really vibrant and alive.

  He sang the final few words of his song and silence fell.

  "Savi."

  He turned his head. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

  "No. My internal clock told me it was time for Giorgio to eat."

  "He hasn't woken yet. He's been sound asleep ever since I picked him up."

  Emily wandered closer to them and gazed at her sleeping baby. "Why doesn't he sleep like that in his bassinet?"

  "Maybe he feels safer in my arms?"

  Emily could identify with that feeling. She prided herself on being self-sufficient, but since Giorgio was born she'd realized life was much easier when there was someone to share the burdens.

  Savino moved Giorgio to one side and stretched out the other arm, inviting Emily close. Instinctively, she stepped into his embrace and cuddled against his chest beside their son.

  "Do you think that me being stressed is what's unsettling Giorgio? He's much less fussy when he's with you." Tears filled her eyes, and she wiped them away with the side of her hand. She hated to think her emotions were upsetting her baby boy.

  "You've had a lot to cope with, amore mia. Life will calm down now you're here. In a few days, Giorgio will be sleeping for longer at night. You wait and see."

  Emily touched Giorgio's tiny fist curled against his front. If Savino was right and their baby boy settled into a routine here, maybe she had no choice but to stay for a while.

  • • •

  Savino knelt on the tile floor in the living room with Giorgio lying on his changing mat in front of him.

  "You're a good boy, my little patatino, aren't you?" He spoke softly to his son while he changed his diaper, experiencing a thrill of satisfaction every time the baby's gaze settled on his face. "Do you know I'm your papa, little one?"

  He wished he knew how much Giorgio understood. In the last few days, he'd spent many hours reading up on newborns on the Internet when he should have been working, but he still wasn't sure if his son recognized him.

  Heels clicked on the ti
le floor, attracting his attention. He glanced up as Emily walked into the room.

  "Ta-da!" Emily rose on her toes and pirouetted, the silky fabric of her skirt flying around her legs. "This is the first time I've fit into this dress since the early days of my pregnancy." She pressed a palm to her tummy. "I've got some weight to lose, but I'm starting to look okay again."

  Savino sat back on his heels, the packet of wet wipes clutched in his fingers. Her hair draped long and glossy around her shoulders, her red lips were plump and kissable, and her curves fuller than he remembered. "You look beautiful, tesorina." Even more beautiful than the first time he'd seen her.

  The evening they met, she'd been wearing this red dress. In the crowded restaurant near the European Parliament building where he was dining with three politicians, Emily had brushed past his table with a waft of perfume, laughing with her dinner companions.

  She sat directly in his line of sight and for the rest of the evening, Savino had struggled to pay attention to the conversation at his table. Emily captivated him. He'd decided that when he finished dinner, he'd ask her to have coffee with him. That evening had changed the course of his life.

  For three weeks she'd dominated his thoughts and his dreams. He was either with her or wishing he were. Being asked to advise a European Parliamentary committee had been an honor. But once he met Emily, all he wanted to do was spend his time with her.

  She'd made him forget his business goals. Everything he'd worked so hard to achieve suddenly seemed unimportant. The realization had frightened him. He couldn't lose focus and let his company take second place to a romance. That was crazy.

  Now he wasn't so sure. It wasn't just a romance. Emily and Giorgio were his family, his future. If he couldn't be with them, all the success in the world wouldn’t make him feel better.

  "Have you been a good boy for Papa, monkey face?" Emily crouched on the other side of Giorgio and stroked a finger across his cheek. The baby huffed and waved his arms, obviously recognizing his mamma.

  Savino fastened Giorgio's diaper and pulled on his blue sleep suit. Then he lifted his son and kissed his head. "You go and have a cuddle with Mamma while Papa checks on dinner."