What Happens In Italy..._A BWWM Billionaire Romance

by Kendra Riley

  “That might be a good idea,” she said, touching a loving finger to the baby’s cheek.

  “Yes, that is an excellent idea,” their mother agreed, beginning to stand to go.

  “Wait, I have to tell you all his name,” Savannah said, realizing that she had not yet said his name out loud yet.

  “I didn't know you had already chosen one,” their father said, coming closer to look adoringly at his grandson.

  “Yes,” she explained. “I had some ideas, but I wasn't quite sure until I saw him if it would be just right.”

  “What is it?” her mother asked, her eyes twinkling with tears of happiness.

  “Brian Samuel,” she said, tears glistening in her own eyes as well.

  “Samuel?” her brother said, sitting down as the emotion of the fact that her son was named after him settled in.

  “Yes, I couldn't have done this without you. I want you to know that my son and I will never be able to repay you for all of your support,” she said, crying in earnest as she spoke.

  “There is no thanks necessary. That is what family’s do,” he said, though she could tell that he was emotional about it.

  “I hope you don't mind that it's his middle name, not his first name. I just thought that having two Samuels running about might be a little confusing for everyone,” she said with a giggle, knowing how it had bothered her brother when a new boy had moved to their school who shared his first name.

  “I think that was a wonderfully thoughtful plan,” he said as he went to sit on the bed beside his sister.

  “I hope you will be his godfather,” she continued, feeling at peace in the knowledge that her son would always be looked after by the same strong, good family that had made her the person that she was.

  “It would be my honor,” he whispered and his sister was quite certain that she saw the start of a tear beginning in his eye.

  “I couldn't ask for too better children that those the Lord gave me,” their father said as he bent in and kissed both Savannah and baby Brian, then clasped an approving hand on her brother’s shoulder.

  “We are blessed indeed,” her mother whispered though her own tears of joy.

  With that, they all rose and left her alone with her son. She looked down in to his eyes that were so very much like his father’s and fell even deeper in love with both Jake and the baby boy he had given her. To be a mother was her deepest wish and, now that it had finally been fulfilled, it was sweeter even than she had imagined it would be.

  The nurses settled the baby back in his bassinet soon after and whisked him off to the nursery. Though she hated to be away from him, Savannah was so tired that she soon drifted off to sleep. In her dreams, she saw Jake. He held her close and whispered to her of his happiness about their child.

  He told her how his love for her was eternal and was only amplified by the addition of a child. Though she knew it was a dream, it felt so real to be in his arms again, even in a dream, that when she arose in the morning, she was disappointed to not find him lying beside her.

  When she heard a knock at the door, she invited the person in the other side to enter, believing it to be a nurse. Instead, there stood Tony with a bouquet of flowers and a pained expression on his face.

  “I heard the baby was born,” he said, entering and coming to stand beside her bed.

  “Yes,” she said coldly.

  “And you're both faring well?” he asked without looking directly at her.

  “Yes, Brian and I are quite well. Thank you,” she said, sitting up a bit to better face him as she spoke.

  “You named him Brian. Is that his name too? The man in the letters?” he asked, his voice cold as steel.

  “No, it isn't,” she said, feeling her temper rise.

  “I didn't come to speak about him or the letters. In fact, I would be happiest if we never spoke of either thing again,” he said. It only then dawned on her that these were the first words they had spoken since she had confronted him about those letters.

  “Alright,” she said, tucking her hair behind her ears nervously. She wasn't sure what had brought him to see her, but it was clear that he had come with a purpose. In fact, she didn't have to wait long at all for her answers.

  “I have come with an offer,” he said, finally locking eyes with her.

  “And what is that?” she asked, her chin held high as she spoke.

  “It's an offer that will ensure that you and your son have the best life possible,” he began. He looked as though he wanted to sit beside her on the bed, but the guarded look she gave him seemed to convince him that distance between them was best.

  “Say what you came to say,” she ordered, sure that she wasn't going to like whatever he was about to say next.

  “If you will have me, I will marry you. I will claim the child as my own. You will be legitimate and you will have my home at your disposal to raise him in. No one would question it. There are those who already believe me to be his father,” he said as though he was offering her a stick or gum or a newspaper.

  “That is the most insulting thing I have ever heard. You think I would marry you just to legitimize my son? My son is already legitimate. He was born of love. That is what matters, not some piece of paper given by the government,” she snapped, her cheeks burning with anger.

  “Don't get all high and mighty with me. You have put yourself in this situation. I'm offering you an escape. Half the town already thinks I'm the father of your child,” he said defensively.

  “Then they are fools. It's true that my son was born out of wedlock. He was conceived of a love and commitment greater than any that you could understand, because it's clear you have no understanding of true love. I don't regret how he was conceived and I regret nothing. Leave before I have you kicked out,” she said, doing her best to keep her voice down and avoid disturbing other patients.

  “You will regret this moment for the rest of your life,” Tony snapped before turning around and marching angrily from the room. A few seconds later, Samuel burst through the door.

  “I just saw Tony storming off. What was he doing here?” he asked, his voice full of suspicion.

  “He was just here offering to save my son and I from a life of shame,” she said, her voice seething with anger.

  “He said that?” Samuel asked in disbelief.

  “He might as well have. He offered to marry me and pretend that the boy is his son,” she said, though she was still angry her voice had begun to level again.

  “That fool,” he said, shaking his head.

  “Yes, he certainly is a fool,” she said as she lay back and thought of Jake and their time together. Those hours meant more to her than a life time with any other man could. There was just no way to explain that to those who didn't understand the fiery depths of such love.

  “I will tell him again to leave you alone,” her brother offered.

  “No, that is alright. You have done enough and I don't want to strain your relationship any further. Thank you, though,” she said with a smile.

  “Anything for you, baby sister,” he said with a smile.

  Chapter11

  The first months of motherhood were all that Savannah expected and more. Every time that the late hours and hard work threatened to overwhelm her, she was inspired again by a coo or a smile from Brian. Each day, she thought to herself that it was impossible to love him any more than she did. Then, she would awake the next morning even deeper in love with her little boy.

  Her parents and Sam were true to their word. They stood by her through it all. It wasn't just them, though. The entire town fell in love with her little boy. All of the old ladies at church fussed over him as though he was the cutest baby ever born and the small children bent over backwards just to get a smile from the little guy. Savannah felt truly loved and accepted and she couldn't have asked for more in Jake’s absence.

  As the Founder’s Festival approached, though, Savannah couldn't help but feel his absence more keenly than before.
His letters seemed to show the same sense of sadness that she felt, which comforted her. When the sadness threatened to overtake her, she would put Brian in to his stroller and walk the same streets she and Jake had explored on their night together. Their journey always ended at the old church.

  There, she would tell her son all that she could about his father. Sometimes she would read Jake’s letters to him and other times she would read from her own journaled letters to Jake. She wanted their son to know, even at such an early age, that he was born of a deep love.

  On the anniversary of the day that they met, though, she made the journey to the old church alone. Her mother had not asked any questions when she asked her to watch the baby for the night. She seemed to sense that her daughter needed this.

  She simply kissed her on the cheek and told her to be safe. After she went upstairs and kissed the baby goodbye, she went to her room and grabbed her book bag. Gently, she placed Jake’s letters inside. She also packed her journal, a sleeping bag, and a few candles. Savannah needed a night alone to allow herself to embrace both the love and the sadness in her heart.

  When she got to the church, she didn't waste a moment. She walked around, lighting her candles as dusk began to spread outside. She made herself comfortable and pulled out the letters. She lay down, allowing herself to be surrounded by Jake’s words. She didn't fight the tears that came. Instead, Savannah let them come. She let herself feel everything that she struggled to keep in check in front of her parents, her brother, and, most importantly, her son.

  When she finished the last, most recent, letter, she lay back and stared up at the ceiling, just as she had after she and Jake made love. She did her best to imagine that he was lying beside her again, with his arms wrapped around her. She was almost blissfully lost in her delusion when a noise behind her startled her.

  Savannah jumped up, shocked that someone else had stumbled upon her sanctuary on this of all nights. Whoever it was, they were opening the door. She braced herself to have to deal with some sort of vagrant, grabbing a nearby flashlight in case she needed to defend herself.

  What she saw when the door swung open, though, was more than she could have hoped for. There, standing in their special place, was Jake. She gasped aloud, unable to believe that he was truly there. Perhaps, she thought, she had pushed herself too far by allowing her emotions to run wild. Still, she couldn't be sorry. Watching him, frozen in the doorway of the church, it felt as though he was truly with her and that was all she had wanted from her night alone, to really feel as though she was with Jake again.

  Her vision of Jake seemed just as shocked to see her, which amused her. Perhaps, she thought, her imagination wasn't as strong as she had once believed. If it was, he would be crossing the room and taking her in his arms. Still, the love and desire in his eyes was enough to send chills down her spine.

  “Savannah,” he whispered, looking at her as though she was the only person on earth. It wasn't until he spoke that she realized that he was truly standing there before her.

  “Jake,” she cried, running across the room and throwing herself in to his arms. She lunged towards him and he gathered her up, pulling her close to him. He pressed her close as he held her, burying his face in her hair and inhaling her scent.

  “You're really here?” he asked, pressing his lips to hers before she was able to answer him with her words. Instead, she told him with her lips, putting everything she felt in to their kiss.

  “I'm,” she whispered when their lips finally parted. He didn't put her down though. He held her close as though she might vanish the second he released her from his embrace. She wasn't bothered by it though. If she had her way, she would spend a lifetime in his arms.

  “I had hoped you would be here, but I didn't believe that I could ever be so lucky,” he said, pressing his forehead against hers.

  “I came here to feel close to you. I never imagined, though, that I would truly be able to see you and touch you tonight. This is more than I dreamed of,” she said as she pressed her palm gently against his cheek. He leaned in to her caress, closing his eyes and savoring her touch.

  “I cannot tell you how much I have missed you,” he said when he finally opened his eyes again.

  “I don't need to be told. I know how much I have longed for you,” she said with a sad smile.

  “Were my letters any comfort?” he asked, looking guilty for causing her pain.

  “More than you can know. They were the only thing that kept me sane. I felt as though you were a constant part of my life, even if you were not by my side. That probably sounds silly to you, but it meant so much to me,” she said, blushing in such an alluring way that he couldn't resist kissing her again. After he had kissed her until they were both breathless, he smiled down at her, relieved to hold her close again.

  “I know exactly what you mean,” he said solemnly. “Being able to write to you was all that kept me from going mad. I thought about you every moment of every day. Every cell in my body was craving you.”

  “I love you more now than when we parted,” she said as solemnly as though it were a vow.

  “I cannot tell you what that means to me,” he replied as he carried her across the room and sat on the pile of pillows she had in the corner of the church. Somehow, he managed to maneuver them both down, with her on his lap without ever taking his hands off her.

  “Are you really and truly here with me or have I just gone mad?” she asked, smiling sadly at him as she ran her hands through his silky hair.

  “I promise you that I am,” he said, grinning up at her.

  “Prove it,” she said, her eyes leaving no doubt what she was asking of him.

  “With pleasure,” he answered, capturing her lips with his in a searing kiss.

  “Another kiss like that and I might really believe you have come back to me,” she sighed as she leaned against his muscular chest.

  “I will just have to endure as many as it takes to convince you,” he laughed as he wrapped his arms even more tightly around her.

  “If it will keep you here, that sounds like a delightful plan to me,” she teased as her fingers wound together behind his neck, locking her in place.

  “Then you have not moved on? You have not replaced me with another love or returned to the man you loved before me?” he asked, looking as though the very thought pained him.

  “That is the silliest question I have ever heard,” she said, smiling at him sympathetically. “One does not move on from true love. I thought you would know that. Or are you asking me because you yourself have found comfort in another?”

  “Now that is the silliest question I have ever heard,” he responded, echoing her words. “There is no love for me in this world but you. I think my heart would turn to dust and kill me dead if I even allowed myself to be foolish enough to think another woman could mean a fraction of as much to me as you do.”

  “I'm very glad to hear that,” she said, tears of joy beginning to fall down her cheeks.

  “Now, now. Don't cry. I didn't mean to make you sad. I simply wanted you to know the truth. My heart belongs to you. Did my letters not convince you of that?” he asked, running his hand gently through her hair.

  “They did. I just wanted to be sure your feelings were unchanged,” she replied, the expression on her face telling him that her mind was consumed with thought.

  “My feelings are unchanged,” he said, plainly and with such certainty in his voice that she couldn't doubt him.

  “Then take me,” she purred, pulling herself closer to his mouth so that he could feel the words upon his skin like a caress.

  “Are you sure that is what you want?” he asked, frozen in an effort to keep from ravaging her before she confirmed that she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. He didn't want to scare her with his desire for her, but hearing such words come from her precious lips made it hard for him to control himself.”

  “Yes,” she said. Savannah knew that she needed to tell him so many things
about the past year and she knew that she needed to tell him everything there was to know about their son.

  Selfishly, though she wanted to feel him within her again first. She wanted to lay with him and feel his love for her before she told him and changed the way he felt about her forever. She didn't doubt that he would continue to love her or that he would love their son. She just wanted one more blissful experience in his arms before everything changed.

  “Thank God,” he said as he kissed her again, scorching her very soul with the passion he exuded. She couldn't help but giggle as sheer joy bubbled up inside of her. For so long, she had imagined what it would be like to be with him again. Now, there with him in the candle light, it was even sweeter than she had imagined.

  Wordlessly, he gripped the edges of the button-up shirt she was wearing and tore it wide open, sending buttons scattering across the old wooden floor. Slowly, reverently, his hands caressed her eager bosom through the lace of her bra.

  “I have missed these,” he whispered as he cradled them in his hands.

  “Show me how much,” she commanded, emboldened by the desire that she saw in his eyes.

  “Gladly,” he replied, tearing the bra from her body. As the cool night air kissed her skin, she shivered ever so slightly with anticipation. She didn't have to wait long. His eager mouth explored her sensitive nipples, making her feel as though she might go mad with desire. He took his time, eager to show her just how much he had missed her. As his enthusiastic tongue circled her swollen buds, all she could do was cling to him as she felt the passion building inside of her. When she could stand it no more, she cried out, calling his name over and over again.

  “What do you want?” he whispered seductively in her ear.

  “I want you inside me. I want every inch of you within me. I want to be one with you. Please, Jake, don't make me wait any longer. I have already waited too long. I need you,” she begged, writhing on his lap to emphasize her point.

  Jake had intended to take longer with foreplay. He wanted her to know just how much he had thought of her while he was gone and his plan had been to show her by doing everything he could to please her.