From Wedding Fling to Baby Surprise

by Nina Singh

  A curtain of panic dropped over her. Sweet heavens. What if they hadn’t thought of and prepared for all the ways this harebrained plan could go, oh, so wrong.

  “You ready for this, sweetheart?” he asked.

  Laney pressed her hand to her middle to quell the sudden nervous nausea. “Not sure that’s the right question.”

  “No?”

  “A better question might be if my family is ready and willing to accept what we’re about to try to pull off.”

  He gave her a warm smile that she was sure was meant to comfort. “Hmm. How about we just look at it as more like simply attending a party together?”

  As if she could ignore the true reality of what tonight and tomorrow were really about. “Sure. Let’s go with that.”

  He winked at her. “That’s the spirit.”

  At least one of them had their wits about them. Though Gianni had so much less to lose if everything went south.

  Without giving her any warning, he gently took her hand in his and leaned toward her in the passenger seat. “Hey, relax. Everything will run smoothly. We’ll be convincing as the budding, infatuated couple we’re meant to play.”

  A voice in her head taunted that one of them would be playacting just a bit more than the other. But that was neither here nor there. Right now, they had a party cruise to get ready for.

  “Right. Let’s get up to the room, then. I could use time to freshen up a bit and change into my dress.”

  “You got it.”

  Before she could so much as unbuckle her seat belt, he was outside her door and opening it for her, then he helped her out and even grabbed her two carry bags.

  “I’ll let you grab the garment bag with the dress,” he said, shifting the seat to give her access to where it hung. “Don’t want to be responsible for any wrinkles.”

  Beyond thoughtful and considerate. Laney had to bite back her longing. Why couldn’t this be her reality? Why couldn’t Gianni have been the man she’d spent the last two years with in a committed and rewarding relationship?

  She could guess at the answer. She wasn’t the type to really attract a man like him. Not beyond a surface chemistry. She’d found that out the hard way during her days in New York, then Los Angeles. And again, more recently with Joseph. She had more than her fair share of feeling unwanted for one lifetime.

  Gianni was well rounded, smart, successful. And he even had something of an edge. He’d told her that night at dinner that his fitness routine was mainly kickboxing. Mostly with a bag out of the ring. Though he admitted to occasionally sparring with a partner inside the ropes, as he explained it. He even went so much as to compete in events sporadically.

  Not exactly a noncontact sport. No, he was unlike her in every way, the polar opposite of boring.

  She had to snap out of it. This was no time to wallow in self-pity. She was supposed to be half of a newly minted, infatuated couple. She had to look and act the part.

  By the time they made it to the garage elevator, she’d managed to convince herself that she could do it without arousing any suspicion. Yes, they really could pull this off, her and Gianni. She just had to relax.

  Besides, everyone would be much too focused on the bride and groom to take much notice of her and her new boyfriend. Including the bride and groom themselves.

  She was fine. She just had to breathe. It was simply a matter of staying calm, she told herself.

  Until she realized she was still clutching Gianni’s hand in a viselike grip since he’d helped her out of the car several moments ago.

  To his credit, he wasn’t attempting to pull it away. Still, they weren’t in the company of the others just yet. She had to save such images for when they’d be witnessed. Hesitantly, she pulled her hand away and pressed the button for the ground floor of the hotel.

  Turning to Gianni, she cleared her throat. There was one small piece of the puzzle she hadn’t wanted to get into, had procrastinated bringing it up until this very moment, in fact. “There’s also something else you might want to be prepared for. About my parents.”

  He simply lifted a dark eyebrow.

  “They might be a bit...” She faltered, searching for just the right words. She’d known this was going to be hard, and she hadn’t been mistaken. “Let’s just say, they’re not the warmest, most affable people upon first meeting someone. I’m sorry, I should have mentioned that before.”

  “Don’t worry, cara,” he told her with another devastating smile. And she was just going to have to ignore the endearment or she might turn into a puddle on the floor. “I think I can handle them.”

  Laney only wished she could say the same.

  * * *

  She was downright terrified. Gianni wanted badly to simply pull her into his arms and rub out some of the tension stiffening her shoulders.

  As far as her parents, Laney seemed to think she was announcing some surprising bit of information. Truth was, he’d long ago surmised her parents as much the way she’d just described. Everything she’d said about them so far gave every indication that they were probably distant and unapproachable.

  So unlike Laney herself.

  But like he’d just reassured her, he was certain he could hold his own with two staunch and serious professionals who would no doubt decide to dislike him on sight.

  Not that it would be easy. Coming from a loud and boisterous family of Italian heritage, he was used to being the recipient of big bear hugs and physical displays of affection and love from everyone—from toddlers to the elderly to frail zias and nonnas making their feelings well-known whether anyone was actually listening or not.

  Gianni stepped aside once they got to the ground floor and Laney began their check-in as part of the wedding party. He found himself watching her as he so often did. Even dressed in leggings and an oversized T-shirt, she managed to appear graceful, elegant. Full of class.

  Not exactly how he’d describe himself.

  No. He had no illusions about any of it. For all intents and purposes, he was about to enter an alien and unfamiliar world. One where he’d be suppressing a good portion of his personality. While most of these people probably spent their off time in a book or on the golf course, his hobby of choice involved throwing punches in a boxing ring.

  A crowd such as the one attending this wedding was sure to look down on such an unrefined, brutal activity. Not many people understood that it was a sport just like any other. One that focused on athleticism and discipline no less than other physical pursuits. He’d be willing to wager that he didn’t get bruised and cut up any more than most other non-pro athletes. But he wasn’t here to argue about the merits of his workouts. He was simply here to support Laney and in the process gain some of her trust.

  The thought took him aback a bit. When he phrased it that way, it sounded conniving and wrong. But that wasn’t his intention, to deceive her in any way. He just wanted them to be on better terms when he finally approached her with his family’s offer to buy out her building and business.

  “We’re all set,” she said, approaching him now and holding out a key card for the room.

  “Thanks.”

  “Room 709. Supposed to be a great view of the harbor.”

  He had no doubt it would, along with everything else the Boston Harbor Hotel had to offer. Tourists and businesspeople from all over the world used this luxury hotel as their destination point when traveling to the area. Hardly a surprise that Laney’s sister would be holding her wedding here.

  Gianni wasn’t exactly in the pauper category. In fact, his family was one of great wealth. His father owned gaming halls, fitness centers and casinos all over the world. But Papà had come from nothing—born in a poor remote village in the northern hills of Italy—and he’d fought and scrambled for all the material wealth he possessed. It was very obvious that Laney came from good old-fashioned American money
. An entirely different category.

  They were in their suite within a couple of minutes, the elevator ride spent mostly in silence. Gianni wracked his brain to come up with something to say that might lessen the tension that was emanating off her like a steady hum.

  Then her gaze fell on the furniture in the room and he could practically feel her discomfort skyrocket. Rather than the full-sized couch they’d both assumed would be part of their furnishings—the couch Gianni had planned on sleeping on overnight—the master area of the suite consisted of two small love seats with a center wooden coffee table. He couldn’t even help the images that sprung into his mind. The two of them together in the only bed, tangled up in the sheets and in each other. He shook his head to clear it.

  “It’s okay, Laney. I can sleep on one of those sofas.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’d have to sleep sitting up.”

  “So be it.”

  “I wouldn’t be able to sleep myself, knowing you were out here so uncomfortable.”

  “Then I’ll just drive home if I have to.”

  She threw her hands up. “That’s not any better. How am I supposed to feel knowing you were driving in the middle of the night after partying on board a boat?”

  She really was wrapping herself up in figurative knots here. “Then I’ll stay. I’ve slept in worse.”

  She shook her head. “I hardly think so.”

  He laughed, trying to reassure her. “You’d be surprised. Go take your shower. It might help relax you a bit.”

  “I doubt that,” she argued.

  It was worth a shot.

  “Come on, Gianni,” she continued. “We can’t exactly pretend this isn’t a very awkward set of circumstances.”

  He responded with a shrug. “It doesn’t have to be.”

  As she chewed her bottom lip, it was clear she wasn’t exactly convinced of his comment. She glanced at the digital clock hung on the wall by the large flat-screen television. “Well, I guess we’ll have to figure it out at some point. The cruise takes off in a couple of hours. I’m going to take my shower. I won’t be long.”

  “Take your time.”

  When he heard the water come on a few seconds later, Gianni couldn’t stop where his mind went. The images of Laney in the stall, steam billowing around her bare skin as she lathered soap all over herself.

  Only a slim door separated them. What would happen if he knocked on that door? Asked her exactly what she thought about the notion of him coming in, joining her?

  Whoa. Steady there, fella.

  He blinked hard and forced the pictures away. He really didn’t need the tempting image of her undressed and in the shower. Looked like he wasn’t going to need much hot water when it was his turn to shower.

  In the meantime, he had to get out of the suite and clear his mind. Some fishy harbor air would do just the trick.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  GIANNI HAD BEEN RIGHT. The shower did make her feel loads better. Laney secured the belt of the complimentary terry cloth robe at her waist and wrapped a thick Turkish towel around her wet hair.

  When she returned to the suite to tell him the bathroom was all his, he was nowhere to be found. A split second of panic rushed through her center at the thought that he might have changed his mind about the whole thing and just abandoned her. But then she noticed his bags were still sitting on the floor by the coffee table. The rush of relief had her actually chuckling out loud. She should have known better.

  Everything she’d witnessed about the man so far had shown him to be honorable and true to his word. There was a lot there to admire. Which was the entire problem, wasn’t it?

  Gianni was assuming her nerves and anxiety could all be attributed to the show they were about to perform for her family. He was only partly right. Another very large piece of the puzzle as far as her nervousness went was the way she reacted to the man whenever they were together. Never before had she felt so drawn to another person. And it was more than just physical.

  But this was no time to even consider or even acknowledge any kind of romantic feelings. She still felt emotionally bruised and battered from being dumped so unceremoniously by the man she was convinced would be proposing on the trip they’d been about to embark on. Hah! She couldn’t have been more wrong.

  Oh, and there was also the whole fact that Gianni hadn’t shown even the slightest indication that he was feeling at all the same way toward her. Aside from a few charmingly quaint compliments.

  No, she couldn’t risk being so ridiculously incorrect yet again. Her pride wouldn’t be able to take it. Nor would her heart.

  A knock on the door pulled her out of her musings. Had Gianni forgotten his key? When she peeped through the eyehole, a different familiar face greeted her.

  Mabel, her cousin.

  A smile instantly formed on Laney’s face. Mabel was always fun and pleasant company. And she was a sweetheart. Though three years younger, Mabel always seemed so wise and enlightened. Laney could really use some of that right now.

  She opened the door without hesitation.

  “Hey, coz!” Mabel threw her arms around her shoulders and Laney enthusiastically returned the hug.

  “I’m so glad to see you!” They both spoke over each other, saying the same thing.

  “How was the trip up from Vermont?” Mable was doing graduate work at UVM in a very demanding biology program. Which meant Laney didn’t get to see her favorite Taytum nearly often enough.

  “I came up yesterday to give myself an extra day. You know how much I love shopping in Boston.”

  “Find any good bargains?”

  Mabel nodded with enthusiasm. “You know it!” She took Laney by the hand and led her to one of the loveseats. “Never mind that. Are you alone?”

  Laney nodded. “For now. My date appears to have stepped out.”

  “Good,” Mabel decreed. “You and I need to have a chat.”

  Uh-oh, Laney could just imagine what this was about. And she wasn’t sure if she was quite prepared for it just yet. Mabel was no doubt about to serve up a third-degree-level questioning about the new mystery man Laney was bringing to a monumental family event. She had to find a way to stall. Pointing to her head and robe, she began to argue. “I should really get dressed first.”

  Mabel held firm, by literally not releasing Laney’s hand. “You can do that later. Right now, it’s time for you to spill.”

  Laney started to argue, then stopped short. Perhaps talking to Mabel for a few minutes was just what the doctor ordered. Who better for a practice run than the dear and kindhearted cousin she’d always felt so affectionate toward? In fact, under any other circumstances, she’d confide fully in the other woman. But she just couldn’t risk the very real possibility that Mabel would let something slip to the wrong person. She was definitely a talker.

  “Tell me all about the new man in your life,” Mabel said. “And I can’t believe what that lowlife Joseph pulled.”

  Laney waited for the hurt and outrage that she expected to wash over her when the topic of Joseph came up.

  Surprisingly, it simply wasn’t there.

  What did that mean, that she was over him so quickly? All she felt was a low-level anger at having been treated with such disregard.

  “I’d rather not talk about Joseph. Or so much as think about him,” she said, realizing perhaps for the first time just how true those words were.

  Mabel nodded. “Fine by me. Emily told me you were with someone new. But she didn’t know much about him.”

  Laney made sure not to rush. She had to tread carefully and avoid saying anything that might trip her up later. Or Gianni, for that matter. She had to stick to the thought-out script they’d agreed on.

  “He’s great, May. I can’t wait for you to meet him.”

  Mabel’s grin grew wider. “Me too! Where is he?�
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  “He must have stepped out for a bit.”

  “Then tell me all about him. What can I expect?”

  “He’s like no one I’ve ever met.” Laney felt a warmth spread through her chest as she said the words.

  For it was the absolute truth.

  * * *

  When Gianni returned to the suite about twenty minutes later, he didn’t need to open the door to know that Laney wasn’t alone. The distinct sound of two different female voices floated through the wooden doorway. Though he had his room key, he knocked in order to announce his arrival.

  The door opened within seconds. Laney stood across the threshold in a white fluffy robe that looked about three sizes too big and an even fluffier towel wrapped around her head.

  She looked downright adorable.

  His hands itched to unwrap the towel and let her hair fall over her shoulders, then to run his fingers through the wet strands. He wanted so badly to remove the robe and discover exactly what lay beneath the fabric. So much so, he forgot there was someone else there with her. He took a deep breath to dislodge the wayward thoughts. Then he caught sight of a petite blonde with wispy hair and bright hazel eyes sitting on the sofa. She gave him a small wave and a big smile. The eye color told him she had to be a relative.

  “Hey there,” he said to Laney, not sure what to do. Should he give her a kiss or something? Hadn’t they talked about this very thing? If so, for the life of him, he couldn’t remember. In his defense, he hadn’t been expecting his first introduction to be a surprise visitor to the suite.