The Count's Christmas Baby

by Rebecca Winters

  “But during those hours, I felt I’d lived a lifetime.” He’d taken the words right out of her mouth. “When I was released from the hospital, at first I thought what I was feeling had to be sadness over the way my father had died. But after a time, I still had that same heaviness. No matter how deeply I searched for the source of it, you were always at the bottom of it.”

  “That’s how it was for me, too,” she volunteered. “Matt thought I was having some symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder because of the avalanche. He knew I’d been trapped with you, but I didn’t tell him everything at first. I was hoping I’d pull out of whatever was going on inside me. Then I found out I was pregnant.”

  She glanced at their baby sleeping so trustingly on Ric’s chest. “Maybe I shouldn’t have been overjoyed by the news, but I was. Of course I had to tell Matt everything. But he never truly understood.” After a pause she said, “I can promise you now—Eliana won’t understand either.”

  “No. And once she learns the truth and meets you, she’ll assume you’re the reason why the physical side of our relationship has been unsatisfactory.”

  Sami squirmed in her seat. “I shouldn’t have come to Genoa.”

  “You know you don’t mean that.”

  No. She didn’t... “For you to be engaged, I’m sure your love can weather anything.”

  “Sami—I’m not in love with Eliana.”

  What?

  “We’re marrying to secure the financial welfare of our two families. Don’t get me wrong, Eliana has many admirable qualities and I care for her, but I don’t love her. Unfortunately, when I asked her to marry me, I didn’t know the ‘for worse’ part of the ceremony would precede taking our vows.”

  Sami stirred restlessly. Maybe he didn’t love Eliana, but she couldn’t imagine Eliana not being head over heels in love with him. What woman wouldn’t love him? The knowledge of a baby would tear his fiancée to pieces. Sami was about to question him further when the Fasten Seatbelts sign flashed on. “We’re in Cyprus already?”

  Ric was on his feet in an instant to secure the baby for the descent. “I told you it’s not a long flight. When we step off the plane, you’ll notice a difference in the temperature. Whenever I breathe that air, it reminds me of my youth and carefree days. Do you know I haven’t taken a real vacation here in a long time?”

  “Not even with your fiancée?”

  “She’s never been here. Eliana’s not fond of the water. But now that you’re with me, I’m ready for one.”

  “But you’ve come on business.”

  “I’m capable of doing both.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  SAMI had barely paused for breath since meeting Ric again. Who would have thought a few short hours could have changed so much in her life? Now she and little Ric had flown on Count Degenoli’s private jet to an exotic island in the Mediterranean. Whether right or wrong, she was too physically and emotionally exhausted to think about the wisdom of her decision to come with him. Tomorrow would be soon enough to face the consequences of her actions.

  The drive from Paphos airport hadn’t taken long before the car entered a flower-lined private estate isolated on a point overlooking the water. Within ten minutes Ric was showing Sami through a fabulous, white, two-story Grecian villa. The colorful Mediterranean furnishings against white walls caught her eye everywhere she looked.

  A cushion of blue here, an urn of yellow with an exotic plant there, an unexpected Greek icon in predominantly red and gold colors around the corner. So many choice armoires and tables placed around on tiled floors with a definite flair revealed a luxurious treasure trove. Beyond the villa was the sight of the water through the window and doorways. Ric’s second home was paradise. Sami could only imagine the elegance of his first home.

  She marveled that his staff had managed to buy a crib so fast and have it set up in one of the guest rooms on the second floor. Besides fresh flowers, they’d provided everything needed to make her and the baby comfortable. To her delight each room of the villa contained a charming Christmas crèche surrounded by lighted candles. Ric explained that Christmas trees weren’t amongst their local traditions.

  He introduced her to Mara and Daimon, an older couple, probably in their sixties. He told her they’d been living here taking care of the villa and grounds for years. They’d worked for Ric’s mother’s family and spoke good English.

  When Ric showed them the baby, the dark-haired couple cried out in delight and took turns holding him. Whatever they thought about Ric bringing home a foreign woman and a child, they didn’t let it show and honored him like the favorite son he evidently was.

  Mara smiled at Sami. “Anything you want, you ask me.”

  “I will. Thank you.”

  “The little one is beautiful, like you. He has your mouth.”

  “You’re very kind. I think he looks like his father.”

  Daimon nodded. “I knew he was a Degenoli the minute I saw him.”

  “I see Vito in him,” Ric inserted.

  “A little,” Mara said. “He also has Claudia’s shell-like ears, but his shape and size and those brilliant black eyes are all yours, Enrico.”

  Daimon nodded. “He’s well named.”

  Sami glanced at him. “What does it mean?”

  “Ruler of the household.”

  Ric’s black orbs kindled with warmth as he studied their son. “For now he’s our piccolo.”

  “There’s another word I don’t understand.”

  “It means little one.”

  “That’s a darling endearment for him,” she exclaimed, “especially the way you say it in such beautiful soft Italian. Your language has lots of words I love to say, like ciao and cappuccino.” She’d emphasized the chee sound, causing him to chuckle.

  Sami noticed an aura had come over him since they’d entered the house, as if he’d dropped his worries outside the door. She couldn’t deny he looked happier. In truth he no longer resembled the intimidating male at the police station in the tan silk suit who’d glared at her with barely suppressed hostility the moment she’d walked in.

  All of a sudden his gaze swerved to hers with concern. “It’s almost midnight. You must be dead on your feet. If there’s anything you’d like to eat or drink, Mara will bring it to you before we say goodnight.”

  She shook her head. “After that meal on the plane, I couldn’t, but thank you anyway.”

  “What you and the baby need is a good sleep after your flight from Genoa.” Mara kissed little Ric on the cheek before she and Daimon disappeared to their room at the back of the villa on the main floor.

  Sami turned to Ric. “They’re wonderful.”

  “They’re like family to me. I trust them with my life. Our baby will be pampered and spoiled while we’re here.”

  “What a lucky little boy. I’ll just bathe him and put him down, then get ready for bed.”

  “I’d like to do the honors if you’ll show me how.” He led them upstairs to her guest room.

  “You’re not too exhausted?”

  He gave her a speculative look. “I’m so wired, as you Americans say, I don’t know when I’ll be able to sleep.”

  She let out a gentle laugh. “Then bring the diaper bag into the bathroom and we’ll get started. He loves the water.”

  “That’s because he’s a true Degenoli. The first one went to sea and now seawater runs through all our veins.” His comment made her chuckle. As for the pride in his voice, it was something to witness.

  “We’ll have to be careful not to keep him in too long or his fingers will start to look like dried grapes.” Ric’s burst of laughter rang throughout the villa. “Go ahead and undress him while I fill the sink.”

  They worked in harmony. When the temperature felt right she said, “Lower him in the water and let him enjoy it.”

  It tugged at her heart to see the care he took with the baby, who got terribly excited. He wiggled and moved his arms and legs with sheer enjoyment as the water la
pped around him. In the middle of so much pleasure, the baby urinated, creating a fountain that had Ric’s shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

  She couldn’t hold back her own giggles. “As you can see, his plumbing works just fine. We’ll have to start this again.” While Ric held the baby in a towel, she let out the water and put some more in. His little chin quivered from leaving the warmth. He was so adorable. Soon he was lowered back in.

  “This is glycerin soap to wash his hair and body. It’s gentle. He needs his hair washed. Be sure and get into the creases around his neck and behind his ears where the milk runs.”

  While he did a pretty masterful job for a beginner, she set out a fresh towel ready to dry the baby.

  “He’s strong, Sami.”

  “Of course. He’s what we Americans call a ‘chip off the old block.’ Not that you’re an old block, but you know what I mean.”

  His eyes glinted as they shared a silent look of mutual understanding. This time he powdered his son just the right amount and diapered him without any problem. Sami got out a yellow stretchy suit. Ric fitted him into it and fastened the snaps.

  “He’s almost finished.” She handed Ric the little hairbrush. He took it from her and played with the baby’s soft hair for a minute.

  When he was through, he lifted Ric and turned him to her. “What do you think, mamma?”

  The use of the Italian version of mommy caught her by the throat. Everything felt so natural, she’d forgotten she was a guest in his house. She’d almost forgotten he had a fiancée who had no idea what was going on.

  “No one would know you’d only learned you were a father today. He loved his bath with you. I have a feeling he’s going to want you to do it all the time. Our baby likes the masculine touch, don’t you, sweetheart?”

  Sami had already gotten past her jealousy into an area where she was enjoying this way too much. Judging from the emotion streaming from Ric’s eyes, he had the same problem. However it was one thing to bathe the baby with Sami looking on, and quite another to imagine Eliana helping him after they were married. Pain filled her chest at the thought of it.

  Little Ric was so loveable, but it would take a superhuman woman to love him when she hadn’t given birth to him. Eliana’s resentment toward Sami would always be there because she wasn’t the mother of Ric’s firstborn child, count or no count. It would boil beneath the surface and the baby would pick up on the tension.

  Over the years Sami had met women who were making successes of their second marriages. But it was a struggle combining two families to form a new one. Sami’s situation couldn’t be compared to theirs. For one thing, she and Ric had been strangers, not husband and wife.

  For another, Eliana hadn’t had children yet. Her whole life had been lived in preparation for marriage to an aristocrat, a marriage in which the bearing of children was bound to be of the greatest importance, especially the first one. Ric might not want to be Count Degenoli, but Sami knew in her heart it was part of who he was. Eliana was in for a double shock when she heard the title had been abolished. Sami felt horribly sorry for her.

  Deep in thought, she handed Ric a fresh bottle of formula. “While you feed him, I’ll clean up the bathroom and take a shower before bed.”

  Ric stood where he was, snuggling the baby, who was looking for his bottle. “Where did you go just now?” His voice may have been quiet, but she heard the demand in it.

  Maybe it was a case of both of them having an extra dose of ESP in their makeup. He was keyed in to her thoughts far too easily.

  “I’m pretty sure you know,” she answered in a dull tone. “But as you said earlier, let’s not get into it right now. This is a time to enjoy the baby. Do what you want with him. Since your room is across the hall from this one, you’ll probably hear him cry in the night. If you want to feed him, feel free to come in my bedroom and get a new bottle out of the diaper bag. I’ll leave the door open.”

  His veiled eyes played over her features until her legs shook. “Sleep well, Sami,” he murmured before leaving the bathroom with the baby. She shut the door after him and leaned against it, waiting for the weakness to pass. To her alarm, it never did.

  * * *

  Ric had only seen Sami in her suit and blouse. When she walked into the breakfast room at ten the next morning dressed in jeans and a chocolate-colored top, he caught himself staring. Slowly his gaze dropped from her green-eyed blond beauty to the gorgeous mold of her body. His intimate knowledge of her eleven months ago would always be fresh in his mind, and made the visual reaction to her now a hundred times stronger, forcing him to look away.

  “Well, look at you two!” She made a nosedive for the baby, who was lying in the carrycot Ric had set on the breakfast table so he could play with him.

  “I just fed him his morning bottle, but he hasn’t fallen asleep yet. It’s giving us time to get better acquainted.”

  She came around to kiss the baby’s face. “Are you having fun with your daddy? Is he already reading the newspaper to you while he enjoys his coffee? If he could talk, he’d probably be calling you Daddy. How do you say it in Italian?”

  “Papa.”

  “That’s what Pat and I called our grandfather!”

  Her enthusiasm caused the baby to grow more animated and made Ric smile. While he watched her poke his son’s tummy gently, he inhaled her peach fragrance. She’d just come from the shower. It took all the willpower he possessed not to grab hold of her womanly hips and pull her down on his lap.

  “He loves mornings and usually stays awake for a while,” she chatted. “No doubt being with you has stimulated him so much, he might not close his eyes till much later.” She glanced at Ric. “Has he been good?”

  “I think you already know the answer to that question.”

  She looked away first and sat down on one of the chairs opposite him. He got the impression she was nervous about getting too close to him. How ironic after what they’d experienced in Austria. “I didn’t hear him cry in the night.”

  “You were exhausted. When I saw you lying there, I realized you’d had the whole care of our son these last two months and no one to wait on you or give you relief.”

  “I could never complain. Having a baby has been the joy of my life.”

  “Not all women feel that way,” he muttered. Sami was so hands-on with little Ric, he couldn’t help but wonder what kind of a mother Eliana would be.

  “Do you and your fiancée plan to have children?”

  “Definitely. It’s what I’ve been looking forward to most.”

  “Some men don’t want to be fathers.”

  Ric knew a few like that, but his own father fitted into a different category. He’d wanted an heir, but didn’t want to do the fathering that should have gone on. As Ric played with his baby’s toes, he realized his father had been the loser on every count.

  His mind wandered to Sami. What if this ex-boyfriend Matt stayed so persistent, she ended up marrying him? What kind of a stepfather would he be to little Ric? More and more he didn’t like the idea of it.

  “Did you get up with him?” she asked.

  Her question jerked him out of his dark thoughts. “I did. Around four I thought I heard him fussing. He needed a complete diaper change.”

  Sami grinned. “Uh-oh. How did your first solo experience go?”

  “We made it through, didn’t we, piccolo?” The baby’s tiny fingers still clung to his little finger. They were the same shape as his. He realized no force on earth was as strong as the pull of that miniature hand on his heart. Ric found he didn’t want his son to hold on to any other man’s finger but his. Until now he hadn’t understood how possessive he’d already become over what was his by fatherly right.

  Mara walked into the room to refresh Ric’s coffee. “Good morning, Sami. Now that you’re up, I’ll serve breakfast. Coffee for you, too?”

  “Just juice if you have some. Please don’t go to any trouble.”

  “How could you be tr
ouble?” she cried. “You won’t let me do anything for you, and the bambino never cries. I’ve been waiting for the excuse to hold him!”

  “Don’t worry,” Sami said. “Before long you’ll hear him loud and clear. You have my permission to grab him. Just remember his cries can be quite terrifying.”

  The housekeeper laughed before going out of the room.

  “She likes you, Sami.”

  “That’s because she loves you, and therefore loves your son, who I must admit is irresistible.”

  So is Sami. The unexpected things she said and did had the alarming ability to charm him. Maybe that’s why he’d found himself making love to her in the blackness of the avalanche.

  At the time he hadn’t thought of what she might look like. She was young and afraid, and all he knew was gratitude that he didn’t have to die alone. They’d needed each other and taken comfort from each other before they’d both lost consciousness.

  It wasn’t until he awoke in the hospital and remembered everything that he wanted to find her, talk to her. He was naturally curious to see what the woman looked like who’d helped save his sanity. But it never occurred to him she would be so physically appealing.

  When she’d walked into Chief Coretti’s office yesterday, he’d found himself attracted to the blond stranger beyond a normal interest in a good-looking woman. Ric had known and been with a number of beautiful women in his life, his fiancée being one of them. But this attraction was different.

  The fact that she’d instigated the meeting with the police chief while being so secretive about his father should have been a total turnoff for Ric, but the opposite had held true. She had that spark not given to many people.

  As they sat there at the breakfast table, Ric realized the chemistry he felt for her was growing stronger, something that wasn’t supposed to happen. Bringing her to Cyprus might have been a mistake after all.

  He still needed to phone Eliana, but had been putting it off. Once he heard his fiancée’s voice, the magic of this time with Sami and his infant son would evaporate. He wasn’t ready for that yet.