The Count's Christmas Baby

by Rebecca Winters

  Already the baby was his whole life. It had happened the instant he’d walked over to the crib in the hotel room and had seen him lying there so small and helpless. The Degenoli likeness had only increased his wonder.

  While he was immersed in thought, Mara had served them. By the time they’d eaten, he’d come up with a plan to stay busy. It would prevent him from thinking too much. Ric refused to think right now and wanted simply to relish this fleeting time.

  “Sami? How would you like to take a boat ride in the cabin cruiser?”

  “That sounds wonderful!”

  “Good. You’ll be able to see Paphos from the water. The sea is calm and the air is getting warmer by the minute. Ric will love it. We have swimming costumes and wetsuits on board for your enjoyment. We’ll take Daimon and Mara with us.”

  She lowered her glass. “Did you hear that, sweetheart? We’re going on an adventure. We’ll have to dress you in your little green sweater and overalls.”

  Just like that, she’d gone along with Ric without voicing a reservation. Her eagerness to fall in with his plan could mean several things. If she’d wanted a distraction to push her fears away, then he’d just provided an outlet. But if she was nervous being around him for any length of time because she found herself attracted to him, too, he was curious to find out, even though it was the last thing he should be thinking about.

  He phoned Daimon and asked him and Mara to join them, then he carried Ric upstairs into her bedroom to get him dressed. Afterward he went to his room and slipped on his bathing trunks and a T-shirt.

  Between them, they gathered everything they’d need and headed out of the house for the boat dock. While she held Ric, he found life preservers for all of them. After putting them on, they climbed in. Daimon helped push off before joining Mara at the back of the boat.

  Ric’s cruiser had a galley and a roof. Both provided shelter for the baby. To his satisfaction Sami sat next to him on the padded bench while he took the wheel. Once he undid the ropes, he idled out to the buoy, then opened up the throttle and they whizzed through the peaceful blue water. Ric kept looking at his son who was wide-awake.

  “Do you think he likes it?” he asked her.

  Sami smiled at him. “You’re asking me when he already has seawater running through his veins?” Ric’s white smile turned her heart over. “I’m sure the sound and the vibration have him enthralled.”

  “How about you?”

  “I adore the water, but it’s been a long time. This is pure luxury. I’ve been to Europe several times with Pat and her husband, but never this far south. Cyprus is beautiful.”

  “It’s full of history.” He pointed to the city in the distance. “This is the new Paphos. My mother’s family home is there.”

  “Who lives there now?”

  “My uncle and his family. It may interest you to know there’s an old city there, too. It dates back three thousand years to the Mycenaean period. One of the big attractions is the Temple of Aphrodite.”

  “The Greek myths! We had to study them in my high-school English class. I loved them. But you grew up with them. What a playground you’ve had here and in Genoa. As I told you before, my grandparents raised Pat and me. Growing up in Oakland we had a view of San Francisco Bay, but here the sea is at your doorstep.”

  “I confess I love being able to walk out of my house to the water.”

  “Who wouldn’t?” Her voice trailed.

  “Tell me what happened to your parents?”

  “They were on the freeway driving home when an earthquake hit. We were little girls and don’t remember them, but our grandparents kept them alive for us.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss. Tell me about them.” He cut the engine before turning to her.

  “Dad was a chemical engineer and Mom stayed home to raise us. I grew up thinking I’d like to follow in his footsteps, but discovered I like computers, too. A year ago last fall I started graduate school to become a computer engineer. If there’s been any one thing lacking in my life, it’s been the loss of parents I never knew.

  “Growing up I envied my friends who had moms and dads. Don’t get me wrong. I adored my grandparents, but in a just world, nothing takes the place of a loving, caring parent.”

  “Loving and caring being the operative words,” Ric mused aloud. More than ever he was determined to be there for his son no matter the obstacles.

  He rubbed the side of his jaw. “When you first mentioned your studies, I assumed you were talking about your undergraduate studies. I’m impressed you’re pursuing your career while being an exceptional mother at the same time. You have fire in you, Sami, a very rare thing.”

  She broke into an unguarded smile. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”

  “It’s the truth,” he came back. “What brought you to Europe that last time?”

  “During the winter break in January, Pat gave me a free pass for a short trip to Innsbruck. I knew if I didn’t go, I wouldn’t get another vacation for a long time and I’d just broken up with Matt. She wanted me to check out several hotels in the area and give them feedback. They send a lot of ski-tour groups to Austria.

  “On the day of the avalanche, I’d taken the train on a side trip to see some of the villages. While I was in Imst, I stopped at the hotel to check it out and wait for the storm to pass.” She paused for a minute. “You know the rest.”

  He watched her through veiled eyes. “While you were waiting, I’d just left my father’s room. He felt like a nap, so I decided I’d walk around the village to stretch my legs. After grabbing my jacket from my room, I headed for the stairs to go down to the lobby.

  “Before I had a chance to put the jacket on, it felt like a bomb had gone off in the hotel. The next thing I knew, I was trapped in the darkness. I heard someone moaning and was grateful I wasn’t alone. That person turned out to be you. The chances of our coming together on that day, at the moment, are astronomical, Sami.”

  “I know.”

  “It seems I have your sister to thank for our baby’s existence. Have you told her you found Alberto Degenoli?”

  She broke eye contact. “Yes. I was on the phone with her before I came in to breakfast.”

  “What was her reaction?”

  Sami’s head reared. “What you’d expect. Shock and shock.”

  “Did you tell her everything?”

  “Yes.”

  “And of course she doesn’t approve of you being here with me.”

  “No, but she’s a mother, too, and knows Bruce loves their children desperately. In that regard she understands you and I are in a very precarious situation with no precedent.”

  “So she didn’t give you advice?”

  “No.”

  “I like her already.”

  “You’d love her. She’s selfless...like you.”

  “Before you give me credit, remember I have yet to tell Eliana anything. My own siblings would call me a selfish swine for putting off the inevitable while I enjoy my son in private.”

  “They aren’t in your shoes. I understand that now.” After fighting him about coming here, her defense of him came as a gratifying surprise to him. She looked around them. “Why are all those boats out there?”

  “People are scuba diving. Below them is the wreck of Dhimitrios. This is a popular area of the island.”

  She eyed him curiously. “Do you dive?”

  “I did a lot in my youth. What about you?”

  “No scuba. I’ve done some snorkeling and surfing in the summer in Carmel, but Matt’s the expert.”

  Matt again. “Why don’t we take a dip? Mara and Daimon will watch Ric. You’ll find a locker below with all the swim gear including my sister, Claudia’s, wetsuit if you need one. There should be flippers in there, too.”

  “Does your fiancée dive?”

  “No. She’s a horsewoman at heart. When I can get away, we go riding on their estate, but I must admit I prefer water sports. What about you?”

  “
I’m a jack of all trades, but excel at none.”

  “None?”

  “Maybe table tennis.”

  He squinted at her. “Let’s find out what kind of a swimmer you are.”

  “You’re on. I’ll be up as soon as I change.”

  After she kissed the baby and went below, he walked back to talk to his staff, who were clearly delighted to have charge of Ric for a while. Sami resurfaced faster than he would have supposed, wearing a wetsuit that hugged her body, revealing the lines and curves he’d memorized long ago. Desire for her overwhelmed him.

  She sat on the end of the bench to put on the flippers. Trying to look at anything but her shapely legs was an impossibility. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

  Excited, Ric discarded his T-shirt. “Let’s go.” He helped her over to the side of the boat so she could jump in. He went in behind her. When her wet head appeared, he thought he’d never seen anyone so naturally alluring. “We’ll swim to that big rock. It’s not far, but if you get tired, let me know and Daimon will bring the boat along. The sea gets rougher there.”

  * * *

  Sami was glad they’d started swimming. In the boat she’d noticed his long powerful legs stretched out in front of him while they’d talked. The gorgeous sight of him almost made her lose her train of thought.

  He paced his strokes so they stayed abreast of each other. The flippers gave her the momentum she needed to keep up. The closer they got to the rock, the bigger the swells became. When they were quite near, she could appreciate the beauty of the setting sun against the stunning blue of the sea.

  Ric reached the rock first and caught her hand to pull her in so she could cling to it. “What is this place?” She was a little out of breath, but that had a lot to do with him being shirtless. His well-developed body made her mouth go dry. She’d had the same reaction when they’d been trapped. Without seeing him, she’d felt him and knew he was exceptional in many ways.

  “The Goddess Aphrodite’s birthplace. She was born out of the foam breaking on this rock. If you wore your blond hair long and flowing, you’d personify my own image of her.”

  Even though her heart was thudding, she laughed and threw her head back. “Oh—you Italian men are priceless.”

  “I’m half Cypriot,” he declared, “raised on the stories of Zeus. Afraid her beauty would create jealousy among the other gods and cause war, he married her to Hephaestus.”

  Her smile deepened. “I know that story, too. But to his chagrin she was unfaithful to her husband and had many lovers.”

  One of them was the young god Adonis. With his wavy black hair and olive skin warmed by the sun, Ric could be a more adult version of him. However, she’d never seen Adonis depicted with hair on his chest. She decided she didn’t dare tell Ric her thoughts to his face. He was engaged to be married. Remember?

  “She had many children as a result,” Ric teased.

  A chuckle broke from her. “I’ve just had one. I’m afraid he’s all I can handle.”

  Ric’s black eyes grew shuttered. “Our baby’s so perfect, he would make the gods jealous.” The tone of his voice gave her gooseflesh.

  “Then let’s be thankful Zeus doesn’t exist.” It was frightening enough that Eliana didn’t know about the baby. Sami feared her reaction when confronted with Ric’s child.

  Sami shouldn’t be out here alone with him like this. Much too aware of him, she looked around her, noticing the pebbled beach in the distance. “It’s all so natural here. Nothing’s spoiled it.”

  “Perhaps not right now, but later you’ll see tourists come here to the café above the beach. They believe these waters have mystical powers to soothe the troubled soul. You’ll notice them clustering in the evenings to watch the sunset. That’s the beauty of arriving by boat. When we want, we can slip back out to sea away from everyone else to witness the sun falling into the sea.”

  She believed that growing up in these waters had cultivated a poetic side to him. “Are you telling me you’re a loner?”

  “Sometimes. With the right person, you don’t need anyone else,” he said in a remote tone.

  He’d said he wasn’t in love with his fiancée. Maybe he was missing some woman from his past who’d been important to him. Sami had no idea. “Thank you for bringing me to this famous spot. How lucky am I? When I came to Italy, I couldn’t have conceived of being at Aphrodite’s birthplace two days later.”

  “Then you can imagine my incredulity that the woman I was trapped with is holding on to this rock with me.”

  She averted her eyes. “I think we ought to get back to the boat. Even if Ric is fine, I don’t want Mara and Daimon worrying about us being gone so long.”

  “Never fear. My bodyguards are keeping watch.”

  “From where?” she asked in surprise.

  “The shore and that sailboat out there.”

  Sami hadn’t really noticed. Ric’s masculine presence dominated everything. “They’re very unobtrusive. It must be hard to watch you when you’re having fun. I hope you pay them a good salary.”

  His laughter filled the sea air, mesmerizing her. Their gazes met in shared amusement. “I can’t wait to tell them what you said.”

  She felt her cheeks grow warm. “Are they the same ones you told to follow me from the police station?”

  “I’m not sure. They trade off shifts.”

  “Do you think they’re scandalized to see you with someone other than Eliana?”

  “Maybe. The only thing important is that they’ve been told that Ric is our son. They’re too busy guarding us with their lives to do much else.”

  Though the sun was shining, she felt a dark shadow pass over her. “Have you had many threats on your life, Ric?”

  “Enough to warrant protection, but I don’t want you worrying about it.”

  “I’m not. I felt perfectly safe with you in the avalanche and feel the same way now.”

  “I’m relieved to hear it. Shall we go?”

  “I’m ready.”

  “I’ll race you back to the boat.”

  Her brows lifted. “Since you fly through the water like that striped dolphin you pointed out on the way here, what chance do I have?”

  His lips twitched. “Those flippers give you an edge.”

  “Hmm. We’ll see.” Filled with adrenaline from being this close to him, she shoved off, determined to give him a run for his money even if the water was more difficult to handle. She thought she was doing fine until three-quarters of the way, when she lost power. Weakness had taken over.

  Ric took one look and told her to get on his back. “Hold tight to my shoulders.”

  She obeyed him and let him do all the work. The sensation of swishing through the water on top of him gave her another kind of adrenaline rush. When they reached the ladder to the boat, she let go of him, afraid for him to know how much she’d enjoyed the ride. She’d never thought to be that close to him again.

  He turned around. The motion tangled their legs. She let out a tiny gasp.

  “Are you all right, Sami?”

  “I—I’m fine.” What a great liar she’d become.

  “I’ll remove your flippers so you can climb in.”

  No... She didn’t want him touching her, but it was too late. He worked too fast. Like lightning he eased them off and tossed them in the boat. With no more impediments, Sami was able to heave herself up the rungs. Ric was right behind her. Their limbs brushed as they both got in.

  Daimon was there to hand her a towel. “Welcome back. Did you enjoy it?”

  “Yes, thank you. It was a wonderful trip, but before I do it again, I need to get in some conditioning. Poor Ric had to save me at the end.” It was nothing new. He’d saved her eleven months ago.

  “Surely you realize that was no penance?” he whispered near her ear before he headed for the front of the boat to check on their son. She felt the warmth of his breath against her skin in every atom of her body before following him.

  Mara sa
t beneath the roof feeding the baby. She smiled at both of them. “He’s been an angel. I hoped you would stay out longer.”

  “Please keep doing what you’re doing. I’m going to run downstairs to shower and change.”

  “Take all the time you want.”

  What heaven to have a babysitter like Mara, but Sami didn’t dare get used to such luxury.

  Once she was out of her wet things, the warm shower felt good. She washed her hair. Afterward she put her jeans and top back on and walked out of the bathroom with a towel. As she started to dry her hair, a pair of strong hands took over.

  She’d thought Ric would have stayed upstairs by the baby.

  No man had ever dried her hair before. With Ric, she’d experienced all the wondrous aspects of being a woman. She was loving this too much. When she couldn’t bear his touch any longer because she wanted more, she took a step back and pulled the towel from his hands. Unable to look him in the eye she said, “Thank you. I can manage now.”

  He was blocking the way. She suspected it was on purpose. “You were fantastic out swimming,” he said in his deep voice. “After having little chance to swim since giving birth to our son, you’re in amazing shape. That’s no swimming pool out there. I’m impressed.”

  Sami needed to lighten the moment before she threw herself into his arms. She smoothed the hair out of her eyes. Being by the water had made it curlier. “I think I’m impressed, too.” Or at least she had been until her energy had run out.

  “I’ve enjoyed today, Signorina Argyle.”

  “The feeling’s mutual.”

  “When you’re ready, join me in the galley and we’ll fix dinner for all of us.”

  She flicked him a glance. “You like to cook?”

  “It’s in my blood.”

  “I thought it was filled with seawater,” she quipped.

  “It’s all part of the same thing.” He kissed the end of her nose. “When we’ve dined to our heart’s content, we’ll pull up anchor and head back.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  AFTER eating a Greek smorgasbord of his favorite foods, Ric felt replete and glanced at the baby in his carrycot. He’d finally fallen asleep. Just he and Sami were on deck to watch the sunset. The other two had gone below. The evening was idyllic.