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‘Let’s go for a walk on the beach before having lunch, give Aimee some freedom after being strapped into her seat for so long.’ Mattia glanced in the rear-view mirror. ‘Though she’s happy enough, no grizzling at all.’
‘She never complains when she’s in a car. I think the movement past the window fascinates her. Dipping her feet in the water will have her smiling even more.’
Mattia slipped into a parking space right at the beginning of the walkway down to the beach. ‘Perfect.’
‘How lucky can you get?’
‘Who says luck had anything to do with it?’ He grinned and got out.
Watching Mattia unbuckling Aimee from the seat and setting her on his hip with such aplomb had a lump forming in Elene’s throat. Of course he was used to doing the same for his niece and nephew, but this was different. This was fatherhood. His hands were gentle as he settled his daughter just right, his eyes observant as he closed the car door and pinged the locks. Mattia was a natural dad. No denying he already loved Aimee.
‘You coming?’ he called over his shoulder.
Give me a minute to get myself together. ‘Sure. Nothing like sand between my toes.’ The moment she reached the beach she stuffed her thongs in her backpack.
Mattia took Aimee to the water’s edge, slipping her sandals into his pockets before standing her in front of his long legs. She clung to him, swaying back and forth, his hand on her arm steadying her. Her mouth was split into a wide grin. ‘Ma-ma-ma-ma.’
Elene stood watching him, hoping her sunglasses hid the direction of her gaze. He was a sight. That masculine build, the covert strength and not so covert confidence—the perfect picture. A picture dreams were made of. Even hers. Until she acknowledged this hunk was Mattia Ricco, a man who could destroy her happiness if he chose to fight her for Aimee.
But the dream didn’t fade, instead remained steady in her mind. Mattia was laughing as he held Aimee so her feet were in the sea, feet that were kicking and covering his shorts in salt water. He was bonding with his daughter. And that was as sexy an image as any Elene had noted about him.
Sinking down on the sand, she pulled her knees up to her chin, wrapped her arms around her legs and watched father and daughter having fun. She couldn’t find it in herself to be jealous or worried. It was the perfect picture. It was how this trip was meant to unfold.
Aimee shrieked with delight as she kicked more water in the air.
Yes, Elene thought, Aimee’s meant to be with this man. As she’s meant to be with me. Which meant being positive and taking each day as it came, listening to Mattia as he worked through his role in all this and giving her point of view in return. So she’d try for relaxed and enjoying the moment.
Reaching into the backpack, she tugged a small towel free. ‘You’re both going to need this,’ she called to Mattia, who was wearing an enormous smile as he dragged Aimee along the top of the water.
‘What I need is a pair of earplugs,’ he said with a laugh.
When Aimee got bored, Elene changed her thoroughly wet clothes, then they headed across the road to a lunch restaurant where the staff had no qualms about a toddler joining them. This was Italy.
The Margherita pizza they shared was fragrant and delicious. ‘You can’t beat this.’ Elene licked up a strand of mozzarella.
Strolling along the road afterwards, Elene ducked into a shop to buy Aimee a cute sunhat, then herself an irresistible blouse at another.
When Mattia said, ‘Let me get that,’ she scowled at him.
‘No, thank you.’ Then she remembered she was supposed to be positive and not looking for arguments. ‘But thanks for offering.’
He saw through her. ‘It was genuine: a present, not a test.’ A hint of guilt was mixed with the honesty in his voice.
‘It’s okay. Buying clothes is my “can’t resist” passion.’ He’d struggle to believe her if he saw how few she’d brought on this trip.
Mattia laughed. ‘Find me a woman who doesn’t think the same.’
‘Glad to think I’m normal.’
‘Define normal.’
Now the man was joking with her? A good sign, surely?
Another shop tempted her in. ‘I won’t be a minute.’ She was lying. She needed space to settle her emotions—she was getting too complacent with Mattia. Because today she’d started believing in the impossible. Had begun thinking they might have a future together, and not only one that involved Aimee. But she had to be fooling herself. It could not work.
CHAPTER SIX
‘TOO MUCH SUN and excitement for one little lady,’ Elene muttered as she rocked Aimee on her lap once they were back home.
‘It’s been a big day for her,’ Mattia agreed.
The look on Elene’s face as she gazed down at Aimee was pure love. His gut clenched. What were they going to do about this? Aimee had already lost her mother—to have Elene taken out of the picture was not an option. It would be cruel. But Aimee was also his daughter. How to make it work for everyone? So far the only solution he could come up with was working hard at convincing Elene he couldn’t leave Sorrento, not for his sake as much as for his family, who would hate for him to go so far away. More clenching was going on in his gut. Not that Elene’s family would thank him for coercing her into moving to Italy, despite her having roots here. One day at a time, he told himself. They needed to be sure of each other when final decisions were made and the only way to do that was getting to know each other thoroughly. But the days were going by fast.
He poured a glass of Sangiovese and took it across to Elene. ‘How serious are you about working at the charity unit?’
‘If I can work out a plan for Aimee I’d like to help out a few hours each day, Monday to Friday.’
Her lips on the edge of the glass were full, soft—the kind that hot dreams were made of. Trailing over his feverish skin dreams. The kind he could not have about Elene. At least not until they’d got through what faced them with Aimee. ‘Anna would be happy to mind her. So—wages. I’ll pay you the same as the other nurses get.’
Her head jerked up, those love-filled green eyes now spitting arrows at him. ‘I won’t be paid, thank you very much. And if that’s another test you can stick it where the sun never reaches.’
It had been a test, one designed to shut down the sudden hope and need that had surged through him as he’d dwelt on her mouth. Instead, he’d angered Elene all over again. He was wrong to keep pushing her. She was not interested in his wealth. Or she was aiming for the bigger package. Why was he so distrustful? Sure, Sandy had taught him a massive lesson, but he didn’t usually feel so driven to test women like he did Elene. Was there a need to protect himself from a sense of coming home he’d begun feeling around her? Because of that flare of longing she made happen? It was time he spent a night with a woman. Just not this one. He continued to dig the hole he’d soon be buried in. ‘Most of the nurses draw wages. There’s no reason you shouldn’t.’
Standing up, she held a now quiet Aimee out for him to kiss goodnight. ‘I’m going to put her to bed.’ At the door she paused to look back at him. ‘You’re not the only person who likes to help others less fortunate. Who do I see to arrange hours that fit in with the staff and my other commitment?’ Her eyes dropped to her precious bundle, before returning to bore into him.
‘I’ll tell the staff you’ll be on duty nine to twelve, starting Monday. You can work out the days with them. I’ll also let Anna know.’
Elene nodded softly. ‘Thank you.’
As she stepped through the doorway Mattia felt the strings holding them connected pull and tighten. Their lives were getting more entwined by the day. At the moment Elene had the upper hand. It had been a long time since anyone had done that to him.
‘Elene,’ he called softly.
Reluctance was in every angle of her body, in the steps she took to come back and confront
him. ‘Yes?’
