AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She grinned in the dark. ‘Say that again.’
‘Don’t push your luck.’ He slid down beside her. ‘Roll over and I’ll cuddle you till you relax.’
Exactly what she wanted, yet it would make her long for more. Couples cuddled, not short-term lovers. Hadn’t he just made it clear as crystal where they were going with this...relationship? Friends, single parents sharing raising a child, whatever. They didn’t do cuddling naked in bed. That was too loving and close, too wonderful to be happening.
‘Think I’ll get up and read for a bit, distract my brain.’ She rolled out of bed before she could give in to those tempting arms.
‘Elene?’
Mattia would hate for her to say what was on her mind and it would drive a wedge between them. ‘Go to sleep. I’m fine,’ she lied.
Out in the family room, she checked her phone for messages, felt her eyes water when the screen showed blank. Not even the usual banter from her sisters, but they’d be at work. Homesickness overwhelmed her, pushed her into the cushions. Better get used to it. When she returned here, keeping busy would be an antidote to some extent, but nothing beat having people around who loved her unconditionally. Pressing her mother’s number, she held the phone to her ear and waited, and waited. Okay, not at home and, Mum being Mum, her phone was probably still on the bench.
Swiping the back of her hand across her face, Elene reached for a cushion and hugged it to her breasts. Breasts that not so long ago were responding to Mattia’s hands and tongue, tightening and aching with need. She shouldn’t have left his bed. She’d had to, or fall deeper. It was going to be hard enough stepping away without adding other memories of tenderness to the picture.
Next week she’d fly out of Naples, bound for Wellington and all the packing that needed to be done. Only days left for making love with Mattia, of knowing his body, of sharing hers—if they continued after their discussion tonight. Silly woman that she was, she wanted to have those last nights together. When she returned she’d never leave her room in the middle of the night to get into bed with Mattia. They’d never again make love against the bench in the kitchen while waiting for the kettle to boil. How was she going to be able to return to all those memories?
* * *
Mattia quietly observed Elene as she bounced a grizzly Aimee on her hip and gripped shopping bags in her other hand. She looked shattered.
‘Been busy?’ He nodded at the logo-covered bags she was dropping onto the kitchen table.
‘I’m definitely out of practice. Once Sofia and Alessia get started they don’t stop. I swear there isn’t a shop on Via Toledo we didn’t go into.’ She jiggled her human bundle to no avail. If anything the shrieking got louder.
‘Give me Aimee so you can take a load off your feet.’ He reached into the fridge for the wine. ‘Pour yourself one of these while you’re at it. Dinner is prepared for cooking so we can eat whenever.’
‘That’ll be when missy decides to quieten down and go to sleep.’
‘I’ll run her a bath.’ Though his girl wasn’t fond of getting wet, once she was in and playing with her toys she usually calmed down.
‘Good luck with that. She’s been wound up all the way home. Too much excitement visiting with Nonna and her cousins.’ The glass shook in Elene’s hand as she poured a small drink.
Worry hit Mattia. ‘Are you all right, other than tired?’
She huffed out a breath. ‘Yes. I didn’t get much sleep last night.’
‘You didn’t choose the most comfortable of places to crash.’ He’d found her on the couch amongst the cushions when he’d come out to turn on the coffee maker at six that morning. ‘Why weren’t you in bed?’
Another huff. ‘I was restless.’
Something wasn’t ringing true. But the shrieking in his ear was serious so he left Elene to wind down with her wine while he dealt with madam. ‘Come on, little one. Let’s play splish-splash.’
Pushing boats through the water and tickling Aimee on the ribs quickly quietened her and Mattia relaxed. Until he lifted her out and began to dry off the bath water. Then the crying started again. ‘Guess we’re going out to the deck next.’
‘I’ll heat the pumpkin mash,’ Elene called as he strode past. ‘Food might help.’
It did for a while, but as soon as Mattia tried to wipe her face and hands Aimee let rip with more screams. ‘You have a future as an emergency siren, little one.’ Back to pacing the deck.
‘Let me take her.’ Elene stood in front of them a long time later. ‘I’ll see what I can manage.’
Within minutes the shrieks had dulled to occasional snorts and hiccups. ‘The mother touch,’ he noted. ‘I’m impressed.’ He also loved how domesticated this felt, and how much he was enjoying being beside Elene as they settled their child. He glanced around the deck at all the toys spread around. Could he get Anna to leave it as it was so it always felt like a family home?
‘It doesn’t work every time.’ Elene smiled tiredly, her body sagging.
He walked beside them, round and round the deck, Elene obviously wary of trying to put Aimee down yet. ‘I’d say give her back to me but that might prompt more trouble.’
‘I agree.’
‘I’d like to know what kept you awake last night,’ he risked.
Another circuit of the deck. Then, ‘What I’m undertaking is huge. What if I can’t do it? Find that I miss home too much? What if Aimee can’t cope with different children at crèche, all talking in a strange language? I mightn’t be able to go to work and mix with adults.’
Where had the strong, take-no-prisoners woman gone? Elene didn’t crumple at the first hint of difficulty. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tugged her close, counting off by raising his index finger. ‘You’ve impressed the hospital staff and patients with your professionalism and kindness.’ Second finger. ‘The same goes for the charity unit people.’ Another finger. ‘My family think you’re wonderful and want to do all they can to persuade you to stay and settle in. Anna adores you and won’t hear a bad word about you.’
‘What did you say for her to tell you that?’
‘I mentioned your cooking skills.’
‘Nothing wrong with them.’
‘There was that duck confit.’ It’d been a disaster.
‘A gentleman wouldn’t bring that up.’
‘Too late.’ He smiled down at her. Then he held up his thumb. ‘Last, but not least, I’ll have your back a
ll the way. I want you to fit in for your sake, not just mine. This has to work for both of us or else it will end badly. So I will do all I can to make you happy.’
Instead of smiling at him, her face shut down.
What had he said? ‘Elene?’
Twisting out of his arm, she headed inside. ‘I’ll try putting Aimee down. She’s almost asleep.’
Mattia watched her rush away, putting distance between them. This wasn’t making sense. Not at all. About to follow her, he changed his mind and headed to the kitchen to start cooking the tortellini. A break from whatever was bothering Elene might help. They could talk after dinner.
But when he went into the family room after cleaning up from dinner and putting the dishes in the washer he found Elene was finishing up talking to her family.
‘Everything all right?’ he asked around a lump of worry.
‘I’ve told them what we’ve decided so naturally they’re full of questions. But overall they’re happy for me. It’s hard not being there to gauge their reactions.’
She’d miss that in the future.
‘You talk to them most days.’
‘It’s not the same. I want the hugs and the laughter and crazy talk.’
Mattia’s heart lurched. This was the crux of what faced them. What if they couldn’t make it work? They had to. There was no other solution.
* * *
Mattia tried not to grip the edge of his seat as the massive plane lowered through the clouds to the tiny runway below. Wellington had turned on its biggest storm in a decade apparently and the airport had been closed all night, only opening after ploughs had cleared away the snow and hail. Flying had never bothered him before, but with his little girl smiling up at him, her face full of trust, he knew a fear like he’d never known. He was meant to protect her, not put her in harm’s way. ‘Hey, baby girl, isn’t this fun?’
