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It was enormous, for a start, its tiled floor supplied with underfloor heating so Mia’s feet remained toasty warm as she slipped off her shoes with a sigh of relief. A king-sized bed stood on its own dais, piled high with silk and satin pillows. A separate seating area with deep leather sofas had a stunning view of the garden below, with an infinity pool and hot tub large enough to seat twenty. Thick-pile rugs were scattered across the floor, so Mia’s toes sank into their exquisite softness as she walked towards the bed.
It looked amazing, inviting, and huge. And one day—if or when—she was meant to share it with Alessandro. Why did that thought not alarm her as it should? She couldn’t deny the lick of excitement low in her belly, even as she tensed at the thought. She knew that giving herself to Alessandro again would come at an emotional cost. He might just see it as sex, but she knew she wouldn’t. Already she felt herself softening to him, and it scared her. She had too many memories, too many fears, to let herself relax and trust Alessandro…even if he proved trustworthy.
She pushed such thoughts out of her mind as she turned to the ba
throom, taking in the sunken marble bathtub, the shower big enough for two, the double sinks. She turned on the taps to fill the tub, and added nearly half a bottle of high-end bubble bath. She was going to have a good, long soak, and try not to think for a while, because if she did, her head might explode.
Twenty minutes later, having submerged herself in hot, soapy bubbles and nearly fallen asleep, Mia sat up suddenly as her breasts prickled and her body tensed. Faintly, so faintly, she heard Ella cry.
With a sigh she pulled the plug on the bath and swathed herself in the thick, velvet-soft terrycloth dressing gown she’d found hanging on the back of the bathroom door. She finger-combed her hair as she walked through the bedroom and then downstairs, following the sound of Ella’s now shrill cries.
She wandered through several empty, elegant rooms before she spied Alessandro rocking Ella in the kitchen, a cheerful and comfortable room at the back of the house, with French windows leading out to a wide terrace with steps down to the garden.
Mia paused in the doorway, spellbound by the simple yet heart-warming scene. Ella was crying with determination, while Alessandro danced around the kitchen, jiggling her rather desperately against his shoulder.
‘Now, bambina, you need to settle down or you’ll wake your mamma. Why are you upset, eh? What is there to be so sad about?’ He pressed a kiss to Ella’s cheek. ‘Are you hungry, cara? Is that the problem? Am I going to have to wake your mamma, after all?’
‘I’m already awake.’
Mia’s voice came out scratchy as she absorbed the scene in front of her, let it squeeze her heart. She’d never seen Alessandro look so gentle, or approachable, or…loving. He’d been loving. And it gave her a glimpse of a future that didn’t look as unfathomable or impossible as she’d assumed it would be. In a strange and surprising way, for a few seconds it had looked…wonderful. And that scared her too, because it was not what she’d expected, and it made her want things she was afraid to try for or even to dream about.
What if Alessandro was right, and they could have a relationship, a marriage, that was strong and true and good? Based on companionship and affection? What if that was possible?
Why did that thought both terrify and thrill her in equal measure?
Alessandro gave her an endearingly self-conscious smile. ‘I guess she is hungry, as you said she would be. I’ve been trying to calm her, but no luck.’
‘You can’t provide the goods in this case,’ Mia answered as she held her arms out, and Alessandro danced his way over to her, making her smile.
‘Here she is.’
‘Has she had a change?’
‘Her nappy? Yes.’
‘You changed it?’ Mia couldn’t keep the surprise from her voice.
‘It took a few tries, I admit. Thankfully there were enough nappies. Those tapes…’ He shook his head. ‘They were not designed for durability. I might have to take over the company that makes them, to ensure a stronger design.’
Mia laughed at such an outrageous suggestion. ‘Is that how you decide what companies to take over?’
‘Actually, no.’ He looked serious for a moment before he deliberately lightened his expression. ‘But perhaps it will be, as far as nappies are concerned.’
‘So how do you choose the companies?’ she asked as she settled in a sofa in the cosy nook off the kitchen. Alessandro joined her, sitting on the sofa opposite. Conscious of his gaze on her, Mia bent her head, her damp hair falling forward as she brought Ella to her breast. When she was sure she was presentable and Ella feeding discreetly, she looked up, everything in her jolting at the sudden, blazing look in Alessandro’s eyes…a look of pride and possession that made her feel a welter of unsettling sensations.
As he caught her gaze, it faded, leaving scorch marks on her soul. He gave her a small smile. ‘I choose companies that have corrupt and weak leadership.’
Startled, she shook her head. ‘But Henry wasn’t…’
‘Corrupt? No, perhaps not. But he was weak and lazy, and he was running Dillard’s into the red. I estimated that in another eighteen months, none of you would have had jobs.’
‘Surely not…’
He shrugged. ‘Two years, at the maximum.’
‘I always knew he was a bit old-fashioned,’ Mia said slowly. ‘And he did like his golf game…’ But she’d considered those qualities endearing, rather than damaging. Now she wondered.
‘As affable as he could be, he was a weak leader,’ Alessandro responded firmly. ‘And he would have proved disastrous for the company and its employees.’
