Blackmailed Merger (35 page)

“I’m sorry ....I’m so sorry” she had whispered, feeling as he had pulled her into his arms, holding her so close as he had made soothing noises against her head, his mouth kissing her hair
.

“
No Cara.......do not be....never be sorry”
his touches soothing
as he had wrapped his arm around her shoulder, Sam leaning close
r
to him as he had led her out to the waiting car.  On the short trip home, he had continued to hold her, feeling her
body
shaking
as he had whispered soft G
reek words that soothed her heart sore soul, Sam so unable to speak.

As they had reached home, he had led her to a couch, moving her so that he could look at her, his features still full of concern, but full of something else, something that shone from him.

Hardly able to look at him she had whispered gently
.

“You knew....why didn’t you say something
?
”

He had knelt down beside her, lifting a handkerchief to gently dab away the tears still spilling down her cheeks
.

“
Because Cara, it was the only way I knew to show you that you and our baby are the most important things in my life, and because
if that wa
s what it would take
........then so be it
”
.

Sam had raised her eyes to his, hers full of such pain
.

“How long have you known
?
”

He had held her gaze
.

“I knew the day after Carlotta
first
met you” he had replied softly, as she had raised her head giving another soft sob
, Sam struggling grasping at the picture the woman had given her
.

“What about your mistress Dante
?
” she had thrown at him, seeing as he had shaken his head
.

“She is not my mistress Sam” he had replied softly, as she had given a
hollow
laugh devoid of humour.

“You really expect
me to believe that...How else c
ould they have known about our deal”
.

Gently he had taken her hands
.

“After you told me about the baby and what they had told you...I phoned your father Sam”
.

“You did what?” she had cried incredulously, Dante continuing
.

“They told you a half truth.  It was a mistress that informed the
m of our deal.....but not mine”.

Seeing the confusion on her face he had finished
.

“It was your father
’
s.  When he found out, he made her admit ever
ything, he was mad as hell Sam, but please believe me
I have no mistress nor have I any interest in one”
.

With a soft groan she had looked imploringly at him
.

“Why didn’t you stop
me?
”

A sound of pain coming from her
.

“I was going to.....I had set in motion rulings that would have prevented you from voting against me.  Then...It was just so much more important to let you go through with it....to show you that it was you I wanted....not the company
...
YOU”
.

Looking back at him, her lips had trembled
.

“But why.....why would you do that
?
”

Her voice almost inaudible
, full of shame, as he had cupped her cheeks pulling her head to him so gently as he had kissed her lips so briefly
.

“Because Cara...I love you”
.

Sam had looked at him in stunned shock, hardly able to understand what he had just said as she had
stuttered
.

“W
...
what did you say
?
”

Dante pulling back slightly so that he could look deeply into her green eyes, his voice full of such honesty
.

“I love you Samantha.  I love you with everything in me”
.

A look of pain touching his handsome features

“And it tears me apart knowing what I have done to you.  What I did in the past, and I am begging you to give me one more chance”
.

With her eyes now flitting across his face, reading only truth in him she had raised her hand to touch his cheek, seeing as he had closed his eyes at the feel of her hand.

“But
...
but what about your company
?
” she had whispered, Dante shaking his head
.

“
They will force a vote, and it may go my way or it may not.  I don’t care.  All I care about is having you and our baby beside me”
.

Sam had given another sob, her hands moving to cover her mouth as her eyes had sparkled with tears, this time not heartbroken ones, but ones that shone from her.  As his phone had rang, he had ignored it, Sam
beckoning
him to take the call as she had reached down for more handkerchiefs, needing to compose herself.

Dante had known what the call was about, the inevitability of the news of his
wife’s
betrayal no longe
r of any concern to him, his so
l
e
thought with the woman sat silently on the couch before him.  As he had answered, his eyes had grown wider with disbelief,
hanging up
before looking over at Sam
now his face full of confusion his eyes questioning
, seeing as she had given a small tremulous smile.

“I couldn’t do it
Dante;
I couldn’t betray you like that.  I thought I could...I wanted to.  I wanted revenge on you
...
but I couldn’t “
.

Now it was his turn to look at her, the surprise clear on his face
.

“Why?”

The only thing he could utter, as she had looked back at him
.

“Because I l
ove you too” her simple answer.

To her surprise she had seen tears shining in his eyes, as he had moved forward to pull her in tightly against him, whispering words of love against her, as she had started to laugh softly, the weight of four years of pain and mourning slipping from her as she held the man she loved, feeling the small baby inside her move
,
suddenly so aware that
she had a future, one so bright it filled them all
.