I Want To Be Yours (6 page)

“Smart ass!” He smiled in self-recrimination.

Nico pushed the button to open the elevator, gently steered her inside, and with a sigh pressed the lobby button. He watched her until the doors closed, and the elevator took temptation away, for a while at least. Protecting her from jaded fucks like him was too much damn work! He wasn’t sure how much longer he could ignore what was between them. Now that he’d tasted paradise, it was hell trying to convince his
dick
she wasn’t for them. He wanted back in her intoxicating body, in the worst way!

One month later

He wanted back in her intoxicating body, in the worst way! She couldn’t be sure he was even remotely aware of her. Their interactions reverted to those of affable colleagues. They didn’t try to avoid each other, but there was an effort, at least on her part, to act as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. He didn’t seek her out and she stayed well out of his physical space, except for team meetings, which they were forced to endure. She made many excuses not to attend when he was likely to. However, he made it easier by maintaining a punishing travel schedule. When the team traveled with him, she opted to stay behind, conducting most of their team discussions through teleconferences. He could have insisted that she travel with the team but surprisingly, had not pressed the issue.

After each meeting or teleconference, her well-fought battle to remain unaffected by him suffered significant setbacks. She had difficulty eating and sleeping. She was a mess. Her brain knew he was wrong for her, but her heart wouldn’t let her forget. She missed him intensely. It was beginning to affect her health. She was more tired than she had ever been in her life.

The sound of his voice alone shattered her equilibrium and intensified her yearning. She’d get to the point where her needs were so bad, she was willing to forget her moral stance and just surrender to his demands. She would accept any relationship, on whatever terms he wanted. However, just one glance in his icy blue cynical eyes, and her sanity would return with a vengeance.

No way is this man ready for my brand of loving.

During the weeks when Celina was most spiteful in the press, Mari felt such anger on his behalf. Each day he seemed harder, less forgiving. Mari wasn’t encouraged to tempt fate and chance a debilitating heartbreak by encouraging a relationship between them. Not that she blamed Nico. She was grateful for their brief, explosive intimacy, and would never regret giving up her innocence to him. Finding a way to live without him was her challenge, and she was determined to begin that process soon. She just needed time away from him. She finally had to admit the inevitable: a new job might help. The pain that acknowledgment ignited was excruciating!

The team was scheduled to meet on an overseas location in two days. Mari couldn’t get out of it. It was gratifying, however, to know that Nico was unlikely to join them, as he was scheduled to close another deal in Hong Kong later that week.

Mari contemplated all of this as she sat on the hard examination table of her GP’s office. A medical check-up was a requirement for each member of the team before leaving on any international travel, but especially if they had to travel to more exotic places where medical attention wasn’t assured. And given her recent bouts of feeling under the weather, she wasn’t taking any chances.

Her GP greeted her cheerfully. “Hi, Mari. How are you doing?”

“I’m fine, just feeling slightly tired most days. I am not sure if there is something wrong, but I don’t feel exactly ill, just mostly tired and out of sorts,” Mari explained.

“Let’s see what we have here, then.” He gently directed her to recline on the table and proceeded with a thorough examination. “When did you last have your cycle?”

She thought for a moment and mentally went through her activities over the past few weeks. “I can’t remember,” she stated thoughtfully. “But it had to be about three weeks ago—it was light but sometimes when I’m stressed that happens.”

He then asked a nurse to assist in a urine test and left the room to afford her some privacy. Mari wasn’t concerned. She knew that she took good care of herself and had never been ill in her life, except for the occasional light colds. Her workouts were intense and grueling, but this unusual tiredness was alarming and depressing. She ran four to five miles daily, did light weight training three times a week, and swam several laps in the pool of her flat three times a week. She had convinced herself that the exercise regimen, together with her punishing work schedule, and the strain from constantly thinking about Nico, were probably contributing to her weakened state.

The GP returned some minutes later with a broad smile on his face. “Well you’re definitely not sick. You’re in prefect health, which is a good thing, because you’re pregnant.”

“What!” Mari was stunned. “But I can’t be! It was only the one time. This isn’t possible.” She was confused. How could she not have known? With the emotional turmoil she’d been going through, she hadn’t even considered it. How stupid was she?

“It only requires one time, kid,” the GP assured her gently. He gave her a number of pamphlets to read and suggested some antenatal vitamins. After recommending several gynecologists she might consult to care for her during the pregnancy, he again congratulated her.

Mari walked out of the GP’s office in a daze and went back to work with feelings alternating between stark fear, awe, and extreme happiness. Was she too young to start a family? But after further thought she was overwhelmed with elation—finally she could have someone’s unconditional love and someone upon whom she could lavish her love in return. She was two months pregnant, she thought in wonder. It was a frightening position to be in without any family support.

Niccolo sat slouched down in the back seat of his chauffeur-driven Mercedes-Benz. The words his physician had shared a few moments ago had left him numb.

His siblings all had multiple children, ten in total. Shit, his brother had four of them! How could he possibly be
sterile
?

The visit to the doctor was warranted after Celina’s repeated accusations of his inability to father a child. He’d laughed at the bitch! But now the joke was on him.

He thought of that summer when he and his siblings had all contracted the measles. It had started with his two-year-old sister Sarah, then his nine-year-old brother Marco, then twelve-year-old Giuliana, and then him at sixteen years old. They’d all had mild cases of it because of their previous vaccinations. However, because he had contracted the illness in his teens, it had rendered him sterile. That wasn’t quite how the doctor worded it, though. “Low sperm count,” he’d said.

But Nico was a realist. He knew it all equated to the same thing. He’d never father a child of his own.

How is this shit possible?

Nico felt his emotions churning out of control. His eyes glistened with the crushing weight of it.

It was well after six in the evening. Mari sat at her desk with a stupid grin on her face. Just the thought of holding a mini-Nico in her arms in a few short months was mind boggling. Boy or girl—they couldn’t help but acquire his most dominant traits: demanding, over-achiever, freakishly brilliant, and determined. She was giddy thinking of a little replica of Nico, and had difficulty concentrating on the brief still left to be completed on her desk.

Richard walked in to her office.

“Hello, Mari. I tried calling you earlier but no one knew where you went off to.” He looked at her inquiringly.

Mari didn’t bother answering the unasked question. This was one piece of news that was only going to be shared when it became too obvious to hide. And by then, she would be working for another company.

“Did you need something?” She sat back in her chair and smiled at him.

Richard slumped in a guest chair in her office and stretched his long legs in front of him. Why couldn’t she have fallen for him? Mari thought, smiling at the boyish picture he presented, slouched like that in the chair. Richard was intelligent, very good looking, athletically built, and a pretty funny guy, for a lawyer. His rich, blond hair, hazel eyes, and always perfectly tanned skin had broken a lot of hearts over the years. While Nico had a rule against fraternizing among the executives, Richard had no problem keeping his sample pool to those in the lower ranks. No matter how badly the relationship ended, there was always another willing victim.

“Nico called and wants an emergency team meeting here in London tomorrow. He and the rest of team will arrive first thing in the morning. We’ll decide one way or another to go ahead with the purchase of the bank in the Cayman Islands, or not. There are a few other scenarios coming up, along with current operational reports for review,” Richard informed her.

Despite his playboy image, Richard was a brilliant lawyer and a very good friend. She was closest to him on the team now that Nico no longer played the role of close friend and confidant. Had the other team members noticed? Men were often so unobservant. She would be surprised if they had.

“You know with all the drama surrounding Nico’s divorce, we have to all pull this deal together seamlessly to ensure continued confidence in our ability to hold things together.”

“Yeah, I know. There’s no need to worry. Our shareholders are aware of our unique team dynamic, and as long as we maintain the status quo, all will be okay. Despite what’s going on in his private life, Nico hasn’t lost his focus. He’s still on top of everything as he usually is,” Mari argued loyally.

“Ease up, kiddo. You’ll get no argument from me.” He grinned, holding up his palms defensively.

“He has taken calculated risks that will pay-off handsomely at year-end, so those old cronies will have nothing to complain about.” She continued glaring at him. Mari couldn’t help but admire Nico even more for everything he’d accomplished in recent months, given the upheaval in his personal life. He was a consummate businessman, focused and driven to succeed.

“Again, I agree.”

“I have to finalize this report on my findings, but I think everything else is ready for review,” she informed him, needing him to take the hint and leave. She was anxious about the prospect of being in such close confines Nico again, especially after the amazing developments revealed hours earlier. She knew she’d have to meet with him, but hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.

I seriously need to start looking for a new job as far away from London as I can.

“Anyway, I thought to alert you to the change in plans. The agenda is being sent by Sharon this evening. Nico arrived from Hong Kong this morning,” Richard advised.

Sharon Johnson was Nico’s secretary. She was the tough shield that guarded Nico from any unwelcome visitor and ensured that he had every comfort within reach at the office. She was not someone to cross if you wanted to get close to the big man. Mari totally loved her. She was very outspoken and blunt, to the point of drawing pain from the person on the receiving end of her sharp tongue.

“What about dinner tonight to go over any last-minute details?” Richard asked.

Mari grinned at him.

“Richard, don’t you have enough women in your harem?”

“What? I’m truly hurt by your skepticism. I sincerely wanted to discuss your brief. You know, your use of computer data jargon is absolutely riveting. How can I resist taking an early peek at what you have to offer?” He placed his hand over his heart and tried the puppy-dog-innocent-boy look.

“Yes, I know you want to review my brief, and every other woman’s briefs.” Mari laughed. “As for jargon, how about we try some of your legal terms? Like you drawing up a contract giving me that beautiful flat you just bought at twenty percent below market, seeing as we’re friends and all.”

Richard laughed and walked to the door. “You’re a hard woman, Mari. My flat and car are my most prized possessions, and so far they’re serious chick magnets. Don’t stay in here too long. See you tomorrow, kid.”

The sound of Richard’s firm, retreating footsteps pounding on the marble tiles made Mari shake her head and smile at his confident, flirtatious swagger. However, she immediately sobered, contemplating her predicament.

The decision ahead was going to be difficult. Should she tell Nico about the life they had created together? Cognizant of the very contentious divorce he was going through, with a woman who was using every trick in the book to hold on to the title of Mrs. Darian, including claiming that
she
was pregnant, made telling him an impossible decision.

Mari shook her head at the woman’s stupidity and wickedness.

She should have left the company weeks ago, Mari admonished herself. Then she would’ve had time to ease into a disclosure. However, with the obvious signs her body was determined to make, she had to leave sooner than she’d anticipated, or the decision to tell Nico would be a
fait accompli
.

She’d only stayed because she thought she owed Nico her support. The exit of one member of the elite team over the past two months would’ve disrupted their operations, and might have created some unease in the market. This would have been devastating for the Group’s share prices.

With the recent tabloid speculation on Nico’s sterility, any news of her pregnancy would certainly put that nasty rumor to rest. Mari wasn’t sure what to do. Her decision definitely hinged on what was in Nico’s and her baby’s best interests. She fiercely loved them both, and wanted to do right by them.

She briefly considered telling him and anticipated his reaction. Knowing how much he believed in family, Mari had no doubt he would insist on marriage. For the same reasons she hadn’t consented to being his mistress, she’d have to decline being his wife. Right now Nico wasn’t a safe bet for any woman’s heart. Not that she wanted to tie him to her under duress. Telling him about the baby might pressure him into maintaining a relationship with her that he didn’t want. He would insist on financial support, even knowing she didn’t need it. Thanks to his generosity over the years, six-figure annual salaries and bonuses, clothing allowances, a company flat and purchased holidays that none of them ever took, she could stop working and easily support her and her child for years on the interest alone.