Mogul (7 page)

Eventually Vanni was recognized, and she
could hear the snapping of photos as they entered or exited popular
restaurants. But by that point she was kind of over it. Let them
take their stupid pictures, let them spread their nasty rumors. She
was tired of being a prisoner to her life, especially when she was
the happiest she had ever been.

By the time Vanni suggested
that she take a job on the production of
Fierce
, she jumped all over the idea.
Her only hesitation was that she’d be visibly pregnant by the time
the show premiered, and eventually she’d have to confront Graham
with the truth. She wasn’t looking forward to it – especially as
good as he had been to both her and Vanni since they had returned
from New York at the beginning of the year.

Had it really only been three months since
she was living in Graham’s home and sleeping in Graham’s bed?

It was the one secret she had kept from
Vanni. There had never been the right moment to confess how
intimate her relationship with Graham had become. Vanni seemed to
work best under the assumption that Graham had been unable to truly
compete for Andy’s affection in any physical way. He was happiest
focusing on the things he could do for her now. Vanni had gone into
overdrive to make up for all the years they had been apart, to
treat her with all the devotion and loyalty he had been so afraid
to show before.

The last thing they needed in this vulnerable
stage of their relationship was for him to know she had slept with
another man.

Technically it hadn’t been cheating,
considering they weren’t a couple at the time. In fact she turned
to Graham for comfort, thinking she had lost Vanni forever thanks
to Holly and her scheming. But regardless of her reasons, she had
the sneaking suspicion that Vanni wouldn’t be as forgiving of her
indiscretions as she had always been of his.

Graham had been a sticking point in their
relationship for years. There didn’t seem any reason whatsoever to
give Vanni information that – when it was all said and done – would
only fuel his insecurities.

They were happy now, and it was a hard-won
happiness. Now that he had given her his heart exclusively –
finally – the best gift she could give him in return was peace of
mind. After all, he had nothing to worry about; she was completely
committed to their life together.

She couldn’t imagine any other man who could
ever come close to meaning what he meant to her, especially now
that he was the father of her child.

On Valentine’s Day, he pulled out all the
stops. They began their day with breakfast in bed, drinking
sparkling cider and feeding each other fruit, cheese and bread. He
took her to a world-renowned jewelry store, where he was presented
with a signature blue box containing what had to be a sparkly
little bauble inside. Despite her clasped hands and happy smile, he
pocketed the gift and led her from the store. “Not yet,” he said
with a smile.

He took her to get a decadent frozen hot
chocolate that was so large that even though they shared it, they
still couldn’t finish. It didn’t matter. They were completely sated
as they leaned close together, holding hands while he stole kisses
across the table and they daydreamed about the new show. She
expected him to present the gift before they left, and bugged him
relentlessly between kisses and giggles, but he just shook his head
with mischievous grin. “Not yet.”

They strolled through the city streets, his
arm draped possessively around her shoulders. He led her straight
to the park, where he rented a hansom cab. He didn’t care if the
whole world saw… he cuddled her close for the whole busy city to
see. He would tell random people as they rode by, “I love this
woman!” which made her giggle in spite of herself. Few seemed to
recognize him in his dressed-down state, with his hair pulled back
and his dark sunglasses. They simply saw a sappy romantic courting
his lady on Valentine’s Day, and would smile and wave in return.
When he sang old songs in between hungry little kisses, it drew a
little more attention. “Was that…? Could it be…?” But the horse
kept clomping forward before they’d know for sure.

They snuggled together as they enjoyed the
ride. All it was missing was the snow. “Remember our first kiss?”
he asked.

She tipped her head to look at him. “Of
course. Your birthday.”

His head bent lower. “One of the best gifts
ever,” he said as his lips toyed with hers. As he deepened the
kiss, fire spread throughout her body. Even after all these years,
it still felt like the first time. How did he do that?

She was breathless when they broke apart.
“Speaking of gifts…” she began as she reached inside his jacket for
her present. He swatted her hand away playfully. “Vanni, you’re
torturing me! When do I get my present?”

He slid his hand up her thigh. “Depends. When
do I get mine?” he growled playfully before he nuzzled her
neck.

“July!” she shot back with a happy smile. His
smile was warm and genuine as he caressed her tummy.

“I can’t wait,” he told her honestly.

She touched his face with her hand. “Me
either.”

After the ride was over, he helped her from
the cab and they strolled into Central Park. Every time they would
reach a picturesque setting, he would pause with a teasing smile,
reach into his pocket… and then shake his head and move on. They
strolled along the mall, they stopped along the bridge. They even
kissed in front of the fountain.

She was beside herself with anticipation the
longer he made her wait. The day was nearly over as they rode to
the top of the Empire State Building.

“This better be good,” she warned as she
snuggled against him in the elevator.

He wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’m
pretty sure you’ll like it,” he said.

They stepped out onto the observation deck.
“This is the real gift,” he told her as he turned her to face the
city. He held her from behind as they watched the sky catch ablaze
with a fiery sunset. “You see that?” he whispered against her ear,
and she nodded breathlessly. “That’s your present.”

“What?” she whispered.

“The world,” he answered as he turned her
back around and looked deep into her eyes. “I’m going to give it to
you.”

She watched in open-mouthed wonder as he
dropped to one knee and finally took the tiny blue box from his
coat pocket. She gasped when he opened it; it was a two-carat pink
diamond engagement ring, princess cut, surrounded by tiny,
sparkling diamonds on the band and around the sides of the
stone.

Never… in her wildest dreams…

But there he was, taking her left hand in
his. “Andy Foster, you are the love of my life,” he said simply as
he looked up at her and gasped her hand. “Marry me.”

It wasn’t even a question. It was a command.
“Vanni.” The word came out in a breath. She didn’t know what to
say. It was a dream come true. He didn’t wait for her answer; he
took the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger, then rose
to his feet to take her into his arms. There were tears in her eyes
as she kissed him.

Neither one spoke as he took her to the hotel
where they had conceived their baby. They held each other tight as
they rode to the top floor and checked into the same penthouse
suite. Rose petals led the way to their romantic paradise. He
lifted her effortlessly and kicked the door shut behind them as he
followed the pretty pink and red trail.

He placed her gently on the bed, but there
was nothing gentle in the way she pulled him down to her. Her
kisses were hungry and demanding. This was her man now – he had
committed to her a lifetime with the ring she now wore on her
finger, one she never could have expected from that first sexy
dance in Philadelphia so long ago. Her fingers tugged his ponytail
free and tangled in his hair as she pulled him close.

Until they were one, nothing was close
enough.

His fingers unbuttoned her top and slid it
from her shoulders as he kissed his way along her neck and towards
her chest. She gasped when his mouth closed over her bare breast,
which he unveiled with the same rising ardor. She tore his jacket
away and slipped his shirt above his head, her fingers dancing over
the solid muscles of his broad chest.

This wasn’t just some guy sharing her bed.
This was the love of her life, her unexpected soul mate.

Her
fiancé
, she thought to herself. Giovanni
Carnevale was her fiancé! The world wanted him… but he
wanted
her
.

He unzipped her jeans and slid them over her
full hips as he trailed tiny, hot kisses along her satiny flesh. He
paused as he reached her rounded stomach, where he gently kissed
the solid, little ball hidden there. He was in awe of the miracle
growing inside her body, but more importantly he was in awe of the
miracle of her. He lightly traced the curve of her tummy.

A smile spread across her face as she ran her
fingers through his hair. He had been so attentive, so loving – so
eager to share this amazing journey with her. It was such a far cry
from their pregnancy scare in San Francisco. He had certainly grown
over the years. It amazed her to think that she might have been the
reason why.

And now he had promised her forever. He
wasn’t walking away, like in her nightmares. He was warm and real
and wonderful in her arms. It made her hunger for him not just in
body, but deep in her soul. Just as she reached for him, she felt a
slight but distinct fluttering in her tummy. She held her breath
for a moment, trying to figure out what it could have been, and
then she felt it again.

She gasped as she sat up, which got his
attention. “What’s the matter?” he asked with concern.

There were tears in her eyes as she shook her
head. “I think… I think I felt the baby.”

His eyes widened as he touched her stomach.
He couldn’t feel anything. He bent closer and whispered, “Are you
in there, my little baby Bean?” against her skin.

There, very slightly, almost imperceptibly,
she felt it again. She was crying and laughing all at the same
time. “Did you feel it?”

He gave her a sweet smile. He had read
anything he could get his hands on to know what to expect while she
was pregnant. He knew it was still too soon for that. “No. But I
feel you,” he said as he climbed back up her body to kiss her
deeply on the mouth. “I love you, Andy,” he said, hoping one day
he’d say it enough to make up for all the times he had withheld it
like some selfish, entitled asshole.

“I love you, Vanni,” she whispered back.

His heart melted every time she said his
name. His mouth devoured hers while his fingers danced over her
quivering flesh. He took his time loving her, giving her a
Valentine’s Day to remember always.

When they finally come together, it wasn’t
answering a physical need. It was making an unspoken promise. The
ring she now wore weighed deliciously against her finger, a sacred
covenant far too long in the making.

That night she had no nightmares at all.

They returned to his brownstone the following
day and were at L.A.X by that evening. They didn’t bother to hide
the ring, or their embrace, as they faced the onslaught of PING
reporters that slithered around the airport, waiting for the next
celebrity arrival to exploit.

“Vanni! Over here! Vanni!”

Neither Vanni nor Andy said anything as they
bore through the small crush of pushy photographers.

“Did you have a good Valentine’s Day?” they
wanted to know.

Vanni sent one of them a stern glance. “Yes,
we did. Especially since you guys weren’t there.”

By the time they reached the hired car to
return them home, they were both agitated from the intrusion. He
wanted to say he was sorry; he wanted to promise it would get
better, but the fact of the matter was this was their life, for
better or worse.

As his wife, there would be a lot more
interest in her now, especially with the baby coming. They had
managed to hide the OB/GYN appointments so far, but the growing
bump in her belly would soon tell its own tale, especially now that
she was unwilling to stay cooped up in their beach house for the
rest of her pregnancy.

They still had five months to go. She’d go
stir crazy if she had to wait that long to return to the land of
the living.

The next day they made a
conference call to Graham, to suggest they find a place for her in
the production of
Fierce
. Graham, who recovered quickly
from the shock of seeing her, was all for the idea. He called
Shannon, and made an appointment with Andy for the following day to
come into his office and meet with his co-producer for the
show.

Andy was happier than Vanni had ever seen her
when she puttered around the kitchen, preparing dinner for them
that evening.

“So when do we break the news?” he wanted to
know. He had hoped that PING would have made a big deal about the
big bauble on her finger, breaking the news for them, but they
seemed to have missed it in all the hullabaloo at the airport. He
was ready to tell the world that he was going to marry this woman
and they were going to have a baby soon.

She had hidden in the shadows long
enough.

Andy gave him a big smile.
“I’ve been thinking about it,” she said. “How about when you do
press for
Fierce
next week?”

He liked the sound of that, but he was
curious why she still wanted to wait. He asked her as much, and his
stomach fell a little when she said, “I’d like to tell Graham in
person, privately, before we make a public announcement.”

She didn’t like how his face fell. She had
hoped after all the time they had spent together, especially their
romantic and memorable Valentine’s Day, that he’d be over his
insecurities as far as Graham was concerned. She put a lid on the
simmering sauce pan and walked over to where he sat on a bar stool
at the counter. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed
him. “Only because it’s the right thing to do,” she tried to
reason.