Unwrapping Her Italian Doc (13 page)

‘O
OH
…’ L
OUISE REACHED
for her phone as it bleeped. ‘We do need to stop on our way to the hotel for condoms because it would seem that I just ovulated.’

‘You get an alert when you ovulate?’ Anton shook his head in disbelief.

‘Well, I put in all my cycles and temperatures and things and it calculates it. It’s great …’

‘You’re going to be one of those old ladies who talks about her bowels, aren’t you?’

‘God, yes.’ Louise laughed at the thought. ‘I’ll probably have an app for it.’

The thing was, Anton wanted to be the old man to see it.

‘Where’s a bloody chemist when you need one?’ Louise grumbled, going through her phone as Anton drove on and came to the biggest, yet ultimately the easiest decision of his life.

‘We could stop at a pub,’ Louise suggested. ‘Nip in to the loos and raid the machines.’

‘We’re not stopping, Louise. You need to get to your mum’s.’

Louise sulked all the way back to the hotel and even more so when they came out of the elevator and she
swiped her entry card to their room. ‘I’ve got the hotel room, a hot Italian and no bloody condoms. Where’s the justice, I ask you …’

And then the door opened and she simply stopped speaking. For a moment Louise thought she had the wrong room because it was in darkness save for the twinkling fairly-lights reflecting off the tinsel. She had never seen a room more overly decorated, Louise thought. There was green, silver, red and gold tinsel, there were lights hanging everywhere. It was gaudy, it was loud and so, so beautiful.

‘You did this?’

‘I don’t want you ever to think of a hotel room on Christmas Day and be sad again. I want this to be your memory.’

‘How?’

‘I rang them,’ Anton said. ‘They were worried it looked over the top, but I reassured them you can
never
have too much tinsel.’

‘It’s the nicest thing you could have done.’

‘Yet,’ Anton said, for he intended many nice things for Louise.

They started to kiss, a lovely long kiss that led them to bed. A kiss that had them peeling off their clothes and Louise stared up at the twinkling lights as slowly he removed her underwear, kissing her everywhere.

‘Anton …’ She was all hot and could barely breathe as he removed her bra and kissed her breasts. Louise unwrapped her presents with haste; Anton took his time.

‘Anton …’ she pleaded, touching herself in frustration as he slid down her panties, desperate for the soft warmth of his mouth.

‘Your turn next,’ Louise said, as, panties off, he
kissed up her thigh. Right now she just wanted to concentrate on the lovely feel of his mouth there, except his mouth now teased her stomach and then went back to her breasts, swirling them with his tongue and then working back up to her mouth.

His erection was there, nudging her entrance, teasing her with small thrusts, and her hands balled in frustration.

‘We don’t have any—’

‘Do you want to try for a baby?’ Anton said, throwing caution to a delectable wind that had chased him for, oh, quite a while now.

‘Our baby?’ Louise checked.

‘I would hope so.’ Anton smiled.

‘You’re sure?’

‘Very,’ Anton said. ‘But are you?’

He didn’t need to ask twice, but the ever-changing Louise changed again, right there in his arms.

‘I’m very sure, but it isn’t just a baby I want now. I want to have a baby with you,’ Louise said.

‘You shall,’ Anton said, and it brought tears to her eyes because here was the man she loved, who would do all he could to make sure her dream came true.

The feel of him unsheathed driving into her had Louise let out a sob of pleasure. For Anton, it was heady bliss. Sensations sharpened, and he felt the warm grip and then the kiss of her cervix, welcoming him over and over again, till for Anton that was it.

The final swell of him, the passion that shot into her tipped Louise deep into orgasm. Her legs tight around him, she dragged him in deeper and let out a little scream. Then she held him there for her pleasure,
just to feel each and every pulse and twitch from them as his breathing made love to her ear.

She looked up at the twinkling lights and never again would she think of Christmas and not remember this.

‘What are you doing?’ Anton spoke to the pillow as, still inside her, Louise’s hand reached across the bed.

‘Taking a photo,’ Louise said, aiming her camera at the fairy-lights. And capturing the moment, she knew she’d found love, for ever.

‘W
ILL IT BE
a problem, us working together?’ Louise asked. They were back at her home, with Louise grabbing everyone’s presents from under her tree. ‘Honestly, it’s something we need to speak about.’

‘We’ll be fine,’ Anton said. ‘Louise, the reason I came down harder on you than anyone is because of what happened in Italy that day when it did all go wrong … but you’re an amazing midwife, over and over I’ve seen it. Aside from personally, I love working with you. I know that the patients get the very best care.’

‘Thank you,’ Louise said. ‘Still, if we get sick of each other …’ She stopped then and looked at the amazing man beside her. She could never get tired of looking at him, working alongside him, getting to know him.

‘I got you two presents,’ Louise said.

He opened the first annoying slowly. It was beautifully wrapped and he took his time then smiled at black and white sweets wrapped in Cellophane.

‘Humbugs,’ Louise said, and popped one in her mouth and then gave him a very nice kiss.

‘Peppermint,’ Anton replied, having taken it from her mouth.

He opened the other present a little more quickly, given its strange shape, to find a large pepperoni.

‘Reminds me of,’ Louise teased, ‘my first kiss with the pizza man and I’m also ensuring that if we ever do break up then you will never be able to eat pepperoni, or taste mint, without thinking of me. I’ve just hexed you orally.’

‘You
are
a witch!’

‘I am!’ Louise smiled.

‘Then you would know already that I love you.’

‘I do.’ Louise’s eyes were misty with tears as he confirmed his feelings.

‘And, if you are a witch, you would know just
how much
I love you and that I would never, ever hurt you.’

‘I do know that,’ Louise said. ‘And if you’re my wizard you’ll already know that I love you with all my heart.’

‘I do.’

‘But I’m about to make you suffer.’ She smiled at his slight frown. ‘We need to get to Mum’s.’

Louise’s family were as mad as the woman they had produced.

Anton watched as they tore open their presents.

‘A cookery book?’ Susan blinked. ‘Oh, and a lesson. It’s a lovely thought, Louise, but I don’t need a cookery lesson …’

‘It’s for charity, Mum.’

‘I could teach her a thing or three,’ Susan said, ‘but I suppose if it’s for charity …’ She smiled a bright smile. ‘Time for dinner. It’s so late, you must all be starving.’

They headed to the dining room, which was decorated
with so much tinsel that Anton realised where Louise’s little problem stemmed from.

At first Anton had no idea what Louise was talking about when she had moaned about her mother’s cooking.

It looked as good as Jennifer’s, it even smelt as good as Jennifer’s, but, oh, my, the taste.

‘That,’ Anton said, after an incredibly long twenty minutes, putting down his knife and sweating in relief that he’d cleared his plate, ‘was amazing, Susan.’

‘There’s plenty more.’ Susan smiled as she collected up the plates.

Anton looked over at Louise’s dad, who gave him a thumbs-up.

‘Christmas pudding now,’ he said. ‘Home-made!’

‘If you get through this,’ Chloe, Louise’s younger sister, whispered to him, ‘you’re in.’

The lights went down and a flaming pudding was brought in and they all duly sang, except for Anton because he didn’t know the words.

It looked amazing, dark and rich and smothered in brandy crème, though had he not had a taste of Jennifer’s delectable one then Anton would, there and then, have sworn off Christmas pudding for life.

It was a very small price to pay for love, though.

‘Family recipe.’ Susan winked, as she sat down to eat hers.

‘It’s wonderful, Mum,’ Louise said.

In its own way it was, so much so that Louise decided to share the smile.

‘I’m going to take a photo and send it to my friends,’ Louise said, as her mother beamed with pride. ‘They don’t know what they’re missing out on!’

Later they crashed on the sofa and watched a film. Anton sat and Louise lay with her head in his lap. Her sisters were going through the Valentine bras she had left over from the shoot. ‘There’s your namesake,’ Louise said, munching on chocolate as Ebenezer Scrooge appeared on screen. Anton smiled. He had never been happier.

He even smiled as Louise’s sister wrinkled her nose. ‘What’s that smell?’

‘Mum’s making kedgeree for Boxing Day.’ Louise yawned.

‘What’s kedgeree?’ Anton asked.

‘Rice, eggs, haddock, curry powder.’ Louise looked up and met his gaze.

‘How about tomorrow we go shopping for a ring?’ Anton said.

‘Did you just propose?’

‘I did.’

‘Louise Rossi …’ she mused. ‘I like it.’

‘Good.’

‘And I love you.’

‘I love you too.’

‘But if you’re buying my ring in the Boxing Day sales, I expect a really big one, and if we’re engaged, then you can tell me what’s going on with you and Jennifer.’

‘When I get the ring I’ll tell you.’

‘Mum,’ Louise called, ‘Dad, we just got engaged.’

There were smiles and congratulations and after a very dry December Anton enjoyed the champagne as he pulled out his phone. ‘I’d better ring my family and tell them the news. They’re loud,’ he warned.

There were lots of ‘
complimentes!
’ and ‘
salute!
’ on
speaker phone as glasses were raised. Much merriment later they came to the rapid decision they would go over there for the New Year and see them and, yes, it would seem they were officially engaged.

Louise checked her own phone and there was a picture of Hugh and Emily sharing a gorgeous Christmas dinner, courtesy of Jennifer and Alex. There was a text too, thanking them for the little pink outfit and hat, which they were sure Baby Louise would be wearing very soon.

There was also a text from Rory and it made her smile.

‘How’s that smudge of hope?’ Anton asked, referring to little Henry.

‘Still smudging.’ Louise smiled as she read Rory’s text. ‘It’s sparkling apple juice his end and I’ve been given strict instructions that we’re not to say anything, ever, to anyone, about what he said today.’

‘I am very glad that Gina has Rory with her,’ Anton said.

‘And me,’ Louise said, and then looked up at the man she would love for ever. ‘You do know that you’re going to be sleeping on the sofa tonight?’

‘Am I?’

‘My parents would freak otherwise.’ She smiled again. ‘Did you know that I’m a twenty-nine-year-old virgin?’

‘Of course you are,’ Anton said, and stroked her hair. He’d sleep in the garden if he had to.

Louise lay there, her family nearby, Anton’s hands in her hair, and all felt right with the world.

Just so completely right.

‘I think that I might already be pregnant,’ Louise whispered.

‘Don’t start.’ Anton smiled.

‘No, I really think I am. I feel different.’

‘Stop it.’ Anton laughed.

But, then, Anton thought, knowing Louise, knowing how meant to be they were, she possibly was.

They might just have made their own Christmas baby.

* * * * *

ISBN: 978-1-472-04577-5

UNWRAPPING HER ITALIAN DOC

© 2014 Carol Marinelli

Published in Great Britain 2014
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited
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