Valentino's Pregnancy Bombshell (7 page)

‘Well, I think that was fairly definite, yes?' Valentino smiled.

Paige nodded wildly, even though her face was threatening to crumple. Her deaf daughter could hear. It was simply the most amazing thing she'd ever witnessed. Even though she'd been present through so many activations in her two years with Harry, this time it was simply incredible.

She rose from her chair and in three paces was by McKenzie's side, picking her up, kissing her face, rocking from side to side. She wanted to spin and twirl, dance like a mad thing, but was aware of the cord attaching McKenzie to the laptop.

Still McKenzie rocked enthusiastically and giggled, holding tight to her mother's neck, enjoying the ride. Paige laughed too, giddy with joy and hope, lighter than air.

‘It's amazing. Amazing, amazing, amazing!'

Valentino chuckled. ‘Yes, it is.'

Paige slowed and pulled McKenzie against her for a long hard hug. Valentino was watching them with a big smile, dimples on high beam. Even sitting in his chair, he looked big and broad. His long bronzed fingers rested against the keyboard.

Fingers that had given the gift of hearing to her daughter.

‘Thank you Valentino. Thank you,' she said over McKenzie's head. ‘I don't know how I could possibly thank you enough. Words just seem…inadequate.'

Valentino dismissed her words with a quick wave of his hand. McKenzie's reaction, Paige's reaction, had
been thanks enough. He grinned at her. ‘I have a great job, don't I?'

Paige grinned back. ‘Yes, you do.'

McKenzie squirmed and Paige realised she was still holding her tight. ‘Sorry, darling,' she said, lowering her to the floor. McKenzie went back to her puzzle as if nothing momentous had happened and Paige laughed again.

Valentino adored the sound. It was quite melodious and he realised he hadn't heard her laugh, truly laugh with joy and abandon, until now. He guessed she hadn't had a whole lot to be happy about in the last three years. He was glad to have been instrumental in it.

‘I like hearing you laugh,' he murmured.

Paige dragged her gaze away from her daughter, sobering a little. He was staring at her mouth and there was intenseness in his espresso depths. Her stomach muscles undulated as if he'd brushed seductive fingers against her belly. ‘It's nice to have something to laugh about for once.'

Valentino nodded. ‘Shall we continue?'

Paige drew in a suddenly husky breath. ‘Please.'

 

That evening Paige flopped down on her couch utterly exhausted. Who'd have thought excitement could wear you out? They'd spent the rest of the day at her parents' place, watching McKenzie like a hawk, engaging her as much as possible, trying to gauge the extent of her new-found ability.

On the whole there were no major changes to
indicate anything had changed. McKenzie didn't seem to respond to their voices but Paige had no doubt now that would come. Towards the end of their visit, however, McKenzie did, very obviously, hear the crash when her grandfather accidentally dropped a metal bowl on the kitchen floor, turning instantly towards the sound and running to the kitchen to check it out.

They spent a hilarious hour dropping as many non-breakables on the floor as possible and revelling in McKenzie's amazed reactions. It was like watching her discover the world for the first time and Paige seriously doubted she'd ever tire of it.

There was a long way to go. She knew that. But today had been a resounding success and as she propped her feet up on the lounge, McKenzie tucked up safely in bed, Paige could honestly say she was content.

She sighed and shut her eyes, weary beyond belief but with a smile on her face. This had been an absolutely fantastic day!

The sharp peal of the doorbell startled her. Who on earth could that be at…she checked her watch…eight o'clock? She groaned. It was only eight o'clock? It felt like three in the morning.

Paige struggled out of the chair, a feeling deep down in her gut intensifying the closer she got to the door. It couldn't be? Could it?

She eyed her standard trackpants and baggy top and briefly wished she was wearing something different. More…feminine. But a spurt of irritation overrode it. She wasn't dressing to please him. And if he was going
to keep turning up on her doorstep unannounced then he could take her as he found her. At least she had showered. She yanked open the door.

Valentino smiled down at her. ‘Minestrone!' he announced with a flourish.

Her irritation dissipated instantly. She couldn't be cranky with him. Not after today. And he was wearing blue jeans and a snug-fitting T-shirt, his damp hair curling on his nape. ‘Are you trying to make me fat?' she grouched.

He lifted the lid off the bowl and brought it close to her face. Mouth-watering aromas wafted her way. ‘Yes,
tesoro
. That's exactly what I'm trying to do.'

Paige's stomach grumbled as the smell enveloped her in a warm cocoon. Every day for the last three weeks some sumptuous dish or other had been delivered to her doorstep. It seemed tonight was to be no different.

Except for the personal delivery.

‘Let me guess. Mrs Agostino at the deli?'

Valentino gasped and clutched at his chest, feigning injured pride. ‘Made it myself. One of my mamma's recipes.'

A man who could cook? Arnie had been the laziest man on the planet. Charming but utterly useless. She hadn't noticed it in the beginning but then their lives had taken a dive and Arnie had not risen to the occasion.

Just when she thought he was like her ex, Valentino went and did something that surprised her. Paige opened the door wider. ‘Come in, then.'

She led him to the kitchen, reaching up for two
bowls. She heard the scrape of glass against marble and turned to see him pouring two glasses of red wine the colour of ripe mulberries.

He held it out to her and she almost refused. McKenzie would no doubt wake at some stage during the night, as was her usual pattern, and be up early, as bright as a button. And she was really out of practice with drinking wine. But today he'd performed a miracle and she would have drunk out of a poisoned chalice right now if he'd offered it to her. So she took it.

Valentino smiled and lifted his glass. ‘To McKenzie.'

Paige shook her head. ‘To you.' And she clinked her glass against his.

They ate their bowls of soup sitting on the lounge. She only half filled hers, giving Valentino the lion's share. But when she'd finished she'd wished she'd kept a little more for herself.

Valentino had been tempting her palate so much these last few weeks she was actually noticing flavours and textures again. Her appetite was hardly normal but instead of ignoring her stomach when it grumbled she actually went looking for something to put in it. Lucky for her, with Valentino's edible gifts hanging around, there was plenty of choice.

She looked longingly at Valentino's bowl. He lifted his eyes from his food and looked at her and she quickly dropped her gaze. But then she noticed how his jeans moulded to powerful quads and she remembered how they'd felt beneath her fingers and she quickly looked away. Thank God she'd had the sense to sit on the
cushion furthest away from him on the three-seater after he'd chosen the single lounge chair.

‘Would you like some,
bella
?'

Startled, Paige glanced at him. The look on his face was one of pure innocence, the soup bowl thrust towards her. But his eyes and the slight lift of his mouth told her he was perfectly aware of the double meaning.

‘No. I'm really full.' Her stomach growled at her loudly as if in protest and she blushed as he chuckled, placing her hand on it to calm the recalcitrant beast.

She was never hungry. Or at least hunger was so inconsequential in her life; she never paid it any heed.

She grabbed her barely touched wine and took a sip. ‘So, this is your mother's recipe? What's that herb I can taste? It's so fragrant but I'm afraid I'm out of touch with all things culinary.'

‘Basil.' Valentino watched her as she took another sip of wine, her lips pressed against the glass. ‘Fresh basil, straight from the pot. My mother always says when in doubt add basil.'

Paige smiled. When he was sitting here like this in her lounge room she could almost forget he was a smooth, seriously sexy playboy with a girl in every port. That he'd dated a supermodel. It was like he was just an ordinary Joe, enjoying a quiet evening at home.

Oh, dear. She did not like the direction of her thoughts. Next she'd be convincing herself she could change him.

Because that had worked so well with Arnie.

‘Your mother's deaf, right?'

Valentino nodded. ‘Since birth. Maternal rubella.'

Paige nodded slowly. ‘So you've always signed?'

‘
Si.
I've been signing since before I could talk. We all can.'

‘All?'

‘Me, my father, my five older sisters. Even Alessandro.'

Five sisters? No wonder he knew women. She'd bet her last cent he'd charmed every one of them. ‘Was that hard? Growing up with a deaf mother?'

He shrugged. ‘It was the way it was. I never really thought about it. I'm sure it was a lot harder for her, having six kids to manage.'

‘So you speak two languages and sign in them as well?'

‘I sign in three actually. I had to learn BSL, British sign language, when I went to London and then when I came here I had to learn Auslan, although it is very closely related to BSL so that was reasonably easy.'

Damn it, did the man have to be so perfect? She folded her arms more tightly across her stomach. ‘Has your mother ever expressed a desire to have an implant? She must be a perfect candidate.'

Valentino nodded absently. Paige had pulled the fabric of her shirt taut across her chest and suddenly he could see a lot more. Like she wasn't wearing a bra. Suddenly their decision to be friends was making less sense.

‘She is. And I really want her to have one but she doesn't. She doesn't see that there's anything wrong with her. She has a full life, she can communicate and
is quite active in the deaf community back home.' He shrugged. ‘And I respect that.'

‘Does that make me an awful person, then? Do you think by going down this path with McKenzie, my daughter will think that I think something is wrong with her?' She searched his face for an answer. ‘Is it wrong of me to want this for her?'

Valentino frowned. He sat forward and placed his bowl on the table. ‘Of course not, Paige. My mother is a firm believer in doing what you feel is best. As am I. Implants just increase options for the deaf. She would be proud of you.'

Paige felt a trill of pleasure squirm through her belly at the thought of Senora Lombardi's approval. ‘I bet she's proud of you.'

Valentino grinned. ‘But of course. Tells everyone about her son the surgeon.'

Paige laughed. ‘That sounds familiar in any culture.'

Valentino regarded her for a few moments. ‘There it is again,' he murmured. ‘That laugh.'

She grinned. ‘It might actually become a habit.'

Valentino's gaze flicked to her shirt where it had fallen off one shoulder and her nipples made two points against the fabric.

Friends, friends, friends.

He returned his eyes to hers. ‘Wouldn't that be nice?'

Paige sobered. Very novel. He held her gaze and it was like being sucked into warm dark mud. ‘Did I thank you enough? Really, Valentino, I don't know how to thank you enough.'

He shrugged. ‘It's my job. I'm just lucky to have the best job in the whole world.'

‘Still…' On impulse she stood and took a step towards him. And then another, until she was standing in front of him. ‘Thank you so much,' she whispered. Leaning down, she slid her hands to cup either side of his face, her fingers pushing into the luxury of his hair, and pressed her mouth to his in a brief kiss.

It wasn't meant to be sexual. It really wasn't. It was meant to be grateful and heartfelt. A thank-you kiss from the bottom of her soul.

Friendly.

Quick in and quick out.

But she should have known she was playing with fire. Because her senses were filled with him. His food offerings had awakened them to flavour and aroma and texture and she was experiencing them all—his warmth, the scratch of his stubble and the clean male smell of him—and even though she pulled out of the kiss she was incapable of moving away.

Valentino looked up at her. Her eyes had gone smoky and just before she'd covered his mouth, her baggy shirt had fallen forward and he'd feasted his gaze on her pert naked breasts.

It hadn't been something a friend would do.

He was already hard for her as he reached out and encircled her wrists with his fingers.

Paige looked down at where his thumbs ran a lazy path over her pulse points. There was a brief moment when it was possible to back off, to remember that they'd
decided not to do this again. But it passed. And then she was sinking her knees into the leather either side of his thighs, straddling him, settling herself against him.

And then they were kissing. Like the world was about to end. And then her shirt was off and his mouth was on her breasts, sucking her nipples deep into his hot mouth, rasping his tongue around them as they peaked and surged against its boldness.

And then his shirt followed and she was reaching between his legs, unzipping him, touching the hard edge of him, rubbing herself against him as she freed him from the prison of his underpants.

‘Oh, God,' he groaned, thrusting himself into her hand. ‘Condom?'

Paige slowed.

What?

Condoms? Of course.

Her heart was racing as she tried to order her thoughts. But then Valentino sucked a nipple into his mouth and she clung to his shoulder as her brain turned to mush.

‘Condom,' he said again, releasing her thoroughly worshipped nipple.