Robyn Grady - Italian Mavericks - New Year Temptation

Megan flounced out of the room. Arguing with Luigi when he was in this mood got her nowhere, but she was fiercely determined not to give in. When the nanny arrived she would tell her in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t needed. Luigi could say what he liked; Charlotte did not need a nanny. Not when she was at home all day to look after her. If Luigi wanted to spend more time at home he would have to put up with Charlotte as well, he wasn’t getting rid of her that easily.

Was that it, she wondered, for all his fine words he found an excitable, energetic daughter too daunting? He didn’t like his routine upset. A nanny would solve the problem. Another case of using the power of his money to get what he wanted. Megan spat fire as she sought her daughter in the kitchen. How dared he dictate? How dared he try to take over her life?

It was evening before she saw him again and her anger hadn’t subsided. As soon as Charlotte was in bed she began her attack. ‘I hope you’ve cancelled the nanny?’

‘Why would I do that?’ A harsh frown dragged his thick brows together.

‘You mean you didn’t listen to a word I said?’ Megan’s eyes flashed her fury. In fact her whole body grew stiff with rage and she battered her fists against his chest. ‘Just because you can’t handle Charlotte it doesn’t mean I need help.’

In response he pulled her hard against him, his arms binding her so that she could no longer fight. ‘I am doing this for us, not Charlotte.’ His dark eyes pierced her own, sending a frisson of awareness through her despite the anger that she felt—or perhaps because of it! ‘We are the ones who need time,’ he asserted strongly. ‘We have a whole four years to catch up.’

‘And you think that handing over our daughter to a complete stranger will help?’ she questioned hotly. ‘As far as I’m concerned there’s nothing to talk about. I’m still convinced that I did the right thing.’

Luigi snorted his annoyance. ‘If it were just you and me then I could perhaps understand. But I’ll never be able to forgive you for depriving me of my daughter’s first years.’

‘I doubt you’d have seen much of her,’ she scorned, struggling in vain to free herself. ‘In case you’ve forgotten, your continual absence was the reason I walked out.’

‘Dammit, Megan, why do you keep throwing that at me?’ he charged, tightening his hold. ‘What I want to know is why you never made me aware of it?’

‘Oh, I did, believe me, many times,’ she yelled into his face, her eyes flashing dramatically. ‘You wouldn’t listen, that was the problem. You were so wrapped up in your entrepreneurial world that nothing I said sank in. You assumed that making money was high on my list of priorities too. Well, let me tell you—’ Her words were cut off by Luigi’s mouth closing over hers. And in that moment Megan knew that she had lost.

LUIGI found it hard to accept that Megan was against him employing someone to look after Charlotte. It was the perfect solution. They needed to spend more time together, they needed to iron out the problems that had sent her fleeing; how could they do that with a three-year-old constantly demanding their attention?

He’d thought hard about their situation and had made up his mind that he would delegate more in order to give Megan his undivided attention. Admittedly he would like to be involved with the problems with the new software, and he’d like to keep his eye on the running of Gerards. But in truth he had staff who were more than capable of dealing with any situation.

He didn’t pay good wages for nothing. He expected hard work and loyalty, and that was what he usually got. It was only his own desire to be involved in all aspects of his varied business interests that kept him going long hours. But now he was needed in another, more important, direction. Probably the most important one of his life. His whole future depended on it.

His arms became more possessive. Megan was his! She belonged to him for all time. He’d made mistakes but their future was transparently clear. The three of them were a family and nothing or no one was going to split them up. Employing a nanny was a necessity as far as he was concerned. He and Megan desperately needed time; they needed to renew their vows, to renew the love that had once bound them so firmly together.

On the day they met he’d fallen instantly in love and even if she hadn’t let him drive her home with her dangerously overflowing bags of Christmas goodies he would have found some other way to get to know her. Maybe meeting her again at Christmas time was a good omen. The thought pleased him and he deepened his kiss, even more thrilled when Megan didn’t resist.

She felt so good in his arms, her slender body moulding perfectly to his, and he silently prayed that she would let him back into her bed. He had tasted paradise and then been denied it. More than once in the endless dark hours he’d padded to her door, prepared to storm in and not take no for an answer. How he had turned around and returned to his room he didn’t know. It had been sheer hell.

But thankfully she was weakening. The way she was kissing him now with complete abandonment, the way she moved her body suggestively against his, was all the encouragement he needed. He lifted her into his arms with the initial thought of carrying her up to bed, but then thought better of it and they ended up on the sofa instead.

‘My beautiful Megan,’ he whispered huskily into her ear. ‘You’ve no idea how hard it’s been having you in my house and not being allowed to touch you.’

‘Don’t talk,’ she breathed, pulling his mouth down to hers and kissing him so passionately that he felt as though all his dreams were coming true. But suddenly Charlotte’s scream cut through their pleasure.

They were both on their feet in an instant, Megan hurtling up the stairs in panic. He followed close behind. What had happened to his daughter? Had she fallen? Was she hurt? His heart thudded as he realised how deeply he had come to love this child in the few short days he’d known her.

Charlotte was sitting straight up in bed, her eyes wide and staring. ‘She’s asleep,’ said Megan, slowing her hectic race. ‘She’s dreaming.’

‘Does she often do this, dream with her eyes open?’ asked Luigi in concern. It looked weird to him.

‘Only when something’s upset her. It’s some kind of nightmare, I think. It’s always the same.’

As they watched Charlotte’s body relaxed, her eyes closed and she gave a half smile as she curled up beneath the bedcovers again.

Megan leaned over her and gave her a gentle kiss. ‘I try not to wake her because then she doesn’t remember.’

Luigi frowned. ‘What could have upset her?’

Megan shrugged and straightened the quilt. ‘Maybe she heard us arguing. She’s a sensitive little soul and we didn’t keep our voices very low, did we?’

Luigi shook his head. ‘We were too far away.’ But a shadow of guilt made him uneasy. He had a lot to learn about children. ‘Will she be all right if we leave her?’

‘I’m going to stay in my room just in case,’ declared Megan. ‘Alone!’ she added warningly.

Luigi compressed his lips. ‘We have unfinished business.’

‘That was a mistake,’ retorted Megan on a loud whisper.

‘Like marrying me was a mistake?’ He couldn’t help himself. He’d been so confident that tonight was the night they’d both realise that they couldn’t sleep apart, and to have it all snatched away from him because Charlotte had had a bad dream drove him crazy.

‘Since you put it like that, yes.’ Her eyes were cool on his, her earlier passion gone, melting as quickly as the snowflakes outside.