Total pages in book: 163
Estimated words: 163540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 818(@200wpm)___ 654(@250wpm)___ 545(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 163540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 818(@200wpm)___ 654(@250wpm)___ 545(@300wpm)
I can’t believe this is happening.
“I love you.” He kisses me softly and I melt into him. I can whine all I want about things that go bump in the night, but I could never whine about him.
He is perfect.
“Can we go out to lunch to officially celebrate?” I ask.
“I’d rather go home and celebrate.” He kisses me again.
I know this kiss, it’s an emotion overload kiss. The type he gives me when we have to be close.
“Lunch first.” I smile.
He exhales heavily.
“Everyone’s looking at us.”
“Who cares? I’m having a baby. I’ll do whatever I fucking like.” He forces himself to refocus. “Lunch… then the afternoon in bed.”
“I’m not quite sure that pregnant women spend the afternoon in bed doing rude things, Mr. Ferrara.”
He gives me the best come fuck me look of all time. “Mine does.”
He pulls out into the traffic and we drive for a while.
“We will have to bring the wedding forward.”
My eyes flick over to him in question.
“I don’t want anyone to know until we are married. I don’t want them to think this is a shotgun wedding.”
“Okay.” I think for a moment. “I wish it happened a little later. I know the timing isn’t that great.”
He gives me a heart-stopping smile. “A child is a gift whenever it arrives.”
I smile over at my gorgeous man; how did I get so lucky? “Thank you for being amazing.”
“Thank you for being mine.”
Enrico raises his wineglass with mine. “To us.”
“To us.” I smile. “Although a toast with mineral water doesn’t seem to pull the same punch.”
He chuckles. “Get used to it.”
My phone buzzes on the table. “Hello,” I answer.
“Hello, darling,” Giorgio sings.
“Oh, hi.” I cringe. “I’m so sorry I had today off. I… I had to go to the doctors.”
“That’s okay, darling. I was calling to tell you that they have found asbestos in the building. You will have to work from home for a week or two.”
“What?” I frown. “Really?”
“It wasn’t in the building, just in a wall structure that had been added over the years. It’s being removed this week.”
“Oh.”
“It will be completely safe to return.”
“So, I’ll just work from home tomorrow?” I ask.
“Yes, unless you would rather have some time off. I can arrange that, too.”
I frown over at Enrico. He frowns back in question. “Did you tell him?” I whisper.
He shakes his head. “No,” he mouths back.
“Okay, that’s great. I’ll call you tomorrow, Giorgio.”
“Goodbye, sweetheart. Have a nice day.” He hangs up.
“Jeez.”
“What?”
“They’ve found asbestos in the building. I have to work from home for a few weeks.”
“Oh.” He picks his drink up and sips it, not saying anything else.
I stare at him. He can’t lie for shit. “Did you organize this?”
“No.” He rearranges his napkin on his lap.
“Enrico.” I gasp. “I have to work.”
“And you can… from home.” He takes my hands over the table. “My guards are super busy at the moment and it’s easier if you work from home for security reasons. Giorgio didn’t mind at all and, well, I just thought that now might be a nice time to bring your mother over.”
I frown. “What?”
“I haven’t met her yet. She can come to the engagement party next weekend, and you can tell her about the baby in person. You don’t want to do it over the phone, do you? As soon as she knows, we can tell everyone else.”
I sit back in my chair in shock. “Really?”
“Yes, I want to get to know her, and who knows?” He shrugs. “We may convince her to move to Lake Como for a while. I can get her a house of her own on the lake so she will be close while you’re pregnant.”
I put my hands over my mouth. “That would be so amazing,” I whisper. “You are so thoughtful. Thank you. I’ll call her tonight.” I take out my pad and paper and write the words.
To do
“My friend is going to help me organize this party,” I say as I begin my list.
“What friend?”
“Jenn.”
“Who’s she?”
“My friend from the gym. Remember? You met her the night you carried on like a pork chop and punched Franco.”
He rolls his eyes, unimpressed by the memory. “He deserved it.”
“She used to be a party planner in Australia.”
“No.” He sips his drink.
“What?”
“I am not having a stranger involved.”
“She’s not a stranger.”
“She is. You don’t know her. Who knows who she is?” He sits back, annoyed. “She can’t even attend the party,” he adds.
My face falls. “What? Why not?”
“We don’t know her.” He widens his eyes, as if I should already know this.
“I know her.”
“You really don’t. Lorenzo will have to check her out. She isn’t to come to the house at all until we get it through security.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re so dramatic. She’s just a girl from the gym.”
“No,” he replies sharply. “I’m a realist. Nobody has access to you unless they are security checked first.”