The next morning Gianfranco introduced her to the nanny he’d employed to help her look after their daughter, a large widow in her forties, Signora Mussi. He also made it plain the woman was a guard against any repeat of Kelly’s desire to run away with Annalou. The rest of the staff had the same instructions. Kelly didn’t bother to object because she knew it would be useless, and in any case she intended to stay with her daughter whatever the cost.
In the weeks that followed Kelly’s life fell into a routine. She spent all day with Annalou, in the evenings and weekends Gianfranco joined them, and the nights… The nights were spent with her husband.
Kelly had studied chemistry, but nothing had prepared her for the sexual chemistry between them. Every night in the huge four-poster bed they came together with a hunger, a need that knew no bounds. Gianfranco taught her every subtle erotic nuance the human body was capable of and then some! And she was a willing learner. They tormented and teased and pleasured each other, and afterwards fell into a sleep of utter exhaustion in each other’s arms.
Before, when they had been together, Kelly had been pregnant the whole time. Their lovemaking had been wonderful, but now she realised just how restrained Gianfranco had been. Three years later he had no such inhibitions; he delighted in her body with a fervour that bordered on obsession. Sometimes in the early morning she would wake to find him
watching her with an intensity that was scary. He could spend hours caressing every inch of her body. But it was the same for her. She gloried in the freedom to explore his hard masculine frame, until finally they would find yet more ways to please each other.
At first Kelly was hopeful the passion they shared would bring them closer together, but as the weeks moved into months she had to accept it would not.
In day-to-day life they were Mummy and Daddy, for Annalou. They obeyed the social niceties on the few occasions they appeared as a couple, at business dinners or events at the Casa Maldini. But the rest of the time they were like two strangers. Gianfranco was as much a workaholic as ever, but without travelling abroad. Kelly busied herself with Annalou and making friends with the staff and, much to her surprise, Carmela. Lunches and shopping trips were quite frequent occurrences and went some way to combating Kelly’s sense of loneliness.
It was a glorious, hot, sunny day on the twenty-third of August, Anna’s wedding-day. Annalou was standing in the entrance to the small village church, a picture in a froth of pale blue silk with cream roses embroidered around the Peter Pan collar, and the crinoline skirt caught up in scallops around the bottom with cream satin bows.
‘Now do as the chief bridesmaid tells you and stand still and behave yourself,’ Kelly told her quietly. ‘Your daddy and I must take our seats.’
‘Yes, Mummy.’
Sitting in the front pew, Kelly glanced around the church. She recognised most of the faces: they were all people who worked for her husband. She cast a sidelong glance at Gianfranco beside her. The expertly tailored silver-grey silk suit he wore fitted his impressive frame to perfection, but could not hide the raw animal magnetism of the man. She studied his dark, devastatingly handsome face, and surprisingly discerned tiredness around his eyes and mouth that gave a harshness to his features. He glanced back at her as though sensing her surveillance, one perfect ebony brow arching quizzically.
Kelly shook her head and stared straight ahead. So he looked a bit haggard—not surprising, the way he worked—and played. The last two nights they had made love with a desperation on Kelly’s part she was not proud of. Still, they did not have the kind of relationship that allowed her to show concern for him. Anyway, she had enough problems of her own. The biggest one having arisen two days ago—when she had collected Annalou’s dress from Verona she had also visited Dr Credo, and discovered she was pregnant again. At first she had been delighted, until she’d remembered Gianfranco’s telling Olivia he wanted no more children.
The bride was beautiful, the service, the photos, the reception…everything was perfect, but Kelly went through the whole thing worried sick.
‘It was the bestest wedding ever,’ Annalou said later that evening, standing in the nursery, washed and ready for bed, having finally been persuaded to take off her bridesmaid’s dress. ‘Anna was beautiful; my wedding will be like that. Was yours, Mummy?’
Kelly chuckled. ‘Something like that,’ and, glancing across at Gianfranco, she was surprised to see what looked like a flicker of pain in his dark eyes. He had just been laughing and telling Annalou she was a little princess.
‘Into bed.’ Kelly watched as Annalou climbed on the bed, and then, bending over her, she tucked her in and kissed her.
‘You looked lovely as well, Mummy,’ Annalou murmured sleepily. Kelly swallowed the lump in her throat, touched by her child’s words.
‘Thank you, sweetheart. Now go to sleep.’ Straightening up, she smoothed her hands down her hips, straightening the skirt of her dress. It was a designer gown in heavy silk, French navy trimmed with cream, with a low-cut square neck that revealed the slight curve of her breasts, and short sleeves. It followed the line of her shapely body to perfection. But not for much longer, she thought wryly.
‘I don’t think I told you how beautiful you looked today.’ Gianfranco’s husky drawl impinged on her musings, and suddenly he was beside her, his hand on her arm. ‘My daughter reminded me.’
‘You don’t look so bad yourself,’ Kelly murmured, her gaze resting lightly on his large, lithe body as he led her from the room.
‘Thank you.’ Gianfranco grinned. ‘But I think our little princess took the prize, don’t you?’
‘Yes. Of course,’ Kelly agreed and glanced speculatively up at him as they entered the sitting room of their suite. The wedding and Annalou seemed to have put him in a good mood, but then he usually was relaxed around Annalou. Maybe this was her chance to do some fishing and find out how he really felt about another child.
‘She is growing up fast,’ Kelly ventured, sinking down onto the sofa and kicking off her shoes; her heart was racing but she battled to remain cool.
‘Yes, she is a darling child, and she looked a picture in that dress,’ Gianfranco responded, walking across to the bar and pouring a good measure of whisky into a crystal glass. ‘Want one?’ He raised his glass.
Kelly shook her head. ‘No,’ and for a second wondered what he would say if she just came out with it. Sorry, I can’t—I’m pregnant. But she wasn’t prepared to take the chance. Instead she continued, ‘But I sometimes wonder if maybe Annalou is a bit lonely with only adults for company,’ she suggested. ‘Maybe we should consider having another child—a brother or a sister for her.’ She waited with bated breath for his response.
Gianfranco almost choked on the whisky and, draining the glass, he put it down, his dark brows drawing together in a frown. Had she taken leave of her senses? He crossed to where she sat, looking perfectly relaxed, and stared down at her. A tentative smile played around her luscious mouth, but her gorgeous eyes were oddly serious. He knew what she was like for leaping into things. Her latest idea had to be nipped in the bud immediately.
‘No. Annalou is perfectly happy, and she has friends at pre-school. Another child is out of the question,’ he told her bluntly. A nerve ticked in Gianfranco’s temple, and he laid his hand on her shoulder, kneading her collarbone to emphasise the point. ‘Forget it, Kelly. I don’t want any more children.’
She trembled at the warmth of his hand on her flesh, but her blue eyes locked onto the implacable darkness of Gianfranco’s and she had her answer. He was deadly serious and it hurt like hell. Deep down inside she had nursed the hope that perhaps her Italian had not been so good three years ago, that she had misinterpreted what Gianfranco had said. Now that hope was gone.
‘Tough,’ she said, shrugging off his hand and rising to her feet. ‘Because I’m already pregnant.’ She didn’t wait to hear his response, but headed for the door.
‘No—no.’ Gianfranco grabbed her arm and whirled her around to face him. ‘Tell me it isn’t true,’ he demanded through clenched teeth.