The Italian's Wife

resolved. Once I inform the woman that I intend to marry you, she will

see that neither you nor your son are in need of further support.'

As he released his hold on her Holly fell back from him,

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thunderstruck by that statement. 'You're going to tell her that we're

getting...married?'

'And the less you say on the subject the better...OK?' Rio breathed,

striding back to the door and flipping it shut in his wake.

In a daze, Holly blinked as comprehension slowly sank in. Yet she was

amazed that Rio was willing to tell such a whopping lie on her behalf.

However, that fiction would indeed satisfy any concerns as to her son's

future well-being. Rio Lombardi was rich, respectable and a noted

philanthropist, she reminded herself dizzily. He was the fake

husband-to-be from heaven, only lacking an actual halo. He was also very

clever. She was really touched that he was prepared to spout such a

story purely for her benefit. Not that he was exactly looking forward to

the prospect, she conceded, shame assailing her. Rio had had a bleak,

grim aspect new to her experience of him. Most probably he wished he had

never met her and never got involved.

But the least she could do to back up his story was look the part of a

woman on the brink of marriage to a very wealthy man. She lifted a

turquoise dress and jacket from the bed and rooted about until she found

the toning shoes. Imagine him spending such a huge amount of money on

her! So crazy too! He really and truly had no concept of the life she

led or of her level in society compared with his own. Where the heck did

he think she would wear designer suits and fancy evening outfits?

Neither Timmie nor his nanny were in his room when she emerged from her

own. Holly descended the stairs, taking careful steps in the high heels.

Her heart was beating so fast with fear and nerves she felt sick. She

dawdled in the hall, scanning her reflection, once again barely

recognising herself. Who was that slender figure in the beautifully cut

jacket that just screamed class and expense?

A door swung open off the hall. 'Holly...hurry up,' Rio urged with

controlled exasperation.

Even talking like that, he was just so beautiful, Holly thought

painfully. And fear was unknown to him. Of course, he could not

understand or sympathise with her distress. Of course, her terror struck

him as being exaggerated and illogical. He had probably never been in a

situation he could not control. He did not know what it was to feel

powerless and at the mercy of others. Good and well-meaning people those

other parties might be, but sometimes they took terrifying and merciless

decisions.

A blonde older woman with cool blue eyes and a distinct air of

efficiency was seated in the drawing room and immediately addressed her.

'Miss Holly Sansom?' she queried, scanning Holly's appearance with

dubious brows raised like question marks.

'Yes...I'm Holly.'

Timmie was sitting on the rug with some toys and he chortled and held

out his arms when he saw his mother. In his fancy togs, he looked not

only like a baby who had swallowed a silver spoon at birth but a baby

who might well have swallowed an entire silver service. Scooping her son

up, Holly sat down with him on her lap and hugged him tight, her chin

resting on his sweet-smelling fluffy dark curls.

'Dr Coulter informed me that you're living here for the present, Miss

Sansom,' the blonde woman commented. 'Is that true?'

'Holly and I are getting married,' Rio imparted with the utmost casualness.

And that was just about that, bar a few minor comments. The blonde was

taken aback, but then she consulted the file in her lap and lifted her

gaze to study Timmie. Last of all, she directed her attention in a

discreet flicker at Rio and a

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faint smile flickered at the corner of her lips. 'I'm so pleased that

the situation has been sorted out. Timmie looks very content.'

'I hope to adopt Timothy as my son,' Rio remarked.

The other woman nodded slowly but now looked slightly bemused before

finally wishing them all well and rising to leave.

Leaving Rio to take care of the courtesies, Holly just flopped where she

sat.

Rio strode back through the door again, lean, strong face taut. 'Miss

Elliott just assumed that Timothy was my child.'

Holly flushed to the roots of her hair and sat up with a start,

corkscrew curls bouncing. That possibility had not occurred to her, but

as soon as Rio suggested it she recalled the way the social worker had

behaved. 'Honestly? Did she say something on her way out?'

'She didn't need to. It was written all over her face. I suppose Timothy

has quite dark hair and that possible explanation for our marital plans

made the most sense to her. But I don't like anyone believing that I

would treat the mother of my child as you were treated by your son's

father. That's why I referred to my wish to adopt Timothy.' Having given

her that frank assurance and made her stiffen with embarrassed

discomfiture, Rio crossed the room to hunker down and survey her son,

whose big blue eyes were drowsy. 'He's amazing. He spends half the

morning getting fed and bathed and dressed and no sooner is he up and

about than he's ready for his cot again!'

Grateful for that distraction, Holly burbled, 'He's always slept a lot.

He's a good baby. You were really wonderful with Miss Elliott, Rio.' She

nibbled awkwardly at her lower lip as she thanked him for his support.

'Very convincing. I know you couldn't have enjoyed saying that about you

and me...but I'm very grateful and, no matter what happens, I'll never,

ever take a risk like that with my son again.'

Rio surveyed her strained expression with narrowed dark, glittering eyes

and frowned. 'I do believe we've been talking at cross purposes. We'll

discuss that after you've taken Timothy up for his nap.'

Cross purposes? What cross purposes? And how come she was only now

noticing how domineering his powerful personality could make Rio seem?

He came off with commands as if to the manner born. But then, she

supposed he had been born to that sort of stuff, she reflected

forgivingly, feeling truly guilty and ungrateful for thinking on such

lines after all he had done to help her.

What if you conceive again? a little voice sniped in the back of her

mind. Are you going to think of that as help too? Her tummy churned. She

adored her son but knew sh

e could not in her present circumstances cope

with a second child. But then Rio was already letting her know that he

would not abandon her, wasn't he? How come she had not immediately

recognised why he had made that speech about how he would not treat the

mother of his child in the manner that her ex-boyfriend had treated her?

But there was so much tension between them now. He was no longer relaxed

with her. That was what that reckless bout of lovemaking had done. It

had spoilt things, she reflected wretchedly, and cringed at the intimate

images teeming in her memory banks. Not once even yet had she managed to

look Rio directly in the face. Last night she had sobbed and begged and

pleaded for him to make love to her. There was no forgetting that. She

had been out of control, totally out of control and out of her depth,

but even she knew that men preferred a challenge to a push-over. Rio

Lombardi was hardly the sort of male who needed an adoring slave to

massage his ego. Women had to be falling

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in the aisles around him, so he would want and expect more.

Nervous as a cat walking over hot coals, Holly returned to the drawing room.

Rio swung round from the window, tall, dark and immaculate in his

tailored business suit. 'When I said that we were getting married, it

wasn't some crazy story, cara.'

Not understanding his meaning, Holly stilled with a frown of confusion.