Chapter 27
ISLA
I reached my hand behind my back and felt nothing but a cold empty space. Could it all have been a dream? Dreaming Ciro came for me, and he instantly fell in love with Pippa? And we had sex? Incredible, earth-shattering, unprotected sex?
If it wasn’t real, then it was the worst dream of my life.
A faint laugh and mumbling had me springing up in bed. Another deep-sexy-Ciro laugh sent my heart racing.
It wasn’t a dream.
My chest vibrated as I sucked in an excited breath. I hopped out of bed, noticing Pippa wasn’t in her crib, and dashed out of my bedroom.
There they were. The two people I loved most. Pippa saw me first. A slobbery smile greeted me as she sat perched on her daddy’s lap, facing him.
“Is that Mommy, angel?” Ciro asked Pippa. He didn’t take his eyes off her as she smacked her lips and reached her hand for me. “She’s hungry. I didn’t give her one of the bottles in the fridge. Figured you’d rather nurse her instead.”
“You were right.” I went around the sofa and sat beside him.
“Morning, lovebug.” I kissed Pippa’s warm head.
She practically jumped into my arms to get into position.
I lifted my shirt, unhooked the flap on my nursing bra, and left her to it.
“Have you been up long?” I turned toward Ciro.
He was staring at me with so much love in his eyes, my stomach fluttered.
“Where’s my morning kiss?” He draped his arm along my shoulders, pulling me to him.
My entire body tingled as if it remembered the naughty things we’d done just hours ago. “No kissing. Remember?”
“Seriously? I thought everything changed last night.”
“Nope. Nothing has changed.”
“Then I’ll avoid your mouth and wait for your permission to go farther.” He pressed a kiss to my cheek and held his lips there for what felt like an eternity. “Morning, My-la.” He dotted kisses slowly down my jaw and to the corner of my mouth.
I held my breath as his hand went into my hair, melting me as he continued his journey around my lips.
Ciro tortured me. It was the sweetest kind of torture, weakening me in delicious ways. I wanted him again more than anything, but I wouldn’t give in to him so easily a second time.
Last night was a mistake.
I’d lost all sense of myself. Went temporarily insane due to a lack of orgasms and physical touch. That was my story and I was sticking to it.
“You didn’t answer my question. Have you been up long?” I asked him as I caressed Pippa’s little head.
“I’ve been up for you since the day I met you at the interview.”
“Ciro…” I rolled my eyes. “Be serious.”
“I am serious. Painfully serious.” He kissed a path along my jaw. “But… Pippa and I have been playing for maybe an hour.” He gripped my thigh, continuing his sweet torture.
“I need coffee.” I shivered against him, unable to hide my neediness.
“I’ll get you a cup.” He was up and off the sofa in a flash.
Phew. I exhaled in relief.
Now that we’d breached the boundaries I had in place, it would be nearly impossible to reject his advances. No matter what, I couldn’t be alone with him anymore.
Pippa surprised me when she released my nipple and craned her neck to see where Ciro went. “What, honey? Daddy will be right back,” I cooed to her, stroking her cheek softly. “He’ll be right back.” I put her to my shoulder and burped her.
Ciro appeared with a steaming mug and placed it on the end table for me. The glossy look in his pained eyes stole my breath away.
“Ciro, what is it?” I stood and reached for his hand. My heart squeezed as concern settled in my chest.
“You called me Daddy.” The tears were there, but he didn’t let them fall. “It just hit out of nowhere, the realization… I’m a dad.”
Pippa interrupted the tender moment with a burp. We laughed and both of us kissed her cheeks at the same time.
“I don’t want to leave you both,” he said in a tight voice. “Not after what happened last night.”
“I promise, we’ll be fine.”
“I meant what happened in your bed last night.” He studied my face.
“Oh, I thought you were talking about the situation with my sister.” I wasn’t sure what to make of this new side to him. It was more than a little unnerving and confusing. Ciro Remotti wouldn’t change for anyone. Hmm, but maybe he would for his daughter.
“No, but we’ll discuss that later. Get ready so we can go to my hotel. I need to shower and talk to Paolo.”
“Talk to him about what?” I hiked a curious brow. No doubt he planned to leave Paolo behind to guard Pippa and me, and that was something I did not want.
“Stuff.” He palmed my butt cheek and licked his bottom lip.
“You’re crossing the line… Again.” And making me wet, but I’d never admit to it.
“Am I?” He caressed my flesh in a taunting manner. “I thought I wasn’t allowed to kiss you or make you come. I don’t recall anything about touching you.”
“You’re incorrigible. The baby can hear you.”
“She doesn’t understand what we say.” He waggled his dark eyebrows.
“Not yet, but she will soon enough.”
“You’re right, My-la.” He kissed my temple, then Pippa’s head. “I’ll do better.”
I stared at him, wholly stunned. “Why are you so agreeable?”
“Finish feeding her so we can go.” He released us and the emptiness I felt was acute. Ciro was chipping away at my walls and would soon break through, and I’d crumble at his feet.
Give him another chance, Isla. He’s trying. Meet him halfway.
I shouldn’t hold onto the hurt. I should try to help mend our broken relationship for our daughter’s sake. My lovebug deserved to have both her parents in her life and have a whole family.
I’ll lower my guard a little.
After feeding Pippa and getting both of us ready for the day, we went to Ciro’s five-star hotel.
I’d forgotten what living in the lap of luxury felt like. Even though I didn’t live with Ciro when we were together, I was treated to the finer things in life: luxurious hotels, the finest restaurants, shopping without a budget, and the best seats at any event.
As I stared out at the breathtaking view of the Golden Gate Bridge, I knew Pippa would be well taken care of from here on out. Ciro would make sure she had the best that money could buy.
“Ciro,” I called to him after the shower had been turned off for a bit.
I was in his bedroom, not wanting to be alone with Paolo.
His judgmental stare made me uncomfortable.
I was confident I’d get plenty of salty glares from Ciro’s family when I took Pippa to meet them for the first time.
I wasn’t looking forward to that meeting.
He appeared in only a towel wrapped around his waist. “Yeah?”
I turned away quickly. “Honestly.” I wanted to climb him like a tree and grind out an orgasm. I’d been painfully horny all morning and could tell he knew how much he affected me.
He laughed. “What, baby? You called me.”
“Well, I thought you would be dressed by now.” He continued toward me with a wicked grin. His rich-brown eyes fixed on me. Dammit, if I didn’t soak my panties. “What do you need, My-la?” He rubbed his hands up and down my sides.
“Behave yourself in front of the baby.”
“Just in front of the baby? Looks to me like she’s enjoying Mommy and Daddy being happy and playful together.” He kissed the side of Pippa’s head and kissed my forehead, holding his lips in place for several beats of my heart.
“When did you want your family to meet Pippa?”
He pulled back, smiling. “I’m glad you brought it up. How about next weekend?”
“So soon? I usually work weekends.”
“No, baby. You don’t. I told you to quit so you can give Pippa all your attention… and me.” He winked. “You know you want to.”
Yes, more than anything, but… “I can’t just quit. And we aren’t back together. We’re trying to see if we’ll work together.”
“I know we’ll work together. And I’m pretty sure you know it too. Last night was proof.”
I didn’t know anything and had lost my mind when I allowed him into my bed. He had seduced me, and he wasn’t about to let me forget he’d gotten between my legs.
Could we work as a couple?
I hoped and prayed we could for Pippa, but Ciro was a complex man with sometimes irrational emotions. Right now, he was in a calm, content place after having sex.
What would happen if memories of his mom hit out of nowhere and he pushed Pippa and me away like he had many times before?
I couldn’t be foolish. I had my daughter to consider.
“I can’t leave Falina high and dry. It’s a busy time at the bistro. We have a lot of catering events. She needs me.”
He groaned, stalking back to the bathroom. “Then you tell me when, and I’ll arrange it,” he hollered from the bathroom. “But I want you both with me. Permanently.”
That I figured.
“Another thing…” He strutted out of the bathroom in his dark denim jeans but shirtless. Mercy. He could be on the cover of a romance novel. “I don’t want you in that apartment.”
“Ciro—”
“Hear me on this. Stay here in my suite. You and Pippa will be more comfortable and so will Paolo.”
“You’re leaving him here?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t?” he asked incredulously.
“I hoped he would return with you to Canada.”
“Not happening.”
I groaned in frustration. “We’ve been just fine all these months, you know?”
“Don’t remind me,” he hissed. “Just do this for me. You can order room service, and it’s not far from the bistro. It’s perfect. Plus, you won’t have to drive your crappy car. You can walk to work or call a cab.”
I shook my head as he grinned. “You make it sound like it’s so simple.”
“Baby, it is so simple.” He cradled my face. His gaze dropped to my lips, and I inhaled when butterflies scrambled in my belly. “We’ll bring over what you need this evening before I leave.”
“I don’t know.” This felt like old times when Ciro had an answer for everything, and I always crumbled under pressure to please him.
“Please, Isla. I’d feel better if I knew you were both safe.”
See? How could I argue with him? Last night’s incident with Elsie and Roy scared me more than any other time. I was grateful Ciro had been there to help, but I hadn’t anticipated being intimate. I’d thought allowing him into my bed would defuse his anger.
Stop it. You were trying to distract him just as much as he was trying to get between your legs.
Guilty.
“There’s Alba to think about too.”
“Ask her to drive into the city to watch Pippa. Or better yet, I’ll get her a room.”
“Really?” Alba would be delighted to stay at the five-star hotel at Ciro’s expense. Like me, she couldn’t afford anything luxurious.
“Of course. It can be like a mini vacation for her. She can use the spa downstairs, order room service, and you girls can hang out. It’s just for a few days. I’ll be back by Thursday evening at the latest.”
“You’re coming back so soon?” I felt my face light up.
“Yes, My-la.” He ran his finger over the apple of my cheek. “But baby, it’s not soon enough. I don’t want to leave tonight.”
Melting, melting, melting…
Every word, touch, and look Ciro gave me turned me into liquid.
I only hoped I wasn’t headed for a world of hurt and more heartache.