Chapter Fourteen
Five months later
LILY WOKE WITH a start, seized by the sudden conviction that she’d made an outrageous mistake. She’d been an absolute idiot.
‘Massimo?’ Rubbing her stiff back, she hurried down the long carpeted corridor.
‘Massimo?’
She found him in their study where he had a triple screen setup permanently in place.
Her computer and notebooks were at the other end of the long table.
She’d aced the bridging course for her university prerequisite and would start her first engineering paper next semester.
Just the one so she could spend time with him and the baby, too.
Some days she went to the factory just to hang out with Shane and the other mechanics, keeping her hand in.
But now she felt panicked—contentment had blinded her.
Massimo glanced up and immediately rose. ‘What’s—’
‘Will you marry me?’ she interrupted him breathlessly.
He gaped, then crossed the enormous room in three strides. ‘Lily—’
‘I love you. I want you to be my husband. I want everything official, for our baby to—’
‘Yes.’ He swept his arms about her and pulled her close.
‘Can we do it today?’
‘What?’ His laughter rumbled, a heavenly sound that she was too stressed to appreciate. ‘Why the sudden rush?’
‘Because I love you and I’ve been an idiot for—’ She winced.
‘What’s wrong?’ He stiffened.
‘Twinge in my back. I must’ve slept funny.’
He smoothed his strong hands down her spine, drawing her to lean against him completely. She flexed beneath his ministrations, his touch soothing the panic and setting desire alight instead.
‘So can we?’ she mumbled. ‘I don’t care where or how—’
‘Do you know I have a spreadsheet of all the possible options?’ Laughter still threaded his voice, but there was an undercurrent of the deepest sincerity.
‘It’s my favourite thing to dream about—whether we’re by the lake in Italy, or on a beach in the Pacific, or the ballroom here at home.
Whether we have caramel or chocolate cake, whether we invite the entire company or just a few, and most of all whether I have a periwinkle or cornflower-blue tie with the ribbon around your bouquet matching—’
‘Cornflower. Always. Matches your eyes.’ She nudged his chest. ‘All those options sound amazing. Which do you prefer?’
‘Any,’ he answered simply. ‘All that matters to me is that we spend the rest of our lives together and that’s going to happen whether we marry or not.’
‘But I want us to marry. I…’ She closed her eyes as he gently kissed her.
‘We will,’ he promised.
She heard his utter determination and knew it would be done.
When he decided on something, he delivered.
And always for her. Now her anticipation flared as he pushed the robe from her shoulders and turned her so he could press feather-soft kisses across her back.
His hands kept up the deliciously firm strokes, caressing ever more intimately until Lily circled her hips with increasing impatience, any last anxiety evaporating in the blistering heat.
‘Have I told you how much pregnancy suits you?’ He shaped her curves—warming, teasing, loving.
‘Every day,’ she murmured, utterly distracted by the flickering tease of his hands.
‘And you’re so ready for me.’ He nipped her skin approvingly and she heard the slide of his zip. ‘Zero to a hundred in seconds.’
She pushed back, taking him as deep as she could, almost passing out in the profound pleasure of being with him. ‘Oh yes.’
‘So fast. So perfect.’
They lost words, but gained grip. Sealed together, they moved in exquisite friction until they hit that finish line together.
‘Come on, shower.’ He scooped her up. ‘Then I’ll show you my big spreadsheet over breakfast.’
Chuckling, she let him carry her to the bathroom. ‘I’ve been such a fool.’
‘No, you haven’t.’ He ran the water and tested the temperature. ‘Nothing wrong with needing time to trust.’
‘I do trust you,’ she said. ‘Completely.’
He smiled. Vulnerability softened his edges, revealing the deep emotion he’d always hidden before. Lily kissed him then stepped under the warm spray while Massimo stepped back to strip.
‘Oh,’ she suddenly gasped. ‘Ohhh.’
‘Are you starting round two without me?’ Massimo teased.
‘No—oohhh!’ She gasped and clasped her stomach. Her backache was worse but her whole middle had tightened and—‘Oh, I think my waters have broken.’
‘Seriously?’ He lit up and immediately yanked his pants back on. ‘I’ll grab the bag, call the helicopter. We’ll be at the hospital in no time.’
‘But I’d wanted us to be married before—’
‘Our baby is in a hurry, darling.’ He wrapped her in an enormous towel and kissed her nose. ‘Which shouldn’t be a surprise knowing us, right?’
‘But it’s too early, isn’t it?’
Massimo held her shoulders firmly, his gaze calm and assuring. ‘It’ll be okay. Trust me.’
‘Yes. But we should have—oh!’ That vise tightened around her again.
Massimo could move incredibly fast. In less than an hour they were in the private hospital suite, but Lily was stuck on her regrets.
‘I should have—’ She winced.
‘Hold tight.’ Massimo held out his hands to her. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’
Three hours after their arrival at the hospital, Lily showered, immeasurably grateful to the nurses who helped her into the lovely silk nightgown that Massimo had produced from the seemingly bottomless bag he’d packed.
When she settled back in the freshly made bed, Massimo had vanished.
Their son was swaddled in the bassinet beside her.
He’d arrived two hours ago, a little early but in perfect health and he was endlessly, utterly fascinating.
‘Where have you been?’ she murmured accusingly when Massimo walked back in a few minutes later.
‘Why aren’t you resting?’ he countered equally accusingly, but his severity lost all impact as he produced a beautiful bouquet of flowers from behind his back.
She shot him a wide smile. ‘I can’t stop looking at the most beautiful baby in the world. He’s so tiny.’
‘I know. He’s our treasure.’ Still holding the flowers, Massimo sat on the edge of her bed and gazed first at their baby, then at her. ‘Do you still want to marry me or was that labour pain talking?’
His voice was uneven and he looked a little wild about the eyes.
Lily leaned in. ‘I wish we’d married months ago.’
‘Well, there’s no reason why we can’t get married now.’
‘Now?’ Her heart clattered. ‘Is this one of your impulses?’
‘One of the better ones, yes.’ He chuckled. ‘There’s a chapel in the hospital. There’s a chaplain. A few people are coming to meet our little boy, but they’ll also be brilliant witnesses if you’d like. Do you think he’ll mind sharing his birthday with our wedding anniversary?’
‘You’re serious.’ Lily’s aching body hummed and she stared at the flowers he held. At the cornflower-blue ribbon tying them together. The blue that matched his eyes. ‘Is that my wedding bouquet?’
He reached out and caressed her cheek. ‘We can have a big party later—affirm the vows with a proper suit and a pretty dress but you couldn’t look more beautiful than you do right now, Lily. What do you say?’
‘Yes.’ It would always be yes.
They wrote their vows in a laughing rush of ecstasy.
Emiliano arrived to be best man and with immense thoughtfulness, Massimo arranged for Derek and Jean to support her.
Intimate and special, it was the sweetest celebration.
And as Massimo slid a heavy gold band on her finger, her heart had never been so full.
After champagne and cake and cooing, Emiliano, Derek and Jean finally left. Lily sank back into the bed and watched her handsome, enchanting husband cradle their tiny boy.
‘Not much of a wedding night for you,’ she whispered sleepily.
‘We had a wedding morning to remember forever,’ he teased. ‘And I couldn’t be happier than to spend the night watching over our son while you finally get the rest you need.’
She was awfully tired. ‘I love you so much,’ she mumbled.
‘And I love you.’ His answering smile was so tender it brought tears to her eyes. ‘You’ve given me everything, Lily. Absolutely everything.’
She didn’t want to slip into sleep. The sight of him with their baby was too sweet, and to live with love like this was too wonderful.
‘Come on, sleepyhead.’ Massimo flicked the lamp by her bedside off and whispered a loving little tease in the darkness. ‘It’s lights out and away we go.’
Yes. Bathed in the security of his love, she finally realised that this was only the start.