page43 (1/2)

Luciano turned frowning eyes on her

‘Have you forgotten that I was adopted? I don’t re about my birth parents but what I do kno, thanks to Julie’s research, is that there’s nothing there to be proud of Our birthaddict and I’ll never knoho our father was’

The grinorance could be bliss’

‘Leave it in the past where it belongs,’ she urged, closing her hand round his ‘We’re not responsible for what our parents did, nor do we have to resemble them’

Luciano smiled at her simplistic advice and her unsubtle attempt to offer him comfort He didn’t need comfort He kneho he was and where he had come from and what he had to avoid to achieve a reasonably happy and successful life Caring too , be that women, work or money, hat he had surrendered to embrace peace of mind

Nicky was surfacing from a nap when they entered the nursery and he held out his are srin, wanting to include hiet to know each other properly ‘Let’s take him down to the beach He’s never seen the sea’

She changed into her serviceable and rather faded blue racer-back swi one of the daring ‘barely there’ bikini sets in her neardrobe Luciano joined her in swi with satisfaction when the little boy laughed She watched the long, lithe line of his muscled back flex as he tucked Nicky securely below one ar to his well-built physique and it showed in his narroaist and lean hips

A picnic lunch was delivered and food for Nicky The baby loved getting his toes wet in the surf He loved evendown at his father Jemima watched father and son, relieved at how naturally they could interact in a er uneasy in Luciano’s presence, Nicky dug his hands into his father’s hair and touched his face with growing familiarity

‘That was a good suggestion,’ Luciano told her appreciatively as they headed back to the castello

A blonde waved and smiled at them from the terrace as they clireet Luciano and kiss him Continental-style on both cheeks She was a beauty, a tall, slender blonde with dark eyes and great dress sense

‘Jemima, meet Sancia Abate’ Luciano made the introduction casually ‘Sancia, my wife-to-be, Jemima, and my son, Niccolò’

Sancia barely glanced in Jemima’s direction but fussed in a very feminine way over Nicky

‘Who is she? Does she work for you?’ Jemima asked as they walked away

‘No She’s Gigi’s kid sister,’ he confided, startling her ‘I still let her use the guest house here when she needs a break Nicky gets tired quickly, doesn’t he?’