page5 (1/2)

‘Go you’ So chivalry wasn’t dead But she wouldn’t expect it to be with a entleman and treated women as they deserved Except they’d always rubbed each other up the wrong way Was she in denial? Had there been sparks at other tiht she’d ta her friend? He was tall, good-looking in a dark and dangerous way, intelligent, funny, and—No She was not noticing anything like that about hi else to focus on

Ai the cot to pull herself up onto her feet She slipped and banged down on her bottom

Elene waited for the indignant shriek that usually accorin and reached for the cot to start over ‘She’s happy to be free of constraints’

Mattia atching his daughter, disbelief and so? He hadn’t touched Ai hih all the connotations? Afraid of where this o? Still in denial? Who knew? She certainly didn’t, and right noorking it out was beyond her

For her own sake Elene felt a little bit glad he wasn’t rushing to fall in love with his daughter, if he accepted who she was Being here was about deciding where Aih she was deter Mattia fatherhood wasn’t happening either Bending down, she swung Aimee up to hold her out to her father ‘Here You look after her I need to shower’

Mattia autoht Aimee in his steady hands Not that Elene would’ve let her drop, but he hadn’t even thought about not taking her Holding his daughter out, he watched her kicking her legs and banging her hands on his arummy smile as she eyed him up Hope I pass the test Gulp Really? Of course really He was her father He didn’t need a DNA test to prove that Gut instinct brought about by the family likeness and Elene’s honest de it into words, told him all he needed—or didn’t need—to know

‘Hello,’ he croaked around a tennis ball lodged in his throat

‘Ma-ma-ma-ma’

‘Is that right?’ A s his mouth without any input from his brain ‘You’re beautiful’

‘She won’t break,’ came a crisp quip from behind

What? Oh, hold her against oing for a shower’ He glanced over his shoulder and saw the apprehension blinking back at him She orried about this development What exactly was her role in Aio on the list he suspected would be pages long before reen eyes were now dark, like the ocean depths Her tiny, curvy body had shrunk ever smaller

Trying to reassure, not that he knehat he was co her about, he said softly, ‘Go on I’ll take Ai’

The tip of her tongue played with the corner of her ain Then she nodded and headed to the bathroo to hide the curves of her butt, nor the sliure finished off with full breasts that he’d tried not to let his gaze linger on when she’d held Aiainst them

Ai his attention away fro Ailing like a wor Marco or Giulia This was—parenthood with a capital P He jerked I really a involved with a woh apparently life had other ideas for him

Air whooshed out of his hter’s head He dropped a kiss on theht like aLunch had been a quick bite hours ago, between a hip replacement and a shoulder reconstruction

After placing Ailasses of Sangiovese, put one on the table for Elene and studied the contents of the fridge Anna, his housekeeper, kept it well stocked and there was a prepared h for two It’d do for to the pasta dough Anna had also prepared earlier Elene deserved a little care and attention That was some trip she’d undertaken with a toddler For her friend For hiested yes to both Bet she ondering what he’d do, and where that’d leave her

Hell He coh his hair As reality trickled into his brain he tried not to overthink things They had a lot to process But not tonight Because Elene was tired, and lovely and gorgeous Don’t forget the snippy woman behind that exhaustion She wouldn’t have stayed back in Wellington while this softer, kinder version made the trip

Checking Ai with the coloured wooden blocks he’d given her, he set about putting together the ingredients for an Alfredo sauce The clock booht o’clock Half an hour had passed since he’d brought Aih here Had Elene fallen asleep in the shower? Should he check on her? Entering the bathroo back the more familiar version

‘Sorry’ Elene burst through the doorway, her chest rising and falling as though she’d run through the house ‘That’s one powerful shower I’ve probably used all your hot water, but it orth it All the aches gone, leaving ain’