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Tipping her head back, she stared at hi the intense green in her eyes ‘This I want to see’

He laughed, so His parents had been shocked to learn about his child Not that their shock had registered nearly as high as his when he’d first set eyes on Aiiven there’d be endless questions for hiot too relentless and personal Elene wasn’t the eneht thing And loving his girl Which one? Air whizzed across his tongue Aimee, of course But his eyes were on Elene

‘Your niece and nephew are here?’ She glanced up at hietting to hi children,’ she added

‘I’d say the whole tribe’s turned up’ No such thing as a quiet introduction to the Ricco family for either of these two ‘It’s norether for Sunday lunch, but two ofa business conference’

‘They still could be’ Hope laced her voice

‘Not likely’ Pressing his handher softness, he said, ‘Maybe I should’ve gone about this another way, but I figured it best to have everyone here while I tell them the facts’

‘Say it once?’ Elene nodded ‘I understand But couldn’t I have stayed in Sorrento while you did it?’

‘You’d really have done that? Let me take Aimee to ets upset?’

‘You knoouldn’t’

He’d hoped that would be her reply, would’ve bet on it even, but he was still grappling with getting to know her and could be horribly wrong about a lot of things Relying on instinct had got him into trouble before

‘In here’ They’d reached the large family room where loud voices interspersed with children’s shrieks were co from ‘Ciao, everyone’

Silence fell instantly as all eyes turned towards him and the child in his ar anyone, even a wo, to this lot had never been so aard The questions and rebukes were flying back and forth fro family, except for his sisters-in-law They were relaxed and intrigued

Mattia squared up to the room ‘Everyone, I’d like you to meet Elene Lowe Elene, this is my mother and my father’ He went on to introduce his brothers and sisters-in-law

His father stepped forward and kissed Elene on both cheeks before giving her one of his soft dad smiles ‘Welcome to our home, Elene’

On that the roo a piece of the action and flinging hugs and kisses in all directions All except his mother, whose kisses for Elene were more formal He wouldn’t have expected any different, but it still stung For Elene Yeah, and for him

Mattia leaned close to Elene and muttered, ‘This is more like it’

Her returning smile hit him in the belly ‘Just like ho eyes, but she was coping with the onslaught Then she turned away and said in flawless Italian, ‘Hello, everybody It’s lovely to meet everyone’

Mattia dragged his gaze away and sucked in a breath Histheet to her, was returning an embrace froht work out fine Then he glanced back to hiswith the reason they were in this predica her protectively Protecting her from what? His family adored children, and no one would hurt her But at this point she was an unknown He hadn’t realised how difficult today ot the sentence out without choking on the luhter’

Arain Elene stood back fro their first touch of his daughter His hands were gentle yet fir in shock Dropping a kiss on her forehead, he ht’