Page 41 of Italian Baby Shock

Lark’s stomach dropped away.

The tour guide’s voice rose and fell, but she’d stopped listening.

Shedidfeel something for him, it was nestled there close to her heart, and what it was, she didn’t know and didn’t want to. But whatever it was, it made the thought of him finding some other woman to hold at night...difficult.

A selfish man wouldn’t have noticed her sudden quiet. A selfish man wouldn’t have paid any attention to her at all. Yet after the tour was over and as they got in the car to return to the palazzo, Cesare glanced at her. ‘You’re very quiet, little bird. Is anything wrong?’

She couldn’t tell him about that jealousy, about that feeling in her heart, not when she didn’t have the words for it herself, so instead she pasted on her sunniest, most cheerful smile. ‘No, of course not. Why would there be? I’ve had the loveliest day.’

He looked as if he was going to say something more, but right then Maya dropped her soft rabbit on the floor of the carand started shouting with annoyance, which distracted Cesare nicely.

She should have known better than to think he’d forgotten, though.

When they’d got home and a very tired Maya had been settled in bed, Cesare slid an arm around her waist and pulled her in close in the hallway outside Maya’s door.

‘Now that I finally have you alone,’ he murmured. ‘You can tell me what’s wrong.’

Lark swallowed, the familiar warmth of his body against hers working its magic.

Damn him. She couldn’t tell him and it certainly wasn’t worth upsetting the balance they’d found in their marriage to even try articulating her strange doubts.

And it would upset it. She had no idea what he’d think about her feelings for him, but he certainly wouldn’t like it.

‘Nothing.’ She took a breath and then forced herself to look up at him, giving him the same bright smile that she always gave her mother. ‘Honestly. I was just a bit tired earlier.’

His gaze narrowed into glowing blue sapphire splinters. ‘You can smile at me like that till kingdom come, little bird, and I still won’t believe you.’

Annoyance gripped her. That smile had always worked for her mother. Why wouldn’t it work for him?

‘There’s nothing—’

‘Lark.’ His hands tightened on her hips. ‘You went very quiet at the Colosseum today and wouldn’t look me in the eye after the tour. Why? Something’s bothering you and I want to know what.’

She couldn’t help herself, she had to glance away. He’d see straight through her, because he always seemed to. He’d see her jealousy and the feeling that was growing inside her, the fear that she didn’t want to examine or even articulate.

That she was falling for him.

Instead she stared at the buttons of his casual black shirt and put her hands on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart, trying to think of something to say that wasn’t the truth and coming up with nothing. ‘It doesn’t matter, Cesare,’ she said at last. ‘Leave it.’

But then her chin was being gripped in long fingers as he forced her gaze up to meet his. ‘Why do you do that?’ he demanded abruptly. ‘Why do you smile and pretend nothing’s wrong?’

Her annoyance deepened. ‘I’m not pretending.’

‘Yes, you are. I can see it in your eyes and your smile is fake as hell.’

The annoyance became anger and for a minute it was all she could do not to snap and rip herself from his arms. And she didn’t want to snap. She didn’t want to ruin what had been a perfectly nice day with a foul temper.

‘Little bird,’ Cesare said, quieter this time, the look in his eyes softening unexpectedly. ‘You don’t have to pretend with me, you know that, don’t you?’

She wasn’t sure why her anger faltered right then. Why it simply flickered and went out like a candle flame. Perhaps it was because of his gentle reminder when she’d been expecting him to argue, or the concern in his eyes when she’d been expecting irritation.

And that was the thing, wasn’t it? She’d never pretended with him. She’d never been able to, not even right from the very beginning.

So she let herself relax against him, lean into his warmth and his strength. ‘I know,’ she said. ‘It’s just... Mum was so fragile emotionally and getting angry or being in a bad mood always made her worse. Even just being sad was an issue. And I...didn’t want to make things harder for her than they already were. So...I made sure I was always in a good mood, that I was always smiling, because it was easier for both of us if I was.’

Cesare’s thumb stroked over her chin in a gentle movement. ‘Well, I’m not your mother, Lark Donati. I’m your husband and I’m not afraid of your temper, and you know that. We wouldn’t be standing right here if I was.’

Lark felt something inside her ease, a tightness that she hadn’t realised was there. ‘That’s true,’ she admitted. ‘You never have been.’

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