Page 132 of Modern Romance Collection February 2025, 1-4

She didn’t answer...only took a slug of her elderflower spritzer.

He went on talking. At least she wasn’t arguing back, or giving him her pungent, if entirely irrelevant, opinion of him.

‘I will cover all the expenses of the apartment—rent, taxes, utilities and so forth. I am also willing to make you an adequate monthly allowance to cover your costs during your pregnancy. I will also cover private medical costs for you, so you are not reliant on the NHS.’

She made no reply—only set down her glass, and picked up her knife and fork again.

An impulse just to get up and walk away knifed through him, but with rigid self-discipline he repressed it. This was not a situation he could walk away from.

Nor for the rest of my life.

He thrust the thought from him. He could not deal with it—not right now. It was enough just to handle the situation at hand.

He made himself continue. ‘I was thinking that the Holland Park area might be suitable. It is not far from Notting Hill, and your friend Megan, and it also has close access to the park there, which will be pleasant for you. How does that sound?’

He strove to make his voice civil.

Her response was an indifferent glance.

Something snapped inside him.

He dropped his cutlery abruptly.

‘Do you think you mightpossiblybring yourself to pay attention? Bring yourself to deal with this situation—unprecedented for both of us—in a way that is co-operative and not intransigent?’ he demanded scathingly, his patience at an end. ‘I have acknowledged paternity, I am acknowledging my responsibilities for the child, and I am doing my damnedest to make your life easier so that you can have a healthy and safe pregnancy! So damn well stop stonewalling me!’

That got a response. She looked across at him. Anger was flaring in her eyes again.

‘Am I supposed to be grateful? Iforcedmyself to come to your office that day. Forced myself! I didn’t want to—I didn’t want anything more to do with a man who hadn’t even had the courtesy to behave with some basic level of civility after our night together! But I thought that I should tell you—thought that I had no right to deny you knowledge of your own child. And all I got for my pains was insults and contempt! If you had said then that a paternity test might be prudent, but in a polite and civil manner, then I would have understood. But you just went straight for the jugular! You couldn’t wait to throw me out! Like I was dirt on your shoe! And now—now that you can’t evade paternity—you have the temerity to talk about my beingco-operative? Don’t make me laugh!’

Vincenzo’s face was set. ‘That was then...this is now—we have to deal with the situation.’

‘Iamdealing with it! I’m telling you I want nothing from you and nothing more to do with you. I am telling you I absolve you of all and any paternal anything! So just leave me—walk out the way you walked out on me the morning after the night before! Leave me to get on with my pregnancy and raise my child.’

‘The child is mine as well. You cannot ignore that.’ Vincenzo’s voice was terse.

‘Believe me, I’ll do my level best—I promise you!’

She fell silent and drained the rest of her elderflower spritzer. Then she crushed her napkin onto her side plate and got to her feet.

‘This has all been pretty pointless, but at least it’s sorted things out between us. You go back to Italy and I’ll look after myself. Like I say, I’ll sign any documents you like, absolving you of any responsibility—especially financial—and then we’ll be done with it all.’

She picked up her handbag, slung it over her shoulder, and prepared to walk away.

Vincenzo’s next words stayed her. Where they came from, he did not know—but he heard himself say them all the same.

‘There is an alternative outcome,’ he heard himself say. ‘That we marry.’

Siena stilled—and stared at him disbelievingly.

‘We spend one night together—one night—and now you say we shouldmarry?’ Incredulity filled her voice.

‘As I say, it would be one way of addressing the situation. Of course I would require you to sign a prenup, but since you have been at pains to tell me you are not interested in my money, that should not be a problem for you.’

She could hear the open sarcasm in his voice, and it grated like nails on a chalkboard.

Her eyes flashed. ‘You must be insane to think I’d marry you!’

‘Then accept my offer of accommodation and an allowance.’

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