Page 23 of Pregnant in the Italian's Palazzo

Aria stared around her at gold gilded furniture, luxury marble flooring and priceless portraits lining the walls. For goodness’ sake, even the chandelier that hung from the vaulted double-height hall ceiling of the entryway was probably worth more than she had earned in her entire lifetime.

A man arrived at the bottom of the stairs looking rather harangued, but still perfectly coiffed in a spotless three-piece suit. Aria inwardly groaned, recognising him as the same man from the jet on that first night. He recognised her too, his eyes lighting up as he greeted them, and Nysio announced that Aria was to be their guest for the week.

If Gianluca found any of his employer’s behaviour to be absurd, he didn’t show it. They gave her a short tour of the public areas of the grounds and Aria was glad for the distraction as she cooled off from her heated exchange with Nysio. She fought the urge to swoon at every new room and piece of history she was met with, realising that the father of her unborn child lived in a home that came complete with its own art gallery and staff.

Nysio disappeared for a while, returning when she had just begun settling into one of the many bedrooms in his suite. But not his bedroom, she realised quickly. A fact she should probably be relieved about, now that they were trying to build a co-parenting relationship. Sex would definitely only complicate matters further and that was not the kind of world she wanted to bring a baby into. They needed stability, communication, respect. And she was fast beginning to realise that he was right, they needed time to get to know one another so that they could be a better team.

He stepped into her bedroom, his eyes strangely guarded as he took in her half-unpacked case upon the floor. ‘If you have need for more clothing, I can arrange to have a selection sent up from your preferred store.’

‘I can drive, you know.’

‘I’d prefer if you remain within the grounds. Besides, I have a relationship with most boutiques in Florence and Milan.’

‘So...ordering women’s clothing is a service that you avail yourself of often?’ His brow instantly rose at the snarky question and she felt a little chagrined. ‘It’s none of my business of course. I know I’m just here as aguest, after all.’

‘I assumed you wouldn’t want me to announce the private details of our situation to my entire staff...but if you prefer, I can call them all back to clarify the exact nature of our relationship.’

She crossed her arms. ‘We don’t have a relationship, Nysio.’

He gritted his jaw and for a moment she thought he might lean down to close the gap between them. When had they even moved so close to one another? He was so close, she could feel the heat of his breath fanning her cheeks. She felt her pulse quicken, her body instantly betraying her the way it always did when he was near.

She knew that he could feel it too, the sudden shift in the air between them. She reflexively licked her dry lips and saw his eyes darken as he homed in on the movement. But instead of moving closer, he remained stubbornly frozen in place.

He stared down at her, his chest rising and falling with each breath. ‘If I wasn’t so sure you’d run away at the first chance, I’d have laid claim to you in front of them all. I’m not like that bastard who used you before. I’m not playing games here, Aria...when I said we will be discussing all of our options while you are here, I meanallof them. Including the one that involves you wearing my ring on your finger and remaining here as my wife.’

He enunciated the last word with a rough silky promise that sent a shiver coursing down her spine. ‘If you think that you can force me into some kind of...old-fashioned marriage of convenience—’

He raised one brow. ‘I don’t plan to force you into anything. You gave me one week, Aria. I plan to use that time to explore all of our options quite thoroughly.’

CHAPTER NINE

ARIAFOUNDHERSELFseated at one end of an opulent ten-foot-long dining table the next morning, being asked how she would like her eggs. Her cup was filled with the richest, most delicious decaf coffee she had ever smelled in her life, and when she tasted it she had to close her eyes for a moment to tackle the onslaught of sheer perfection.

She was alone in the breakfast room, a fact that she was quite grateful for considering how aggravated her esteemed host had seemed the night before when she had declined eating dinner together. She’d needed time alone to think and thought it better to have a simple meal brought to her room so that she could deal with the phone calls she’d needed to make. A quick voicemail to her parents was all she could muster the courage for, just saying that she’d met a friend and decided to explore Italy a bit more.

She’d also bitten the bullet and sent a long rambling series of voice texts to Priya, outlining her new business idea. She knew the plus-size fashion market like the back of her hand, she knew plenty of vendors and production factories. She knew her own designs were good and she had personal experience of having a more voluptuous body and wanting to dress it with the same level of elegance that could be found in high-end boutiques.

She inhaled softly, letting the breath hiss from her chest on a slow pulse. The relaxation technique had been a helpful online suggestion to combat anxiety. After barely two minutes, she stood up, her fists tight with what was decidedly even more restless energy than she’d begun with.

Of all the brooding Italians she had to meet, how on earth had she wound up with the one guy who practically owned a mausoleum? A mausoleum that she was expressly prohibited from leaving. The hallway outside the dining room was thankfully deserted, as was every other long corridor in the sprawling wings of the ridiculously gigantic palace.

She had never been as calm and carefree as when she’d spent time city-hopping and wandering and learning new things about each new place by walking through it and drinking it in with all her senses. Some people described wanderlust as a hobby, or avoiding reality, as her older sisters often laughed. No one back home had probably even batted an eyelid when she’d told them she was staying in Italy with a stranger for an extended break. For a time Priya had been her companion on her travels when they could book time off work, and that had been the happiest, most peaceful she had felt. They had seen so much of the world together, and she had held her friend’s hand as she healed from her own past.

Of course, according to her friend’s last call to her, now Priya was a newly-wed herself, and busy with starting up her new business venture. In order to access her inheritance, she’d eloped with her former groom’s hot blond billionaire brother and now apparently, they were madly in love. She hadn’t even mentioned trying to see each other, nor had she apologised for abandoning her in New York...though it sounded as though it had been pretty unavoidable. Aria told herself that was why she hadn’t mentioned Nysio or the pregnancy in her voicemail. She could be mysterious too.

Over the past year, maybe even the past few years, she and Priya had drifted apart. Their jobs had become more time-consuming, especially when Aria had been finishing her online degree in every bit of spare time she’d had. She had finally become open about her ADHD diagnosis to her employers and received some modest accommodations to her working schedule. She’d tried a few things to help herself. Medication hadn’t suited her at all but taking scheduled walk breaks and using visual timers to complete tasks seemed to help a little. Simply accepting her different neurology had been a huge step in itself, one that had given her the confidence to go back and get her degree and open herself up to her dreams again.

But still, she missed her best friend.

She let her thoughts continue to wander as she walked through the impressive galleries filled with countless historical paintings and sculptures. It was a sin to keep things like this locked away from the public, unable to be appreciated and admired as they’d been created to be. She wondered if Nysio had always kept this obvious slice of history locked up like a fortress, and himself along with it.

She didn’t buy his workaholic line; surely a man with his kind of wealth had no need to work full-time hours? Surely he’d feel the urge to spend his money, to own multiple homes, yachts, islands even? Thoughts of her mysterious host held her attention more effectively than anything else she’d tried, so she let her mind turn him over and over like a puzzle. She almost didn’t realise she had reached a completely new part of the house, one that seemed more modern and quieter than the rest, overlooking the beautiful ornamental gardens to the rear of the property.

Without a thought, she slid off her shoes and stepped out onto the cool grass. Rows of vibrant flowers lined a flagstone pathway leading up to a large fountain and, beyond, she could see what looked like a giant maze. She wandered for a while, happy to let her thoughts run at full tilt while her body exerted some energy. It helped sometimes, moving her body to calm her mind. By the time she walked back towards thepalazzo, she felt a little more clarity in her situation.

Through open patio doors, she spied walls upon walls of books and in front of them was Nysio, sitting at an ornate black marble desk. His hair was dishevelled and falling over his forehead, but she could just make out a pair of stylish reading glasses on the bridge of his nose.

She moved closer, but he didn’t hear her footsteps. She debated clearing her throat to announce her arrival, but what would she even say? He had made it quite clear that she was there so that they could take time to discuss the baby, but just barging into his office and demanding they get to it was possibly a little too much for day one? Then again, he had beensoeager to get her here. Irritation warred with uncertainty as she hovered in the doorway, her bare feet getting cold on the stone.

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