Page 16 of The Baby His Secretary Carries

Heat pooled in his groin at the memory.

She blushed and looked away, rolling her lips inward. Her very soft, luscious lips.

Once again, he was accosted by the most lascivious of fantasies, one where he kissed more than her mouth. He pushed silk upward to expose her curves and secrets, and tasted all of her, from that thumping artery in her throat to the humid heat between her thighs.

Both yearning and persecution flashed across her expression before she looked away. Her shoulders were heavy and her mouth tilted down at the edges, warning him that this day had taken more out of her than was comfortable on his conscience.

“I appreciate everything you did today, Molly.” He was trying to drag this back to a professional relationship, but the way her bottomless brown eyes swept back to his, wary and soft, had him biting back a groan of hunger. “I asked a lot of you. You rose to the challenge, which is why I want to keep you on.”

Was that disappointment that glinted in her eyes? A sting of rebuff that scorched her cheeks? If it was, she hid it very quickly behind a bland smile.

“This is you pushing for me to agree to a longer tenure?” She moved to the door to the hall, signaling that she expected him to leave.

“No.” He came to stand in the doorway. “I’m reminding you that the company rewards dedication over time, so—”

“Oh, shut up.” She sputtered into laughter, which was his goal in throwing her own words at her. “Three weeks, Gio. Minus today. Hard limit.”

Itwashard. And sharp. He wasn’t used to being denied anything he wanted. Who knew it was such a diamond-tipped arrow? It penetrated his breastbone, vibrating there as he walked out and she closed the door behind him.

Molly dozed in the tub, then ate what had been delivered while she was catching up on her personal banking. After that, she slept like a log, waking feeling infinitely better.

The only awkward moment was when she almost walked in on Gio in the shower, hearing the water at the last second.

She bit back a groan as she pictured him running a cloth over his swarthy skin.

Okay, shehadto shake this off. Yesterday had been an aberration of a day. She might have to pretend to be his betrothed when they were with his grandfather, but she was his executive assistant and she took her position seriously.

Thankfully, she had washed her hair after her bath last night, so she didn’t need a shower now. She used the powder room off the kitchen to wash her face, then did her makeup and put her hair up in its simple twist before she dressed in one of her new outfits.

Gio had been ridiculously generous, forcing more than a handful of work outfits on her. There were cocktail dresses and casual wear, swimsuits and lingerie. It was pure bribery and an effective tactic for making her feel beholden to him.

There were a few skirts in the deliveries that she immediately set aside to return. She disliked wearing skirts to work. Valentina had once advised her to dress well, but comfortably. “You’re not effective in your job if you’re worrying about a wardrobe malfunction,” she’d said.

That tacit permission to wear trousers had changed her life. She kept the style feminine, but her work clothes ran the gamut, from three-piece suits that were nipped and tucked to accentuate her figure, to crepe Bermuda shorts with a matching wine-colored jacket.

Today, she chose a pair of houndstooth capris and paired them with a flouncy green silk top that bloused over a stretchy band that hugged her hips, neatly disguising the thickening of her waist.

When Nelo arrived with breakfast, Molly showed him what needed to be done, then sat down to eat with Gio. He looked and smelled fantastic, freshly shaved and wearing his suit, seemingly engrossed in whatever was happening on his tablet.

“Valentina is asking for a conference call today,” she said, determined to remind both of them this was a working relationship. “I told her we’re visiting the hospital on our way to the office.”

“They said he’s showing some improvement. It should be a short visit to cheer him up.” He offered the ring. “Before we head into the office.”

“Oh, um.” She glanced down the hall to ensure Nelo didn’t see, then put it on her finger, aware that Gio watched it go on. “That’s good to hear, that he’s improving.”

“It is.” He returned his attention to his tablet.

Molly checked her personal phone, but didn’t have anything from Sasha yet. She sent a few silly memes to Libby. Then rose with the phone, taking it to the window.

“Do you mind if I send a photo of the view to my mother? I’d like her to know I’m working in Italy for the next while. She knows I can’t say much about what I do, but I’d like her to know where I am.”

“Fine,” he said absently.

She took the photo, sending it with a text.

My view for the next while. I’ll call later today to explain.

She would love to bring her mother and sister here to see it for themselves. She could easily afford it with her new salary, but Libby didn’t know she was pregnant and likely never would. Her mother did. Sasha had fond memories of Patricia and had agreed that her discretion, advice and support would be invaluable to Molly as her pregnancy progressed.

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