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wrong.
    “ I said marry me,” he
repeated. “If you like, I will get down on one knee right here,
right now, and I will slide the ring I have in my pocket onto your
finger.”
    “ Ring…in
your…pocket?” She yanked her hands free. “Wait,
hold on. Damn it, why can’t I drink at a time like this? You
know this isn’t the old days where because I’m pregnant
you feel like the right thing to do is to marry me, don’t you?
Renzo, I can take care of myself, and I can definitely take care of
the baby.”
    “ I don’t doubt it for
a second.” He made a gesture with his hand, and a waiter
appeared out of nowhere. Renzo spoke in rapid fire Italian, and the
waiter answered in the same language. When he returned moments later,
he held a bottle of wine. He poured two glasses and put one in front
of Jada. She glared at Renzo, but he smiled. “Non-alcoholic.”
    She sipped the drink and found he
spoke the truth. The cool liquid was both refreshing and delicious.
She appreciated the fact that Renzo had chosen not to imbibe as well.
Reiterating her stance, she said, “We don’t have to get
married, Renzo. You can see our son or daughter whenever you like.”
    “ And if I still want you as
my wife?”
    “ Why in the world would
you?” She balled up the ends of the tablecloth in her lap.
“We’re from two different worlds. I mean we have great
sex. I’ll admit that, but it doesn’t make a
relationship.”
    He leaned forward, capturing her
gaze as if he touched her. Something fluttered in her chest, and she
tried to calm her nerves.
    “ Tell me you don’t
love me, cara mia .”
    “ L-love?” she
croaked. He put her on the spot, as if she were the one who brought
him here to make a declaration. She didn’t know how he felt.
For all she knew he might have picked up on her love for him and
decided he could use it to his advantage to gain control of both her
and the baby. That kind of thing from powerful men wasn’t
unheard of, but she wasn’t the one. She released the tablecloth
and clenched her hand into a fist. “What’s love got to do
with us? We had sex. It was good, but we weren’t careful, and
now we have a situation. We can deal with it like two civilized
adults.”
    When his eyebrows rose, she knew
she had surprised him with her reaction. She liked that. Watching the
lawyers in her office, she’d learned a thing or two about
keeping others guessing.
    She took another swig from her
glass and set it down with as much calm as she could muster. “You
expected me to fall into your arms because you offered me your name.
Well, sorry, pal, I’m not that kind of woman.”
    Okay, that part’s weird.
It’s not like he asked me to become his mistress.
    A slow smile spread over Renzo’s
features. “Everything you say and everything you do—your
reactions to the world around you—confirm that you are the one
for me, Jada. I will slow down. However, you will be mine on a permanent basis.”
    He pulled out the small black
box, proving he hadn’t been lying, and opened it. The gigantic
diamond ring inside blew her mind. That thing would need its own
personal bodyguard, she mused, and couldn’t imagine how much it
cost. Whatever the expense, it was probably pocket change for him.
    Renzo put the ring away and
picked up his menu, the smile still in place. “Shall we order?”
    She watched him a few moments
longer and then followed suit. They made their selections, chatted,
and then ate some of the most delicious food she’d ever tasted.
All the while, Renzo kept her entertained, making her laugh and
regaling her with stories of the places he’d traveled and the
people he’d met. At the end of the night, he returned her to
his house, and she found an excuse for him not to join her in bed. To
Jada’s surprise, he didn’t push the issue. Longing and
hurt vied within her as she fell asleep.

Chapter
Seven
    Jada flew home a couple days
later, scarcely containing a sob at leaving Renzo. He had given her a
ride to