Read Online Riccardo's Secret Child by Cathy Williams - Free Book Online

else. He was enjoying her open display of temper. He wondered what she would do if he really gave her something to get worked up about. If he pulled her towards him and kissed her. Covered that angry mouth with his own. He imagined that she would fight him, but then what? Melt? And if she did melt, how would that feel?
    â€˜I think it’s time you left, Mr Fabbrini.’
    â€˜The name is Riccardo. Use it.’
    â€˜Or else what?’
    â€˜You don’t want to lay down any gauntlets for me,’ he said softly and watched her grey eyes hesitate as she wondered whether to continue the argument. She backed away, leaning against the kitchen counter, waiting for him to stand up and leave.
    â€˜To all intents and purposes, you and I are now an item. Are we not, Julia ?’
    There he went again. Saying her name in that velvety, caressing voice. He was doing it deliberately. Laughing at her. And he talked about her patronising him !
    â€˜If you think it would help you in getting to know your daughter then I shall oblige, but…’
    â€˜But…?’
    â€˜But don’t think that that gives you any rights over me…’
    â€˜Rights? What kind of rights?’
    Julia didn’t know what kind of rights. She knew what she wanted to say but she just couldn’t find the words, so she glared impotently at him.
    â€˜It’s time you left. I have to work tomorrow and I don’t want to be late.’
    â€˜It’s…’ Riccardo calmly consulted his watch ‘…eight-forty-five. Surely not even a primary-school teacher with an over-developed sense of duty could call that late. And what about dinner?’
    â€˜What about dinner!’
    â€˜Perhaps we should have some.’ Perversely, now that the object of his visit had retired to bed, instead of rushing to leave, to clear out of the company of this woman whom he had seen from the outset as a conspirator in his ex-wife’s plot to deceive him, he wanted to prolong his stay.
    Aside from anything else, he had no intention of being seen to be malleable. She might be able to call the shots, for the time being , as far as his daughter was concerned, but there her temporary power ended.
    â€˜I want to find out about Nicola,’ he inserted when she made no move to abandon her mutinous stance by the kitchen counter. ‘I know nothing about her and I have a lot of catching up to do.’
    â€˜What sort of things do you want to know about?’ Julia asked distantly, and he stood up and moved across to her with such speed that she was barely aware of his intent until he was standing directly in front of her, caging her in with his hands, his face dark with sudden anger.
    â€˜What do you think? Why don’t you use your imagination and figure it out? Pretend for a moment that you’re in my shoes. Wouldn’t you have just a little shadow of curiosity about your child?’
    Julia was finding it difficult to breathe, never mind pretend anything. His face was so close to hers that a sudden movement would involve physical contact of the most disastrous kind.
    â€˜All right,’ she said weakly. ‘I’ll…do something for usto eat and you can ask me any questions you like…’ He didn’t move and she was formulating a polite way of telling him that cooking was an impossibility while she was being held hostage against a kitchen counter, when he suddenly reached out with one hand and removed her spectacles.
    Without them, Julia felt hideously vulnerable. She blinked rapidly. ‘What are you d-doing?’ she stammered.
    Riccardo didn’t know what he was doing. He had wanted to see her eyes without the barrier of her glasses. They were a pure shade of grey and without her spectacles concealing them were fringed with thick, long lashes. He stared at them and then abruptly pushed himself away, while she turned and immediately re-armed herself with her glasses.
    â€˜When did she