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didn’t want this sort of public scene. I just knew you’d react like this …’ She stopped, the anger fading from her face as she finished. ‘Actually I didn’t have a clue how you’d react. For all I knew you’d prefer to ignore Lily’s existence.’
    ‘And that would have suited you?’ He watched the way her expression changed as she glanced towards the happily playing tot, the slow smile that transformed her face.
    Izzy hesitated. This was a subject where her opinions were still lurching dramatically from one side ofthe argument to the other. She voiced the one thing she was sure of, though he might not agree. ‘It would have been your loss.’
    Roman could not argue with this assessment and quite suddenly he felt his anger towards her dissipate. He was blaming her for something that was not a curse, but a blessing.
    ‘I’m a father …
Madre di Dio
… !’ It shouldn’t be possible but it was. Roman felt a fresh explosion of wonder but it still didn’t fully sink in. ‘Did you try and find me?’
    ‘How could I? Where would I have started?’ He took a step closer, a tall and overpoweringly male presence that made her feel trapped. She lifted a hand to her throat to cover the pulse she could feel beating there.
    ‘Do I make you nervous, Isabel?’ He stepped closer again, his nostrils flaring as the scent of her perfume brought back memories his body responded to hungrily, making him uncomfortably aware of the heaviness in his groin. ‘Isabel. I like that name, it suits you …’
    His husky voice sent a secret shiver down her spine. Her pale skin was dusted with a layer of perspiration from the effort of concealing her emotional turmoil. ‘Not Isabel, Izzy. People call me Izzy.’
    ‘I’m not people.’
I’m the father of your child
.
    His facial muscles froze as he fought an internal battle to regain control of his feelings. He focused on the positive: his child would not grow up not knowing he existed.
    The sheer breathtaking arrogance of this pronouncement made Izzy blink, and yet it was hardly surprising if he had such a high opinion of himself.
    Her eyes drifted over the carved contours of his chiselled cheek to his sensually sculpted mouth and themole just visible in the carved contours of his cheek. She expelled a long shaky sigh. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen. His charismatic sex appeal was off the scale and his amazing looks must have always made him the focus of attention in any room he occupied.

CHAPTER FOUR
    ‘F OR the record, I’m really not the nervous type.’ But Izzy was the type to find Roman’s sexual aura of masculinity totally overwhelming. Though that could hardly make her unique; his sexual charisma meant that every woman in the room stared at him.
    He had been the one asking the questions but there was one that was troubling Izzy.
    ‘Were you … are you married?’
    ‘It’s a bit late to develop a moral conscience.’
    She narrowed her eyes. ‘Were you?’
    ‘I’ve never been married, but I had a close shave.’
    She was relieved. At least that was one thing she didn’t have to feel guilty about, though more from luck than good judgement.
    ‘You got cold feet?’ She didn’t blame him. The idea of committing to one person for the rest of your life was a scary thought.
    He gave a sardonic smile. ‘No, I got dumped.’
    She waited for the punchline. When it didn’t come her eyes widened. ‘You’re not serious!’
    ‘How good you are for my ego,’ he drawled. ‘However, not everyone finds me as irresistible as you do.’
    His ego was titanium coated, she was sure.
    Responding to the tug on her skirt, Izzy bent down and picked up Lily.
    ‘She is a pretty baby.’ He softened his voice and said, ‘Hello, Lily.’
    Responding to her name, Lily reached out, her chubby fingers closing around his pale grey silk tie. Chuckling, she pulled and Roman didn’t resist. His face came in close, so close that Izzy could see the fine-pored texture of