Read Online The Valtieri Marriage Deal by Caroline Anderson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Caroline Anderson
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just—’
‘That it reached something inside your heart that hasn’t been reached for years? If ever?’
A tear slid down her cheek, and he reached across the table to her, cupping her chin in his hand and tilting her head back so he could see her tortured eyes. ‘Who was he, this man who hurt you, cara? What did he do to you that you’re so afraid to love again?’
He felt her flinch slightly, and she swallowed. She looked cornered, but she wasn’t telling him why. Not yet. Not now. But he would find out, in the end. She’d tell him when she was ready.
His touch was so gentle, his thumb grazing slowly back and forth over her chin, his eyes concerned, and it made her want to cry. She didn’t do that. Couldn’t allow it.
She stood up and went to the door and opened it. ‘I think it’s time you went home,’ she said unevenly, and waited while he put down his mug, got to his feet and brushed past her, turning on the step to stare down into her eyes.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said quietly. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you. Whoever he was, he’s hurt you badly, but don’t judge us the same. Give me a chance, Isabelle. Let me prove myself to you.’
‘Luca, I can’t. I wish you hadn’t found me.’
‘I know. I’m sorry it upset you, but I’m not sorry I found you again, and I’ll never be sorry that I met you, that we shared that time together, and I know you feel it too.’
‘No.’
‘Don’t lie to me, cara,’ he murmured gently. ‘And especially don’t lie to yourself. You deserve better than that.’
And because he couldn’t help it, because she was just inches from him, her chest rising and falling and her eyes wide with a nameless emotion that made his chest ache to comfort her, he leaned in and kissed her.
For a moment she softened, but then she dragged her mouth away and pressed her hands against his chest, right over the ache.
‘Luca, please, just go!’ she pleaded, and with a sad smile, he stepped back and moved away from her.
‘Buonanotte, Isabelle. Sleep well. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
And turning on his heel, he strode down her path, closed the gate gently behind him and got into his car.
Her lips still tingling from his kiss, she shut the door, leant back against it and listened to the sound of him driving away into the cold, wet night, and then she closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around her waist and cried, because she still wanted him just as much as she ever had but she was too afraid to dare to love him, and no amount of reasoning was going to change that.
CHAPTER FOUR
S HE WAS DREADING seeing Luca the next day, but she needn’t have worried because by the time she arrived he was already in Theatre with an emergency C-section, and so after handover she went to meet the patient she was taking over.
Jodie Kembroke was a woman who had been due to deliver at the other hospital and, like Isabelle, had been transferred. She’d met her two years before when she’d delivered her first baby, and the only reason she was in the consultant unit here now was because this baby was breech.
‘It only turned last week and they say I have to have a section. I’m so cross,’ she confessed. ‘I really wanted to try and deliver naturally, but they won’t let me. Hospital policy or something. It’s dangerous. And now I’ve gone into labour early, so Rob’s trying to find a babysitter, and I want him here.’
And with a sinking heart she realised that she was going to have to involve Luca in this one, regardless of her urge to avoid him.
‘Well, it’s certainly safer for the baby to deliver it with a section,’ Isabelle told her honestly, ‘because coming this way the head doesn’t get a chance to mould to your pelvis, but you’ve only just had a few twinges and you’re not dilating fast,so we’ll watch you for a while and get Mr Valtieri to come and see you as soon as he’s out of Theatre. He shouldn’t be many minutes. You can discuss it with him. It’s his call
‘That it reached something inside your heart that hasn’t been reached for years? If ever?’
A tear slid down her cheek, and he reached across the table to her, cupping her chin in his hand and tilting her head back so he could see her tortured eyes. ‘Who was he, this man who hurt you, cara? What did he do to you that you’re so afraid to love again?’
He felt her flinch slightly, and she swallowed. She looked cornered, but she wasn’t telling him why. Not yet. Not now. But he would find out, in the end. She’d tell him when she was ready.
His touch was so gentle, his thumb grazing slowly back and forth over her chin, his eyes concerned, and it made her want to cry. She didn’t do that. Couldn’t allow it.
She stood up and went to the door and opened it. ‘I think it’s time you went home,’ she said unevenly, and waited while he put down his mug, got to his feet and brushed past her, turning on the step to stare down into her eyes.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said quietly. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you. Whoever he was, he’s hurt you badly, but don’t judge us the same. Give me a chance, Isabelle. Let me prove myself to you.’
‘Luca, I can’t. I wish you hadn’t found me.’
‘I know. I’m sorry it upset you, but I’m not sorry I found you again, and I’ll never be sorry that I met you, that we shared that time together, and I know you feel it too.’
‘No.’
‘Don’t lie to me, cara,’ he murmured gently. ‘And especially don’t lie to yourself. You deserve better than that.’
And because he couldn’t help it, because she was just inches from him, her chest rising and falling and her eyes wide with a nameless emotion that made his chest ache to comfort her, he leaned in and kissed her.
For a moment she softened, but then she dragged her mouth away and pressed her hands against his chest, right over the ache.
‘Luca, please, just go!’ she pleaded, and with a sad smile, he stepped back and moved away from her.
‘Buonanotte, Isabelle. Sleep well. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
And turning on his heel, he strode down her path, closed the gate gently behind him and got into his car.
Her lips still tingling from his kiss, she shut the door, leant back against it and listened to the sound of him driving away into the cold, wet night, and then she closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around her waist and cried, because she still wanted him just as much as she ever had but she was too afraid to dare to love him, and no amount of reasoning was going to change that.
CHAPTER FOUR
S HE WAS DREADING seeing Luca the next day, but she needn’t have worried because by the time she arrived he was already in Theatre with an emergency C-section, and so after handover she went to meet the patient she was taking over.
Jodie Kembroke was a woman who had been due to deliver at the other hospital and, like Isabelle, had been transferred. She’d met her two years before when she’d delivered her first baby, and the only reason she was in the consultant unit here now was because this baby was breech.
‘It only turned last week and they say I have to have a section. I’m so cross,’ she confessed. ‘I really wanted to try and deliver naturally, but they won’t let me. Hospital policy or something. It’s dangerous. And now I’ve gone into labour early, so Rob’s trying to find a babysitter, and I want him here.’
And with a sinking heart she realised that she was going to have to involve Luca in this one, regardless of her urge to avoid him.
‘Well, it’s certainly safer for the baby to deliver it with a section,’ Isabelle told her honestly, ‘because coming this way the head doesn’t get a chance to mould to your pelvis, but you’ve only just had a few twinges and you’re not dilating fast,so we’ll watch you for a while and get Mr Valtieri to come and see you as soon as he’s out of Theatre. He shouldn’t be many minutes. You can discuss it with him. It’s his call
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