His Expectant Lover (7 page)

Jemma walked up and wrapped her arms around her son. “You’re going to be a dad,” his mother whispered. “Like father, like son.”

Antonio almost smiled at the reminder that his dad had gotten his mother pregnant but then couldn’t find her. So it truly was history repeating itself. He was just relieved that Andie had shown up when she had. Now he’d make sure she had the doctor’s care that she needed.

Marcus, Davis and Dylan were standing together, whispering. That was never a good thing. The three of them and….uh oh, Adriana stepped into the powwow. His stomach clenched with whatever the four of them were hatching up. There was at least a small measure of comfort with the fact that Davis was still holding his tiny son, Grayson and Marcus was bobbing slightly with his infant son Luca. Not only did it keep those two from becoming very active participants in the caper, but it also meant that Davis’ wife Kate and Marcus’ wife Juliette were nearby. Those two ladies would help keep the activities sane.

Sure enough, Kate and Juliette walked down the hallway a moment later with coffee for everyone. And not the hospital coffee that wasn’t much better than sewer water at times but the gourmet coffee from the shop across the street. He took the offered cup gratefully, giving Kate a quick hug.

He was just about to take a sip when the doctor came around the corner. The doctor stopped when he saw the large crowd, obviously intimidated by so many large men. Or more likely the beautiful women staring back at him that gave him pause.

He looked down at his chart, then back up at the group. “Mr. Alfieri?” he called out.

Antonio stepped closer. “They’re all Alfieri men, but I think you’re looking for me. Is Andie okay?” he demanded, trying not to intimidate the shorter man but probably missing the mark if the doctor’s increased nervousness was any indication.

“Um…yes. Mr. Alfieri, your fiancée is fine. She became severely dehydrated and she has a fever, but we’re giving her antibiotics. We’re going to keep her overnight, to monitor the fever. I also want her to get another IV for fluids and electrolytes.”

“And the baby?”

He smiled and nodded. “The baby is fine. Just fine. One of our best obstetricians did an ultrasound on the baby, saw the heartbeat and checked the growth. Your fiancée has been doing well enough to nourish the baby but that’s to be expected. The fetus will take the nutrition from the mother at the expense of her body. Thankfully, she’s been drinking enough milk at least so the bones of the fetus are normal.” He paused at that point. “But it looks like that’s pretty much all the nutrition she’s been getting lately. She needs to eat more. I know these model types worry about gaining weight but she needs to focus on her health now. She’ll get her figure back after the baby is born. She needs to probably triple her caloric intake over the next few months, just to get herself back to a relatively healthy weight.”

Antonio sighed, more relieved than he wanted to admit. “Thank you, doctor. I’ll make sure she eats properly from now on.”

“She’s lost about ten pounds which is the opposite way someone of her size should go during a pregnancy.”

Antonio’s mouth compressed into a grim, determined line as he thought about how little she’d weighed in his arms earlier in the day. “She’ll gain every pound of it back plus many more. I guarantee.”

The doctor nodded, reassured by Antonio’s firm pledge. “Good.”

“When can I see her?”

The doctor looked down at the chart. “Very soon. In fact, you’ll probably help her calm down. She’s been very worried about the baby and I don’t want her blood pressure to spike again. She should be moved into a room very soon.”

“Make sure it is a private one,” Damien stepped in at this point, his voice firm and not allowing any argument.

The doctor flushed as he looked up at the older gentleman. “Of course, Mr. Alfieri. We’ll make sure that happens.” He still looked nervous, but said to Antonio, “Hold her hand and make sure she knows you are close by. She’s exhausted but I don’t want to give her anything to help her sleep. She’s just lost too much weight at this point. But she needs to sleep a lot over the next few months. And she needs food high in vitamins and calories.”

Antonio nodded his head, accepting the task ahead of him. “I’ll make sure she sleeps and eats. And I’ll make sure she gets to an obstetrician immediately after her release.”

Fifteen minutes later, Antonio stepped into the private hospital room and looked down at the woman who had led him a merry chase for the last several months. No longer, he thought. He made several calls while he waited for her to wake up, watching her the whole time. She looked exhausted and so thin that her pregnancy seemed much more pronounced. He was surprised that he hadn’t noticed it when she’d initially walked into his office earlier today but he’d had eyes only for her face.

With absolute determination, Antonio silently swore to her that he would take care of her. Better than he had when they’d been in Italy.

Andie stirred, feeling more comfortable than she had in a long time. The mattress wasn’t hers, but at this point, she didn’t care. It wasn’t lumpy and it wasn’t her couch. Wherever she was, she didn’t feel the cold breeze from the gap in the sliding glass doors that closed off the balcony, so what did she care? She hadn’t slept well in such a long time so she wasn’t going to open her eyes and wake up. Not yet anyway.

Unfortunately, there was something nagging at her. Something she perceived that wasn’t completely right. A strange sensation that….surely he wasn’t here.

And then it all came back to her. Walking into his office, the intimidating way he’d looked down at her and how he’d looked…tired. And furious!

She opened her eyes and looked around, surprised to find Antonio standing at the end of her bed, his muscular arms crossed over his chest and that unfamiliar glare in his eyes.

“Welcome back,” he said smoothly enough. But Andie heard the anger in his voice and reacted to it. Struggling to sit up, she pulled the sheet higher, watching him the whole time while she simultaneously tried to figure out where she was and what had happened. “What are you doing here?” she demanded. She wished she had a brush. And makeup. She’d looked absolutely frightful when she’d confronted him earlier today. She was pretty sure that she looked even worse now.

“You’re pregnant,” he snapped at her, leaning forward now.

Andie’s hands came to rest on her protruding stomach protectively. “Nothing gets past you,” she said sarcastically.

Antonio ignored her tone and braced his hands on either side of her feet, resting against the mattress but letting her know how furious he was with her. “And you haven’t been taking care of my son.”

She stiffened with those words, panic almost choking her. “First of all, this is my son,” she declared hotly. “And secondly, how do you know this is your child?” she said, her chin going up defiantly.

He rolled his eyes in disgust. “Don’t even try it, Andie. I know you. Intimately, remember?”

Her hands clenched again. “I remember that you’re an unfeeling, heartless bastard who doesn’t believe in love.”

His eyes widened with amusement. “Ah, my little kitten has grown claws,” he murmured.

Her eyes flashed furiously. “I’m not your kitten, Antonio. I’m not your anything.”

He moved to the side of her bed, leaning down close enough so he could see the pulse beating at the base of her neck. “You will be,” he promised.

She pulled back, terrified of how much she wanted to bury her face against his chest and plead with him to simply love her back. Even after all this time, all the heartache she’d gone through, just one glimpse of him and all those wretched feelings of love for this man came rushing back. She couldn’t believe her heart could betray her so thoroughly.

“I won’t,” she replied, but the tremor in her voice didn’t help her confidence.

He pushed away from her again. “Your belongings from your apartment have already been moved into my place. You’ll move in with me when you are released from the hospital and I’ll make sure that you eat properly and get to your doctor’s appointments.”

She shook her head, refusing to accept his dictates. “No! I’m not moving in with you!”

“It is already done,” he told her brutally, dismissing her arguments completely. “You are here because you couldn’t take care of yourself.” His eyes softened slightly as he looked down at her. “You got pregnant from our night together. That dried up your only source of income, didn’t it?”

Andie didn’t have to reply as she clenched her hands into fists of impotent fury. The evidence was obvious.

“You came to me for money.” He hated that. He’d wanted to find her for months, desperate to get her back but when she’d finally come to him, all she’d wanted from him was money to help her get through this pregnancy. “Tell me something,” he demanded, needing to know the answer, “if you hadn’t fainted on me in my office, were you ever going to tell me about the baby?”

The look in her eyes told him the truth. “I see,” he finally said, suppressing the anger that welled up. “So your plan failed and I will get to know my child.”

Andie still struggled with the guilt, just like she’d done ever since she’d discovered that she was pregnant. “I honestly hadn’t made up my mind.” She looked around at the room, suddenly noticing all the flowers. “Where did all of these bouquets come from?” she asked. They were everywhere. Roses in just about every color, daisies, potted plants and cut flowers…they were on every available surface. “Wow!”

Antonio looked around at the flowers and shrugged dismissively. “My family was here.”

Andie’s eyes widened, shock deepening her shame. In Italy, he’d told her about his family, about his older brothers and one sister, all of whom were married with kids. He’d had so much love in his tone when he’d talked about them and she’d been envious. Growing up as an only child, and now without parents herself, she’d been envious of his boisterous youth. “You told your family?” she gasped in horror.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Why wouldn’t I? I’m going to be a father. We’re a close family and this is a pretty big event.”

She looked at him curiously, fighting the fatigue that was creeping up on her. “I would have thought a big guy like you with all the women fawning over you, that a baby was the last thing you’d want. It would cramp your style.” She smothered a yawn and leaned her head back against the pillow. She fought it, but her exhaustion was stronger than her anger.

Antonio watched as her beautiful eyes slowly closed even though she was obviously fighting to stay awake. He was astonished at how quickly she’d changed. One moment, she was arguing with him, the next, she was fighting her exhaustion but the doctor had warned him that she was sleep deprived and needed lots of sleep to recover.

Antonio almost laughed as she fought to keep her eyes open, noticed her hands both covered her belly reflexively and, despite the sterile environment, his body reacted to the sight of her. Despite the dark circles under her eyes and the ragged nails that obviously hadn’t been manicured since her last job, she looked even more beautiful now. Poverty might be wearing her down, but pregnancy suited her. She looked…stunning.

“You’d be wrong,” he mumbled, but knew she hadn’t heard him. She’d fallen asleep again. The doctor had warned him that this could happen. Her body was trying to recover from a lack of sleep and nutrition so he didn’t panic at the sudden onset of sleep. In fact, it gave him a moment to observe her, note all the changes in her body. She was much too thin but he could fix that by making sure she had plenty of food. If she was being ridiculous and worrying about her figure, he would bring home foods to entice her every night, just to make sure she was getting enough nutrition.

A little more sleep, a lot more food and the mother of his child ensconced in his bed. Yes, all would be as it should, he told himself.

A knock on the door sounded and he looked over in time to see Marcus poking his head around. “Hey, there’s a strange guy out here with a black box saying you called him. Do you want me to let him in?”

Antonio looked at the man hovering behind Marcus and nodded his head sharply. “Yes. He has something I need.”

Marcus moved to the side and let the other man in but he followed right behind him. A moment later, Davis and Dylan stepped in as well, all of them looking over the shorter man as he revealed a display of diamond rings.

Dylan whistled as the bling sparkled in the dim lights of the hospital room. “Damn buddy, you’re doing this ass-backwards, you know.”

Davis nudged him. “Family tradition,” he joked. Their father had accidentally found their mother when Dylan was already five years old.

The others all chuckled while the jeweler looked up with polite confusion. “If these don’t suit, Mr. Alfieri, I can bring others.”

Antonio picked up the biggest one. “No,” Adriana said as she pushed Davis and Dylan out of the way. “That’s too ostentatious,” she said. “What about that one,” she said, pointing to a smaller but still brilliant ring with a center stone surrounded by smaller diamonds. “Think of her fingers and hands,” she explained, extending her own slim hand with several diamonds on it. “And think of her preferences. She looks too slender to carry around an enormous diamond like that one. But this one,” she said, picking up the antique looking ring, “might suit her much better.”

Antonio looked at the ring and had to agree with his sister. She had excellent taste and her argument made sense. “Fine. This one,” he said.

A moment later, after the jeweler had packed up the others, promising to send the bill to his office, Antonio slipped the ring onto Andie’s finger, trying hard not to wake her because he knew she needed her sleep.

“Aren’t you going to propose?” Adriana asked, acting like she was unimpressed.

Davis chuckled softly. “Like your husband got down on one knee?” he teased. “From what I heard, Mitch had you slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. You’re the worst person to judge how this process works.”

She smiled smugly up into her oldest brother’s eyes. “You don’t know what happened before or after. It was all very romantic!”

Dylan, Marcus and Davis all turned to face her, Dylan speaking for the rest of them. “Don’t go there, Adriana. We all like Mitch. We don’t want to have to kick his ass.”

Adriana laughed, but slapped her hand over her mouth. “You’d beat my husband up for…”

“Don’t say it!” Marcus grumbled.

She shrugged, letting the issue drop. If her brothers wanted to pretend like Ella and Zane were brought here by the stork, that’s their bizarre world. Turning back to Antonio and the current issue, she ignored her other brothers. “Anyway, you can’t just get her engaged while she’s sleeping,” she argued.

Antonio crossed his arms over his chest again, staring down at his sister. “I just did,” he said as if that made it so.

Adriana turned around and looked at her other brothers, all of whom were in a similar, arrogant stance. “You’re all just a bunch of enormous idiots,” she told them. “Now let’s get out of here and give Antonio and Andie some privacy.”

“Where are Luca and Grayson?” Antonio asked, stopping them for a moment.

Davis turned around. “Kate is feeding Grayson,” he explained.

“Juliette is rocking Luca to sleep.”

Antonio looked at the woman on the bed, still sleeping. “I’m going to need more practice with those little guys.”

Adriana smiled, but wiped her sisterly love off of her face quickly. “You had too much practice with Ella and Zane,” she said.

“And Julia adores you,” Dylan said with a reassuring tone. “She doesn’t have the best taste though,” referring to his five year old daughter who considered Antonio her personal babysitter since the man flew down to wherever she was whenever Dylan and Georgette had to go out of town or out for the evening.

Marcus punched Antonio on the shoulder. “In other words, don’t worry. You’ve got this down.”

Antonio didn’t stop looking at the woman sleeping but he was profoundly grateful for their encouragement. He gave them all a sharp nod as they filed out of the room once more.

A moment later, his mother and father stepped in. “You okay?” Jemma whispered, wrapping her arms around her youngest son.

Antonio hugged her back, feeling some of the tension leave him with her gentle, quiet assurance. “I’m fine now,” he told her.

“Is she the reason…?”

“Yes,” he told her. This woman was the reason he’d come back from Italy such a mess.

A strong hand landed on his shoulder and Antonio looked back at his father. His hair had gone grey but he was still an astonishingly handsome and powerful man. “Thanks Dad,” Antonio said, covering his father’s hand with his own.

Jemma looked at the woman, startled by the lovely ring on her finger. “Where did that come from?” she asked softly.

Antonio smiled grimly, that possessiveness roaring back with sight of the ring on Andie’s finger. “We’ll get married,” he said.

Jemma looked up at her son’s handsome features and almost laughed. “Does she know that?” she asked. Her sons were strong, powerful and wealthy men. But they had more arrogance than she thought was healthy.

Antonio squeezed her again. “She will once she wakes up.”

Jemma and Damien laughed, thinking back to their own volatile relationship. “Well, good luck with that.” Jemma hugged her son one more time, then pulled back. “We’re going to leave you guys alone.” She reached up and kissed his cheek. “You know we’re only a phone call away if you need anything, right?”

Antonio knew that. “Yes. Thanks.”

His mother looked up at him, hesitating before she said the next words. But they had to be said, for his sake. “You know, she’s not…”

“I know, Mom,” he interrupted her, not wanting that other woman’s name to be spoken.

“Okay then,” she said, looking at the lovely, if slightly haggard woman in the hospital bed, then back at her son. “I love you, dear,” she said and kissed him again.

He hugged his father as well, silently thanking them for being with him during this crisis. They walked out of the hospital room, leaving him alone with the sleeping beauty that had haunted him for so many months.