Marie Ferrarella – The Baby Bombshell: The Billionaire's Baby Swap / Dating for Two / The Valtieri Baby (страница 13)

By the time they decided to take the babies upstairs and bathe them, Valentina felt like they were a family.

The nursery had its own en suite bathroom. They took turns giving the babies their baths. Giovanni put Ric in the water first. “You like this, don’t you?” He washed his dark hair with the baby shampoo. Valentina handed him a big fluffy towel after he lifted him out of the water.

“It’s your turn, Vito.” She filled the sink with fresh water and then gave him his bath. He didn’t like his head shampooed, but he didn’t actually cry. “See. This feels good. You and your brother are being very brave.”

Valentina realized her mistake before Giovanni handed her a matching towel. His eyes were smiling at her slip. “That just came out.” She hugged him to her and carried him into the nursery.

Giovanni diapered Ric and put him in a white babygro for bed. Then he flicked her a glance. “If you want to know the truth, when we were in that hospital room, I kept thinking they were like our nonidentical twins.”

Our twins. Her breath caught at the thought.

“Well, tonight should be a lot of fun for them. Their first slumber party.” She heard him chuckle before she put a little blue babygro on Vito. After sitting in the rocking chair, she fed him his last bottle. Giovanni brought a chair in from his bedroom and did the same with Ric.

As long as they were both in the room with the babies, there were no tears. Only the sounds of the boys drinking rather noisily disturbed the peace and quiet. After being burped, Vito fell asleep first. She left him on her shoulder. He was her little angel. At this point she loved both babies so much she could hardly stand it.

Ric finally passed out with his bottle. Giovanni put him in his crib, then signaled Valentina to follow him into the bedroom. He patted the bed. She lay down on one side and put Vito in the middle. Giovanni stretched out on the other side. They turned toward the sleeping baby and smiled.

This was like playing house, except this wasn’t a dollhouse and none of them were dolls.

Giovanni was a full-grown, breathtaking male. Her bones melted with the way his eyes devoured her.

“Do you know this is the first time I’ve felt this content in years? How about you?”

She nodded. “Once I started undergraduate school, I put pressure on myself to succeed. The stress increased when I got into graduate school. Then I lost my mother, and her death devastated the whole family for a long time.”

“I can only imagine,” he commiserated.

“I could go to her about anything, Giovanni. She knew I suffered from an inferiority complex and told me I had to believe in myself no matter what.” Her eyes smarted. “I’m wondering now if she hadn’t died, would I have gotten involved with Matteo?”

Giovanni reached across to give her arm a squeeze. “But if you hadn’t, we wouldn’t be lying here with our little boy who has brought so much joy into our lives. It’s why I can’t be sorry about my marriage to Tatania even though it ended. Ric is a living miracle.”

“They both are,” Valentina whispered.

“Thank you for accepting my invitation.” His voice throbbed.

“I’m thrilled to be here, but it’s getting late so I’ll say good-night and take Vito with me.” She was loving this way too much. Using every bit of willpower, she rolled off the bed before gathering Vito in her arms.

Giovanni followed her out of his room to her bedroom down the hall. She felt his eyes on her as she put Vito in the crib. “Please remember this house is yours while you’re here.”

“I will. If you need help, I’ll hear the crying and come.”

“That works both ways, Valentina. Buonanotte.”

After this wonderful evening, she didn’t want to say good-night, but to have stayed on his bed any longer would increase her desire to stay with him all night. She wanted to lie in his arms and be kissed senseless by him. How crazy was that!

“Good night.”

* * *

Giovanni groaned to have to walk away from her. He wanted to stay and make slow, passionate love to her. In all his adult life he’d never known desire like this. But it was too soon to show her how he felt. She needed time to get to know and trust him.

Though the babies were the reason they were together at all, it was the woman herself he’d also been drawn to from the first moment she’d opened the door at the hospital. He loved the way she loved the babies with a fullness of heart.

Valentina had been fearless in defying hospital policy in order to make them happy. When it came down to the wire, she’d forgotten herself in the need to protect her children. Those actions told him reams about her character.

He got ready for bed and slept with one ear open. At ten after three he heard Ric start crying. Throwing on his robe, he hurried into the nursery to change his diaper and feed him. As he reached for a bottle from the fridge and put it in the microwave to warm it up, Valentina came in the room with a fussy Vito. She was a vision in a nightgown and pale yellow robe.

Her eyes searched his. “I’m glad you’re up. Vito must have awakened at the same time as Ric. Vito’s still looking for you. I heard Ric fussing and thought we’d join you.”

Giovanni grinned. If she only knew, he’d willed her to come. “Benvenuta al Caffetteria Laurito, signorina.”

Laughter bubbled out of her as she sat down to feed Vito. He plucked Ric from the crib and sat next to her, thinking this was the way marriage should be. Two parents who’d lost sleep, but were crazy about each other and their babies.

The children could hear both their voices. Long after the babies had dozed off again, he and Valentina were deep in conversation about his life. “Did you always want to work for the family business?”

“Not in the beginning. I went to Sapienza University in Rome, thinking I might pursue medicine.”

“What changed?”

“My father’s constant urging that I join the company.”

“Because he needed his son behind him.”

“My mother and sisters said as much.”

Valentina eyed him thoughtfully. “Are you sorry you didn’t become a doctor?”

“No. I’ve found there’s a strong bent for business in my blood. I derive a certain excitement from winning over a new account.”

“You’re probably sick of my asking you all these questions.”

“No, Valentina. You couldn’t be more wrong about that. It’s so easy to talk to you, I feel like I’ve known you all my life.”

“I feel the same way, but I’d better take Vito back to bed before I wear out my welcome.”

Lines darkened his striking features. “Don’t you know you could never do that?”

She looked away quickly and hurried out of the room with Vito, leaving him bereft. He went back to bed and slept till seven when Ric needed another bottle.

After showering and dressing, he took the baby downstairs and walked out on the patio, where he found his guest with Vito. She saw him coming.

“Good morning. I couldn’t resist coming out here this morning. All this lavender wisteria thrives in such huge clumps, it’s fantastic. And the smell is so heavenly, Giovanni. I’ve always heard that Ravello is the garden town of the Amalfi Coast, but in my opinion it could be the Garden of Eden. You should charge admission.”

He chuckled. “The last thing I want is a stream of people invading my inner sanctum.”

“I know that.” She smiled. “I was only teasing you.”

“The garden and sunroom are the reasons I bought this place. I spend most of my time in the sunroom, where I can wander outside on a whim. Every flower has its season to bloom. I’m constantly delighted myself.”

“I think you have an artist’s soul.”

“What makes you say that?”

“The painting in my bedroom by Gozzoli.”

“At Christmas our mother used to read to us from a storybook about the Magi with that same painting on the cover. I was always fascinated by it. Last year I happened to see the reproduction in a store, taking me back to my childhood. I bought it on the spot and put it in the guest room.”

“I love it. I love the way the room is decorated, the colors. The nursery is adorable with its charming touches. I love your villa, the setting, everything! Forgive me for going on and on about it, but I just can’t help it.”

“Your opinion means a lot to me. Shall I bring your breakfast out here?”

Color filled her cheeks. “You’ve done too much for me already by allowing me to mother your son a little longer.” The tremor in her voice tugged on his heartstrings. She swept past him and entered the house. It took every ounce of self-control not to reach out and pull her into his arms.

She put Vito in his carry-cot and sat down at the table. “Another feast,” she exclaimed when they’d finished eating.

“Wait till you eat the lunch Stanzie has prepared for us.”

Valentina’s gentle laughter warmed his insides. “You’re still hungry?”

“I will be because I’m taking you and the babies out for a picnic.”

“Where?”

“It’s a surprise. On the way we’ll stop in town for another carry-cot stroller so we can push the babies around.”

They went upstairs to get the children ready. While he dressed Ric in a yellow sunsuit, he flicked her a glance. “Do you know I’m having the time of my life?”

She’d put Vito in shorts and a blue-and-white-striped shirt. “Can you believe these are the same unhappy little boys of a few days ago? Vito isn’t fighting me this morning. I think you were inspired to suggest we work together to help them adjust.” She flicked him another glance. “You do know that your unorthodox methods explain why you’re running your family’s company. You get results!”