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A Forever Family: His Unexpected Family. Rebecca Winters
Читать онлайн.Название A Forever Family: His Unexpected Family
Год выпуска 0
isbn 9781474096171
Автор произведения Rebecca Winters
Серия Mills & Boon M&B
Издательство HarperCollins
Her reaction was even more than he’d hoped for. “I agree, and I’ve thought of a foolproof plan. I failed my brother when I went away to college in Rome, but this will be a way to atone for my sins.”
“What can you do?” she cried. “Tell me.”
“It involves your cooperation, but it has to be so convincing to everyone, and I mean everyone, no one will believe it’s not true.”
Determination filled her gaze. “I’ll do anything.”
“I hope you mean that.”
“I swear it. Since Dante left the table, I’ve been dying inside.”
Leon reached out to squeeze her hand before letting it go. “First you have to phone your boss and tell him you need to take family leave. Let him know you’re in Italy visiting the mother you were just reunited with. Tell him an emergency has arisen that prevents you from returning to work Monday. They have to give you the time off.”
Leon heard her take several short breaths in succession. “I...suppose that could be arranged, especially when I’ve never asked for it before.”
“Bene.” He checked his watch. “Now would be the perfect time to reach him at work.” He handed her his phone. “Once you’ve talked to him, you’ll be able to concentrate on our plan.”
“I don’t know what it is yet.”
“Before I say anything else, we need to know if everything’s all right for you to stay in Rimini. If not, I’ll have to come up with another plan. While you do that, we’ll head back to shore.”
He raised anchor and started the engine. The sound prevented him from hearing much of her conversation. By the time they reached the dock, she’d finished the call. While he tied up the cruiser, he gave her a covert glance. “What’s the verdict?”
“I couldn’t believe he was so nice. He said for me to take all the time I needed. Not to worry.”
“Eccelente.”
One roadblock removed.
Belle handed him the phone and took off her life jacket, which he stowed away under the bench. She replaced it with her sweater. “When are you going to tell me the plan?”
“I don’t know about you, but I could use some coffee. Let’s go up to the villa and check on Concetta. Then we’ll have the rest of the night to talk everything out.”
“I admit coffee sounds good. It’s getting cooler.”
He helped Belle step onto the dock and they made their way back in silence. They might not be touching, but the sensual tension between them was palpable. Talia saw them in the hall and told him Concetta was sleeping like an angel.
Before heading for the kitchen, he and Belle went upstairs and tiptoed into the nursery to take a peek. Suddenly, both of them chuckled, because the baby was sitting up in the crib. She saw them in the doorway and started fussing.
“It looks like she was waiting for you to say good-night,” Belle whispered. Leon crossed the room to pick her up and hug her. His heart dissolved when his child kissed him and patted his cheeks. “She adores you, Leon.”
The sound of her voice brought his daughter’s head around. To their surprise she reached for Belle, who caught her in her arms.
“Are you going to give me a kiss good-night, too? How lucky can I be? I love you, sweetheart.” She walked her around the room. “I wish Concetta knew what I was saying, Leon.”
“She doesn’t need to understand English to know what you mean,” he murmured in a satisfied voice.
“Is that true?” Belle kissed her again.
In the intimacy of the darkened room his daughter clung to her as if she were her mother. It added substance to an idea that had been building in his mind since the first time Belle had picked her up.
He’d planned to talk to her after they’d gone back downstairs for coffee, but his little girl had unexpectedly chosen the place and the moment for this conversation.
“Since she’s not ready to go to sleep yet, I’ll tell you my plan now. We need to get married right away to prevent my father from adopting you.”
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