In the Italian's Bed: Bedded for Pleasure, Purchased for Pregnancy / The Italian's Ruthless Baby Bargain / The Italian Count's Defiant Bride

She told herself, even if she didn’t quite believe it yet, that she would be okay.

Because—for her baby’s sake—she had to be.

‘Jake.’ Emma saw her brother freeze as he opened the door.

‘Now’s not a good time, Em. Beth’s having a lie-down.’ He looked over her shoulder and down the street, but Emma stood her ground.

‘I know Beth’s gone out.’ Brushing past her brother, she walked into his home uninvited. ‘I hear your house is on the market. Beth told me you’re looking for something with a bigger garden, nearer the city…Oh, and she mentioned you want to take the twins to America, to Disneyland…Sounds expensive, Jake?’

‘Beth’s always talking things up.’

‘You haven’t told her, have you?’ His silence said everything. ‘Mum and Dad’s house sale has gone through, the settlement’s on Monday—when exactly are you going to tell her, Jake?’ She could feel her stomach churning as still he didn’t answer. ‘Or are you not going to?’

‘We need a change—a new start. You have no idea what we’ve been through…’

Instead of pleading he was angry. Instead of begging he was scolding—just as he always did when his back was to the wall. Emma realised for the first time that he blamed everyone but himself for the mess that he was in.

‘You’re engaged to Zarios D’ Amilo. What do you need more money for?’

‘It’s a loan…’ Emma shouted. ‘I’m engaged to him till I pay back the loan…’

‘Tell him you can’t!’ Jake shouted louder. ‘He won’t even notice it—Zarios can afford it.’

‘Well, I can’t. I lent it you, Jake, you signed an agreement…’

‘So sue me,’ Jake scoffed.

‘I will!’ Emma bluffed. ‘And I’m going to tell Beth myself what’s going on…’

‘I’ll never see the twins again if you do.’ Jake eyeballed his sister. ‘And neither will you—Beth’s waiting for an excuse, any excuse, to leave. Go ahead,’ Jake challenged.

She could hear the twins scampering up the path, Beth’s key in the door.

‘Tell her.’

‘Tell me what?’ Beth half smiled, half frowned as she walked in on them. ‘Are you two rowing?’

‘I’m just telling my sister—’ Jake gave a tight smile ‘—that it would have been nice if she could have called round to tell us about her engagement, instead of us having to read about it in the papers.’

‘Oh, leave her alone, Jake! I spoke to her on the phone—I’m sure Emma’s got a million things to be getting on with…’

For the first time Beth was actually smiling, and there was lightness to her that, Emma realised, must have come when she’d finally known her marriage was back on track.

‘Anyway, she’s here now!’ Beth picked up Emma’s hand and gazed at the ring. ‘It’s gorgeous…’ Beth wrapped her in a hug. ‘It’s so nice to have some good news at last. Come on, I’ll make you a drink—and then I’ll bore you senseless about our trip to Disneyland…’

It was at that moment that Emma realised she’d lost close to a million dollars.

‘Where have you been?’ Zarios asked, when finally she made it home.

‘Don’t worry, I haven’t been kicking up my heels at The Casino…’ Exhaustion seeped out of her as with a sigh she sat on the sofa as far away from him as possible. ‘I was at my brother’s.’

‘I’m not checking up on you…I’ve been worried. You said you were going to the doctor.’

‘Which I did.’

‘Am I allowed to ask how it went?’

‘He asked if I was stressed…’ Emma gave an ironic smile. ‘I said that I thought I might be.’

‘Did he give you anything to help you sleep?’

‘No. I have to have some blood tests…’ She bent down to take off her sandals. A lousy liar at the best of times, she hoped her fringe would hide her blush. ‘So I’m afraid you’re going to have to put up with my carry-on for a little while longer. Sorry if I’m disturbing your rest!’ she added as she sat up.

‘I’m not worried about my rest,’ Zarios bristled. ‘I’m actually rather worried about you.’

Zarios was seriously worried, in fact.

And he felt seriously guilty, too!

Watching her fade before his eyes, hearing her crying out in the night, made something unfamiliar twist inside him—something that felt suspiciously like guilt. But he had nothing to be guilty for, he had told himself over and over—they had made a deal and she was being handsomely paid for a few weeks’ work.

Staring over at her pale features, seeing that once smiling mouth grim now with tension, her head resting back on the sofa, her eyes half closed in exhaustion, he hated the mess she’d got herself into. But he couldn’t, just couldn’t, hate the woman. Couldn’t not put her out of her misery.

‘Emma?’ She didn’t open her eyes as he spoke, which made it somehow easier. ‘I’m not going to force you to marry me…and I’m not going to hound you if you can’t pay me back. You have helped me enough. The board are pleased—things are going well there. If we can just hold it together for a little while longer then that’s enough. I don’t want a loveless marriage any more than you do…’ He watched as a tear slid out from under her eyelid, and wished he could reach out and touch her—wished it were the middle of night, when he was allowed to hold her. ‘My mother didn’t love my father—I have no desire to recreate history.’

He was trying to say the right thing, to do as the counsellor had said and take away as much pressure as possible, so why was she crying? Only he didn’t have time to dwell. Taking a deep breath, Zarios said the hardest part. ‘I rang up some places today—places that deal with addiction…’ Now she did open her eyes, those bright blue eyes that had once danced and held his. They were tortured and confused now. ‘When this is over, will you think about going…?’

She shot up from her seat, her head buzzing. Jake’s cruel words, the doctor’s diagnosis, all were just fading into the distance as she stared at the father of her child—the man who had just admitted he didn’t love her, had never intended to marry her.

‘You’ve got it all worked out, haven’t you? Ship me off to rehab, why don’t you? Even your father will understand then why you had to end it…’

‘Emma, please!’

She didn’t want to hear it. He shook his head hopelessly, lifted his hand to wipe away a tear. She brushed it off.

‘You have a problem…’

‘Jake’s the one with the problem.’ She was through lying for her brother—just through with it now.

‘Emma….’ Wearily Zarios shook his head. ‘When will you stop lying? Your father told me your business was going under, and I saw Jake give you money at the party. I spoke with Jake this evening and he confirmed it.’

‘You spoke to Jake?!’

‘Emma, I’m trying to help you.’

‘Well, it doesn’t feel like it!’

‘This might.’ He was angry now—angry at her denial, and hurt, too. This was the only woman he had truly put first—the one woman he had, hand on heart, offered to help. The million dollars didn’t matter a jot—it was her refusal to acknowledge her problem that incensed him. ‘I am flying to Singapore tonight. Hope-fully things will be easier on you if I am not around. I’ll meet you in Sydney for the ball on Saturday. If we can keep up appearances for a couple more days it would be appreciated. And then I suggest you read the bro-chures—and really think about getting some help.’