Resisting The Italian Single Dad

AFTER PREPARING A snack for Isabella, Carly had unpacked both her own and Isabella’s suitcases, carried out a recce of Isabella’s room and returned to the kitchen to find Isabella sitting in her high chair, munching on a banana, her gaze firmly fixed on her father, who was typing on the keyboard of his phone.

Carly came to a stop beside him and waited until he finally looked up. ‘I chose a bedroom for myself close to Isabella’s so that I can help you during the night when she wakes.’ She pushed on in the hope that if she spoke quickly there was less chance of her giving away just how disturbed she felt to be in the intimacy of his home. ‘I left your suitcases in your bedroom.’ She didn’t add that she knew it was his bedroom because a quick look into the attached dressing room had revealed a row of bespoke suits and expensive casual wear. His whole bedroom, with its accent blue wall behind a white supersized headboard filled with dramatic modern art and pale wooden floor boards, was masculine. Him.

Her own room, next to his, decorated in soft greens, had the same breathtaking views of Lake Como and shared the same terrace that led down to the floodlit outdoor pool. She just hoped that they never bumped into each other out there. The image of Max dressed only in swimwear strolling down to the pool made her pause; she’d happily bet the entire annual income of her business on the guess that he had a seriously impressive body.

‘I…’ She paused as the image of Max’s powerful broad shoulders, narrowing to a slim waist, swam unwanted into her mind. ‘I… I…yes, what I was trying to say was that I had a look at Isabella’s bedroom to ensure that it’s the right environment to promote sleep. I suggest you install blackout blinds in addition to the curtains that are already there.’

Max considered her for a moment, his raised eyebrow the only hint of mischief in his otherwise deadpan expression. ‘I take it that you’re wanting some company in bed tonight?’

Carly stared at him; only after a long few seconds did it dawn on her that her mouth was gaping open. She snapped it closed. ‘What? Certainly not!’

Max’s lips curled upwards before he nodded towards the toys in her arms. ‘I meant the soft toys…are you taking them to bed with you?’

Carly shook her head, trying to rein in her embarrassment. She hit him with an unimpressed glare and went and placed the three stuffed toys on the long sleek white kitchen table that complemented the steel and pale wood of the super-modern kitchen.

Turning, she moved back to him, held out her hand. ‘Okay, for the next hour we’re having a phone-free zone.’

He pulled his phone out of her reach. ‘Please tell me that you’re joking.’

She shook her head. ‘Phone on the kitchen counter, where I can see it.’ Then she wiped Isabella’s hands free of banana mush and cleaned the tray of her high chair with some wipes. She placed all three toys onto the high-chair table—Sami the white long-eared rabbit, Skye the blue bear and Sunny the grey elephant. Isabella eyed the three toys dubiously but then lurched and grabbed hold of Sunny, squashing his long trunk in under her armpit.

Carly smiled at Isabella and touched her fingertips against Sunny’s grey velvety fur. ‘This is Sleepy Sunny, Isabella. He and his friends here, Sami and Skye, live together in Sleep World. They love nothing more than lying in bed, being all snugly and warm and falling asleep.’

Isabella looked at her doubtfully and held onto the heavy-eyed and tiredly smiling Sunny even closer.

Carly turned to Max. He was propped against the kitchen’s central island thick slab of white marble countertop, arms crossed with a bemused expression on his face. ‘And tonight your papa will read to you a story about Sunny in Sleep World, won’t you, Papa?’

He eyed Sunny and the other animals. ‘Will I?’

Carly decided to ignore his dubious expression. ‘You mentioned at the parent talk on Wednesday that Isabella has no particular toy she uses as a comforter.’ She had shown the group the story book she had written and published to encourage sleep, Sleepy Heads in Sleep World