The Baby Bombshell: The Billionaire's Baby Swap / Dating for Two / The Valtieri Baby

Giovanni picked up Ric and showed him to his ex-mother-in-law. “Valentina named him Ric.”

Tears filled the older woman’s eyes. “Oh, Giovanni—he looks so much like you and Tatania.” She touched his face, but Ric didn’t like it and his chin wobbled. “Tatania needs to see him. Once she does, she won’t be able to resist him.”

Instead of a response Giovanni asked, “Do you want to stay to lunch? Hold him? Valentina and I were just about to sit down.”

“No. I only came by to see him and bring a gift, but I’ve upset him. I’ll call you later.”

“Let me walk you out to your car.”

“I’m so glad we met,” Valentina called after her. She nodded and left. Valentina’s heart sank to her feet to see the sorrow on the face of Tatania’s mother. When Giovanni came back inside, she said, “I feel so sorry for her. There’ve been too many shocks.”

“You were very sweet to her, Valentina. Seeing her daughter in the baby made it all the more difficult to accept the fact that Tatania doesn’t want anything to do with Ric.”

“It’s so sad.”

“Time will heal the wounds.” He put Ric in the playpen. “Shall we eat? Stanzie is a great cook.”

The rest of the day and evening turned out to be pure pleasure as they ate and played with the babies.

“How did Stanzie and Paolo come to work for you?”

“It’s an interesting story. Their last name is Bruno.”

“You’re talking about the same Bruno as my brother.”

He nodded. “They managed an advertising agency for his uncle Ernesto,” he explained. “Over several years I often ate lunch with them while we discussed ideas to expand the advertising for Laurito’s. They’re some of my favorite people.

“But Ernesto wasn’t a visionary man and the business was failing. Paolo had some brilliant ideas. Unfortunately his uncle wouldn’t listen and it reached a point where he let them go.”

“He did that to his own family?”

“Afraid so. I asked them to work for me at the villa until I get them set up in another advertising business I plan to run.”

“So that’s why you were in competition with Rini?”

“Yes. I wanted to buy out Ernesto so Paolo and Stanzie could go back to managing the business the way they wanted. But your brother saw a great business opportunity, and it’s still up in the air which way Ernesto will go. Please don’t say anything to your brother, who would have his own ideas about the people he wants to hire. It’s a private matter.”

“I wouldn’t interfere, but I admire you very much for trying to help.”

“Paolo and his wife are amazing people with real talent. While they’re living with me, I’ve arranged for someone to rent their house in Naples.”

“And I have to tell you that Paolo and Stanzie are darling with the babies.”

“It’s a shame they couldn’t have children of their own.”

“Maybe there’s still hope. I know people who had babies in their forties.”

“I’ve told them the same thing.”

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.”

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