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

“No one could ever say that about Tatania and me. The secret is to fall in love first. Those lucky enough for that to happen have love going for them when they marry.”

“I’m sorry your marriage didn’t work. I know you’ve told me it’s all your fault, but I know that’s not true. Did she really not know you were a hard worker? I bet if you asked her, she would have to admit she looked past that trait in you. If she could have been honest with herself, she might have decided to follow her own instincts to find a man who wasn’t a workaholic.”

“Hindsight is a wonderful thing.”

“Don’t I know it,” she said with a wry smile. “If I hadn’t felt like such a failure, I would have realized why Matteo had so much influence over me by telling me what I needed to hear.”

He shook his dark head. “A failure? When you’ve almost received your graduate degree in engineering at the age of twenty-five?”

“Looking back, I realize how odd that sounds now. But growing up, it felt like my brothers received all the attention and I admit I was jealous. My mother tried to help me. She said that one day I’d become my own person and those feelings would go away.”

Giovanni stared hard at her. “Have they gone?”

“Now that I’m a mother, I’ve been forced to grow up. Somehow those feelings of jealousy I harbored seem absurd in light of the problems you and I have been forced to face.”

He nodded. “Becoming a parent has been a life-changing experience for me, too. Work used to be everything. But since Vito was born, I can’t get home to him at night fast enough.”

“They are absolutely precious.”

“We’re very lucky.”

“Yes,” she whispered.

They got the children on board with the other items. Then he reached for the infant life preservers his siblings had used for their babies. After putting them on the children, they placed them in their carry-cots and lowered the visors to shield them from the sun. After undoing the ropes, Giovanni started the engine and they made their way at a wakeless speed into open water.

CHAPTER SIX (#u92268d9d-279b-5cb9-ad43-b3a18bd3bb16)

THE GULF OF SALERNO offered some of the most divine scenery imaginable. Along this winding coastline, steep rocky slopes rushed down to the sea, and tiny villages with colorful houses stacked on top of each other clung to the rugged cliffs.

Had Valentina ever been this happy? She couldn’t remember.

While Giovanni piloted the boat, she walked to the rear of the fabulous cruiser, resting one knee on the banquette to watch birds and fish, along with the colorful sailboats off in the distance. Later, after lunch, they carried the babies below to one of the bedrooms for their nap. For the next few hours she and Giovanni were free to enjoy this pleasurable moment out of time.

“Since I’ve anchored the boat, will you be all right if I take a swim?”

“Of course.”

“I’d ask you to join me.”

“No. One of us has to stay on board. Go for it, Giovanni. The water is so inviting.”

“I’ll be right back.” He disappeared below, leaving her alone to brood over the time when they had to say a real goodbye. She had to fight thoughts of one day being married to him. He’d only recently been divorced. To take on a new wife would be the last thing he’d want. Though they wouldn’t be parting company for a while, her heart was already rebelling.

Giovanni emerged on deck in blue swim trunks. His hard-muscled body took her breath before he slid over the side into the water and started swimming around the cruiser with the speed of a torpedo. He circled maybe ten times, then trod water close to the end of the boat with his hair sleeked back.

She smiled at him. “You look like you’re having a marvelous time.”

“I haven’t taken a day off like this in years.”

“Neither have I.”

“I’ll get back on board so you can have a turn.”

“I would, but I’m not ready to swim in the sea yet. Please stay out there as long as you want. I’m enjoying watching you.”

“After we go back to my place, you can use the pool so I’m able to watch you.”

Warmth rushed to her face that had nothing to do with the sun. “I don’t want to go back. This is glorious.”

“Then we won’t.”

She drank the rest of her water. Don’t tempt me, Giovanni. “You have a business to run.”

“Didn’t you hear what I just told you? Right now my only business is to love Ric and make him feel secure. With your help it’s happening.”

“I don’t know how I would have gotten through all this without your help. Vito is a different baby.”

He flashed her a smile that melted her bones. “We do good work.”

Too good. Her mind told her she shouldn’t have gotten involved with him once they’d left the hospital, but that wasn’t what her heart was telling her.

“Ready or not, I’m coming aboard!” He swam to the end of the boat. With stunning male dexterity he heaved himself onto the transom. She handed him one of the towels so he could dry himself off. “Before the babies wake up, come and sit by me while we drive on.”

She didn’t need to be urged.

He threw the towel around his shoulders and took his place at the wheel. Valentina handed him his life preserver. “Please put it back on.”

“For you I’ll do it.”

“For Ric. He’s going to want you around forever.”

She couldn’t decipher the look in his incredible black eyes that held hers before he turned on the engine. All she knew was that once he’d raised the anchor and they’d taken off across a calm sea, a thrill of exhilaration swept through her just to be sitting next to him.

The sight of the lemon-grove terraces of the cliffs combined with the delicious scent gave her a feeling of euphoria. When she moved to an apartment in Naples, she would always remember this time with a man who was bigger than life to her. His ex-wife could roam the earth and never meet another man like Giovanni.

“What’s on your mind, Valentina? Talk to me.”

“I guess I’m trying to understand the other reasons why your marriage didn’t work. What else caused the strife? Ric is so dear. If your ex-wife saw him, her heart would melt.”

To her surprise he brought the boat to a stop and turned to face her. “Where to start? My parents wanted me to marry her. Tatania’s father, Salvatore, was in business with mine. They’re both on the board of the company. Because some of my family board members wanted to champion a second cousin of mine to take over the reins, my father didn’t want that to happen.

“My mother came to me in private and told me that Tatania’s father wanted our marriage. He worked hard on my father to talk to me. A marriage would bring the needed votes in my favor to put me in as head instead of my cousin. Mother begged me to do this because my father was intimidated by Salvatore and always had been.

“I realized my father had always lacked a certain confidence. He looked to me to help fight all the internal battles. That bit of knowledge about his insecurity finally persuaded me to follow through.”

“Are you saying she married you because of her father’s pressure?”

“To some degree, yes. I’d had various girlfriends throughout my life, but nothing serious. Because of my parents’ urgings, I started spending time with her and we got on well enough. Knowing my father was pinning all his hopes on my asking Tatania to marry me, I could see that if I didn’t, it could break his spirit.