The Count's Christmas Baby

His thoughts were reeling. “Say nothing about this to anyone.”

“Surely you don’t question my loyalty to the House of Degenoli?”

“No,” Ric muttered, furrowing his hair absently with his fingers. He stared blindly out the window of the Degenoli Shipping Lines office. For well on 150 years it had overlooked the port of Genoa, Italy’s most important port city. “Forgive me, but when it comes to my family …”

“I understand. You know you can rely on my discretion.”

“Grazie.” Ric’s voice grated before he hung up.

Whatever was going on, Ric didn’t want wind of this to reach his siblings. Claudia and Vito lived with enough pain and didn’t need to take on more, especially with Christmas only a week away. It was absolutely essential this be kept secret.

After he told his driver to meet him in the side alley, he rang security to follow them and left the office with his bodyguards. He needed to take care of this matter now, before he left for the airport.

For the second time today, Sami paid the taxi driver and got out in front of the main police station in Genoa with trepidation. The police chief had told her one of his staff had found the number of the man she was looking for and had contacted him.

It was a miracle! She couldn’t have done it without the phone operator’s help. After searching for Alberto Degenoli without success, she’d almost given up hope.

No telling what would happen at this meeting, but she had to go through with it for her baby’s sake. His existence would come as a total surprise to Mr. Degenoli, but her son deserved to know about his father’s side of the family.

Of course, the baby was too little to know anything yet. It was up to Sami to introduce them and lay a foundation for the future, if Mr. Degenoli wanted a relationship. If not, then she’d go back to Reno and raise him without feeling any attendant guilt that she hadn’t done all she could do to unite them.

Once through the doors, she realized it was just as busy at four o’clock as it had been earlier. Besides people and staff, it was filled with cigarette smoke, irritating her eyes and nose. The nativity scene set up on a table in the foyer reminded her how close it was to Christmas and she’d done nothing to get ready for it yet. But she’d had something much more important on her mind before leaving Reno than the upcoming holidays.

Having been in the building earlier, she knew where to go. She’d just started to make her way down the hall when a man strode swiftly past her and rounded a corner at the end. He was a tall male, elegantly dressed in a tan suit and tie. Maybe he was in his mid-thirties. For want of a better word, he left an impression of power and importance that appeared unconscious and seemed to come as naturally to him as breathing.

Sami passed several men and policemen who eyed her in masculine appreciation before she turned the corner and entered the reception area of the police chief’s office. With the exception of the uniformed male receptionist she’d met before, the room was empty. Where had the other man gone?

After she sat down, the receptionist picked up the phone, presumably to let the chief know she’d arrived. Once he’d hung up, he told her she could go in. After removing a few blond hairs from the sleeve of her navy blazer, Sami thanked him and opened the door to the inner office.

To her shock, the stranger who’d passed her in the hall moments ago was standing near the chief’s desk talking to him. Obviously the chief of police was busy, so she didn’t understand why his secretary had told her she could go in.

At a glance she took in the other man’s lean, powerful physique. Her gaze quickly traveled to the lines of experience etched around his eyes and mouth. Maybe she was mistaken, but beneath his black brows, those dark eyes pierced hers with hostility after he’d turned in her direction. That wasn’t a reaction she was used to receiving from the opposite sex.

Of medium height, she had to look up to him. His unique male beauty fascinated her, especially his widow’s peak formed by hair black as midnight. Swept back like that, it brought his Mediterranean features and gorgeous olive skin into prominence.

The chief spoke in heavily accented English, drawing her attention away from the stranger. “Signorina, may I present Signor Alberto Degenoli.”

Sami’s spirits plunged. This isn’t the man I’m looking for. But perhaps he is a relative? “How do you do?” she murmured, shaking the hand of the striking Italian male who’d extended his. He had a strong, firm grip, like the man himself.

“How do you do, Signorina?” His polished English was impeccable with barely a whisper of accent. But it was the depth of his voice that sent a curious shiver through her body, recalling an echo from the past. Maybe she was mistaken, but she thought she’d heard that voice before.

But that was crazy. They’d never met.

“You’ve gone pale, Signorina. Are you all right?”

“Yes—” Sami gripped the back of the nearest chair. “I-it’s just that you’re not the person I’m looking for and I’m disappointed,” she stammered before gazing at him again. “You have his name, but you’re … too young. Obviously there’s more than one Alberto Degenoli living in Genoa.”

He shook his head. “No. There’s only one.”

“You mean you?”

“That’s right.”

“Perhaps instead of Genova, you meant Geneva in Switzerland, Signorina,” the chief inserted. “Many Americans become confused by the two similar spellings.”

She frowned. “Possibly I misunderstood. Mr. Degenoli’s in shipping.”

“So are others on Lake Geneva.”

“But he’s Italian.”

“Thousands of Italians live in Switzerland.”

“Yes. I know.” Maybe because of the differences in pronunciation, she’d gotten the name of the city wrong. How odd. All this time … “Thank you for the suggestion.” She looked at Mr. Degenoli. “I’m so sorry you’ve made this trip to the police station for nothing. I’ve put both of you out. Please forgive me.”

“Perhaps if you gave me a clearer description of him?”

“Well, he’d probably be in his sixties. I’m not sure. I feel terrible about this. Thank you for coming here on such short notice.” She glanced at Chief Coretti. “Please excuse me for taking up your time. You’ve been very kind. I’ll leave now so you can get on with your work.”

At her comment, he squinted at her. “You sounded desperate when you came to me, Signorina. Therefore I will leave you to get better acquainted with this gentleman you’ve inconvenienced, and the two of you can discuss … business.”

Business? “What on earth do you mean?”

“Surely you’re not that naive?” the chief replied.

Upset by the distasteful insinuation, she felt heat rush to her cheeks. “You’ve evidently questioned my motives, but whatever you’re thinking, you’d be wrong—” she blurted. At this point she felt oddly reluctant to be left alone with the intimidating stranger studying her with relentless scrutiny. “I haven’t found the person I’m looking for, so there’s no point in this going any further. I truly am sorry to have caused either of you any inconvenience.”

Chief Coretti gave her a nasty smile. “What is going on, Signorina? You said it was a matter of life and death.”

“It is.” She hated the tremor in her voice.

He threw up his hands. “So explain!”

“I know I’ve been secretive, but I’m trying to make this inquiry as discreetly as possible to protect all concerned. When my other searches failed yesterday, I came to you for answers and hoped nobody would get hurt in the process. But the fact remains I’m looking for an older gentleman. I suppose he could even be in his early seventies.”

Time seemed suspended as Mr. Degenoli swallowed her up with those jet-black eyes of his. “Signor Coretti—if you’d be so kind as to leave us alone for a moment.”

“Of course.”

After he left, the room grew silent as a tomb except for the thudding of her heart. It wouldn’t surprise her if the stranger could hear it.

His lips twisted unpleasantly before he moved closer. “You’ve been secretive long enough. I’d like to see your passport.” Sami had the strongest conviction he was curious about her, too. At this point she knew she’d heard his voice before. But where? When she’d come to Europe a year ago, she hadn’t visited Italy.

While she rummaged in her purse, her mind was searching to remember. He stood there waiting, larger than life with an air of authority much more commanding than any police chief’s. She handed the passport to him. After he read the information, he gave it back.

“I’ve never heard of you.” His eyes glittered with barely suppressed anger. “The Alberto Degenoli I believe you’re looking for is no longer alive, but I think you already knew that. How well did you know him?” he demanded.

Ah. Now she understood the police chief’s earlier remark about “business.” Both men assumed she’d been involved with the man she was looking for. Sami lifted her head. “I didn’t know him at all. In fact I never met him, but I’d h-hoped to,” she stammered. Sadness overwhelmed her to realize she’d come to Italy for nothing.