breaths and forced herself to relax. It wasjust a stupid nightmare, she told herself. Lee was long gone—and as for this marriage with Antonio…it would be over in a matter of weeks. There would be no chance of him holding her or kissing her… or hurting her . Neither of them wanted that complication.
She sat up and looked over at Nathan. The boy was just waking up and he had kicked back the covers she had placed over him and was trying his best to wriggle out from the safety belt that held him.
‘Hey, little devil, what are you up to?’ She rolled over and playfully tickled him and he laughed, his little legs kicking out even harder.
‘I know what you want—you want your breakfast, don’t you?’ She put her arms around her son and cuddled him closer, but he pulled away and gave an impatient little cry. Hunger was taking him over and Victoria knew that if he didn’t get his breakfast soon tears would closely follow.
‘OK, point taken.’ She smiled and unfastened her own safety belt and got up.
She would have liked to take a shower and wash her hair before going out into the main cabin but she knew from experience that she had to feed Nathan first, otherwise he would turn from sunny-natured into a loud and very rebellious grouchy child. So she reached for her dressing gown and tried to tidy her hair as best she could.
Nathan was giving little whimpers now, so she didn’t loiter on her appearance, just gathered the fractious child up into her arms and headed out into the main cabin.
She half expected Antonio to be asleep. But as she glanced down the plane she saw that he was still working on some papers, his head bent. Had he worked all night? she wondered in surprise.
Luckily she didn’t have to go down past him; the small galley kitchen that she had used to prepare Nathan’s dinner yesterday was just to her left. Hastily she busied herself,plugging in the kettle and opening the fridge to find the banana, cereal and milk that she had placed in there yesterday. Nathan’s little wails of protest were starting to get louder and she spoke to him soothingly as she worked.
Antonio heard them before he saw them and put his papers down to glance further along the plane.
The sun was slanting in through the cabin windows, catching mother and child in a shaft of bright light. They made an intriguing picture of domesticity. She was wearing a long blue satin dressing gown and her hair was cascading in glossy waves around her shoulders. He hadn’t realized how lovely her hair was, or how long it was.
She looked very feminine and startlingly different…and for a moment he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Then he was distracted by the stewardess coming out to ask him if he wanted anything, and by the time he glanced back up towards the galley she was gone.
He’d probably imagined it, he told himself wryly, just as he’d imagined a sensual pleasure when he’d momentarily held her close. Victoria was many things—she was interesting and certainly different, and without her glasses passably attractive—but there was no wow factor. And he certainly wasn’t attracted to her.
Victoria didn’t re-emerge again until the pilot announced that they were starting to make their final descent into Brescia Airport. Antonio was quietly relieved when he saw her walking down the aisle towards him, Nathan at her hip, because she was once more the staid woman he had first met at the restaurant. Her dark hair neatly scraped back from a face that was far too pale and dominated by glasses, wearing a rather shapeless black trouser suit that did nothing for her. He smiled to himself—obviously he had worked far too hard last night and had been hallucinating when he’d thought she looked beautiful.
‘How was the bed—did you sleep OK?’ he asked her solicitously as she reached his side.
‘Yes, it was very comfortable, thank you.’ She tried to smile but she was achingly self-conscious.
‘You need to sit down and fasten
She sat up and looked over at Nathan. The boy was just waking up and he had kicked back the covers she had placed over him and was trying his best to wriggle out from the safety belt that held him.
‘Hey, little devil, what are you up to?’ She rolled over and playfully tickled him and he laughed, his little legs kicking out even harder.
‘I know what you want—you want your breakfast, don’t you?’ She put her arms around her son and cuddled him closer, but he pulled away and gave an impatient little cry. Hunger was taking him over and Victoria knew that if he didn’t get his breakfast soon tears would closely follow.
‘OK, point taken.’ She smiled and unfastened her own safety belt and got up.
She would have liked to take a shower and wash her hair before going out into the main cabin but she knew from experience that she had to feed Nathan first, otherwise he would turn from sunny-natured into a loud and very rebellious grouchy child. So she reached for her dressing gown and tried to tidy her hair as best she could.
Nathan was giving little whimpers now, so she didn’t loiter on her appearance, just gathered the fractious child up into her arms and headed out into the main cabin.
She half expected Antonio to be asleep. But as she glanced down the plane she saw that he was still working on some papers, his head bent. Had he worked all night? she wondered in surprise.
Luckily she didn’t have to go down past him; the small galley kitchen that she had used to prepare Nathan’s dinner yesterday was just to her left. Hastily she busied herself,plugging in the kettle and opening the fridge to find the banana, cereal and milk that she had placed in there yesterday. Nathan’s little wails of protest were starting to get louder and she spoke to him soothingly as she worked.
Antonio heard them before he saw them and put his papers down to glance further along the plane.
The sun was slanting in through the cabin windows, catching mother and child in a shaft of bright light. They made an intriguing picture of domesticity. She was wearing a long blue satin dressing gown and her hair was cascading in glossy waves around her shoulders. He hadn’t realized how lovely her hair was, or how long it was.
She looked very feminine and startlingly different…and for a moment he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Then he was distracted by the stewardess coming out to ask him if he wanted anything, and by the time he glanced back up towards the galley she was gone.
He’d probably imagined it, he told himself wryly, just as he’d imagined a sensual pleasure when he’d momentarily held her close. Victoria was many things—she was interesting and certainly different, and without her glasses passably attractive—but there was no wow factor. And he certainly wasn’t attracted to her.
Victoria didn’t re-emerge again until the pilot announced that they were starting to make their final descent into Brescia Airport. Antonio was quietly relieved when he saw her walking down the aisle towards him, Nathan at her hip, because she was once more the staid woman he had first met at the restaurant. Her dark hair neatly scraped back from a face that was far too pale and dominated by glasses, wearing a rather shapeless black trouser suit that did nothing for her. He smiled to himself—obviously he had worked far too hard last night and had been hallucinating when he’d thought she looked beautiful.
‘How was the bed—did you sleep OK?’ he asked her solicitously as she reached his side.
‘Yes, it was very comfortable, thank you.’ She tried to smile but she was achingly self-conscious.
‘You need to sit down and fasten
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