forward and pressed a barely touching kiss to her forehead. 'I mean about everything,'
he said.
'Signor Sabbatini?' A staff member appeared at the door carrying a cordless phone. 'There is a phone call for you from a relative in Rome. They want an update on your grandfather's health.'
Maya had to suppress her disappointment at being interrupted at such a time. But, even so, there was no point in forcing Giorgio to reveal his feelings, if indeed he had any regarding her. It was all so muddied now with the prospect of a baby. Of course he would feel everything was different now. He was looking forward to having an heir, especially now, with his grandfather's life drawing to an imminent close.
It was as he had said: everything was different now.
They left a short time later after saying goodbye to Giorgio's mother, who had lived with Salvatore since Giancarlo had died.
Once they were back at Giorgio's villa a wave of tiredness swept over Maya. He noticed immediately and insisted she go upstairs and slip into bed.
Maya suddenly realised he meant his bed, the bed they had once shared as husband and wife.
'Where are you planning to sleep?' she asked, looking at him suspiciously.
'Where do you think I am going to sleep?' he said. 'In my bed, of course.'
'But we…we're not supposed to sleep together,' she faltered.
'The doctor didn't say we shouldn't,' he said. 'I specifically asked him while you were getting dressed in the ultrasound room. He just said to be careful, not to be too vigorous about it.'
Maya was incensed he had discussed it without her being there but, then again, she thought she might have found it excruciatingly embarrassing if he had. 'I didn't agree to resume a physical relationship with you as if nothing has changed,' she said. 'We've been separated for months. You can't expect me to jump back into bed with you as if nothing drove me out of it in the first place.'
'You left, not me,' he said in a clipped I-am-nearing-the-end-of-my-patience tone. 'And anyway, you jumped back into it pretty quickly once you had the chance. I barely touched you that night before you were tearing at me like a wild woman.'
Maya had never slapped anyone in her life. She abhorred violence of any sort, but somehow, without her even realising she was doing it until it was too late, her hand flew through the air and connected with the side of his jaw in a stinging slap that jerked his head sideways.
She watched in silent horror as a dark red angry patch appeared on the side of his face. She put both of her hands up to her mouth, covering her gasp of shock at what she had done.
The air tightened as if someone was pulling it from opposite ends of the room.
Anger, disgust and scorn burned in Giorgio's gaze as it held hers.
Fear, shame and remorse filled Maya's eyes with tears. 'I'm sorry…' She choked over the words.
'I don't know what came over me…I'm so sorry…Did I hurt you?'
He moved a step closer, taking her still stinging hand and placing it on the side of his face, holding it there like a cold press. His eyes continued to hold hers, but they had lost their glint of anger. His mouth lifted upwards in a wry version of a smile. 'You really are surging with hormones, aren't you, tesore mio?' he said. 'I have never known you to strike out like that, but then I think perhaps I deserved it, si?'
'No, it was wrong of me.' Maya removed her hand from his face and, stepping up on tiptoe, placed her lips there instead. Her lips clung like silk to sandpaper to the stubble on his jaw. Her breath stalled as she filled her nostrils with his male scent: the grace notes of lemon on a citrus stave.
Time froze in place, as if someone had blocked the second hand of the clock from ticking any further.
Maya felt her breath hitch in her throat as it got started again, her eyelids fluttering and then closing in silent surrender as Giorgio's mouth came down and covered hers.
Chapter Nine
THE thing
he said.
'Signor Sabbatini?' A staff member appeared at the door carrying a cordless phone. 'There is a phone call for you from a relative in Rome. They want an update on your grandfather's health.'
Maya had to suppress her disappointment at being interrupted at such a time. But, even so, there was no point in forcing Giorgio to reveal his feelings, if indeed he had any regarding her. It was all so muddied now with the prospect of a baby. Of course he would feel everything was different now. He was looking forward to having an heir, especially now, with his grandfather's life drawing to an imminent close.
It was as he had said: everything was different now.
They left a short time later after saying goodbye to Giorgio's mother, who had lived with Salvatore since Giancarlo had died.
Once they were back at Giorgio's villa a wave of tiredness swept over Maya. He noticed immediately and insisted she go upstairs and slip into bed.
Maya suddenly realised he meant his bed, the bed they had once shared as husband and wife.
'Where are you planning to sleep?' she asked, looking at him suspiciously.
'Where do you think I am going to sleep?' he said. 'In my bed, of course.'
'But we…we're not supposed to sleep together,' she faltered.
'The doctor didn't say we shouldn't,' he said. 'I specifically asked him while you were getting dressed in the ultrasound room. He just said to be careful, not to be too vigorous about it.'
Maya was incensed he had discussed it without her being there but, then again, she thought she might have found it excruciatingly embarrassing if he had. 'I didn't agree to resume a physical relationship with you as if nothing has changed,' she said. 'We've been separated for months. You can't expect me to jump back into bed with you as if nothing drove me out of it in the first place.'
'You left, not me,' he said in a clipped I-am-nearing-the-end-of-my-patience tone. 'And anyway, you jumped back into it pretty quickly once you had the chance. I barely touched you that night before you were tearing at me like a wild woman.'
Maya had never slapped anyone in her life. She abhorred violence of any sort, but somehow, without her even realising she was doing it until it was too late, her hand flew through the air and connected with the side of his jaw in a stinging slap that jerked his head sideways.
She watched in silent horror as a dark red angry patch appeared on the side of his face. She put both of her hands up to her mouth, covering her gasp of shock at what she had done.
The air tightened as if someone was pulling it from opposite ends of the room.
Anger, disgust and scorn burned in Giorgio's gaze as it held hers.
Fear, shame and remorse filled Maya's eyes with tears. 'I'm sorry…' She choked over the words.
'I don't know what came over me…I'm so sorry…Did I hurt you?'
He moved a step closer, taking her still stinging hand and placing it on the side of his face, holding it there like a cold press. His eyes continued to hold hers, but they had lost their glint of anger. His mouth lifted upwards in a wry version of a smile. 'You really are surging with hormones, aren't you, tesore mio?' he said. 'I have never known you to strike out like that, but then I think perhaps I deserved it, si?'
'No, it was wrong of me.' Maya removed her hand from his face and, stepping up on tiptoe, placed her lips there instead. Her lips clung like silk to sandpaper to the stubble on his jaw. Her breath stalled as she filled her nostrils with his male scent: the grace notes of lemon on a citrus stave.
Time froze in place, as if someone had blocked the second hand of the clock from ticking any further.
Maya felt her breath hitch in her throat as it got started again, her eyelids fluttering and then closing in silent surrender as Giorgio's mouth came down and covered hers.
Chapter Nine
THE thing
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