The Infamous Italian's Secret Baby by Carole Mortimer Read Free Book Online Page A

sister, greeted warmly as Bella let herself into the sitting-room of the suite she was sharing with her siblings.
    Bella put her evening bag down on the table just inside the door. ‘I have a bit of a headache,’ she dismissed.
    ‘That’s a pity.’ Angela stood up, as tall and lithely beautiful as her older sister.
    ‘I also thought that you’ve been babysitting long enough this evening and perhaps you might like to go up and join in the party for a while?’ Bella added warmly, Angela having very kindly offered to take the half a dozen younger members of the English contingent of the wedding party out to a pizza restaurant for the evening, before bringing them back to the hotel and ensuring they all settled down in bed for the night.
    ‘If you’re sure you don’t mind?’ Angela smiled.
    ‘Not at all,’ Bella assured her. ‘The dancing has only just started,’ she added encouragingly.
    ‘Take something for that headache, hmm?’ Angela encouraged lightly before letting herself out of the suite.
    Bella heaved a shaky sigh, taking several minutes to calm herself before going into the adjoining bedroom where her young brother lay in bed, the bedside lamp still on as he read a book. ‘Everything okay, Liam?’ she enquired softly as she paused beside him.
    Her twelve-year-old brother grinned up at her. ‘Fast asleep, as you can see.’
    Bella turned, her expression softening as she looked down at the occupant of the second bed.
    Her four-year-old son, Toby.
    His curls were dark against the pillow, lashes of the same warm chocolate resting on his baby cheeks, his lips slightly parted as he breathed deeply, an endearing dimple in the centre of his chin.
    A dimple that Bella knew would one day become a firm cleft.
    Just like the one in his father’s chin.

CHAPTER THREE
    ‘Y OU do not feel a woman’s usual need to cry at weddings?’
    Bella’s back stiffened at the softly taunting sound of Gabriel’s voice directly behind her as she stood with all the other wedding guests outside the church, watching the bride and groom as they posed for numerous photographs.
    Hard as Bella had tried to find a reason for Toby and herself not to attend the wedding today, including a headache for herself and possible signs of a fever for Toby, ultimately she had had no choice but to concede defeat when her father had declared them both fit and well. Other than throwing herself down a flight of stairs, Bella knew she had lost that particular battle! The most she had been able to hope for was that Gabriel Danti would heed her advice from last night and just stay away from her.
    The fact that he was standing behind her now showed that he hadn’t!
    Bella had seen him when she and the rest of her family arrived for the wedding an hour or so ago, seatedin a pew further down the church. Sitting next to him was a silver-haired man whose height and facial likeness to Gabriel indicated that this was probably his father, the aristocratic Cristo Danti.
    Her heart had given a jolt as she watched the two Italians unobserved before glancing down at the small boy fidgeting on the pew beside her, instantly recognising how like his father and grandfather Toby was.
    As Claudia had also innocently noted the previous evening when she remarked that Gabriel reminded her of someone…!
    Thank goodness Toby had disappeared with his adored uncle Liam once the service was over, and was even now playing beneath an oak tree further down the churchyard, with the group of children who had gone out for pizza the evening before.
    A fact Bella took note of before she slowly turned to face Gabriel, her response to how handsome he looked in a tailored dark suit and snowy white shirt hidden behind a deliberately neutral expression as she rather wickedly responded to his comment about women usually crying at weddings. ‘I’d only cry in sympathy, I’m afraid!’
    Gabriel gave an appreciative smile as his hooded gaze swept admiringly over her in the knee-length