The Sicilian's Wife by Kate Walker Read Free Book Online

persisted, soft, but insistent.
    â€˜Oh, it was nothing!’ he bluffed, veiling his eyes behind long black lashes in order to hide the truth from her. ‘Like you, I fell in love with the wrong person.’
    â€˜And when was that?’
    â€˜Years ago. I was little more than a child. Same age as you if you must know.’
    It was like a slap in the face, Megan reflected miserably. A cool-voiced reminder that he thought of her as little more than an awkward, troublesome adolescent. Nothing had changed then since his brutal dismissal of her just over six months before.
    â€˜Except that, unlike me, you didn’t end up with—unfortunate consequences!’ she tossed back, hiding pain behind sarcasm.
    Don’t you believe it! Hastily Cesare bit the words back.Unfortunate consequences! He had given his heart into the keeping of a child. Put his life on hold until she was old enough to be his—and now she had turned out to be someone else entirely.
    â€˜I got over it,’ he returned, lacing the words with acid. ‘You do. What is it you say—time heals all wounds.’
    â€˜Except that in my case, time can only make things worse.’ Unthinkingly Megan touched a hand to her lower body, bringing Cesare’s dark-eyed gaze to the spot.
    â€˜Are you sure?’
    â€˜As sure as I can be.’
    â€˜Have you seen a doctor?’
    â€˜Cesare, I don’t need to see a doctor. I know what’s happening to me! I haven’t had a period for the past two months and I was always regular as clockwork—same time same day. I’ve been feeling sick in the mornings—and I did one of those horrible tests from the chemists. It came up positive.’
    â€˜I understand that those things aren’t always accurate.’
    â€˜Stop clutching at straws, Cesare! I’m pregnant. There’s no two ways about it!’
    â€˜So what are you going to do about it?’
    â€˜I don’t know,’ Megan admitted honestly.
    â€˜You’re not thinking of an abortion?’
    If he hadn’t been such a great businessman, then Cesare could have had a great career as an interrogator, Megan found herself thinking. He fired the questions at her, cold and hard and fierce, like rounds of bullets from a machinegun, hardly giving her time to think. She had had enough of his stony-faced disapproval, that cold-eyed, critical glare.
    â€˜No, I’m not thinking of an abortion! I couldn’t and I wouldn’t! Not that it’s any business of yours!’
    â€˜I was only trying to help!’
    â€˜By suggesting that I got rid of my baby? I can do without that sort of help !’
    â€˜Megan, that isn’t what I meant!’
    â€˜Isn’t it? Sounded like it to me! Well, can I remind you, Signor Santorino, that this is my baby! And as such it has nothing whatsoever to do with you!’
    â€˜Which, Signorina Ellis,’ Cesare returned viciously. ‘Is exactly the way I want it.’
    â€˜Fine!’ Megan tossed her head as she spoke, her russet hair flying, her chin coming up in defiance. ‘I’m glad we understand each other!’
    â€˜Oh, we do!’ Cesare returned darkly. ‘Believe me, I understand perfectly! And as I prefer not to stay around when it is made so patently clear that my company is not welcome, I’ll say goodnight.’
    â€˜At last! I thought you’d never leave!’
    She saw his dark head go back sharply at the spite in her tone and knew with a deep, tearing sense of regret that she had succeeded far better than she had ever anticipated in making him think she couldn’t stand the sight of him. The real fact was that nothing could be further from the truth.
    Or did she mean that nothing could be closer to the truth?
    She didn’t know. Couldn’t decide whether she couldn’t wait to see the back of him, and would frankly be delighted if she never saw or heard from Cesare Santorino again in