Saving His Little Miracle (Mills & Boon Medical) (2 page)

After all, there had to be a reason why she had come here today. It had been five years since he had seen her and if she’d had a child in that time, he or she must be at least four years old. So why had she left it until now to make that claim about him being the father? Intuition warned him that there was more to her visit than first appeared, although he had no idea what it might be. He would have to rely on his instincts to deal with this and if there was one thing Vincenzo hated it was trusting to luck. He preferred his life to be free of surprises, mapped out to the nth degree. That way there was less chance of him getting hurt.

The thought stunned him, mainly because it was the first time he had admitted that he might be vulnerable in any way. Vincenzo’s mouth thinned as he strode down the path. Maybe his self-control wasn’t as absolute as he had believed, but it was good enough to deal with this unwelcome intrusion. It made no difference why Lowri Davies had come to see him. Whatever her motives were, he had no intention of being manipulated!

* * *

Lowri could feel her heart pounding as she watched Vincenzo stride down the path. That he was less than pleased to see her was obvious but she wouldn’t let that deter her. In a fast sweep her eyes ran over him, taking stock of the changes the past five years had wrought.

Physically he had changed very little, she decided. His black hair was as thick and lustrous as ever, his skin gleaming with good health and vitality. He was wearing black running shorts cut high at the sides with a black vest and she could see that his body was still taut and honed.

It was only as he drew closer that she realised how much older he looked, older and even more self-contained. There had always been an aloofness about him, a tendency to distance himself from other people, and it was more apparent than ever these days. He looked cold and remote and far from happy about her turning up like this but it was hard luck. She didn’t care how he felt. She only cared about what he could do for Megan.

‘I don’t know why you’ve come here and I don’t wish to know either. However, let me make myself clear: if you’ve had a child, Signorina Davies, it has nothing to do with me.’

Lowri had to stop herself taking a step back as he stared at her through the gate. The coldness in his eyes was far more intimidating than anger would have been. Vincenzo had always been in control. Even though she had known him only for a short time, she had soon realised that he kept his emotions on a very tight rein—apart from that night when they had made love.

The thought sent a rush of heat through her and Lowri shuddered. She had tried not to think about that night. It had seemed pointless dwelling on it, foolish to imagine that it had meant anything to Vincenzo when his subsequent actions had proved that it hadn’t.

They had slept together for comfort, out of mutual need even, but that was all. It hadn’t been the start of something, neither had she wanted it to be. She had been in a bad place at the time, still struggling to come to terms with her ex-fiancé’s deception, and that was why she had slept with Vincenzo...

Wasn’t it?

The thought brought her up short. Lowri realised that she was in danger of allowing herself to be sidetracked and that would never do. She had come here for one reason and one reason alone—to help Megan. Their daughter. She squared her shoulders in readiness for the battle that lay ahead. Even though Vincenzo might refuse to accept that Megan was his child, there was no doubt in Lowri’s mind about her daughter’s parentage.

‘She. We have a daughter, Vincenzo. Her name is Megan and she was four years old in March.’

Opening her bag, Lowri took out the first of the photographs she had brought with her, her heart aching as she looked at her daughter’s smiling face and recalled how different Megan had looked yesterday when she had left her with her sister, Cerys. She didn’t care what Vincenzo thought about her, didn’t care if his life was about to be disrupted either. She only cared about this child they had created. Saving Megan was the most important thing of all.

Her eyes met his as she held up the picture so that he couldn’t avoid seeing it. Oh, he might wish to dispute his parentage but anyone looking at the photograph could see in an instant how like him Megan was. The little girl had the same thick black hair and light olive skin, the same deep grey eyes. Even her nose was a smaller version of Vincenzo’s, arrow straight without even the hint of a tilt at the end of it. Apart from her mouth—which was like Lowri’s—Megan was the image of him and Lowri dared him to dispute it.

‘You can see from this that Megan is your child, Vincenzo. But if it isn’t enough to convince you then we can arrange to have DNA tests done. I have brought samples with me so you can send them off to a lab of your choice.’

She paused, waiting for him to say something, but he just stood there, staring impassively at the photograph. He seemed unmoved by the evidence she was showing him, uncaring even if Megan was his child or not, and her temper leapt a little further up the scale. ‘It will be harder to argue with the results of them, I imagine.’

‘What do you want?’

His voice was low yet Lowri flinched as though he had shouted the question at her. She took a quick breath, feeling her heart fluttering wildly inside her chest. The thought of what she was about to ask him to do made her feel sick, but she mustn’t think about how she felt, but about what it could mean for Megan.

‘It’s quite simple, Vincenzo. I want us to have another child.’

CHAPTER TWO

‘
I
F
YOU
WOULD
wait in here, my housekeeper will bring you something to drink while I get changed. Which would you prefer: tea or coffee?’

‘Neither. I didn’t come here to sit around drinking tea, Vincenzo. I have more important things to worry about!’

Vincenzo heard the mounting hysteria in Lowri’s voice and inwardly flinched. He hated scenes, hated any display of unbridled emotion. Swinging round on his heel, he strode to the door, determined that he wasn’t going to be drawn into a discussion until she calmed down. They needed to talk about this calmly and rationally.

If that was possible.

His stomach roiled as he recalled what she had said. She had asked him to have another child with her and if that weren’t proof of her state of mind, what was? Even setting aside that claim she had made about him being the father of her daughter, what sane woman would have asked that of him? No, she was completely overwrought, unbalanced even, and he needed to proceed with the utmost caution if he was to avoid an ugly confrontation.

‘Don’t walk away from me, Vincenzo! I’m sorry if I’ve disrupted your day by coming here, but you’re going to listen to what I have to say whether you like it or not!’

Vincenzo came to an abrupt halt when she caught hold of his arm. Her fingers were icily cold against his bare skin and he fought to suppress the shiver that ran through him. Turning, he stared into her angry face, his lips already parted to remonstrate with her. Nobody ordered him about; he wouldn’t allow them to. Even if she was undergoing some sort of a mental crisis, she needed to understand that. However, for some reason he found the harsh words drying up when he looked into her eyes and saw the fear they held.

‘I need your help, Vincenzo, not for me but for Megan. That’s why I’m here. Because there’s nothing else I can do for her.’

She let go of his arm and he saw the shudder that passed through her. It struck him then just how terrified she looked. Maybe she wasn’t behaving rationally but it was obvious that she was under a huge amount of strain. The thought made him reconsider his decision to get rid of her as quickly as possible. Maybe they had known each other only for a very short time but she had helped him through a difficult period in his life. He owed it to her to listen to what she had to say at the very least.

Vincenzo turned and made his way to the sofa, surprised that he felt this way. He rarely felt under an obligation and couldn’t remember the last time he had put someone else’s needs before his own. However, there was something about the fear in Lowri’s hazel eyes that touched a chord inside him. He wanted to help her even though he had no idea why.

‘Thank you.’

Her voice was soft, filled with a relief that made his skin prickle in atavistic response. It was as though it had sliced through all the layers that had built up over the years and cut right to the very heart of him. Vincenzo took a deep breath, feeling oddly disorientated. He always knew how to behave in any situation, was always able to harness his emotions and steer them in the direction he wanted them to go, but not now. Not when he could tell how much it meant to her to have him do her bidding.

‘The fact that I am willing to listen to you means nothing,’ he said harshly, hating the fact that he felt so vulnerable. It was such an alien feeling and one he didn’t intend to foster either.

‘Maybe not, but it’s a start.’

She gave him a quick smile as she sat down and Vincenzo felt his own mouth start to curl in imitation of hers before he stopped it. Leaning back against the cushions, he stared coldly back at her, needing to set the tone for how the conversation would continue. Maybe she hoped to persuade him to agree to her request by employing all her charm, but there was no way that it was going to happen. He had never wanted children and he wasn’t about to change his mind...although if what she had said
was
true, perhaps it was already too late to turn his back on fatherhood.

The thought sent a chill coursing through him. Vincenzo shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Although he was loath even to consider the idea that he might be the child’s father, he had to admit that she looked a lot like him. What if she was his daughter? What was he going to do then?

He had sworn that he would never have a family. His own less than idyllic childhood had put him off the idea. His mother had died shortly before his second birthday and he didn’t remember her at all. His father had brought him up and he had made it abundantly clear how much he had resented the time he’d had to spend with him.

Vincenzo had taken his lead from that. In his view, children needed far too much time and attention. He had seen how his colleagues struggled to balance the demands of family life with their work and he had vowed that he would never place himself in the same position. His job came first and everything else a very poor second. He didn’t have the time or the inclination to raise a family and he needed to make that clear before they went any further. Even in the unlikely event that the child turned out to be his, he didn’t intend to get involved.

‘I need to make my position perfectly clear, Signorina Davies. If what you say is correct, and it does turn out that I am the child’s father, I have no intention of getting involved in her life. Quite simply, children are not on my agenda and they never will be.’

He stared at Lowri, waiting for her to react, but her expression didn’t alter and, strangely enough, he wished that it had. It would have been that much easier to know what to say next if she had reacted with anger or incredulity even. He cleared his throat, feeling his stomach churning because he suddenly found himself in the unwelcome position of having to second-guess what she was thinking.

‘I am willing to have the DNA tests done if it means they will resolve this matter. If they prove that I am the father then naturally I shall make arrangements regarding the child’s support. However, that is where my involvement ends. I have no desire to play any role whatsoever in her life, you must understand.’

‘I do. I understand perfectly. However, I didn’t come here to ask you for money, Vincenzo. I am more than capable of supporting our daughter without your help.’

Her voice held a disdain that made Vincenzo’s skin heat with embarrassment. It was as though he had been put to the test and found wanting and it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. He stared back at her, doing his best to rein in the odd mix of emotions that filled him. Anger and shame weren’t things he was used to feeling and he didn’t appreciate the fact that she could trigger such a response in him.

‘You say that now but who’s to say you won’t change your mind at some point? If I am the child’s father then I shall instruct my lawyers to draw up the appropriate papers.’ He shrugged, feeling easier now that he was back in control of the conversation. ‘If you don’t wish to use the money, it can be put into a trust fund for the child to use in the future.’

‘Megan. Her name is Megan. Referring to her as
the child
won’t change anything, Vincenzo. She’s still your daughter!’

Lowri glared at him. If she’d had a choice she would have got up right then and left, but she didn’t have a choice, did she? She needed his help so she had to stay, had to persuade him to do what she wanted.

Her stomach rolled as it struck her how unlikely it was that he would agree. Even though she had known from the outset that it had been a long shot, she had hoped that she might be able to convince him to help her. Now, after what he had said about children not being on his agenda, it seemed less likely than ever. The thought that she might have failed brought a rush of tears to her eyes but she blinked them away. She wouldn’t give up, not yet, not until she had done everything possible to persuade him.

Reaching into her bag, she took out a second photograph. It had been taken the previous week, shortly after Megan had been allowed home from hospital. Despite the fact that she had been exhausted, Megan was smiling as she held up the new doll Lowri had bought for her. She’d been so brave, Lowri thought, running her fingertip over the glossy surface of the photograph. Megan had been through so much in her short life yet she had still found the courage to smile for the camera. Now
she
had to be just as brave if she was to have any hope of saving her beloved daughter.

She laid the photograph on the coffee table then placed the first one next to it, her heart aching as she compared the two. Nobody looking at these pictures could fail to be moved by what they saw and she could only pray that Vincenzo’s heart would be touched too.