Free Riccardo's Secret Child by Cathy Williams Page B

Julia thought desperately. By connecting Riccardo with his daughter she had never envisaged that her own life would be so heavily involved. She was aware of him whenever he was around and had found herself thinking of him whenever he wasn’t. When he came too close to her she had the urge to run.
    â€˜In words of one syllable, Mr Fabbrini…’
    â€˜Riccardo. Try not to forget.’
    Julia ignored him. ‘Mum might just lay on the encouragement a bit thick, but don’t take any notice of her. She’s just a little worried about me and she’s got it into her head…’
    â€˜Worried about you?’
    â€˜Worried about me being single and having Nicola undermy care,’ Julia snapped. ‘She’s decided that my life would be a lot better if I had a man around to help and for some strange reason she thinks that you…that you…’
    â€˜Might fit the bill?’ He raised his dark eyebrows expressively and watched her squirm in embarrassment. It seemed, he thought, that fate was smiling on him.
    â€˜Course, she couldn’t be more misguided if she tried,’ Julia was telling him firmly. ‘You’re the last person in the world I would look at twice and I know you feel the same about me.’
    â€˜How do you know that?’
    â€˜The little brown sparrow?’ She reminded him of his throwaway remark.
    â€˜Were you insulted by that?’ he murmured softly and his eyes flicked over her so that she could have kicked herself for mentioning it in the first place. With men like Riccardo Fabbrini, arrogant to the point of distraction, it did not pay to look as though you gave the slightest bit of attention to anything they said.
    â€˜I was indifferent to it,’ she lied bravely. ‘I was merely using your expression as an example of how you felt about me and how I feel about you. Anyway, that’s the situation as it stands. And by the way, please don’t go arranging anything with Nicola that includes me without consulting me first.’ She had added that last bit as a means of regaining some kind of control and she saw his mouth tighten, although he gave her a curt nod by way of concession.
    His resolve hardened as he followed her into the kitchen. Ask permission to arrange anything with his own daughter! He felt a kick at the thought of wrapping her around his little finger. In fact, he doubted that he had felt such a kick before in his life. Women had come to him. The idea of active pursuit was intoxicating.
    Nicola and Jeannette were in the kitchen, chatting animatedly about what they had done. Julia realised that she had not seen her niece so excited for a while. Her markers were already out of their pack and the handbag, a silver sparkly thing with a picture of Tigger embroidered on the front, was open, ready to be filled.
    Julia’s breath caught in her throat. When was she going to tell her about Riccardo? When would the time be right? She herself might find him arrogant and egotistic but Nicola didn’t. Nicola enjoyed the attention he lavished on her. She enjoyed the way he listened to what she said without interrupting, as though every childish word that crossed her lips was of immense importance. It wouldn’t be long before he would ask to take his daughter out without the irritating presence of a chaperon, and then he would take her completely. Take her to meet his family in Italy for a holiday, then he would move in for full custody.
    â€˜And we might be going to the zoo tomorrow!’ Nicola was announcing, her eyes sliding across to Julia to see whether this comment could be slipped past without contradiction.
    â€˜Actually,’ Jeannette said casually, fussing with the markers, ‘I thought you two might like a bit of time of your own. In fact, that was one reason that I thought to come over. I could stay here and babysit Nicola so that you could both go out somewhere, for a meal perhaps.’ She looked