Diana opened her eyes to complete silence and sat up in the bed. The digital clock on the nightstand indicated she had slept for hours, but she felt as if she’d only had a catnap. Diana gingerly touched her eyes, feeling the puffiness. The tears had finally found a resting place on her cheeks. Deciding to get a start on the day before Nicky woke; she swung her legs to the side of the bed. A twinge in her neck caused her to lift a hand to massage the knot of tension. Troubled thoughts went back to the events of last evening and a knot formed in her stomach. She jumped when the phone on the nightstand rang. It was her personal line. She reached for the phone.
“Good morning.” Susan’s slightly accented voice sounded happy. “I see you made it through the night alive.”
“Funny, Susan. Real funny,” she said, hoping Trace had left the house and she wouldn’t have to face him.
“Did you come to any conclusions?” she asked.
“Not really,” she hedged.
“Diana, remember who you are talking you to,” sighed Susan. “I’m not your enemy.”
“I know,” Diana mumbled. “I’m sorry.”
“Well, tell me what happened.”
“Trace was out for blood.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Diana wished she could retract them.
“Whoa, it sounds as if things went from bad to worse.”
“You can say that.” Diana continued massaging the tension that had grown into a deep ache. She wished she could end the conversation with her friend but knew how persistent Susan could be, so she added, “A lot was discussed.”
“What happened?”
“We’re getting married.” It was best to get the news out and let Susan draw her own conclusions.
There was long silence. Diana wondered if Susan had hung up. Then Susan squealed, “Did you say married?” She was now screaming with joy. “You’re getting married? I knew you guys would finally realize how much you love each other.”
Diana closed her eyes and groaned silently. “Don’t go there, Susan. We’re only getting married because of Nicky. Trace wants to be a full-time father.”
Diana didn’t tell Susan the whole horrible truth. She was afraid to utter the words. Just thinking about her son being shuttled back and forth between her and Trace made her heart pound alarmingly. If marrying Trace prevented that from happening, then she’d do whatever it took.
“Hmm. If you say so. I believe this is an act of God.”
“Earth to Susan. God has nothing to do with this. You must have a screw loose, and it needs to be tightened.”
“I don’t care what you say. I believe it was destined to happen. When is the wedding?”
“In a week.”
“Wow. That’s fast. We have a lot to do.”
“It’s not going to be that type of wedding. I don’t need flowers, a cake, or—”
“Are you kidding? You certainly do need those things, and I’ll take care of everything,” Susan said. “Of course, I’ll be your maid of honor.”
Diana couldn’t help laughing at Susan’s enthusiasm. “You’re such a hopeless romantic. Thank you for being my friend. I really love you, girl,” Diana whispered, feeling weepy and strangely happy.
“Don’t mention it. I love you, too,” Susan replied in a choked voice. “I got to go. I have a lot of planning to do.” Susan hung up.
Diana rubbed the tension in her neck, again determined to keep Trace in the far section of her the mind. Standing, she discarded the short nightgown and headed to the shower.
She dressed in white jeans and a red cotton blouse, slipped her feet into a pair of soft leather sandals, and glanced at her slim gold wristwatch. She was late. Nicky would probably be awake. She was surprised she hadn’t seen or heard him. She hurriedly applied minimal makeup, ran a brush through her hair, and twisted it into a messy knot. She looked at the finished product. Her eyes were puffy, but, other than that, she was ready to start the day.
Shaking off the melancholy feeling, she moved toward Nicky’s room with slow steps. She had to get a grip or Nicky would certainly notice her mood.
She pasted a smile on her face and threw open the door. The room was empty. Thinking Luca must have Nicky with her, she headed to the kitchen. It was Nicky’s favorite place besides his playroom. She stopped in her tracks at the entrance. Trace and Nicky were sitting at the round table usually reserved for the staff. A glowing Nicky was the center of attention. He was being fussed over by a benevolent Rosa and an attentive Trace. In front of them sat plates of pancakes, glasses of orange juice, and milk. Trace had his normal ration of bacon to complement his meal. They were talking, laughing, and, by the looks of it, enjoying themselves. The housekeeper was the first to notice her. Trace and Nicky at the far end of the kitchen hadn’t seen her yet.
“Good morning, Mrs. Pisano. Give me a moment and I’ll fix you a white egg omelet,” Rosa said as she poured steaming coffee into a cup and handed it to Diana. Rosa produced a tray with a choice of biscuits, croissants, and muffins. Diana shook her head and chose fresh fruit from the sideboard.
“I’m still full from yesterday’s barbecue,” Diana said with a wry smile. “I’m going to forgo the omelet this morning.”
Suddenly Trace looked up and caught her eye. The laughter left his face.
Not to be ignored, Nicky turned to see who had distracted Trace’s attention. “Mommy!” he squealed when he saw her.
She hurried to his chair. “Hi, sweetie,” she said as she gave him a hug and kiss. Smoothing the curls on his head, she smiled at him and said, “I see Luca beat me to it and helped you dress this morning.”
“No, Mommy, Trace helped me,” he said with wide-eyed innocence.
“He did?” She stiffened with shock. She wanted to scream at Trace. How dare he take it upon himself to dress my son?
Nicky bobbed his head. “He was by my bed when I woke up this morning.”
She shot Trace a hard glare. “Really?”
“Uh-huh. He even helped me brush my teeth. See, Mommy?” He showed his teeth for her inspection.
“Well, that was nice of him.” She felt a faint tremor of apprehension but struggled to keep her voice calm. Trace sat unmoving during this exchange. “We had chocolate chip pancakes. I told Trace they’re my favorite. Trace said they’re his favorite, too.”
“Honey, remember your manners. You must call him Mr. Trace.”
He frowned at her in confusion. “But Mommy, he told me to call him Trace, not mister.” He turned his curly head toward Trace for confirmation. “Didn’t you?”
He ruffled Nicky’s dark curls and smiled. “That’s right. Buds call each other by their first names.”
“That’s right, we’re buds.” Nicky giggled and gave Trace a high five.
Diana was stunned. Buds! When did this happen? Yesterday he had frightened her son and today they were buds. What had he done to captivate Nicky? This was moving too fast. Do I want Nicky to like his father? She refused to answer the question. If she did she would have to look deep, and she wasn’t ready to do that.
Trace looked fabulously dark and handsome…and so alarmingly magnetic she feared she wouldn’t be able to resist his pull. She didn’t want Nicky to be like her and fall victim to his charm.
“Well, if Trace has said it is okay, then you can call him by his first name,” she said in a tight voice.
“Mommy, your voice sounds funny,” Nicky said.
Clearing her throat she said, “I still have a sleepy voice.” Diana didn’t look at Trace to gauge his reaction.
Nicky squirmed in his chair, a sign he had to go to the bathroom or he was excited about something. She didn’t have to wait long.
“Mommy, Trace said he was taking me on a plane ride today,” he shouted with both hands in the air, jumping out of his chair.
“What?” Trace wasn’t taking her child anywhere.
“We’re going to Golden Bloom.”
“No, Nicky, I don’t think Trace has the time to take you—”
“But Mommy, Trace said we’re all going. I really, really want to go. Please…”
Diana raised her eyes to meet Trace’s steady gaze and froze. He’d planned all of this overnight. Golden Bloom was an amusement park in Tennessee. He was declaring war. He’d moved on to persuading her son into accepting him as a friend, then wooed him with the promise of a plane ride to his favorite place on earth, an amusement park.
“All right. But—”
“Yippee! You’re the best Mommy in the whole wide world.” He threw his arms wide. Knowing she had been conned, she allowed it. She wouldn’t be the villain in this. Trace expected her to say no. She refused to be the mean parent while he came out smelling like a rose.
Clever, smooth, and calculating, she thought as she regarded his arrogant stance while Nicky rambled on about the trip. Luca entered the kitchen to retrieve Nicky to help him prepare for the trip. Did the entire household know? He continued to chatter, ordering them to hurry so they could all leave soon. Throughout Nicky’s orders, Diana’s gaze didn’t drop from Trace’s face.
“I wanted him get to know me without interference. It needed to be done before the marriage,” he announced once Nicky was out of hearing. She remained silent. “Arrangements have already been made for a quiet ceremony.”
“Where?”
“The old church on the south property, near the edge of the mountain.”
“The church built by your great-grandfather for his wife?”
“Yes. It’s been preserved. It was meant to be the place where all Pisano brides would take their vows.”
“It seems you’ve organized everything,” she bristled.
Like her, he wore casual jeans and a shirt, the difference being that no matter what he wore, he always looked as if he’d stepped off the pages of GQ magazine. Then again, everything about Trace oozed class and money, she mused bleakly. He was a powerful force with his dominating height, undeniable physical attractiveness, and the stunning bone structure that made up his too-handsome face. Naked he could take your breath away, dressed he looked fabulous. Though his outer shell was magnificent, inside he was a sneaky and ruthless predator with his attention concentrated solely on what he wanted.
“Yes, I have,” he said without guilt.
Diana folded her arms tight across her slender ribcage. “If this is going to work, I need to have a say,” she threatened when he still made no effort to justify what he’d done.
“You had your say five years ago,” he countered evenly. “You have made a commitment to me and this marriage.”
He was right. He also knew she wouldn’t break her word. But it didn’t make Diana feel less hostile towards him. “Is that why you made plans with Nicky without my consent?”
He dared to arch a black eyebrow. “Of course.” He added a shrug. “I knew you were going to drag your feet telling Nicky I’m his father. I just helped speed up the process. You would have fought me to hell and back. I want to form a relationship with him.”
“You’re one sneaky bastard,” she said through clenched teeth. “It’s always about what you wanted and damned the consequences. Did it ever cross the mind that I wanted to ease Nicky into getting to know you? ”
“Don’t pout, Diana.” He reached out and urged her forearms apart. “It wouldn’t be good to let Nicky see you so uptight.”
She barely breathed a gasp of protest before he loosely took her in his arms. “I want my son to be legally bound to me…and I want you.”
She laughed without mirth. “What? Last night you couldn’t stand the sight of me and now you want me?”
“I haven’t forgotten what you did, Diana, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting you. For Nicky, you and I need to be a family; we need to move past the anger. I’m willing to do that. I want to start this marriage with a clean slate.”
“Just like that. So everything is now fine?”
“No, I’m not saying that. Given time, we can work our way to something solid. We are compatible.”
“Sexually.”
“I’m not knocking it.” His voice deepened. “We could have much, much more.”
Diana tried to step out of his arms but he closed the space between their bodies and brought his mouth down onto hers. She was on fire. She felt as if he had branded her. He deepened the kiss. His hands gripped her hips, holding her clamped against him, his tongue exploring her mouth. She bit his tongue.
“You little witch,” he gasped, his eyes showing his surprise. He then laughed, but he didn’t let her go.
“Next time, ask.”
He had the gall to laugh harder. “You want me,” he said. “You’ll have to be patient. No more sex until you’re my wife.”
“You’re still delusional. I don’t want you. The only reason I agreed to marry you is because you threatened to take me to court.”
“Oh, so you finally admit out loud you’re going to marry me.”
She pushed against his shoulders. “You can let go now.”
He didn’t loosen his hold. His eyes pinned her with a dark blue stare of certainty. “We are getting married.”
“This is ridiculous.”
“We both know that marriage between us is the best logical solution. Why do you feel the need to fight against it?”
The answer to that was simple. “I’m doing it against my will.”
He frowned at her. “You would do anything for our son, including marrying me?”
Diana stared at him. “I would align myself with the person I hate most in the world for my son.”
The shock on his face was almost enough to make her take back the words, but Diana didn’t. She could feel his contained anger. What did he expect her to say? It was only because of Nicky they were entering into this farce of a marriage. They both knew it, so why pretend it was anything different? She frowned. He was trying, so why couldn’t she? She knew the answers; she wanted him to hurt as bad as she hurt.
A sound coming from the hallway warned them Nicky and Luca were returning to the kitchen. Trace cursed as he stepped away from her and pushed his fingers through his hair. The tension was palpable. She tried her best to act normal.
“Mommy! Trace! I’ve been waiting and waiting for you. I’m ready to go,” Nicky said impatiently.
Diana jerked into motion, making for the door on trembling legs. “Well, let’s go. The amusement park awaits.” She forced a smile.
Nicky shouted to Trace before running out of the kitchen, “Come on!”
“Give me a few minutes to…grab a camera. You and your mother head for the helicopter pad; I’ll be right behind you.”
“We can cancel the trip if you…”
“Don’t,” he said, “think I’ll cancel this trip. Nicky is looking forward to it. Like you, I won’t do anything to hurt or disappoint him. The pilot is waiting.”
Moistening her lips, her heart thumping, she heard the tension shadowing her voice. “Trace, you—”
Nicky shouted again for them to come on, forcing whatever she was going to say back down her throat. She walked out of the room without another word.