New Arrivals: His Expectant Mistress: Accidentally Pregnant! / One-Night Pregnancy / One Tiny Miracle...

“That is a great honor for me.”

“The honor’s mine, Father. I’ve brought the signed document giving you permission to waive the banns so we can be married in a private ceremony on Thursday.”

His eyes smiled. “You are in a great hurry, then.”

“You could say that,” Vincenzo responded in his deep voice.

Heat rose from Irena’s neck to her cheeks.

“It’s about time, my son.”

“I had to wait for the right one, Father.”

“And how does Dino feel about it?”

“When we left him a short time ago, he said he couldn’t wait. Do you think you’ll be able to fit us into your busy schedule?”

The priest’s expression grew more serious. “For you, nothing is impossible.”

Again Irena received the strong impression Vincenzo was someone of importance.

“Thank you, Father.”

“Have you been baptized, Signorina Spiros?”

Irena nodded. “In Athens.”

“Bene. Would one o’clock suit the two of you?”

Vincenzo glanced at Irena for her input. She nodded. “That will be the perfect time.”

“Come ten minutes early to sign the documents.”

“We’ll be here, Father.” The way Vincenzo was looking at her just then caused her legs to go weak. He cupped her elbow and ushered her out of the church. After the darker interior, the sunlight almost blinded her.

They walked across the street to the crowded trattoria. Tourists were lined up to get inside. But she was with Vincenzo. When he appeared, suddenly they were welcomed on through and shown to a table on the terrace where the waiter hovered to grant them their every wish.

“You’ve made a conquest of him,” Vincenzo murmured as the younger man hurried off with their order.

“You think?” she teased.

“I know. Have you forgotten I looked at you the same way when you swept into my office that day?”

Irena had to admit it had been an electrifying moment. At the time she’d tried to ignore what she was feeling, but apparently not hard enough as witnessed by the fact that she was seated next to Vincenzo and had just spoken to the priest who would be marrying them.

“Much as I like flattery as well as the next woman, I’m afraid the waiter’s attention has everything to do with you. Who are you, Vincenzo? I’d like to know the man who’s about to become my husband.”

One of his brows quirked. “You know who I am better than anyone. If you recall, I told you my family disowned me. But so it won’t surprise you when we sign the marriage certificate, you should know my legal last name is Valsecchi.”

She thought she’d heard it somewhere, but she couldn’t quite place the name.

“Thank you for telling me.”

He smiled the smile that had seduced her on her first trip here. “Di niente. I can’t have my pregnant bride suffer from an attack of the vapors on our wedding day.”

“I’m not the type.”

“Grazie a dio.” He drank the last of his coffee. “I think you’ve toyed with your salad long enough. Your cheeks look a little flushed from the heat. Let’s get you back to the apartment. While you nap, I need to run over to the plant for a brief meeting with the staff.”

A nap sounded good. He escorted her through the restaurant to the street. Once again they walked the short distance hand in hand, this time uphill. Vincenzo was a demonstrative, physical man who touched her often.

Irena discovered that with each contact, she felt more and more alive. When he saw her inside the apartment and told her he’d be back later, she suddenly didn’t want him to leave.

After he’d gone she decided to lie down for a few minutes. It surprised her that when she heard her phone ring and reached for it, an hour had gone by. The pills the doctor had given her seemed to have kicked in. They’d taken her nausea away, but she found she was sleepier.

“Deline?”

“I just put the twins down for their afternoon nap so we could talk. Tell me what’s happening.”

Getting up from the bed, Irena walked through the apartment to the terrace laden with potted flowers of every color. She leaned against the railing, feasting her eyes on the breathtaking view. “There’s so much to tell you I hardly know where to begin, but in a word, Vincenzo and I are being married on Thursday.”

The palpable silence coming from the other end wasn’t surprising. “You’re really planning to go through with this?”

“Yes. I just came from meeting the local priest who’ll be officiating.”

“You’re having a church wedding?”

“It’s what Dino wants.”

“Who’s Dino?”

She bit so hard on her lower lip, it drew blood. “Vincenzo’s adorable six-year-old son.”

“What?”

“I know this is a lot to absorb. For me, too. Let me start from the beginning.” For the next little while Irena told her everything.

“Oh, Irena…I don’t envy you for having to deal with an ex-wife.”

“I’m not thrilled about it myself.”

“Yet you still want to go through this. Obviously you’re crazy in love with this man, right?”

“Love? I don’t know about that yet, Deline. I thought I loved Andreas. I know one thing—he’s bigger than life to me, Deline. Every minute we’re together I find him more amazing.”

“Maybe too amazing?”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”