Affairs Of The Heart: The Italian Boss's Secret Child

‘Philly?’ Bryce prompted.

She looked around Bryce to where Damien was sitting poised, ready to pounce. With his face like thunder, he looked as if he was prepared to tear Bryce limb from limb. Standing behind her at the door, Enid looked more than ready to deputise.

It was empowering having them both here for moral support. And comforting. Only this was something she’d have to deal with herself. Besides which, if she was going to have to explain her pregnancy to Bryce it would be better not to have Damien around to complicate matters.

She exhaled on a long sigh before glancing up to Damien and Enid. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s going on, but if you’d give me just a moment to sort this out? I appreciate your support but we need a little privacy. If you don’t mind, we’ll continue this in my office. It won’t take long.’

Enid and Damien looked at each other, as if neither was prepared to be the first to leave.

‘You’re sure?’ Damien asked.

‘I’m sure.’

‘Then you stay here. I’ll be right outside if you need.’

She smiled. ‘Thanks.’ Their eyes met again and locked. It’ll be okay, they seemed to be saying. Warmth spiralled through her, touching her in places only he seemed to be able to reach. It was a good feeling.

‘Right!’ Bryce announced, clapping his hands and jolting her out of her mood. ‘You’ve both been a wonderful audience but the show’s over. Allow me to show you the door.’

Damien stood, visibly bristling even as Enid made for a quick exit. Bryce stopped dead in his tracks. ‘Come on,’ he urged, sounding less cocky, ‘you heard the lady. We’d appreciate a little privacy.’

From her chair Philly could tell Damien was itching to do something—she didn’t know what, but he looked as tight as a drum. His dark eyes took on the character of petrified wood—the hardness of stone, polished and glinting.

The contrast between the men hit her then. There was Bryce, elegant as always in his superfine wool suit and with his charming good looks, but soft on the inside. And there was Damien, rock solid, staring him down, exuding more masculine power in those eyes than Bryce owned in his entire body.

A breath caught in her throat as a thrill descended her spine.

He was defending her!

Something warm and luxurious enveloped her just as effectively as if Damien had wrapped his arms around her. She had a champion. Damien would look after her. She knew it just as surely as she knew to draw her next breath and that knowledge gave her strength.

He must care for her—just a little, at least. Maybe one day he could care for them both…

A movement caught her eye and she realised it was Bryce’s Adam’s apple jerking up and down.

Damien raised his chin fractionally and repeated, ‘I’ll be right outside,’ before he turned on his heel and left the room.

A moment later Bryce closed the door behind them. He shrugged. ‘Well, he’s certainly uptight about something. Why don’t we just clear out of this nuthouse altogether? Philly, grab your jacket and bag, we may as well hit the road and find that restaurant, even if it is still early.’

She leaned back in her chair. Already he was barking orders at her and he’d only reappeared in her life barely ten minutes ago. What would it be like if she took him back? Not that that was on the cards once he heard her news.

‘We don’t need a restaurant. We can talk here. What I have to say isn’t going to be any more palatable when accompanied with fine food and wine.’

He came back around the desk and reached for her hands. ‘Aww. Come on, Philly. Can’t you let bygones be bygones? I made a mistake, pure and simple. Everyone does. But I’ll make it up to you.’

She shook her head slowly. ‘Bryce, I honestly don’t think…’

‘Listen, I would never have left you if Muriel hadn’t told me she was pregnant. And she lied to me. It was never my baby! She tricked me into moving in with her. It’s all her fault.’

‘You were having an affair with her for at least a year before that happened. Or am I supposed to conveniently forget about that?’

Bryce shook his head, looking wounded. ‘But this is what you wanted. When you rang and told me you’d do anything to get me back, you weren’t worried about a meaningless little fling then.’

She bowed her head. It was true. In those first few days after Bryce had left she had wanted nothing more than for him to come back to her. She’d even been willing to overlook his straying ways if only he’d soothe the huge sense of rejection he’d left her with. And, after a great deal of hand-wringing, she’d swallowed what little pride she had left and called him on his mobile phone, pleading with him to come back to her.

Funny, but she couldn’t remember him saying that he’d see how it went with Muriel and get back to her if it didn’t work out. As far as she could recall, his parting words had been, ‘Get a life’.

She smiled inwardly at the words. How was Bryce going to feel when he found out she’d done just that?

‘That was a long time ago. I don’t think I could forget about it so easily now.’

‘It’s all in the past. Can’t we move on?’

She looked at him for a moment. Muriel must have put him through the wringer. Now that she was over the shock of seeing him again, close up she could see the tell-tale signs of strain around his eyes. His face had a more pinched look than she remembered.

He was obviously hurting and he’d come to her. Once she might have fallen for his hangdog expression. But no longer.

‘I have moved on. I don’t want to go back.’

He looked up. ‘You’re seeing someone else then?’

Philly laughed. The way he’d so confidently just waltzed in and assumed she was available and waiting for him to come back into her life—and now he looked almost worried.

‘Well, not exactly—’

Relief took over his features.

‘So why can’t you just give me one more chance?’

‘Even if I did, what’s to stop you having another affair?’

‘No, not a chance. I’ve learnt my lesson. I’ll stick with the tried and true.’

Raising her eyebrows, she could barely manage a response to that back-handed compliment. ‘Gee, thanks, that makes me sound special.’

‘You are special, Philly. I shouldn’t need to tell you. You’re sweet, you’re clever and you love me. What more could I ask?’

Philly knew full well that whatever her supposed attributes he’d wandered before while he had her love. What would stop him now that he didn’t?

‘Look, it just won’t work—not now.’

‘Because you won’t forgive me?’

For a moment the temptation to tell him she was pregnant was overwhelming. After all, this guy had featured large for over two years of her life. She was used to sharing secrets and life stories with him. Though that was before…

Now he was merely part of her history. There was really no reason to tell him about the baby at all. Sure he wouldn’t want her once he found out about the baby, but she needed him to understand she didn’t want him anyway.

‘No. Because you were wrong. I don’t love you any more. I’m not convinced I ever did. It’s taken me a while, but I’m getting my life together. I want it to stay that way. There’s no place in my life for you now.’