Chapter 46

Chapter Forty-Six

Anya

H ugging my knees to my chest, I sit on the floor of the nursery. Claire lies on her stomach on a play mat next to me. She slams buttons on an electronic toy that lights up with a sound, her small face serious as she studies every blinking shape.

My heart melts as I brush a hand over her soft baby hair, enjoying her reactions. I love every part of her learning curve. Nothing brings me greater joy than watching her grow and develop a little more each day.

As she gets absorbed in the buttons that play music, I allow my mind to wander. Saverio reacted as I expected him to. No, worse. Because he didn’t even stay to talk about it. He ran off like a man on the verge of committing murder.

Livy and I ate lunch in silence. She didn’t push me for information, so I let her believe I’m still getting over last night.

It’s a lot to take in. I’m pregnant and leaving my husband. What’s going on? Infertility doesn’t change. A man’s sperm doesn’t magically become fertile. That leaves two feasible explanations. The laboratory either got the tests wrong or they mixed up the results.

I took the remaining two pregnancy tests that were left in the box, and both were positive. To be sure, I scheduled an appointment with Nicole via her receptionist. I didn’t want to call her directly because knowing her, she would’ve insisted on coming straight over when she’s just been here this morning and she has a dinner planned with her in-laws. A blood test will have to wait until next week if she can squeeze me in.

I play a farm animal game with Claire until my nerves can’t take it anymore, and then I give in and call Saverio’s number. His phone goes straight to voicemail, making it clear that he doesn’t want to speak to me.

Damn.

I drop the phone next to me and thread my fingers through my hair.

Livy puts her head around the jamb. “How about my special paella for dinner? Do you think you can stomach it?” One look at my face, and her smile drops. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, Livy.”

Worry creeps into her features. “What is it?”

“I think I’m pregnant. No, I know I’m pregnant.”

Her mouth drops open. She’s shocked to silence, only managing to ask after two beats, “Does Sav know?”

“I told him,” I say, sounding as miserable as I feel.

She comes closer and sits crossed-legged in front of me, arranging her floral skirt around her knees. “How did he take it? I would’ve thought he’d be ecstatic, but the look on your face says otherwise.”

“He didn’t say anything. He just left.” I add with a frown, “That was an hour ago.”

“This was unplanned,” she says gently.

“Very much,” I admit.

She dips her head to catch my gaze. “Didn’t you use protection?”

“Saverio wasn’t supposed to be able to have children. At least, that’s what the tests he had done said.”

Her eyes flare. “Oh.”

“He only married me because he wanted a baby, and I was already pregnant with Claire. Now that he can have his own children, he has even less of a reason to want to be with me. Maybe it’s all for the best.”

“Wait.” Livy frowns. “What are you saying? It almost sounds as if you’re breaking up.”

“He doesn’t love me. He warned me that he wouldn’t. Couldn’t. He reminded me repeatedly. It’s time I move on.”

“Poor Anya.” Her blue gaze is compassionate. “How can you be so blind? Haven’t you noticed how he looks at you?”

“Yes,” a deep voice says from the door. “Haven’t you noticed, tesoro ?”

I jump.

Saverio stands on the threshold, looking ten different shades of disheveled. His hair is standing up in all directions and his tie is askew. One half of his shirttails hangs out.

Livy scrambles to her feet. She picks Claire up and heads for the door. “I’ll let the two of you talk.”

When she’s gone, he closes the door.

I get up quickly. “This doesn’t have to change anything. We’re not going to stay together just because I’m pregnant.”

I was always willing to raise Claire alone. I can raise two babies on my own.

“No.” He advances to me slowly. “This changes nothing.” Stopping short of me, he says, “I went to see Rachele. I had to.”

It takes me a moment to understand. Now that he can give her a child, things may change. After everything that happened, she may take him back.

I swallow the lump in my throat. “I’m glad. I’ll be nothing but happy for you if it works out the way you want.”

I love him too much to see him unhappy. He suffered enough.

“You don’t understand.” He watches me with a stony blue gaze, the artificial eye a stark reminder that he sacrificed a part of his sight for me. “Rachele cheated with the results.”

“What?” I blink a few times. “That doesn’t make sense.”

“Someone at the lab owed her a favor.” His chuckle is wry. “Now I understand why she suggested that specific lab. She told me they were the best in the city.”

“But—” I shake my head to dislodge the confusion. “Why would she—?” And then I understand. “She could demand a divorce if you were infertile.”

His reply is grim. “Yes.”

“That’s why you went to see her? You believed me? That the baby is yours?”

“I trust you. Explicitly. I never doubted that the baby you carry is mine. But I needed to understand. I wanted to wrap my head around it before I allowed myself to hope.” Cupping my cheek, he says, “It’s always been you, Anya. I wanted you from the moment I pinned you against that wall. And then you told me you were pregnant, and I wanted both of you.” He drops his gaze to my stomach. “I still do. I want all three of you. More than I ever wanted anything.”

“Sav—” I start in protest.

He presses a finger on my lips, quieting me. “I’ve been lying to you for so long, there’s little chance you’ll believe me, but hear me out. Let me tell the truth for once.” Tracing my bottom lip with his thumb, he searches my eyes. “You asked me at Elena’s wedding if I spanked Rachele. The answer to that is no. I never spanked Rachele because our relationship wasn’t that intimate. We were never that close. Not like you and me. What we have is different. Unique.” He caresses the line of my jaw, following the action with his gaze. “But I didn’t only fall in love with your body. I fell for you . Hard.”

His declaration steals my breath. He’s earnest and open, allowing me to see the truth as he stares deep into my eyes.

“I’ve known that for a while,” he continues, “but I thought if I didn’t love you, my enemies wouldn’t go after you to get back at me. Not loving you was a way of protecting myself, because only one woman has the power to completely break me, and that’s you. But I’ve been a fool, tesoro , because no amount of denial can change how I feel. All I can hope is that you’ll give me another chance.” He drags the knuckles of his free hand over my stomach. “Give us another chance. Let me fix this.”

For the first time in as long as I can remember, my heart soars. Saverio De Luca loves me. We can be a family, the four of us and Livy. Together, we can weather the storms and the dangers. Together, we can do more than simply survive. We can be happy, living our best lives and our full potential.

“What do you say?” He brushes his mouth over mine. “Will you let me take care of you and make you happy?”

Wrapping my arms around his waist, I tip my face to his. “Only if I get to take care of you and make you happy too.”

A sexy smile curves his lips. For once, I see something other than darkness and torment in that startling blue gaze. I see hope and peace. I see a man who’s loyal and protective, a man who’ll do anything for his family.

I burrow my face in his jacket, inhaling the unique smell of him. “Love always deserves a chance.”

He locks his arms around me, hugging me tightly. “Does that mean you still love me?”

My smile is his alone. “Always.”

He lifts me off my feet and sweeps me into his arms. “I’m the luckiest man alive, tesoro , because I’m going to worship every inch of your body. I’m going to worship your belly when it grows big with my baby.” His voice turns deep and seductive. “And when you pop that one out, I’m going to put another one inside you.”

“Hold on there.” I grin. “How many babies are we talking about?”

“How about six?” He nuzzles my nose. “I promise to be a good daddy. I’ll do all the work. You won’t even know we have babies in the house.”

“Six?” I raise a brow. “You make an attractive proposal, but my limit is four.”

He pins me with a smoldering gaze. “Deal. Two down, two to go. On one condition. Nicole will cut them all out of you. There’s no way I’m letting you go through that pain.”

“We’ll see,” I say, tightening my arms around his neck. “As it’s my body, I think I should get to decide.”

His jaw sets with determination. “We’ll talk later. First…”

He swoops down, making his intention clear. My shriek is lost in the heated kiss he presses on my lips. I offer my mouth gladly, reveling in the possessive sweep of his tongue as he parts my lips, already starting what he promised. He fumbles with the doorknob in his hurry to open it. When he walked out on me, I believed it was the end of us. Now, as he carries me over the threshold, I know it’s just the beginning.