Then Cesare turned to him, a sharpness in his eyes that had been there all along. “So the marriage is going well?”
Matt kept the smile on his face. “I’ve only been married two days, Dad.”
Isabel tutted at her husband. “Give them time, Cesare.”
Matt didn’t set her straight. He hadn’t told any of his family that the marriage was temporary, not even his parents. But they had to know he wasn’t in love with Lana.
Thankfully Megan started to get a bit irritable just then, and Matt looked at his watch. “Speaking of time, Megan’s due for her morning nap.” He pushed to his feet, relieved to have something to do. “Here. Give her to me, Dad,” he said, and scooped up his daughter.
Isabel stood, too. “Come on. I’ll show you the spare room. We’ve put a crib in there for her.”
Matt grinned wryly. “You haven’t turned the room into a nursery, have you?”
His mother’s lips twitched. “Not yet.”
After that, Megan didn’t wake up for a couple of hours, so it was mid-afternoon before he arrived back home.
Lana rushed out of the study when he opened the front door, taking Megan in her arms and fussing over her as if she’d been gone a week instead of a couple of hours.
“I’ve brought her back in original condition,” he mocked, and wondered what it would be like if Lana fussed over him.
Don’t go there.
“Is everything okay? No problems?” she asked, still frowning.
“Sorry to disappoint you. Not a one.”
“Good.” She suddenly had a smug look about her that set his antenna on high. “Because Ruth’s gone to visit her sister in the hospital this afternoon and may not be back until late.”
“So?” She obviously thought he couldn’t handle his own daughter.
“Do you think you’ll be able to look after Megan for the rest of the day?”
“Of course. We’ll be fine.”
“Oh.” Her bubble burst. “Well, just call me if you need me.”
Not on your Nellie, he mused, then noted the tired lines under her eyes. “How’s the work going?”
“Moving along.”
“You’d better get back to it, then.”
“I’m here if you need me.”
“We won’t,” he said, more snappish than he’d intended.
She handed Megan back, then headed for the study, but not before he saw her flinch. His jaw clenched. Why the hell was he feeling sorry for snapping at her? When all was said and done she’d had Megan to herself the last eleven months.
It was his turn now.
All at once the thought of her keeping Megan from him…of him possibly never knowing he had a daughter…never hearing his little girl giggle as he’d done with the swans yesterday…made his heart harden even more.
One thing was for sure. He wasn’t going to rent out his old apartment now, after it had proven the perfect escape last night. He could always go out on the town, he supposed, but suddenly he didn’t feel like it.
The rest of the afternoon was spent playing games with Megan on the living room floor, then letting her play with her toys while he sat down for a much-needed rest and a flick through the television channels with the remote to see what was showing.
The next minute her cry had him jumping to his feet. Quickly he scooped her up and checked her over, but she didn’t appear to be hurt.
Maybe she was hungry? Yep, he could open a jar of baby food for her.
Only, it didn’t soothe her.
Nothing did.
Lana appeared in the kitchen doorway. “Is everything okay in here?”
He looked up with a touch of relief. “I don’t know. She won’t stop crying and nothing I do will help.”
Lana’s brows drew together as she came forward, her gaze going over the little girl. “She’s had a couple of big days. I think she’s just overtired.” She took the spoon out of his hand. “Come on, pumpkin. Let’s eat this nice dinner, and then you can go to bed.”
It sounded simple.
And it was simple when Lana did it, Matt mused, watching her in slight awe when half an hour later she finally put Megan down in her crib and the little girl shut her eyes and went to sleep.
“You’ve got a way with her,” he murmured, stepping back to allow her to leave the bedroom.
She pulled the door closed, then tipped her face up to him. “Not always.”
Their eyes met.
Neither of them blinked.
They were standing very close and the scent of Valente’s Woman stirred his nostrils—and his groin. If it had been any other woman he’d pull her up against him and make passionate love to her.
But not this woman.
This woman and passion mixed only too well.
His pulse thudding with thick desire, he pivoted before he could do something he regretted. “I think I’ll go take a shower.”
A long, cold shower.
Lana’s heart raced as she watched Matt stride toward his bedroom and close the door behind him. For a minute there she thought he’d been about to kiss her. It had almost been the office Christmas party all over again.
Except neither of them had been drinking.
They’d been standing too close.
And she’d been feeling grateful for him taking care of Megan today.
And both of them were probably drained from the events of the past week, that’s all.
Yes, that’s all it was.
It couldn’t be anything else. Matt blamed her for keeping his daughter from him. He thought she’d stolen money from him. He’d hate himself in the morning if he made love to her.
And she’d hate herself, too.
She’d have to make sure they didn’t get too close in the future, she decided, making her way to the kitchen, where she put the casserole Ruth had left for them in the oven. She’d do another hour of work before dinner.
She’d just sat down at the desk when her cell phone rang. It was her boss, Mr. Wainwright.
A couple of minutes later she flung the study door open with steam coming out of her ears.
She couldn’t believe it.
She didn’t believe it.
How could a man who took such pride in his own work not expect she’d take pride in her work too?
Giving one quick knock, she stormed into Matt’s bedroom. “How dare you!” she hissed, keeping her voice low so as not to wake Megan next door.