Page 34 of Twin Surprise for the Italian Doc
Anger got washed away in a small tsunami of relief.
He didn’t know the truth.
This was it. A cloak of protection that she could wrap around herself and her babies.
Weirdly, there was disappointment to be foundin finding safety so easily.
Man...she really was an adrenaline junkie, wasn’t she? It was a personality trait that she really needed to squash, given that she was going to become a parent in the near future.
It wasn’t going to be easy, though. The temptation to hint at the truth was irresistible.
‘Dougal is not the father of my baby,’ she told him, even as a part of her brain registered thatMatteo had no idea that this was a twin pregnancy. ‘And he’s not the only person from my work who’s here tonight so I’d appreciate it if you don’t spread any unfounded rumours.’
Matteo was scowling at her, dark brows lowered over eyes that looked black in this light. ‘But heishere? The father?’
Oh...the crazy part of her wanted to say ‘yes’ and flirt with danger again. But what if Matteo talkedto everybody in the room over the canapés and champagne and worked out who that person could be by a process of elimination?
She could outright lie and say ‘no’ and make safety even more assured but, despite what Matteo thought of her, it wasn’t easy to tell a lie.
Her moment of hesitation provided an escape.
‘Over here, you two,’ the photographer called. ‘We’ll do the whole wedding party now,please.’
* * *
‘Whatisthis?’
Luke peered at the tiny sandwich Matteo had in his hand. ‘I think that’s the smoked salmon and horseradish crème fraîche. It’s delicious.’
‘Mmm...’ Kate’s head was leaning against her new husband’s shoulder. ‘We made some good choices, didn’t we? Have you tried the Scottish beef and mustard mayonnaise ones? I’ve had three.’
‘Oink-oink...’ Luke dropped a kissonto her hair.
Matteo put the sandwich into his mouth and let his gaze rake the room as he chewed it.
Where was she now?
It took only a split second to find Georgia, who was standing beside her boss. Had she been telling the truth when she’d denied that he was the father of her child? He could have sworn that when he’d asked whether that man was here, she’d been on the verge of confirming it.He could still feel an echo of the twist in his gut that was something bigger than jealousy. A betrayal almost. As if something that was rightfully his had been taken away.
It was crazy. He barely knew Georgia. They’d had only a matter of hours together.
So why was there a nagging conviction, he had never quite squashed, that she was the only woman in the world for him?
That he still lovedher, despite the evidence that she had the worst fault a person could have as far as he was concerned.
Dishonesty...
He swallowed the mouthful of food that had suddenly become like cardboard.
‘Who is it?’ he surprised himself by asking aloud. ‘The father of Georgia’s baby?’
Kate’s jaw dropped and Luke’s eyebrows shot up.
‘She won’t say,’ Luke offered into the slightly awkward silence. Thenhe glanced at Kate, who bit her lip.
‘I have my suspicions,’ she confessed. ‘I think it might be a paramedic from New Zealand that she...um...had a brief thing with.’
‘New Zealand?’ Matteo had to focus on something and this was easier than the idea that the father of Georgia’s baby might not be in the picture any longer. ‘Had’ made it sound like ancient history. As if she had a space in herlife that was glaringly empty. A space thathecould fill...?
