“So you don’t trust me, but I’m supposed to trust you?” she asked huskily. “Even if you keep secrets?”
He smiled. “Your intelligence is one of your most attractive qualities. Do you know that?”
“Almost as high a compliment as having a great personality.” She brushed his hands off her shoulders and moved away.
“I meant it as a compliment. Why compliment your looks when your beauty is obvious.” Even when she was walking away. Her skirt was a hip-hugging knit that caressed her backside and thighs every time she moved. He’d been admiring it all afternoon.
She stood in the middle of the room, hand on her middle, expression tight, face pale. “We should go.”
“Nausea?” Now he wanted to tuck her into his bed and cuddle her.
“It comes and goes. I have biscuits in the car that help.”
“When do you see the doctor next? Any concerns?”
“None. Everything is normal. I have an appointment in the new year.”
“I’ll come.” He was already looking forward to it.
“If you like.” The chill was back. So annoying, but he soon learned she came by it honestly.
* * *
Marble floors gleamed beneath a chandelier of icicle-like crystals as they entered the Montero villa. A wide staircase led to a gallery where stark, contemporary art decorated the walls.
The butler directed them into a showpiece of a parlor, the sort of room Angelo had glimpsed as a child, but had been held back from entering by his mother’s tense hand on his arm, her voice sharp with caution. It was not a place he had been welcome and, judging by the expressions on the Duque and Duquessa’s faces, he was no more welcome today.
“Navarro,” her mother repeated, glancing sharply between them.
“Pia’s plus one at the ball,” Angelo lied smoothly so Pia wouldn’t have to. “I trust my generous donation made up for concealing our relationship.”
“Relationship.” La Reina’s tone dropped to subarctic levels. “How did you meet? The university? I don’t believe I’m familiar with your family.”
“No?” Angelo countered, thinking La Reina had probably been marrying Javier about the time his grandmother had become his father’s second wife. But he couldn’t think about the dirty secrets from his past. Not now when he needed to be on the top of his game.
“Nemesis Tech,” Javier identified as he shook Angelo’s hand with a solid grip. “I’ve read of your developments with integrated photonics. The first light-based microchip to be commercially viable.”
“The reason smartphones can do so many things at once without bursting into flames,” Pia translated for her mother.
“My team gets all the credit,” Angelo said smoothly. “I only backed the winning horse.” And flogged it to any manufacturer with money, from smart toasters to NASA.
“Technology,” her mother said with a tolerant smile as they all sat. “Perhaps an introduction to Cesar would be prudent.” La Reina sent that to Pia in a not so subtle query as to why her daughter had brought a stranger into their home on short notice. One who had not defined his use of the word relationship.
“Introductions to the rest of the family will happen in due course.” Pia was utterly composed, hands folded in her lap, voice lacking inflection, face unreadable. Much as she’d been when she had kicked him in the gonads with her news. “I’m pregnant. Angelo is the father. We’ll marry as quickly as possible.”
The ensuing silence was so profound that the click of the door broke it like a gunshot. The butler came up against the charged air as though he had hit a noxious cloud. He persevered through it to bring Pia’s requested cranberry mocktini and Angelo’s glass of Javier’s private label brandy.
“Dinner as scheduled, señora?” the butler murmured as he set the drinks.
“Push it back until I inform you.” La Reina waited until the door had been closed again. Her color hadn’t risen. Her voice hadn’t changed. She only prompted, “Javier?”
“The Estrada merger was an ideal fit for the fuel cell innovations Cesar is pursuing. Microprocessing is a different direction entirely.”
Sebastián again? Angelo wondered if they realized he could buy that fool’s enterprise a dozen times over and his next generation chip wasn’t even on the market yet.
“Rico enjoys the challenge of a pivot.” Pia spoke as though they were discussing the purchase of a car or some other innocuous detail. “Cesar will find ways to capitalize. Both of them have dealt with the unexpected before.”
“They have,” her mother agreed.