Chapter 9

"MAMA?"

Marco's whisper and his touch on her arm brought Gina instantly awake. She looked straight into big-eyed wonder. Her son's highly expressive gaze flicked beyond her and back again, the unspoken question bringing a sharp clarity to her mind and a shock wave to her heart.

Alex King in bed with her!

She lifted a finger to her lips to keep Marco silent, then quickly whispered, "Go back to your own room and Mama will be there in a minute. Okay?"

He nodded reluctantly, curiosity obviously rife. Gina was intensely grateful he did her bidding without arguing. At this point she had no idea what answers to give him. She needed time to think but there was no time right now. Fast action was required if Marco wasn't to be drawn into a situation that was too complicated to be presented to a little boy who saw things in very simple terms.

Mama had been sleeping with Alex King.

Hopefully Marco hadn't taken in they were both naked. As Gina carefully slid out from under the bedclothes, she was intensely grateful that fact had been mostly hidden from her son. How she was going to explain what he had seen was difficult enough and she certainly didn't want Alex disturbed and contributing anything she hadn't had the chance to monitor first. The situation was highly sensitive, given his engagement to Michelle Banks—was that still on?

She looked back at him as she donned the clothes she'd set out on a chair before going to bed. His thick black hair was mussed, a five o'clock shadow darkened his jaw. Neither factor lessened the impact of his strikingly handsome face. Even with his eyes closed, he could still stir the desire that had engulfed her last night. His wonderfully muscular shoulders, the satin smoothness of the skin stretched over them, the tempting hair on his chest...

She wanted to touch him again, but was he really hers to touch? Was it stolen pleasure? She forced herself to keep on dressing, hands busy pulling on the T-shirt printed with blue butterflies, buttoning the denim skirt, strapping on brown leather sandals. It made her feel like a thief, creeping around the room, collecting her belongings, but she felt too uneasy about the consequences of waking Alex to do anything else.

The need to remove herself and Marco to their own home ground pressed urgently. She didn't want to be involved in a scene here. Let Alex sort out his life and come to her if last night held any real meaning to him.

The morning after...

The enormity of what they'd done shivered through her as she slipped out of the nanny's room, closing the door as noiselessly as possible on the intimacy they had shared. Would he pursue a relationship with her or...she shook her head, her mind shying from contemplating any other outcome.

Alex could find out where she lived and worked from his grandmother if he wanted to. A man chased if he was truly drawn to a woman. His arrival or non-arrival on her doorstep would tell her where she stood with him soon enough. Best to concentrate on Marco now.

He was sitting cross-legged on the nursery bed, patiently waiting for her to give him permission to speak, his big brown eyes agog with interest. Gina smiled warm reassurance at him as she crossed the room, setting her overnight bag down close to him and laying the plastic bag containing her evening dress at the foot of the bed.

"Have you been to the bathroom?" she asked softly. He nodded.

"Let's get you dressed then." She pulled his clean set of clothes from her bag. "Can you manage these while I go to the bathroom?"

'"Course I can. But, Mama..."

"Ssh! Other people in the castle are still asleep, Marco. We'll talk when we go downstairs."

He frowned but started pulling off his pyjamas. Satisfied her instructions would be followed, Gina hurried off to use the ensuite facilities, acutely conscious of the need to achieve a respectable appearance as fast as she could. Although it was early morning, and a Sunday, someone would undoubtedly be astir in the castle and she couldn't depart without leaving a thank-you message for Isabella King. Such kind hospitality demanded courtesy in return.

Nevertheless, she didn't want to be caught up in any long conversation, didn't want to risk any kind of embarrassing situation, not in front of Marco. Bad enough that he'd witnessed what he had. If he blurted out the truth to Isabella King... Please let it all stay private, she willed frantically.

It was almost seven o'clock when she led Marco downstairs. Having persuaded him to stand guard over her bags in the huge foyer, she went in search of castle staff and was relieved to find Rosita in the kitchen. The housekeeper's welcoming smile was swiftly replaced by an anxious frown as Gina made her leave-taking speech.

"But you are expected to stay for breakfast. At the very least, breakfast," came the pleading protest.

Gina poured out apologies and excuses and was profuse in her gratitude for the kindness extended to her. Remaining firm about going was difficult in the face of the pressing entreaties to stay, especially as Rosita trailed her back to the foyer, insisting Mrs. King would be most upset not to have Gina's and Marco's company this morning.

"Please tell Mrs. King it's family business. I'm sure she'll understand," was the best exit line Gina could come up with, quickly bustling Marco outside and determinedly heading for her car.

Thankfully they were beyond earshot before Marco's questions started. "Who was the man in your bed, Mama?"

"It was the man we met at the castle before, remember? He showed you the fish in the pond."

"I 'member. The nice man."

"Yes. And the castle is his home." "Doesn't it have another bed for him?"

"Yes, but last night he came to your room to see if you were all right. He found you snuggled up under the bedclothes and thought he should lift you back on the pillow. It woke you up, remember?"

He shook his head.

"Well, you cried out and I heard you. When I came into your room, there was Alex—the nice man—giving you a cuddle. He put you back to bed and tucked you in. Then he wanted to talk to me so we went into my room. He waited to make sure you went back to sleep all right and we both got tired and fell asleep ourselves."

Marco thought about that for a while, then nodded. "The bed was big enough for him, too."

"Yes." A child's simple logic was wonderful, Gina thought, hoping her explanation would fully satisfy him.

"He is a nice man, isn't he, Mama?" came the stress-free conclusion. "Yes," she heartily agreed.

Too nice for Michelle Banks! But was Alex thinking of ending his commitment to his fiancée? How could he be unfaithful to her and not change his mind about his future course?

Hope moved swiftly into a churning sickness. Last night had to mean something.

It had to.

Since she could not keep Gina Terlizzi and her son from leaving, Rosita decided she might as well tidy their rooms and take the bed linen to the laundry. Isabella had announced she would not come down to breakfast until eight o'clock. It was always so when she attended an evening wedding reception. There was time to spare.

She entered the nanny's room and came to a shocked halt. The bed was still occupied. By a man! And it looked like... Rosita took a deep breath and tip-toed to a better vantage point for recognition to be unmistakable...

Alessandro! A bare-chested Alessandro! And there were his good clothes strewn carelessly around the floor!

It could mean only one thing.

Rosita now had a clear understanding of Gina Terlizzi's early departure. She tip-toed out of the room, not wanting to disturb the sleeping Alessandro. It could be a big embarrassment to do so. Besides, this was Isabella's business and her employer would want to be told at once that her grandson had not spent last night with Michelle Banks.

Over her many years of employment at the castle, Rosita had listened sympathetically to the concerns Isabella had voiced about her family and its future. She was proud of being a trusted confidante and she was very aware that Michelle Banks was not a wife Isabella favoured for her oldest grandson. The plan to put Gina Terlizzi in his way had worked. Although how far it had worked with Gina now gone...

Rosita shook her head worriedly. She wasn't sure it was wise to interfere in other people's love-lives. Strong attachments could stir dangerous passions. But this was family business. Isabella would know what to do. She had to be told. At once!