A Proposal to Remember Page 11

  ‘How’s baby Turner?’ Carlo walked over to the incubator and gazed down at the baby lying attached to tubes and monitors.

  ‘Actually, he’s doing pretty well.’ The doctor looking after the baby glanced at the machines with a frown and twiddled a knob. ‘They’re scanning him later because they’re worried about the risk of intraventricular haemorrhage.’

  ‘Oh.’ Zan looked shocked. ‘Why are they worried about that?’

  ‘It’s a fairly routine procedure in premature babies,’ Carlo assured her, picking up the chart and scanning it. ‘Brain haemorrhage can occur in up to forty per cent of babies who weigh under 1500 grammes. How’s everything else?’

  The doctor adjusted her glasses. ‘His blood gases deteriorated so we had to ventilate him overnight but he’s stabilised now.’

  She and Carlo proceeded to have a detailed conversation about the baby’s progress and then Zan looked up and saw Kelly and Mike hovering in the doorway, looking out of place and uncomfortable.

  ‘Hi.’ Zan moved towards them, waving an apologetic hand over her costume. ‘Sorry about the way we look—we dressed up for the children’s ward earlier and we haven’t had time to change. How are you?’

  ‘We’re fine.’ Kelly looked pale and thin and she was gazing longingly at the baby. ‘He’s being fed through a tube and I so wanted to breast-feed.’

  ‘You can still breast-feed him,’ Zan assured her, taking her arm and walking with her towards the incubator. Machines beeped and the lights sent a glow over the dark ward. ‘Have you talked to the nurses about it?’

  Kelly shook her head. ‘They’re so busy.’

  ‘Not too busy to help you breast-feed,’ Zan said firmly. ‘What you need to do is express milk to begin with and they can give that down his tube.’

  The doctor looking after the baby glanced up and smiled. ‘In fact, that would be brilliant. He’s actually not tolerating our formula milk very well. I think it’s a bit too rich for his little tummy. Any time you want to give us some breast milk, please, feel free.’

  Kelly glanced nervously at Zan, who smiled reassuringly.

  ‘How about now?’ She sensed that Kelly was out of her depth on this ward full of strangers. ‘I could help you. They’ve got a special room here where you can sit quietly. Providing the staff don’t mind me butting in, I can show you the ropes.’

  Carlo lifted an eyebrow. ‘There’s no end to what an elf can do.’

  Zan glanced down at herself and pulled a face. ‘I’d forgotten I’m an elf.’

  ‘I’ll lend you a white coat if you’ll stay and help,’ one of the nurses said dryly as she walked past and heard the exchange.

  Zan looked at Carlo. ‘Is it OK?’

  ‘Of course.’ He smiled easily, as relaxed as ever. ‘Give me a shout when you’re ready to go.’

  He made no secret of their relationship and Zan blushed slightly.

  ‘OK, Kelly, come with me and I’ll introduce you to Daisy.’

  They left Carlo talking quietly to Mike and walked down the corridor and into a small but comfortable room. Kelly hovered on the threshold.

  ‘Who’s Daisy?’

  Zan laughed and waved a hand towards the machine on the table. ‘Meet Daisy the cow. So called because of her role in milk production. Let me show you what to do.’ She picked out various items of equipment and ripped open the packets. ‘These are sterile and you need a fresh one of these every time.’

  She showed Kelly what to connect where and then helped her get the pressure right on the machine.

  A few drops of milk-like fluid trickled into the bottle and Kelly looked at Zan anxiously. ‘It isn’t very much.’

  Zan sat down next to her. ‘It takes a few days for your milk to come in properly. This is what we call colostrum. It’s not high volume but it’s very high in calories and full of antibodies.’ Zan hesitated. ‘You’ve been anaemic, Kelly, and you’re pretty underweight. It’s possible that you won’t be able to produce enough milk to feed him completely on your own. We might need to top her up.’

  Kelly’s eyes filled but she nodded. ‘I see.’

  ‘It’s important that you eat a good diet from now on—plenty of protein,’ Zan told her, ‘and keep expressing because that will stimulate your milk supply.’

  Kelly looked at her. ‘And will he ever be able to feed from me?’

  ‘I’m sure he will.’ Zan was quick to reassure her. ‘As soon as he’s a bit stronger, we’ll start putting him to the breast to get him used to the idea.’

  ‘What if he doesn’t get used to the idea?’

  ‘He will.’ Zan gave her a warm smile. ‘You’re going to be a great mum, Kelly. How are you feeling in yourself?’

  ‘Tired,’ Kelly admitted, and Zan made a mental note to mention it to Carlo. She still needed to have her blood checked for anaemia.

  ‘How’s Mike coping?’

  Kelly pulled a face. ‘Pretty well, really, considering how much he hates hospitals. It brings back horrible memories for him.’

  They walked back onto SCBU to find Carlo still in conversation with Mike and the doctor.

  He smiled at Kelly. ‘Has this little boy got a name yet?’

  Kelly nodded and looked at Mike. ‘Eddie,’ she said softly. ‘We’re calling him Eddie after Mike’s brother.’

  There was a silence and Carlo cleared his throat. ‘Good name,’ he said gruffly, and Mike looked at him and rubbed a hand across the back of his neck.

  ‘I don’t know how to say this, Doc,’ he mumbled, and Carlo put a hand on his shoulder, his dark eyes warm with understanding.

  ‘There’s nothing to say,’ he said quietly. ‘You had a difficult choice to make, but you did the right thing. You were brave.’

  Mike shook his head. ‘It was you who did the right thing and don’t think I don’t know that,’ he said hoarsely. He grabbed Carlo’s arm. ‘You need anything—anything at all—you come to me.’

  Carlo was visibly moved and Zan leaned forward to give Kelly a hug.

  ‘Merry Christmas,’ she said softly, looking at Eddie Turner and deciding that miracles did happen after all.

  * * *

  It was much later when they walked towards Zan’s flat, both still dressed in costume.

  ‘That was fun,’ Carlo said, a laugh in his voice as he reached up to rub his dark jaw. ‘Apart from the beard. The beard made me itch.’

  ‘You were brilliant.’ Zan glanced over her shoulder, still nervous that someone might be following her. ‘Where did you find the reindeer?’

  ‘They came down from Scotland,’ he told her, following her gaze and looking at her quizzically. ‘Why do you keep looking over your shoulder?’

  ‘Because I’m paranoid about being followed,’ she confessed, moving a little closer to him. ‘I thought I saw a man watching me again this morning.’

  Carlo glanced at her. ‘The same man from the restaurant?’

  ‘No.’ Zan shook her head. ‘Someone different. Well, actually, there were two of them. I’m sure it was my imagination. I’m seeing men on every corner.’

  Either way, she didn’t really care at the moment. No one was going to hurt her while she was with Carlo. No one in their right mind would attack someone of his build.

  They arrived back at her flat and Zan flicked on the Christmas-tree lights and lit a few candles.

  She needed subtle lighting for what she had in mind.

  ‘I put some champagne in the fridge earlier,’ she murmured, moving through to the kitchen and fetching two glasses.

  By the time she moved back to the sitting room Carlo had removed his hat and was wearing a snug pair of jeans and a thick jumper.

  Zan’s eyes twinkled. ‘So this is what Father Christmas does in his spare time.’

  ‘Consorts with elves, you mean?’ He moved towards her and took the bottle, popping the cork and catching the bubbling liquid in the glasses that she held out. ‘You’re shivering.’

  ‘Yes, well, elves are obviously tou
gher than me,’ she admitted, a plan forming in her mind. ‘This outfit is freezing. I’m just going to take a shower and change into something warmer.’

  Carlo tensed slightly. ‘OK.’

  She walked through to her bedroom, stripped off the elf costume and showered quickly.

  Her heart banging against her chest, she opened a drawer and removed a bag. Did she dare?

  Taking a deep breath, Zan gave a womanly smile and started to dress.

  * * *

  Carlo glanced towards the bedroom as he dialled, hoping that she was going to take some time.

  He’d managed not to react when she’d announced that someone was still following her, but a nasty suspicion was growing in his mind.

  ‘Matt?’ He spoke in Italian, talking in a low voice as he briefly outlined the situation to the chief of security.

  ‘I’m staying here tonight.’ Carlo kept his eye on the bedroom door as he talked. ‘I’m on call from eight o’clock tomorrow morning, so I could get called into the hospital then, but if I do I’ll find some way of taking her with me. I don’t want her left alone.’

  Having agreed a plan with Matt, he ended the conversation as quickly as possible, flicking the phone shut and slipping it back into his pocket.

  If there was going to be trouble, at least they were prepared.

  The bedroom door opened and as he glanced up, all thoughts of danger vanished from his mind.

  In fact, all rational thought vanished from his mind.

  Zan was standing in the doorway looking like something straight out of a bad boy’s dreams.

  She was wearing skimpy briefs, sheer stockings that made her long legs shimmer temptingly and the highest heels he’d ever seen.

  Struggling to breathe, he dragged his eyes upwards, past the smooth curve of her waist and the swell of her breasts to the blatant invitation in her green eyes.

  ‘Zan.’ His voice was a tortured croak and she smiled as she walked towards him, her legs endless as she closed the gap between them.

  ‘The other night I told you that we were going too fast.’ She sounded breathy and feminine and decidedly nervous. ‘I know you’ve been holding back, but you don’t need to any more. I didn’t know how to tell you…’

  The draw of her smooth, creamy skin was too much, and he slid a hand around her waist, feeling the silky warmth of her skin under his fingers.

  ‘I think I get the message.’

  She trembled slightly under his touch but her gaze didn’t falter. ‘I want you, Carlo—if you still want me, that is.’

  What a question.

  Carlo almost groaned aloud. Of course he wanted her, but he needed to talk to her first. He needed to tell her who he was.

  ‘Zan, I—’

  He saw the uncertainty flicker in her eyes. ‘Have you changed your mind?’

  Zan pressed closer and his senses were swamped by her. That special scent that drove him wild, the touch of her warm skin, the feel of her breath against his cheek.

  ‘I haven’t changed my mind, but—’

  ‘Good.’ She slid her small hands under his jumper and he shuddered as he felt her fingers slide over his skin.

  Part of him jerked back to reality. He had to tell her who he was.

  ‘Zan, I just…’

  ‘What?’ Her voice was low and husky and she stood on tiptoe and licked at his lips in a provocative gesture that made every male hormone in his body work overtime.

  He tried to capture her mouth, but she moved away with a tantalising smile that made him groan with frustration. She continued to tease him, pressing light, fluttery kisses against his mouth and cheek but dodging him when he tried to deepen the connection.

  Then she tugged lightly at his jumper and he yanked it over his head and dropped it on the floor, aware that his erection was blatantly evident through the fabric of his jeans.

  Her lips parted and her breathing shallow, Zan ran a finger through the dark hair on his chest, following the line downwards to where it vanished into the waistband of his jeans. She lifted her eyes to his, her gaze hot and inviting as her fingers dealt with the fastening and then the zip.

  Still holding his gaze, she touched him intimately and he saw a hint of uncertainty in her eyes.

  And he decided that it was time he took over.

  He dispensed with his jeans and scooped her up into his arms, carrying her though to the bedroom and kicking the door closed behind them.

  Her silky dark hair brushed his cheek and he lowered his head and kissed her hungrily before laying her on the bed and coming down on top of her.

  She stroked a hand over the muscles of his shoulders and the trust in her eyes made something twist inside him.

  He knew that they ought to be talking, not making love, but the moment for talking was long past.

  All he could do now was make sure that her first time was the best time she’d ever have.

  The talking would have to come later.

  Zan lay trembling on the bed, both hands holding onto Carlo as he kissed her.

  She loved the feel of solid muscle under her fingers, loved his combination of strength and gentleness.

  The truth was, she loved him.

  He lifted his head, his breathing ragged as he looked down at her, his dark eyes unbelievably sexy. Then he murmured something in Italian and the tone of his voice made her heart thump against her chest.

  ‘You’re doing it again,’ she pointed out huskily. ‘You’re talking in Italian and I don’t understand a word.’

  His smile was intimate. ‘I said that you are very, very beautiful, cara mia.’

  His hand moved slowly but deliberately down her body and suddenly she found it hard to breathe. He lowered his head and kissed her slowly and the excitement he roused was so intense that it frightened her.

  She pulled away slightly, stunned by how out of control she felt.

  Carlo’s eyes searched hers and then he gave a very male smile that showed that he understood. ‘I know…’

  He kissed her again, this time teasing her tongue into an erotic dance with his, arousing feelings so powerful that she pressed against him in an unspoken demand for more.

  Without lifting his head, he moved his hand lower and curved it over her breast, the rough pad of his thumb teasing her hard nipple.

  Sensation stabbed low in her abdomen and she gasped against his mouth and instinctively parted her legs.

  He lifted his head and stroked her dark hair away from her face with a hand that wasn’t quite steady.

  ‘You are incredibly responsive, tesoro, and you have a disastrous effect on my self-control.’ His eyes smiled into hers and he kept their gazes locked together as his hand moved lower.

  Zan felt his hand on the soft skin of her thigh and then his fingers slid inside her flimsy panties, his eyes never leaving hers as he found what he was looking for.

  Her fingers tightened on the muscles of his shoulders and she tensed slightly.

  ‘Don’t be shy with me.’ He murmured the words against her mouth, kissing her gently as he removed her panties. Reassuring her as his skilled fingers worked their magic. Excitement exploded inside her and she slid her hands over his skin, touching his warmth and maleness, moving her hips in an instinctive quest for satisfaction.

  Carlo slid down her body, using his mouth in an exploration so thorough and intimate that by the time he finally slid back up and settled himself on top of her she was a seething, uncontrollable mass of sensation.

  Desperate to know him as he knew her, she reached down to touch him, but he caught her hand and shook his head.

  ‘No way, tesoro, I’m too close.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘There’ll be time for that later.’

  She felt his weight on top of her, his strength as he parted her thighs, and suddenly a flash of trepidation penetrated her consciousness.

  Totally attuned to every response her body made, he slowed the pace, his dark eyes suddenly gentle as he looked down at he
r.

  ‘Relax, cara mia. You can still change your mind.’

  She didn’t want to change her mind.

  She wanted him to make love to her—now!

  ‘I don’t want to,’ she said urgently, pulling him towards her. ‘Please…’

  He stared down at her, his breathing unsteady, and she could see the conflict in his dark eyes.

  ‘If you stop now, I’ll black your other eye,’ she joked, her voice unsteady as she slid a hand over his smooth back.

  She tugged his head down to hers and kissed him, coaxing his tongue into a game with hers.

  But it was clear that he wasn’t going to be rushed. His kiss was slow and leisurely, and he trailed a finger down her body, exploring her with an expert touch that drove her to fever pitch.

  Finally, when she was writhing and gasping underneath him, when every part of her body ached for him, he lifted his head and looked down at her.

  His gaze hot, he shifted his position slightly and entered her slowly, holding back with a visible effort, checking that she was all right.

  She was more than all right.

  She was in heaven.

  Feeling his pulsing strength inside her, she wrapped her legs around him, her eyes locked with the heat of his as she raised her hips to meet him.

  With a low groan Carlo pushed deep, driving into the heart of her, setting their bodies on fire with each skilful thrust.

  Zan gasped as excitement consumed her, clutching at his hard shoulders with her fingers, feeling the strength of his body against hers.

  He shifted his position slightly, his gaze locking with hers as he moved, his eyes fierce with need.

  He was no longer gentle but Zan didn’t even notice.

  Their love-making had a wild, primitive edge to it, and she trembled beneath him as he moved inside her, deeper, harder, surrounding and filling her with his strength.

  It was the most intense and intimate experience of her life.

  Her climax hit without warning and she felt him shudder above her as he drove them both to a peak of excitement that consumed them both in its explosive intensity.

  She clung to him, breathless and stunned, her eyes locked with his as she struggled to come back to earth.