Samantha Falcone was walking towards them now, still graceful despite her seven months pregnant belly, evident under a stretchy dress. When she came near Raf
aele drew her close and asked throatily, ‘You’re taking a nap?’
She looked up at him and nodded, and then said, far too innocently, ‘You didn’t sleep very well last night, did you? Maybe you should take a nap too?’
Cesar almost laughed out loud at the way Rafaele muttered something unintelligble and all but dragged his pregnant wife into the castillo. Rafaele had confided that this time was very poignant for him, because he’d missed Sam’s pregnancy with Milo.
Alexio and Sidonie were now wandering off hand in hand, with Belle toddling in front of them, towards the pool.
Cesar looked over to where Lexie sat on the love seat beneath the tree, watching him. She smiled and crooked her finger. As if he needed any encouragement...
When he sat down beside her Lucita was already raising her head and mewling softly, clearly ready for her feed.
Deftly Cesar unhooked the sling and lifted his daughter out, holding her head securely as her huge blue eyes opened wide and she gazed back at him guilelessly. His heart clenched. Was it possible to fall even more deeply in love every time he looked at her? And then she smiled and the question became moot, because he fell fathoms deeper in a nanosecond.
‘Look!’ Cesar declared proudly, angling her for Lexie’s inspection. ‘She smiled at me.’
Lexie grinned and took their daughter from his safe hands, settling her against the breast she’d bared, helping that seeking mouth to find her nipple.
As Lucita latched on, Lexie said wryly, ‘I hate to burst your bubble but it’s probably just wind.’
Cesar said nothing and when she peeked at him he was just smiling at her, a very private smile. He put his arm around her and said throatily, ‘I could watch you nurse Lucita all day.’
Lexie rested her head back against him and smiled. ‘Happy?’
Cesar looked down at her and felt his heart swell so much it might explode. Those huge blue eyes sucked him in as they had that very first time.
He shook his head and said quickly, ‘Happy doesn’t even come close to how I’m feeling.’
He took Lexie’s free hand—the hand on which she wore his rings. He brought it up and pressed his mouth there, over the rings that bound them together for ever.
He found himself admitting something he’d been too ashamed to admit before. ‘Do you know...just before Lucita was born I was afraid...afraid that I couldn’t possibly love any more than I already loved you?’
Lexie’s eyes grew bright.
‘But as soon as she was born I realised it’s infinite. Love can’t be bound to one person.’
‘I know,’ Lexie whispered. ‘I felt it too.’
The pregnancy and birth had been incredibly emotional for them both, but especially poignant for Lexie, considering it had brought back everything she’d been through with her first baby. But Cesar had been with her every step of the way, and more supportive than she might have dared to imagine. With his encouragement she’d even been in touch with the adoption agency to leave word as to where she could be contacted should her son ever feel the desire.
A deep sense of peace and security pervaded her life now. And love.
Lexie huffed a small laugh then, even as emotional tears made her eyes glitter. ‘You know, for someone who was deprived of love growing up you’re remarkably good at it.’
Cesar smiled back and said, with not a little sadness, ‘I can feel sorry for my grandparents now. They were so bitter and caught up in anger.’
Predictably, at the mention of his grandparents, Lexie’s eyes flashed with emotion. But before it could rise Cesar pressed a kiss to Lexie’s mouth, long and lingering, full of love.
When he drew back the fire of anger had gone out of Lexie’s eyes to be replaced by another kind of fire, and she said, almost grumpily, ‘That was blatant distraction.’
Lucita’s mouth popped free and Lexie handed her back to Cesar while she prepared her other breast for feeding.
When their daughter had emitted a gratifyingly robust burp Cesar handed her back. With Lucita settled again, Lexie looked at her husband. ‘Are you ready for tomorrow?’
‘Tomorrow?’ he asked disingenuously, clearly much more interested in his wife and baby. ‘Tell me what’s happening tomorrow again?’
Lexie smiled. He knew exactly what was happening. Even so, she reminded him. ‘Sidonie’s aunt is arriving and it’s her first time out of France, so we all have to be very mindful of her. Alexio is going to Paris to meet her and bring her here so she won’t be nervous. Rafaele’s father and his new wife Bridie are coming from Milan. And Juan Cortez and Maria are coming to pick up Miguel—although you know they’ll probably end up spending the night because it’d be rude not to ask them to stay for the barbecue...’