Baby for the Billionaire(27)
“But you didn’t care, Nick.”
She was wrong about that.
“You’ve got no idea how hard it was for me to walk away from you, Sasha. But dammit, you were only eighteen. You had your whole life ahead of you.”
“So did you.”
“I don’t deny that. I was only twenty-five. I didn’t want a serious relationship. It wouldn’t have been fair to you—to either of us—if I’d taken what you’d offered.”
“I felt humiliated,” she said quietly. “More so when you left with another girl.”
He swore low in his throat. “I’m sorry. That hadn’t been my intention.”
He’d gotten the hell out of there with the other girl—he couldn’t even remember her name now—not to humiliate but because Sasha was a siren … a little witch … who’d suddenly developed a body and a face to die for.
Knowing himself, he would have taken what was offered and moved on.
Knowing Sasha, he couldn’t have done that to her.
She gave a shaky sigh. “That was the worst part. You had no idea how devastated I was.”
His heart jolted inside his chest. Had this been more than Sasha testing out her newfound womanly ways?
“Sasha, did you have a crush on me?”
For a moment their eyes locked.
“Yes, Nick. I did. I was a young girl in love with the man of her dreams.”
Oh hell.
Dare he ask.…
“Are you still in love with me, Sasha?”
Her eyelids flickered. “I’m fond of you, Nick, but that’s all.” As if the thought didn’t deserve any further comment, she spun on her stool to face the mirror again and began brushing her hair.
It was odd but his stomach felt like it had just been hollowed out. She hadn’t missed a beat in her answer. Love definitely wasn’t in her agenda.
Not that he would have known what to do if she had said she loved him. He hadn’t figured on that in their plans. He’d be happy with fondness between them.
And desire.
That was enough.
He walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, looking at her through her reflection. “Amazing as it may seem to you, you’re the only woman I want in my life right now.”
And that was the truth.
The brush stilled in her hand. “I … I am?”
Her stutter was charming and made his heart pound against his ribs. She may not be in love with him, but she was so very beautiful.
“Yes,” he murmured, sliding the neckline of her dress aside and kissing her bare shoulder. “Let me show you.”
At breakfast, Sasha was still recovering from Nick’s questions last night.
Are you still in love with me, Sasha?
No, she wasn’t, but the question had made her uncomfortable. Love wasn’t an easy subject to discuss at any time, but talking about it made it seem more real, even possible.
It was a possibility she didn’t want.
Just then, Iris opened the door to the breakfast room and Cesare and Isabel came walking in.
Nick put down his napkin in surprise. “Dad, what are you doing here?”
Cesare’s step seemed to hesitate. “Son, I have something to tell you.”
Sasha saw Nick stiffen.
“What’s happened, Dad?”
Cesare sat down on one of the chairs, his face paler than usual. At the same time, Isabel hugged Nick, then straightened but kept her hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. Sasha swallowed hard. This was definitely bad news.
“It’s your mother, figlio mio.” The older man paused. “She fell asleep at the wheel of her car last night and crashed into a parked truck.”
Sasha gasped.
Nick sat like stone. “And?”
“She’s dead, Nick. She died instantly.”
Pain for Nick squeezed Sasha’s heart as Isabel squeezed his shoulder.
Nick didn’t move. “Had she been drinking?”
“We don’t know. Perhaps.”
Nick’s lips twisted. “More than likely she was coming home from a party.”
Cesare inclined his head. “She lived life on her terms, Nick.”
“You don’t have to tell me that, Dad,” Nick said, jumping to his feet and going over to the patio door. He stood looking out over the sunny courtyard.
“At least she didn’t suffer, honey,” Isabel murmured. “None of us would want that.”