Caroselli's Accidental Heir Read Online Free PDF Page A

meant taking care of herself. Tony could help her with that.
    “Hypothetically, suppose I do agree to live here with you,” she said. “I would have to have my own room.”
    “Or you could share mine.” His hand came to rest on her thigh. She didn’t have to see his face to know the expression he wore, and that it had the ability to melt her in seconds flat. Hadn’t she promised herself that she was through making irresponsible decisions?
    Tempting as it might have been, for the sake of her own pride, she couldn’t go back to the way things used to be. At least in the past there had been some hope that someday things would change, that he could fall in love with her, but now she knew that would never happen. If she was going to stay here, in his apartment, they would have to establish some boundaries. Like, no fooling around.
    She took his hand and set it on his own leg. “I think for the baby’s sake we should keep our relationship platonic. So things don’t get confusing.”
    “You can’t blame a guy for trying,” he said, and this time she did look at him, which was monumentally stupid. Curse him and his captivating smile. His deep-set, bedroom eyes.
    “You can have my room,” he told her. “I’ll sleep on the fold-out in my office.”
    Before she could object, his cell phone started to ring. He pulled it out of his pants pocket and checked the screen, cursing under his breath. “It’s Nonno, ” he said, rising from the sofa and heading toward the kitchen. “I have to take this.”
    Lucy had never actually met Tony’s grandfather, but she’d heard so many stories about him, in a way she felt as if she already knew him. It occurred to her that she hadn’t seen him at the wedding. According to Tony, his grandfather—and before she passed away, his grandmother—had been present for every significant event in his life.
    Why not his wedding?
    The call barely lasted a minute before Tony hung up. “It was my mom,” he said, shoving the phone back into his pocket. “She’s at Nonno ’s cleaning up. She wanted to make sure everything was okay. They want us to come by their house tomorrow to talk.”
    The idea of facing his parents, especially so soon, left her weak with terror. It must have shown on her face because Tony said, “Don’t worry. I told her we had things to work through first, and I would let her know when it would be a good time for us to meet.”
    How about never? Could they meet then?
    If she’d had a crystal ball, and could have seen the way events would unfold, she never would have left Chicago in the first place. She would have handled the situation like an adult instead of a lovesick adolescent. So why delay the inevitable? All she could do is apologize and hope they would take pity on her.
    “I’d like to get this over with sooner rather than later,” she told Tony.
    “There’s no rush.”
    “I’m responsible for this mess. I need to own up to it.”
    “Don’t you think you’re being a little hard on yourself?”
    Was she? “Imagine how you would feel if your son was getting married and some woman you’d never even met showed up claiming she was pregnant with his baby. Wouldn’t you want to know who she is? What she’s up to?”
    “You’re talking like you’re in this alone. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase ‘It takes two to tango.’ I’m just as responsible.”
    She doubted his family would see it that way. “We shouldn’t put this off.”
    He shrugged and said, “If that’s what you want.”
    It wasn’t about what she wanted. It was the right thing to do. “Is your grandfather okay?”
    The question seemed to puzzle him. “Why do you ask?”
    “I didn’t see him at the service today. I thought he might not be well.”
    “He’s fine. Just stubborn.”
    She wasn’t sure what that had to do with it, but before she could ask, Tony’s phone rang again. He pulled it out and checked the screen, muttered a curse, and rejected the call. He didn’t