Unwrapping Her Italian Doc Read online

  ‘There’s plenty more.’ Susan smiled as she collected up the plates.

  Anton looked over at Louise’s dad, who gave him a thumbs-up.

  ‘Christmas pudding now,’ he said. ‘Home-made!’

  ‘If you get through this,’ Chloe, Louise’s younger sister, whispered to him, ‘you’re in.’

  The lights went down and a flaming pudding was brought in and they all duly sang, except for Anton because he didn’t know the words.

  It looked amazing, dark and rich and smothered in brandy crème, though had he not had a taste of Jennifer’s delectable one then Anton would, there and then, have sworn off Christmas pudding for life.

  It was a very small price to pay for love, though.

  ‘Family recipe.’ Susan winked, as she sat down to eat hers.

  ‘It’s wonderful, Mum,’ Louise said.

  In its own way it was, so much so that Louise decided to share the smile.

  ‘I’m going to take a photo and send it to my friends,’ Louise said, as her mother beamed with pride. ‘They don’t know what they’re missing out on!’

  Later they crashed on the sofa and watched a film. Anton sat and Louise lay with her head in his lap. Her sisters were going through the Valentine bras she had left over from the shoot. ‘There’s your namesake,’ Louise said, munching on chocolate as Ebenezer Scrooge appeared on screen. Anton smiled. He had never been happier.

  He even smiled as Louise’s sister wrinkled her nose. ‘What’s that smell?’

  ‘Mum’s making kedgeree for Boxing Day.’ Louise yawned.

  ‘What’s kedgeree?’ Anton asked.

  ‘Rice, eggs, haddock, curry powder.’ Louise looked up and met his gaze.

  ‘How about tomorrow we go shopping for a ring?’ Anton said.

  ‘Did you just propose?’

  ‘I did.’

  ‘Louise Rossi …’ she mused. ‘I like it.’

  ‘Good.’

  ‘And I love you.’

  ‘I love you too.’

  ‘But if you’re buying my ring in the Boxing Day sales, I expect a really big one, and if we’re engaged, then you can tell me what’s going on with you and Jennifer.’

  ‘When I get the ring I’ll tell you.’

  ‘Mum,’ Louise called, ‘Dad, we just got engaged.’

  There were smiles and congratulations and after a very dry December Anton enjoyed the champagne as he pulled out his phone. ‘I’d better ring my family and tell them the news. They’re loud,’ he warned.

  There were lots of ‘complimentes!’ and ‘salute!’ on speaker phone as glasses were raised. Much merriment later they came to the rapid decision they would go over there for the New Year and see them and, yes, it would seem they were officially engaged.

  Louise checked her own phone and there was a picture of Hugh and Emily sharing a gorgeous Christmas dinner, courtesy of Jennifer and Alex. There was a text too, thanking them for the little pink outfit and hat, which they were sure Baby Louise would be wearing very soon.

  There was also a text from Rory and it made her smile.

  ‘How’s that smudge of hope?’ Anton asked, referring to little Henry.

  ‘Still smudging.’ Louise smiled as she read Rory’s text. ‘It’s sparkling apple juice his end and I’ve been given strict instructions that we’re not to say anything, ever, to anyone, about what he said today.’

  ‘I am very glad that Gina has Rory with her,’ Anton said.

  ‘And me,’ Louise said, and then looked up at the man she would love for ever. ‘You do know that you’re going to be sleeping on the sofa tonight?’

  ‘Am I?’

  ‘My parents would freak otherwise.’ She smiled again. ‘Did you know that I’m a twenty-nine-year-old virgin?’

  ‘Of course you are,’ Anton said, and stroked her hair. He’d sleep in the garden if he had to.

  Louise lay there, her family nearby, Anton’s hands in her hair, and all felt right with the world.

  Just so completely right.

  ‘I think that I might already be pregnant,’ Louise whispered.

  ‘Don’t start.’ Anton smiled.

  ‘No, I really think I am. I feel different.’

  ‘Stop it.’ Anton laughed.

  But, then, Anton thought, knowing Louise, knowing how meant to be they were, she possibly was.

  They might just have made their own Christmas baby.

  * * * * *

  ISBN: 978-1-472-04577-5

  UNWRAPPING HER ITALIAN DOC

  © 2014 Carol Marinelli

  Published in Great Britain 2014

  by Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited

  Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR

  All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

  By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

  ® and ™are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ®are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.

  www.millsandboon.co.uk