The Billionaire’s Prodigal Wife (Mackenna and Alessandro)

Chapter 23

His words cut her to the core, and she took a breath, “I’m not ashamed to be having our baby, Alessandro.” She chastised him quietly. “I love our baby. I’m ashamed my closest friends and family know I’m back in your bed and it will only be a matter of time before you’re back in hers. My grandfather’s first question was to ask if Dulce was no longer employed by Giordano Fashion. I had to lie and tell him everything was resolved because if he knows the truth, he will be ashamed of me and rightly so."

He gave a long sigh. “You would want me to let go of a model who has made my company hundreds of millions of dollars in the last six years to ease your suspicious mind?"

“Knowing you could put a price tag on the value of our marriage sickens me.” She dug through her purse for the money to pay for her coffee and then rolled her eyes as Alessandro passed the waitress the money.

“You know. I’ve always considered Dulce a drama queen, but I think you might be trying to take her throne.” He followed her out of the café.

“Ass.” She mumbled under her breath as she sipped her coffee. “The limo is waiting across the street."

“That’s nice.” She ignored his extended hand. “I told you. I’m going back to my apartment."

“Let me put it for you this way, Mackenna.” He gripped her by the shoulders and stared into her eyes, ensuring she could see the annoyance flickering there. “I agree this evening is a bust. There is no point trying to salvage dinner at this point. So, we can go back to the hotel. You can do whatever you want there and I will do work so as not to strangle you. Or we can go back to your apartment, and we can spend the evening in your cramped little quarters. Since my work is all in theProperty of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

hotel room, I’m sure we can find another way to pass the time in your tiny room. We’ll both spend the night in the tiny little cot you call a bed. It’s so small you’ll likely have to sleep on top but I’m okay with it.

Either way, now you are carrying my child, we sleep in the under his breath as she furio ossed the street and same bed.” He laughed under He climbed in behind her and he grinned as he realized Nuncio was giving her hell for disappearing.

Mackenna faced him angrily. “Call your watchdog off."

“I don’t think so.” Alessandro chortled at her misery. “It is nice to share the responsibility of your safety with another. Nuncio will take his job very seriously."

Nuncio pointed his finger furiously in her direction. “If you pull a stunt like this again, I’ll insist on handcuffing you to my side when we’re out and don’t think I won’t do it. My last job was protecting a pair of twins of a movie star and his wife, and they hated my guts because everywhere they tried to hide, I was already waiting. You might have gotten away with your escape artist routine once on me, but you won’t repeat it again. I promise you."

“Whatever,” she suddenly laughed at him and both Alessandro and Nuncio sat back startled at her sudden change in demeanour.

“Why is she laughing?” Nuncio asked Alessandro in confusion.

She chuckled under her breath as Nuncio glowered at her and Alessandro merely flicked a glance at his watch. She caught the movement and her grin disappeared. “I’m sorry Alessandro. Are we keeping you from something important? Does Dulce need her sponge bath?"

He ignored her comment and looked to Nuncio. “I apologize for my wife’s lack of manners Nuncio. You’ll get used to her eventually but even the first day we met she was volatile and emotional. She

likes to think she’s all grown up but she’s still very much a child trapped in a woman’s body. I’m afraid everyone who’s ever loved her has indulged her just a bit too much."

She threw the bag containing the cookie at him and he caught it with a grin. “At least she threw the cookie and not the coffee."

“I haven’t tasted coffee in two days. I wouldn’t waste a drop of it on you.” She drew her tongue along the plastic lid in a seductive swirl she knew would catch his eye. She squealed as he reached out and yanked her across the space and onto his lap.

“Alessandro!” She wrestled him for the cup, but he took a long drink of it as he vacated. “Give me my coffee."

He held it up, his arm outstretched past her and laughed. “It’s too sweet. You’re giving our baby too much sugar."

“He’s too little to even notice. He’s a lima bean, remember?” She struggled against him, but he held her firm. “Alessandro, you’re being unnecessarily cruel."

“What do I get for giving you back your coffee?” He tormented her by taking another long drink of it as she wriggled on his lap.

“You call me immature?” She shrieked at his annoying behaviour. “You’re wrestling me in the back of a limousine. Do you even know what a seatbelt is?"

“Seatbelts are for sissies.” He teased her, his eyes dancing merrily as she pouted. “Kiss me, Mackenna."

“No.” She pulled her head back and her full bottom lip pulled downward in a frown.

“Alessandro. I’m angry with you. I’m not going to just give you kisses for my coffee."

“Then I’ll drink your coffee.” He held it up to his lips, but he waited for her. “Just one kiss, Mackenna."

“You have to bribe your wife to kiss you. Do you know how pathetic it is?” She demanded of him eyeing her coffee longingly.

His teeth were white as his lips pulled back in a smile showing he took no offense at her comment. “I know deep down you love me. I just have to help you find it again.” He saw her brow furrow and his smile grew wider still. “Come and kiss your husband, Mackenna."

“Do I get my coffee back?” She eyed the cup hungrily. “You took me from the restaurant before I even got to eat, and my belly is rumbling.” She saw Nuncio staring out the window in boredom, but Carlos was laughing at her, and her own lips twisted at Alessandro’s playful mood. She had never been able to resist this mood and Carlos had been with Alessandro for years and knew his personality well. Nuncio probably thought he was working for a pair of kooks.

She smiled and then adjusted herself over his lap, so she straddled him, and he fluttered shut as she lowered her lips to his and drew them slowly along the soft fullness of his. She kissed him slowly and tenderly knowing this was what he’d wanted from her. He wanted to kiss and make up and she admitted she wanted it too. She was tired of fighting with him. His arms tightened around her waist, and she deepened the kiss slipping her tongue past his teeth and a sound comparable to the sound of a kitten’s mew escaped her lips. She pulled her head back and looked down at his half-closed eyes. “Dol get my coffee now?"

“I’ll buy you your own shop,” he murmured huskily as he drew her back down to his lips.

She giggled at his words, her lips brushing his. “I can’t have that. You’ll know where I am all the time."

He held her tight his eyes serious as he looked up at her where she stared down at him.

“I want you with me all the time Mackenna. I made a mistake before being away from you for too long. I won’t make the same mistake again. I want us to be together."

“Alessandro,” she felt the tears in her eyes, and she blinked rapidly to hide them.

He looked past her and realized the car had stopped moving. “Let’s go inside and sit down. We’ll order dinner in, and we’ll talk. Okay?"

She nodded as emotion clogged her throat. He’d gone from playful to serious in one kiss and she was confused. She was tucked under his arm as he sheltered her from a pair of photographers who had obviously found out where he was staying, and were trigger happy with the camera. When Nuncio moved to them, she reached out and shook her head at him. “They’re not worth it Nuncio. If you make a big deal of it, they’re going to think there’s a story where there isn’t one. Just walk away. At some point, they’ll grow bored with how boring I am, and they’ll move on."

Carlos and Nuncio both blocked her from the shutters of two more hopped out of the brush and Alessandro kept her protected under his arm as they were moved inside.

Hotel security apologized for the breach as soon as they were inside and promised to deal with the issue immediately. She looked up and saw Alessandro’s “It’s not your fault.” He said coldly as they stepped into the elevator.

“If I hadn’t of yelled at you on the street then they wouldn’t have followed.” She felt tears spilling onto her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t want them to know about me."

He barely glanced in her direction as he spoke furiously to Carlos and Nuncio about hiring extra protection to ensure her privacy. She walked ahead of him into the hotel suite, and she stood back as they did a quick sweep of the room to ensure nothing tampered with or anyone hanging around where they shouldn’t be. She felt uncomfortable as they men glowered and grumbled back and forth

about the breach in security. When she started to walk to the veranda to escape their smoldering commentary, Nuncio swore and dragged her back.

“Paparazzi could easily be set-up in a nearby building with their zoom lenses on this room. All you would need is for one of them to snap a picture of you on the veranda."

“Right. Then someone would have to explain to the world just who the brunette with the bad hair is in Alessandro’s room while his girlfriend is laid up in the hospital. ” She pulled a face and moved to the bedroom. Uncaring the door was open, and all three men were looking at her with annoyance she began preparing for bed. She had loved dressing up for Alessandro tonight. She’d never worn one of his creations before and it had fit her to perfection. It had a deep plunging neckline and a flared skirt hanging to her knees and the material was the softest material she’d ever felt. She had felt like a princess. She unclasped the diamond necklace and earrings he’d draped on her. She placed them back in the box on the nightstand and then began unzipping her dress.

“Mackenna, there are still others in the room.” Alessandro spoke with annoyance.

“They’ve seen better looking naked women than me, I’m sure.” She ignored him and stepped out of the pretty dress and hung it back on the fabric hanger. She heard his hiss of irritation as she moved to the wardrobe in only a matching panties and She pulled a robe off the hook on the door and slung it over her shoulders. Her cell phone started to buzz, and she moved to it and pulled it from her purse as she sat on the edge of the bed. She instantly recognized Savannah’s number. “Hi."

“Mac, I need to see you right now. Where are you?"

“In Alessandro’s suite at the Marquis. Why?” Something in Savannah’s voice made her sit up straight. “What is going on?"

“I’m in the lobby of the Marquis. What floor?"

“I’ll send Nuncio down for you.” She moved to the living room. “My friend Savannah is in the lobby. Can you go bring her to me? She’s upset about something.

Alessandro’s phone rang and he opened it. “Dulce, I’m busy right now. I’ll call you back.” He ended the call abruptly as he glared at Mackenna. “Put some clothes on now."

She pushed her arms into the robe and tied it around her waist and glared at Alessandro. “Happy now?” She stomped her foot. “Nuncio, can you go get my friend?

I don’t want Savannah being pestered by your stupid paparazzi. Go get her."

Nuncio moved out of the room and when he came back five minutes later, Savannah was with him, and she was furious as hell.