“Why are you even interested in what’s going on with me?” She finally asked.
“We live in the same house, you’re pregnant with my baby and I have no idea how you are. The situation is a bit abnormal to say the least, don’t you think?”
“It works for me,” she dismissed, casually turning away from him and toward a cabinet to fetch a cereal bowl.
“So it would seem,” she heard the fridge door closing and tensed as she sensed him padding towards her, he came to a standstill directly behind her and reached up for another bowl. He was standing so close to her that she could feel the heat coming off of his naked chest and his warm, musky scent enveloped her. She shut her eyes and tried to regain her equilibrium in the face of such overwhelming sexuality. He lingered behind her for much longer than he should have before abruptly moving away and leaving her feeling bereft. When she turned back to face him, he was sitting at the wooden table in the sunny breakfast nook and shaking a huge amount of corn flakes into his bowl and when he realised that she was watching him, he lifted the box enquiringly. She sighed before carrying her bowl to the table where she sat down opposite him and watched as he sprinkled the flakes into her bowl, topping the dry cereal with strawberry halves and banana slices that he must have cut before she came downstairs.
It was the housekeeper’s day off so Theresa hadn’t planned on anything fancier than cereal anyway but the company was unwelcome and unexpected. She watched as Sandro poured a generous amount of milk over her cereal and filled a glass with orange juice, which he nudged over to her. She nodded her thanks before lifting her spoon and awkwardly starting her meal. Sandro tucked in enthusiastically and was done before she was halfway through. He leaped up and over to the fridge, digging around in there before triumphantly producing a grapefruit which he halved, put into bowls and carried back over to where Theresa was sitting. He placed one half in front of her before he sat down, grimaced to himself and proceeded on his own half.
“I thought you didn’t like grapefruit,” she suddenly broke the silence between them and he grinned over at her while his hair, which was in serious need of cutting, flopped over his forehead endearingly.
“I don’t,” he admitted. “But I thought I’d give it a try anyway.”
“Why?” She asked curiously. He merely shrugged and she decided that she really didn’t want to know and didn’t push for a response.
“So has the morning sickness completely finished?” He asked after another short silence and she made a noncommittal sound which he could interpret any way he wanted to. He lifted his eyes to hers and something in his expression made her sigh and shake her head.
“Not completely, no…” she admitted. “But it’s a lot better than it was before.”
“What are your plans for today?” He asked keeping his eyes glued to hers.
“I was going to spend the morning with Lisa and the baby,” her cousin had given birth to her beautiful son, Rhys, just a couple of days after Theresa had had her own pregnancy confirmed.
“Mind if I tag along?” He asked casually and she frowned slightly, disturbed by the notion of her husband “tagging along” with her all morning.
“Well…” she began reluctantly.
“I wanted to discuss some business with Elisa,” he added.
“What business?” She asked flatly.
“It’s about her loan,” he elaborated.
“What about her loan?” Her voice rose in alarm but his face remained impassive. “I won’t have you upsetting her, Sandro.”
“Well, I either tell her today, while you’re there as moral support… or I tell her sometime when she’s alone and vulnerable,” he shrugged disinterestedly.
“What are you going to tell her?” She asked in a panic.
“I don’t believe that’s any of your business, Theresa,” he dismissed in an annoying casual voice. “Now why don’t you hop into the shower while I clean up down here? I’ll use one of the guest bathrooms this morning.”
She shook her head desperately.
“Sandro, you can’t do this…”
“Well, I have no aversion to doing a bit of housecleaning,” he said, deliberately misunderstanding.
“You know that’s not what I meant,” she hissed angrily and he cultivated a baffled frown which completely infuriated her.
“Well if you have a problem with me using a guest bathroom, then I have to tell you, I certainly don’t mind sharing a shower with you,” he grinned lasciviously and she made an angry sound in the back of her throat, before turning on her heel and stalking off with her head held high.
She refused to talk to him for the duration of the drive to Rick and Lisa’s home. It was only as he slid the car through their security gates, that she turned toward him desperately.
“Sandro, please don’t do this…” she begged, her beautiful eyes appealing for mercy. The stony expression on his face went even grimmer and he reached out a blunt forefinger to gently trace the delicate line of her jaw before turning away from her and getting out of the car. She was devastated by his lack of response and climbed out numbly when he came round to open the door for her. He took her hand but she tensed and tried to drag her hand out of his grip. For a moment, when his hand tightened around hers, she didn’t think he would allow it but he reluctantly released her and instead placed one large hand in the small of her rigid back, steering her towards the front steps, which led up to the house.