Page 76 of Giorgio
It was spring moving into summer, and it was the height of the season for entertainment, not that the Italians needed an excuse. Giorgio was more than just the face of the high-end stores; he was actively involved in the company and had started going in on a regular basis.
“No.” She shook her head. She spent most of her day, consulting with the household staff on things like menu planning, floral arrangements and sitting in the library to work on her Italian.
She wasn’t interested in starting up the bookstore yet, until after the baby was born and had told him so. She was also remotely managing her bookstore in the states.
He turned her to face him. He insisted on both of them sleeping nude, something she was unaccustomed to. But her husband liked to feel her naked body against his. The lovemaking was passionate and frequent, leaving her weeping in his arms.
Of course, she attributed it to hormones. She was depressed one minute and laughing the next. It was frustrating.
“We could take the jet…”
“I said no!”
He went still at her sharp tone, eyes wandering over her face.
“I am sorry.” She whispered miserably. “I keep thinking and wondering if I am going to make a good mother. I miss mine so much and wished she was here to give me some pointers. I pore over books every day, so that I can be up to date on what to expect…”
“You are going to make an excellent mother.” He tilted her chin up and searched her face closely. “You are the most caring and loving person I have ever met. You epitomize sweetness and purity, and I am proud to call you my wife and mother of my baby.” He kissed her lips softly. “And I think it is time you speak to someone.”
“Like a shrink?”
He smiled at that. “No, Amore Mio. Like a friend.”
She had no idea that he meant Princess Tiana Ricci, until he placed the call and handed her the phone. At first, she was stunned and tongue-tied and had no idea what to say. She and her handsome husband had been in attendance at the wedding among other royalties, but Juliana had been terse, because she was uncomfortable.
But after a few minutes of awkwardness, the two women finally discovered mutual grounds. Over the next few days, they started chatting like old friends.
“Better?” Her husband asked after a week had passed and the two women were talking to each other every day.
“Thank you.” She told him tearfully. She was still trying to grasp what it was to be married to a man like him, but he was patient with her and never showed any hint that he was regretting that he was married to her.
“Anything for you.” He gathered her into his arms and kissed her unadorned mouth.
“There is something I need to talk to you about.”
“If it’s to tell me you have found another woman, one of those svelte Italian beauties whose ankles are elegant instead of swollen, I am going to have to kill you.”
He shot her a pained look before pulling her down to sit on his lap.
“Maternita…,”- He began referring to their latest magazine that was his brainstorm and was taking the publishing world by waves, featured photos of simple everyday women in various stages of pregnancy and leading up to motherhood.
It had sprung from a discussion between them one night as they listened to an audio of soothing baby sounds. “They want to feature you on the June cover.”
“I have already been featured in several pages.” She reminded him.
“Yes, this is different. They want to do a full story on ‘the American woman adjusting to a new country.” His thumb caressed her cheek. “I told them I would discuss it with you.”
“What do you think?”
He gave his elegant shrug. “I think it’s a good idea. They also want a story written by you as a sort of guide to women who have migrated to this country and finding it difficult to cope.”
“They want me to write the story? Not just do an interview?”
“Not just do an interview, yes. It is entirely up to you, piccolo.”
His endearments made her hot inside and came naturally to him.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea.” She enthused.