Page 17 of Secret Admirer
The brunette wore a fitted red top and laughed. “You watched that?”
Rebecca nodded, sharing, “Melis… my friends and I have a tradition to get together for award shows and pretend we’re invited guests. It’s silly, really. During the royal weddings we even made ourselves some fascinators… y’know, the hats all the British women wear to parties.”
No one said anything. Her skin crawled, hoping she hadn't been too much. She smiled, hoping to avoid social disaster.
Emily smiled back. “That sounds lovely and fun. I’ve never worn a fascinator.”
The model was probably being nice, but it would be good to have a friend in this group if she ever met Bart’s family again. Bart turned her and dragged her a few feet away as he said, “Rebecca, this way.”
She clung to him the second they stopped and asked, “Now what?”
Bart tapped the movie star's shoulder and said, “Matthew, this is Rebecca.”
Matthew half-bowed. “Nice to meet you.”
And he was even more gorgeous in person than in a movie. For a split second she couldn’t think of anything to say but spilled, “You’re even more handsome in person.”
Seriously? Other people had filters where their words didn’t fall out of their mouths. What had happened to hers?
Matthew winked at her, losing his polite façade. “Why, thank you. My brothers always find the fascinating women first.”
Bart squeezed her waist and she turned toward him. “Rebecca, don’t go making me jealous.”
There was no competition. Matthew was a movie star, but Bart sent that spark she couldn’t explain through her that brought her to life. She wrapped her arm around his neck and fixed his hair. “Never, Bart. You’re even more handsome than your brother.”
Matthew tapped Bart on the back as his goodbye when he said, “Bart, you’re a lucky man.”
How Rebecca craved his kiss--but Bart detangled her from his neck and squeezed her hand. “Those are the famous Morgans. Are you ready to meet the brothers I grew up with now?”
They were here to be with his family. She shook off her need for him and they walked in sync. They stepped onto a patio that overlooked a huge garden with a dance floor not far from the house. “What part of Italy did you grow up in?”
He escorted her onto a garden pathway as he said, “Fosdinovo, a small village between Genoa and Florencia, Florence to Americans.”
She reached up to play with a necklace but she hadn’t put one on. The dress she now wore was like new transmission fluid that made the engine sound brand new, which is how she felt in it--yet somehow she was still herself. Rebecca lowered her hand. “Sounds lovely. I’ve never been past Orlando.”
He brought her closer to the water and the view of the Miami skyline. Tropical beauty surrounded them. “The world is large and beautiful. You should travel.”
Again he snapped his fingers and someone brought them champagne. She glanced at the waitress and hugged her own waist. They could have easily traded places. Bart handed her the flute. She took a small sip. “Like my mom?" She scrunched her nose as the bubbles from the champagne tickled. "I was always worried about leaving my father.”
He continued to walk her toward a yacht as he asked, “Are you still worried about that?”
She held his hand, and with her free hand, carried her champagne flute. She looked at his profile and hoped when they were away from his family, he’d kiss her again. Her lips still tingled from before. “Yes and no. He has a new girlfriend now so he’s more stable and happier than I’ve ever seen him.”
A few men waved at them and he saluted back with his champagne flute. He squeezed her hand and directed them away from the walkway and toward tables next to the dance floor as he said, “That’s good. Let’s get a table.”
She noticed the men and a few women who all looked like Bart. She bumped into one woman that was the fancier version of Melissa--deep brown eyes, a dark chestnut shade of hair--she blinked and followed Bart. “These are all your family?”
He motioned with his hand toward one cluster of people and then a second cluster as he said, “Mostly these are my half-brothers--we seem to be a mix of banker/investors and fashion executives, with Matthew and Axel being in entertainment.”
“And the models?”
“They are probably guests of guests who are looking to make a good impression with some relative, probably Peter or Mitch, as they run the banks.”
At least not every beautiful model here were with his family, minus Emily, as she was never going to be that gorgeous. But Emily was down to earth and funny. She scanned the lawn that overlooked the Intracoastal and saw young beautiful women everywhere. She put her glass down at the seat he’d chosen for them. “That explains the beautiful people.”
But then a gorgeous brunette came toward him. The woman didn’t seem to see her and kissed both his cheeks as she said, “Bart.”
“Nadia, hi.” Bart backed up and slipped his arm around her waist.
