Page 35 of Secret Admirer
Before she could ask a polite question, Bart guided her away from them--he pointedly stared at her best friend, who spoke to another man who was only a few inches shorter than Bart. She stayed at his side. “Who is the man that Aurelia is speaking with?”
Bart's face darkened but he slipped his arm around her waist and said, “Anthony, but we’ll circle back to them in a minute.”
He led her toward a young woman with dark hair and a sophistication far beyond her years. He bowed and said, “Valentina, I didn’t know you were here in Miami.”
She waited for him to introduce her, but Bart didn't. Her pulse spiked. The young beauty nodded at her and said, “My father remarried his first wife. Caro is my half-sister and Rafe is my half-brother.”
Bart smiled. “So we’re like family again.”
Valentina grinned in response and asked Bart, “And this is?”
His face flushed, but he squeezed her side. “Rebecca, my girlfriend.”
Valentina offered to shake hands. “Nice to meet you.”
If this woman was competition Rebecca was in trouble. She didn’t fit into this world of beauty queens.
He rubbed her lower back and said, “Rebecca, Valentina also grew up in my small town.”
Valentina laughed. “And Bart was always very sweet.”
Without another word Bart waved goodbye and redirected them toward another man, who was Bart’s size or maybe an inch taller. She couldn’t ignore the buzz of jealousy in her veins as she said, “Valentina’s beautiful.”
He was already moving on. “She was a funny kid. Come.” He directed them toward a man who wore a rather large ornate ring on his pinky. “Lorenzo.”
The man bowed toward her and said, “Bart. You’ve brought the same woman twice now. This lovely lady must be important.”
Her heart picked up. At least his family had noticed. Bart repeated, “Rebecca is my girlfriend.”
She blinked and let her stupid fear go. He’d claimed her to everyone here when he didn’t have to. Her heart swelled with hope that one day he might love her.
His brother winked. “Good luck with this one.”
Wait. Her lips pursed as she turned toward Bart and asked, “What does he mean, good luck?”
He leaned close and hugged her as he said, “He’s teasing. Come, it’s time to meet Anthony.”
Lorenzo backed away. Her friend still stood with the twin Rebecca had never heard of, but she focused on Melissa. She needed a quick dose of reality. She stayed in step beside Bart. “Okay.”
Melissa, Aurelia, knew everything about Rebecca and this was her family. Rebecca’s skin grew jumpy as she joined them. Bart said, “Anthony, Aurelia, it’s nice to see you together again.”
His arm was around her waist. The excitement that carried her because Bart was hers took over her thoughts. She glanced at Aurelia. She needed to speak to her--hopefully she was still Melissa, at least a little, because Rebecca needed her friend right now.
Anthony broke the silence with a challenge to Bart. “Luke said he confirmed she’s our sister because of you.”
Bart’s eyes blazed at Anthony's attitude. “I believed her right away, but there is a lot of money on the table.”
Anthony widened his stance. “You couldn’t let me decide if she was my twin?”
Her head whipped back and forth between the two men and she forgot about her own worries. Would they fight?
Aurelia tugged her twin’s arm. “Anthony.”
Anthony met her gaze and then lowered his head as he said, “Right. Sorry. I’ve had a lot on my mind.”
Bart nodded at Aurelia and then asked Anthony, “Any word on Jennifer?”
Anthony shook his head. "Nothing."
