Page 28 of Forbidden Lord
Hopefully by the time they sat down, her feet would become numb.
If this was one ofherbenefits where she spent the evening in heels, she’d drink wine to numb the pain, and she planned to try that trick tonight at dinner. She’d counted the hours ahead and realized she’d spend much more time in fashionable heels that were secretly torture devices than a normal event, and as countess, she couldn’t slip off her shoes.
Sheena straightened as trumpets blared which meant more royalty had arrived and stepped through the door. She clasped Matteo’s arm and then curtsied at the young couple, the princess heavily pregnant. Sheena shook hands with both of them. Matteo said, “Sheena, this is Crown Prince Antonio Aussa, and Princess Kristin Aussa.”
Ah. The stunning pictures she’d seen did neither of them justice. They were both even more attractive in person. She met Kristin’s warm brown eyes. “It’s lovely to make your acquaintance.”
Princess Kristin glanced behind her and studied a floral canvas with interest. “Your home is lovely.”
Perfect. Sheena knew the artist needed money and would be thrilled if royalty bought something from her. Sheena directed the couple through her cherry tree hall that led to the ballroom. “Thank you. I hope you find some of the art to your liking.”
The princess laughed. “You clearly know about art, Sheena Korbel. We have to talk and get to know each other later.” Princess Kristin entered the room and Sheena stepped back next to Matteo and said, “I think that’s the last of the guests.”
The trumpets didn’t blare, but in the hall behind them, she heard a branch that must have broken now being trampled with footsteps. Matteo pressed his hand on her back and said, “Someone else is coming.”
“One more then.” Sheena straightened, hoping the pain in her legs dissipated or that she could slip away and find some flat comfy slippers.
She froze in place as a dark-haired man a few inches taller than her handsome husband stepped across the threshold. She hadn’t expected to see him again, or those shoulders that had once made her swoon.
Of course, Charles was with yet another woman. Sheena didn’t need to curtsy as neither guest was titled so she offered her gloved hand to shake as she said, “Charles. Anna.”
Matteo’s body tightened beside her. She could feel the strain of his arm muscle but she held him close as he said, “Charles?”
If she’d known Matteo was an option a year ago, Charles never would have had the chance to break her heart. Charles had been a mistake and that couldn’t be more evident. Sheena needed to fix her past, so she pasted a smile on her face as Anna Crosswell, a successful graphic designer she knew from Paris, said, “Thanks for the invitation—Charles is my plus one.”
Anna didn’t need her work presented like this as she made a living creating ads. Sheena greeted Anna as if nothing was wrong. “Of course.”
Charles leaned in, about to kiss her cheek. She stretched her hand out, offering that instead, which he thankfully took as she said, “I didn’t expect to ever see you again, Charles.”
He stepped a little too close and alarm caused goosebumps on her arms as he said, “I had to come and see for myself that the star of my eyes had married another.”
The what? Yeah, right.
Matteo tensed. Charles looked at her as if she’d crushed his heart. She wasn’t the type of woman that men fought over. She was the one they usually overlooked.
Matteo said, “I would never leave my wife alone in a hotel room, paying for the other woman.”
Matteo had promised friendship and loyalty and he’d come through. Before she’d planned Matteo’s wedding, she’d still been heartbroken over Charles, but right now, two men talking about her honor was more than she expected.
After Matteo’s marriage, she’d envisioned herself going home to some nonexistent cat that she was going to buy and be happy running art shows. Now she stood in silence next to Matteo, unsure what to say to Charles as he stood in front of her.
Charles met her gaze fast and then returned his attention to Matteo. “Sheena misunderstood what happened.”
The last thing she needed was for Matteo to worry about this. She pointed toward her cherry tree hall and said, “Charles, Anna, food and drink are that direction. Glad you can support the benefit.”
The two of them walked down the path and once they were far enough away her shoulders drooped.
She’d once thought Charles the most handsome man she knew.
Now she realized that had been a lie. Matteo had aged from hottest high school boy to take the honors as the smoking hot well beyond sexiest man she’d ever known.
Matteo put his hand on her lower back. “Sheena, can we talk?”
“Of course, my love.” She patted him on the chest—he was the best.
He walked with her down the long hall and kept his voice low. “He called you when we were leaving for the skate park. Did he call back? Did you know he was coming?”
“I didn’t know he ever called, not that it matters. You heard me say that I never expected to see him again.”
