Page 25 of Bride of Betrayal
Just before she got to the door, Leo said from behind her, ‘I’ll arrange for a team to be here to help you get ready for the event.’
‘OK, fine.’ And she slipped out of the room and made sure she used the guest suite this time. Although, it didn’t help that she noticed the crumpled bed sheets and felt an almost overwhelming urge to press her face into the pillow to smell his scent.
That evening Leo waited in the living area. He was dressed in his tuxedo. The glam team had left shortly before. He hated to admit it but he felt an illicit frisson at the thought of what Angelica might wear for this evening.
When she did appear, he almost felt a spurt of disappointment. She was covered from neck to toe. A black dress, very elegant and classic. Her hair was slicked back and left loose down her back. Discreet diamond jewellery. Positively demure.
‘I’m ready.’
Leo looked at her face. That cool impenetrable mask she’d been wearing since the previous night was still in place. It made him want to go over and take her face in his hands and kiss her, or do something to bring back the spark.No.
‘OK, let’s go.’
It was only when they were walking through the lobby to his car outside and Leo noticed heads swivelling in their direction that he looked down and noticed that Angelica’s dress had a slit on one side, giving an eyeful of one long, sleek, toned leg as she walked. Almost all the way up to her underwear. And that the dress was made of some kind of semi-sheer clinging material.
Not so demure after all. The ever-kindling spark inside him burst into flame. It was going to be a long evening.
Angelica’s face was sore from fake smiling as people came up to greet her and Leo. She’d been aware of his tension in the crowd and hated that she was. Hated that she cared. But he didn’t seem to be exhibiting the same signs of stress as before.
No one mentioned Aldo. It was as if he’d never existed. He hadn’t ever really been welcome among Rome’s high society in any case. He’d used Angelica in a bid to make himself seem less…connected to a dubious past. Something Leo had never had to worry about. He’d never hid where he came from but he’d also taken great pains to distance himself from any association with Sicily’s darker side.
Aldo hadn’t. Maybe if Leo had taken more notice of that he might not have trusted Aldo so much. Angelica had never much taken to him, while she’d been with Leo. She’d never liked the way his eyes moved over her, as if she were a piece of meat. And he would invade her space, as if to provoke a reaction. But she’d always stood her ground with him, staring him down until he was the one to break.
And when they’d married, she’d discovered that that had all been bluster. When it came to it, the man had been a coward.
But, she didn’t want to think about him now because she had something potentially very exciting happening, which could lead to her arranging a secret meeting with her family. A job in Madrid, where they lived, on the outskirts of the city. Surely she could arrange a trip on her own without causing Leo to suspect anything?
When the next person came up to talk to Leo, Angelica smiled for real this time, at the thought that within the next twenty-four hours she might see and hug her mother and brother. Even if it was just a short meeting, it would sustain her, because clearly, even though she’d proven that she wanted nothing of Leo’s business or fortune, he was determined to have his pound of flesh. His three months of revenge.
‘That’s better.’
Angelica looked up as Leo’s arm snaked around her waist, pulling her into him and emptying her mind of anything rational. Damn him. Her smile faded.
‘No, don’t go back into robot mode. You were looking human again for a second.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
Leo sighed audibly and took her hand, expertly moving them to the side of the vast ballroom. He stopped and stood in front of her. She couldn’t help but notice that he made sure he was still facing the crowd, that no one was at his back. Angelica pulled her hand away. It felt too nice. Too disturbing. This man had humilated her in the worst way and she’d never forgive him for that.
‘Angel…’
She looked up at him, ‘Don’t call me that.’
He scowled, but then said, ‘Angelica. I want to say something about last night—’
She went to turn to walk back into the crowd. ‘Well, I don’t.’
He caught her arm, stopping her. ‘Please.’
She eventually turned back to face him, focusing on his bow tie.
‘Look, last night… I didn’t intend to do that, to stop. I wanted you, Iwantyou. We both know it’d be a lie to deny that.’
Angelica swallowed and did her best to ignore the ominous prickling at the back of her eyes. ‘You don’t have to say anything.’
‘I do. You know I’m not like that. I wouldn’t lead someone on only to reject them, out of some sense of spite or cruelty.’
She lifted her eyes to his, feeling very vulnerable. ‘So, why?’
