Page 45 of Bride of Betrayal
Angelica felt a warm glow in her chest. It had been a long time since she’d shared aspirations and dreams with anyone.
‘How are your mother and brother?’
‘They’re good. I’d like to see them again soon.’
‘I have an invitation to a charity ball in Venice in a couple of days—you could come back to Europe with me and go see them then?’
Venice.The place where she’d first fallen for Leo and where he’d broken her heart. She hadn’t been back there since. She had a feeling of foreboding that if she said yes, then maybe they’d have come full circle and both realise it was time to move on. She knew she couldn’t keep going like this indefinitely. Each day it was getting harder not to drown in her own emotions.
‘OK, that sounds good,’ she said as lightly as she could.
Leo continued chopping and slicing his ingredients for his stew and, to save herself the mental torture of witnessing this far too appealing domestic side of Leo, Angelica muttered something about video-calling with her mother and brother and left the kitchen.
Chapter Ten
The following eveningLeo waited in the foyer of the Met museum for Angelica. She was coming directly from her shoot so it had made sense for them to meet here. He was at the top of the steps, having run the gauntlet of paparazzi. They’d all wanted to know where Angelica was.
A car pulled up at the bottom of the steps and, as if he could sense her, Leo went still. She’d said she would choose elegance this evening over shock value but he found he couldn’t care less either way. Whatever she wore, she’d be amazing.
The back door of the car opened and one of the museum staff helped her out of the car and when Leo took her in, his legs felt weak. He knew she was a beautiful woman. But right now…she was transcendent. So much so that a hush went over the crowd. People arriving stood back, as if she were royalty. And she looked regal. Like a queen.
She was wearing a white dress. Satin, strapless. A straight sheath of material that skimmed over her curves. Her skin glowed, the after-effects of the Caribbean sun. It made Leo think about the fact that he’d noticed the sun brought out freckles across her nose.
She wore a simple diamond necklace and drop earrings. Her hair was up in an elegant chignon. She oozed sophistication and elegance and for a second Leo was almost felled by the fact that he wouldn’t get to see her blossom into an even more beautiful woman as she got older. Become a mother. Work on her charity.
He didn’t want that, he assured himself. That was in her future. Not his. And she deserved it. What they had now was enough. He ignored the sharp pang in his chest. In a bid to stop his mind from going down a path of investigating the fact that maybe it was too late to avoid pain, he went down the steps to meet her. And as he did, the crowd went wild. But he hardly heard them, all he could see was her, so luminously beautiful. And it wasn’t just because she was physically beautiful, it shone out of her because she was a good person.
She looked at him, a mischievous glint in her eyes. ‘Will I do?’
Leo felt a little choked. He nodded and managed to get out, ‘You look stunning, Angel.’
Her cheeks flushed. ‘Thank you, you don’t look so bad yourself.’
He put out his arm and she slid hers through it. They made a striking couple, Leo in his black tuxedo and with Angelica’s white dress. Eventually they made it into the event itself.
Angelica let out a breath and said a little shakily, ‘I would have expected dressing formally would garner less attention.’
Leo shook his head. ‘I don’t think it’s possible for you to go under the radar, no matter what you do.’
Sounding a little wistful, Angelica said, ‘To be perfectly honest, going under the radar sounds lovely.’
Leo’s conscience twinged again. As long as they were married she would be in the eye of the storm. She was tugging him forward now and they stood at the top of the stairs leading down into the crowd. He found himself tensing at the thought of being surrounded by so many people but then as if hearing his thought Angelica took her arm out of his and slid her hand into his.
He looked down at her and she said, ‘Ready?’
He nodded, suddenly feeling less tense. And he noticed that, all evening, she made sure that they were never too surrounded by people, by staying close to the edges of the crowd, and orienting themselves so they were facing into the crowd rather than the other way around.
That sense of kinship was back. And he had to struggle against leaning into it. Because she was not always going to be with him. At that prospect though, instead of feeling a sense of relief orrightnessLeo felt winded, as if someone had just punched him in the gut.
But it couldn’t be any other way. He could not have this woman in his life and not be crippled with fear that he’d lose her. He had to let her go.
‘OK? Do you want to move?’
Leo realised they’d moved more into the centre of the crowd but he was OK with that.As long as she’s by your side.He looked down at her and all she could see were those huge pools of green. He had a moment of déjà vu to shortly before they’d broken up when he’d felt panicked that she seemed to have such a hold over him. And then she’d told him she loved him.
He sucked in a breath and forced himself to be rational. That was a long time ago. As she’d said herself, she’d been infatuated, and maybe he had too. But that was all. And now…it was just about chemistry and making the most out of this marriage for both of them.
He shook his head. ‘No, I’m fine.’
