“I have not been able to get near to you all night.”
Andie kept quiet. That had been by design.
She focused on a point over his shoulder, tolerating the dance, but only for the sake of appearances.
“Are you enjoying yourself,bella?”
She angled her face towards his then, her eyes meeting his. “No,” she said simply, honestly, surprised by the force of anger in that one simple word.
He stopped dancing for a moment. “Oh. I’m sorry to hear that. Why not?”
“I’ve met some interesting people,” she muttered, swallowing, returning her gaze to a point in the distance.
“I saw you speaking to Signora Capaldi. She was my nanny, you know.”
“Yes, she told me, and all of your daring, charming, precocious childhood exploits. I feel almost as if I was there with you.”
“You are angry.”
“Yes.”
“Because of Mrs. Capaldi?”
“No.”
“Then—,”
“Take your pick,” she snapped, then lowered her voice. “Could it be that you told Carlo the truth about us, and I wasn’t expecting to be confronted by anyone who knows we aren’t what we say we are? Do you have any idea how hard it is to play the part of your doting fiancé knowing there’s at least one person here, and who knows the truth? Maybe more? Who know that this is all just for show?”
He wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her tight to his chest. “Quiet,” he said firmly. “Someone will hear you.”
“I don’t know if I care right now.”
“You are in my parents’ home, and I care very much if someone hears you. Whatever you feel about me, do not take it out on them.”
She opened her mouth to snap back but then considered his words and imagined herself in his position and she instinctively knew he would never do anything to hurt her brother or father, so she nodded once. “Fine. You’re right.” She lowered her voice. “I also had the pleasure of meeting Esther Campion. Charming woman. I presume you’re sleeping with her too?”
Max was very still, and Andie’s heart seemed to stop beating, her lungs stopped working, as she waited for the denial that she needed almost more than anything.
But it didn’t come.
And her heart splintered.
“What did she say to you?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Andie muttered. “I don’t feel like dancing anymore. Excuse me.”
She escaped, into the throng of happy revelers first and then away from them, from the party, the beautiful terrace, and down a side path to a deserted part of the garden where she might finally discover some peace.
“Andie, wait.”
She closed her eyes, huffing out a breath. It fogged in the air in front of her, a visible cloud of her irritation.
She should have known he wouldn’t just let her leave.
“Wait,” he repeated, more firmly, sternly, and damn it, even then, in the midst of her anger, she felt a pull of something like desire towards him, because he was so sexy and confident and alluring.
But not just to Andie.