years. Being the face of Cattaneo Jewels, compliments came with the job. But the man looked at her as though he wanted to take her in his very capable arms and devour her with hungry kisses. The heat of a blush engulfed her cheeks.
“Thank you.”
The warm August evening was no help in cooling her down. She knew it was polite to make small conversation, but for once, her mind was a blank. This man didn’t seem to know who she was, and for the moment, she found that to be a welcome relief. She didn’t want him to treat her differently. For tonight, she wanted to be just a face in the crowd.
But when she turned her head and gazed into this man’s eyes, her heart began to race. For a moment, she glanced at his mouth. If she were someone else tonight, would it be wrong to give in to her desires—to live in the moment?
But then she realized if she wanted people to take her seriously, she couldn’t give in to her whims. No matter how delicious they may be.
“We should probably get back inside before people start to wonder where we’ve gone,” she said, though there wasn’t any part of her that wanted to return to the party. She was quite content to stay right here with him.
He leaned in close. “Let them wonder. I like it much better out here, especially now that you are here.”
She cocked her head to the side and looked at him. “I’m starting to understand.”
His brows drew together. “Understand?”
“Yes. I understand why all the women surround you. If you flatter them like this, they simply can’t help themselves.”
The worry lines on his face smoothed and a devastatingly sexy smile lifted his lips. “Trust me. I have done nothing to encourage those women. But when it comes to you, it’s different. What brings you to such an exclusive party alone?”
She wanted to believe him when he said she was different. His words were like a soothing balm on her bruised ego. Her parents and her brother might think she should remain nothing more than a silent partner, but this man wanted to hear what she had to say. A smile lifted her lips.
“I’m not alone.” The smile immediately slipped from his face. Then realizing how her response must have sounded, she was quick to supply, “I came here with a friend.”
“And your friend doesn’t mind that you’re out here instead of inside with them celebrating the engagement?”
Noemi couldn’t help but notice his strange wording. “Do you even know the engaged couple?”
“As a matter of fact, I don’t.”
Noemi’s mouth gaped. Only the very famous or the very rich who knew the couple had been invited. The newly engaged couple didn’t want the paparazzi to know the details. They wanted a chance to celebrate and enjoy the moment. And he was a party crasher.
She tilted her chin upward, taking in the man’s handsome face. He didn’t strike her as the type to intrude upon a stranger’s good time. His chiseled jawline gave his face a distinctive look. But it was his mesmerizing eyes that held her gaze captive. The breath caught in her throat.
And then the urge once again came over her to kiss this stranger. But she didn’t even know him. She glanced away. She was letting his good looks and sexy smile get to her.
Maybe if she got to know him a little better. There was something about him that made her curious to know more about him. “So if you don’t know the engaged couple, why are you here?”
He shrugged. “The host of the party invited me.”
She took in the man’s straight nose and fresh-shaven jaw. “Do you live in Milan?”
He shook his head. “I’m just passing through.”
“On your way to where?”
He shrugged. “I haven’t decided yet.”
The fact he didn’t live in Milan—that he was moving on—appealed to her. The last thing she wanted at this juncture in her life was a relationship. She had her modeling career to focus on—even though it was rapidly losing its appeal.
But an evening of fun—an evening with no strings—what would be the harm? Tomorrow she could decide if she wanted to continue to fight for a more significant place in the family business or look elsewhere. Just then, the French doors burst open and a couple wrapped in each other’s arms stumbled onto the veranda. When they bumped into Mr. Tall and Sexy, they straightened up.
“Sorry about that,” Matteo DeLuca, an award-winning actor, said. “We didn’t know anyone was out here.”
The young woman in his arms burst out in a giggle. Her eyes were glazed and as Matteo led her away, she tripped over her own feet. Upon their exit, they forgot to close the doors. The loud music and cacophony of voices came spilling forth.
Noemi’s companion closed the doors and then turned back to her. “How would you feel about going someplace quieter?”
“But I don’t even know your name.”
His brows rose ever so briefly. She couldn’t help wondering if his reaction was due to the fact that he expected her to know him. Or whether he was surprised that she’d resisted jumping at his offer. Because right at that moment, she couldn’t think of anything she’d like better than spending the evening with this intriguing man.
She took a moment to study him. His dark designer suit definitely didn’t come off a rack. As he took a drink of what appeared to be bourbon, she noticed his watch. A Rolex no less. This man looked right at home at this party.
He smiled and his eyes lit up. This man, he was... Well, he was confident. It was in the way he stood with his broad shoulders pulled back and his chin held high. But he wasn’t unapproachable either. He seemed to have a sense of humor. But most of all, he came across as the type to go after what he wanted. And right now, he appeared to want her.
“My name is Max.”
“Max, huh?” She tried the name on for size. It wasn’t as imposing as Zeus or Hercules but it’d do—it’d do just fine.
“You don’t like my name?”
“It’s not that.” It’s that it was such a simple name for such a complicated man. And yes, she sensed there were many facets to this man in the ten or so minutes that they’d been talking.
“Then what is it?”
She shrugged. “I just wasn’t expecting such a common name.”
He smiled and it made her stomach shiver with nerves. “I won’t tell my mother you said that.”
“Please don’t.” They were acting like one day soon she would meet the woman. That was never going to happen. But it was fun to play along with him.
“And what’s yours?” His voice interrupted her troubled thoughts.
“My what?”
Amusement twinkled in his eyes. “Your name?”
“Oh.”
