was a frankness in his gaze that stopped the breath in her lungs. She searched for something more, beyond the promise of tonight. Something deeper. A connection. Something that told her he was interested in more than getting her between his sheets. But all she found was heat and sex and lust.
Totally superficial. Like the man.
Another flashy male. All sparkle, no substance.
Still, her heart skipped a beat and she sucked in a ragged breath.
Paige hit the ‘send’ button and placed her mobile on the table, drumming her fingers. Her gaze returned, yet again, to Valentino as he worked the room. She tried to ignore him and her steadily growing irritation as women almost swooned at his feet but the rich sound of his easy, frequent laughter made it impossible. It reached out from across the room as if he had physically caressed her, drawing her attention like a moth to flame.
Valentino Lombardi was not a man you could ignore. With his killer dimples, boyishly curly hair and Italian playboy charm, he was pure vice.
Paige’s phone vibrated and she reached for it, her pulse spiking.
McKenzie fine. Sleeping well. Stop worrying.
Paige’s fingers flew over the keypad. Apnoea mat on?
Alessandro laughed again and Paige drank the sight of him in as she pressed ‘send’. He threw his head back, giving the belly laugh its full freedom, and her gaze followed the bronzed length of his exposed neck peppered with dark stubble.
Another vibration dragged her eyes back to the table. Yes. Go and dance for crying out loud!
Paige smiled despite the gnawing, ever-present worry. She could almost hear her mother saying the words. But she’d never had a night away from her daughter. Frankly she didn’t know what to do with herself.
Don’t think I’ll stay the night. If I leave after cake can be home by midnight. ‘Send’.
Paige checked her watch, doing a quick calculation in her head. Yep. She could definitely make it home by then.
‘Everything okay?’
Paige glanced up into the bride’s face. Nat had fresh bluebells threaded into her blonde locks, which brought out the colour of her eyes and matched the crystal beading decorating the neckline of her ivory gown. Alessandro’s hand rested possessively on her shoulder and Paige felt a sudden yearning she couldn’t explain.
Why? She’d been where they were. Had the divorce to prove it. She certainly had no desire to do it again.
She smiled at her friend. ‘Just telling Mum I might not stay the night.’
‘Paige? No.’ Nat grabbed her hand. ‘Your parents have booked and paid for it. Including breakfast. Your mother would skin me alive if I let you leave.’ Nat squeezed Paige’s hand. ‘It’s just one night. Don’t you think it’s time you enjoyed a well-deserved break?’
Paige shied away from the earnestness of her friend’s expression. Everyone said that to her—you need a break, Paige. But she was a mother first and foremost and McKenzie needed her. That’s just the way it was. Nat would understand one day too.
The phone vibrated and Paige grabbed it, relieved to break eye contact with the bride. She opened the message and read it three times, a ghost of a smile touching her lips. She held it up to Nat.
Don’t. You. Dare.
Nat grinned. ‘Have I mentioned how much I like your mother?’
Paige rolled her eyes. ‘Okay, okay. I’ll stay.’
‘Good.’ Nat squeezed her hand. ‘The speeches are about to start.’
A deep laugh floated towards them and Nat looked across to where Valentino was chatting with some nurses from their work. ‘You should take a page out of Val’s book. He’s certainly having a good time.’
Paige felt her gaze drawing to him again. ‘Isn’t he just,’ she said dryly.
Nat sighed. ‘I tell you, if I wasn’t utterly besotted with Alessandro and was up for a brief fling, I’d be over there too.’
‘Hmm,’ Paige murmured noncommittally.
‘Do you know he used to date Adrianna de Luca?’
Paige gave her friend a mystified look. ‘Who?’
Nat rolled her eyes. ‘One of Italy’s top catwalk models.’
Of course he did. ‘Fancy that.’
‘They were in all the magazines last year.’
Paige hadn’t read a magazine in for ever. Or a book. Sunday newspapers were about her limit. ‘Of course they were.’ Her voice dripped with derision.
Nat regarded her friend seriously. ‘Not all men are like Arnie, Paige.’ She looked up as Valentino laughed again and poked her elbow into Paige’s ribs. ‘Come on, you have to admit, he’s a bit of a spunk.’
‘I hope you’re talking about me, il mio tesoro,’ Alessandro interrupted, nuzzling his new wife’s neck.
‘But of course.’ Nat smiled, turning to Alessandro, her lips poised to meet his as he lowered his head.
Paige felt a tug at her dress and was grateful for a reason to avoid the blissful clinch she knew was happening beside her. She looked down to see, Juliano, Alessandro’s four year old son.
‘Where’s McKenzie?’
Paige smiled at the boy. ‘Juliano, you look magnificent!’ He was dressed in a mini-tux and was the spitting image of his father.
With the boyishness and dimples of his father’s cousin.
Juliano stood a little higher. ‘Nat says I’m handsome.’
‘Nat is one hundred per cent right.’
Juliano beamed. ‘Is McKenzie sick?’
Paige shook her head, saddened that it was such a natural conclusion for Juliano to jump to. ‘No. She’s at home with her grandparents.’
Juliano’s face fell. ‘I wanted to ask her to dance.’
Paige’s heart just about melted and she pulled Juliano in for a big hug. ‘You are so sweet. I see you have your father’s charm.’ She glanced at Alessandro, who winked at her. ‘Another time, huh?’
Nat had wanted McKenzie to be her flower girl but Paige had declined. The truth was, crowds made Paige very nervous for her daughter. As an ex-prem with chronic lung disease and poor immunity, every single person was a potential source of infection, a silver bullet to McKenzie’s weak defences. It just wasn’t worth the risk.
‘Okay.’ Juliano nodded, squirming out of her embrace. ‘See ya,’ he chirped, and ducked away, heading for the dance floor.
Paige
