you well know!’
‘Maria’s welfare is what matters to me in all of this.’ He cast another quick glance at her, and made a lightning change of subject. ‘You never spoke of your family when we were in Milan together, yet I see you must be close to your sisters. You have a wall full of photos of the three of you, and Sophia is clearly protective of you, but what of your parents?’
That one short moment inside her apartment, and he had missed nothing.
‘Roaming the galaxies in outer space for all I know.’ The words snapped out of her. She stopped and forced herself to take a deep breath. ‘My sisters are what matter to me.’
Luc swung the car onto a wide tree-lined boulevard style of street. For the past few minutes, the houses had become larger, better, more prestigious. They stopped before the biggest of them all. Cars lined the long, sweeping driveway and a substantial part of the street.
‘You’ve had a falling-out with your parents?’ He seemed almost troubled, but clearly she must be imagining that!
No, Luchino, they left us, just like you left your daughter years ago.
‘We’re here. Let’s get this over with.’ Bella got out of the car and started up the long drive towards the suburban mansion. She didn’t want to discuss her personal life with him.
The ornate double doors of the home loomed in front of them. At the sight, her nerves hiked. She lifted her chin as they approached the doors, took in a careful breath. Drew on the inner reserves she relied on to get her through any challenge.
Luc’s eyes narrowed. ‘It’s your armour. For when you’re scared.’ He gave a self-directed laugh. ‘Why didn’t I see that before now? Your chin goes up, you withdraw into some place that makes others believe you’re so sufficient in and of yourself you couldn’t need anything else, but it’s all just a veil for your uncertainty.’
‘I want to succeed. That’s all.’ She hated that he could see through what most of the rest of the world had never seen at all, hated that he knew her unease. To make up for that fact, she glared at him.
‘Good evening. May I take your things?’ The sonorous tones came from a very elegant-looking man in full butler’s attire.
They were quickly ushered into a formal ballroom area with an ornate chandelier in the high-domed ceiling, and a lot of glitzy, ritzy, very expensive-looking people who milled about in a studied, elegant throng.
Panic rose. ‘Wait…’
Luc could have played on that nervous feeling. Instead, he threw her off guard by giving her an encouraging glance. ‘They’re just people. It’ll be fine.’
His hand against the bare flesh of her shoulders guided her forward. When he bent his head to whisper lightly into her ear, Bella struggled to comprehend his words, because most of her senses were attuned only to his nearness and that was so wrong. She raised her head and promised herself she wouldn’t sense another thing about him all night.
‘Come on.’ If he noticed her preoccupation, he gave no indication of it. Instead, he gestured towards the clusters of people gathered beyond them. ‘Let’s see you convince these women they want to wear your gowns.’
Bella lifted her chin and did her best to quell the nerves made all the more edgy by Luc’s touch. ‘I’m more than willing to court the attention of the women here tonight, to interest them in my gowns.’ Bella spoke in the strongest tone she could manage. ‘I want to set things to rights as quickly as I can so I no longer have to see you!’
Luc simply smiled in that devastating way he had that made her want to smack him. Or run away. Maybe both.
‘Then let’s mingle,’ he said. ‘Shall we?’
CHAPTER FOUR
‘YOU seem to be making a positive impression on the guests.’ Since the start of the evening, Luc had kept Bella tucked against his side. He did it to watch her, to make sure she made every effort to attract interest in her gowns. But she attracted his interest, too.
What was it about Arabella Gable that held him despite their past, despite their current situation? He had plenty of reasons to steer clear of her, yet he couldn’t put her out of his thoughts, couldn’t deny his awareness of her.
You sought her out, forced her into this.
He ignored the thought. Arabella had played his aunt an unfair hand and she had to pay the cost of her actions. That was all. Even so, she roused his curiosity. What about her parents, for example? She must have had a falling-out with them or something. ‘For your sake I hope that impression leads to gown sales in the near future.’
‘I hope for that, too.’ Her eyes caught the colour of her dress. The hint of dark blue in the brown depths lent her an air of mystery. The sparks of irritation were clear. ‘As I said, I’m all for parting company with you as soon as possible, Luchino.’
‘But you can’t part company with me just yet, because you need me to help you gain entrée to functions like this one.’ He watched frustration fill her and threaten to bubble over. Something deep within him wanted her to lose her control, to fly at him, let all her feelings loose.
Dinner was announced, Bella dropped her gaze and Luc reluctantly turned his attention to finding their places at the long oval table. Sparring with her stimulated him, as did her nearness. He shouldn’t allow those reactions.
At the dinner table Bella talked, schmoozed, shone like a bright light, all of it directed away from Luc, but he felt each word she spoke, each dazzling smile she directed anywhere but at him.
If he kissed her, tasted her lips, would this curious interest in her, this humming awareness, be satisfied and disappear?
When the butler lit hundreds of candles in the shimmering ballroom and an orchestral trio began to play, Luc guided her into the room with his mind on those questions. Maybe a dance would give him his answer.
‘Let’s dance. An attractive woman in a beautiful gown, moving to the music—what could appeal more?’ He drew her onto the dance floor, enjoyed the flare of startled awareness that rose in her eyes. ‘Can you sell your name and your merchandise this way, Arabella?’
‘I can do whatever I have to.’ The strains of a waltz began. Strain coloured her words, too, but she took up his challenge.
He swept her into the dance. Their bodies moved in perfect harmony. She fitted as though she belonged in his arms and, while awareness began a slow burn along his nerve-endings, he hadn’t anticipated the sense of rightness that came from holding her this way.
Bella was silent, but soft colour flushed her cheeks, and her eyes shone.
Other couples glided around the floor but Luc only saw Bella, and he sensed she only saw him.
His grip tightened, he swung Bella into a turn and kept her close, allowed the dance to become something more because right at this moment the dance had her. Luc had her, he knew it, and acknowledged the surge of power and demand that came with that understanding. He wanted to take her to bed, to spend the night in physical passion with her.
‘This dance is finished. The evening is finished.’ He stopped, clasped her hand in his and tugged her across the floor. The final strains of the music coincided.
To an onlooker, they simply left the floor at the zenith of the dance, a fitting end to a perfect performance, but they both knew otherwise.
‘Luc?’ Bella moved along at his side. She tried to pull her fingers from his grip. ‘Wh-what are you doing? I could dance with some other people, mingle—’
‘Not tonight.’ He maintained his clasp on her hand. ‘You and I have unfinished business that needs to be laid to rest once and for all.’
It almost sounded rational, but for the fact that he dragged her straight past their hostess and out into the hall, where the butler appeared