seen growing up. Massimo stopped in front of Neha, put his hands on her bare shoulders and pulled her to him. An indulgent smile on those pink lips, Neha let him embrace her and then kiss her cheeks. Which he did with quite a relish.
Stepping back, Massimo smiled. “You look utterly enchanting, bella mia. If only you’d reciprocated my interest in you, we’d have been something. But alas, I remember you rebuffed me, of course without breaking my heart.”
Neha laughed. And the sound of it snuck into Leo’s every pore. “Per favore, Massimo. Stop flirting with me, you wretched man, and go find your wife.”
“Sì,” the rogue said with a smile, then bowed elaborately, which made her laugh harder.
That thick silence descended on them again, ripe with tension.
“Are you scowling because he was flirting with me?” Neha said, keeping her distance. As if he was dangerous.
“Massimo has eyes for no one but Natalie. That whole thing was for my benefit.”
“Your benefit?” she said, her eyes growing wide in confusion. “What do you mean?”
Leo shrugged. He wasn’t going to explain that his brother thought it was hilarious how attracted Leo was to her. Especially when he was determined to not do anything about it.
“You want a drink before the hordes descend on us?” he finally managed in a polite voice.
“Just some sparkling water, please,” she replied.
Leo opened a bottle of sparkling water and offered it to her.
She took the glass from his hands, somehow managing to make sure their fingers didn’t touch. “You didn’t tell me how I look,” she said in a soft, quiet voice characteristic of her. Not petulant, not demanding, just a simple, rational question. Maybe he could handle this better, then.
He let his gaze rove over her again. “I didn’t think you were the type who needed compliments or a boost in confidence.”
Irritation he’d never seen before flashed across her face. “There are two things wrong about that.”
“Two?” He raised a brow, liking that he was getting under her skin. “Explain, please.”
“First of all, I don’t think I’ve ever met a woman who wouldn’t welcome a compliment from a gentleman friend. No matter how gorgeous or successful she is.”
“Touché,” he said, raising his glass to her. “‘Gentleman friend’ has such...an old-world ring to it, bella? Is that where we’re settling for?”
“Define this—” she moved her arm gracefully in the distance between them, distance she seemed determined to maintain “—any other way you want.”
“And my second offense?” he taunted back.
“This is uncharted territory for me. So yes, I’d like to know what you were thinking for a change, instead of having to guess what your expression means.”
“What is uncharted territory?”
“Playing your piece in front of the entire world.”
Something in her tone snagged at him. But for the life of him, he couldn’t put his finger on it. It felt like all the safe, neutral ground they’d carefully trod for so many years had disappeared, leaving them in a minefield. Filled with sexual tension and something else.
Were they foolishly, knowingly mucking up a relationship they’d built?
“Why is this so hard, Leo?” she said softly, a beseeching look in her eyes that shamed him instantly. Dio, did the woman have any idea how beguiling she looked like that? How much he wanted to remove any and every problem if it meant she’d smile at him like she did with Massimo?
He was man enough to admit that it was his fault. He’d purposely held back the words that had risen to his lips when she’d walked in. Made it awkward by behaving like a randy, churlish youth who had been denied the one thing he’d wanted the most.
He finished his drink and went to stand in front of her. Tucking his finger under her chin, he raised her face. His heart thudded as she met his gaze, his match in every way. “You’re the most beautiful, poised, smart, courageous woman I’ve ever known in my life.”
She laughed, swatted at his shoulder with her hand and stepped away. Leo buried the pulse of irritation at her need to put distance between them. “Are there any adjectives left?”
“You don’t think I’m serious?”
“It doesn’t matter, really.” A tightness to her words. “I think I’ve indulged myself enough for one evening,” she half muttered to herself. When she looked at him again, there was nothing but that serenity, that composure, he’d known for so long. “Natalie told me it was you who’d arranged such a lovely day for us. Going as far as to hound her into accompanying me.
“Just as you’d told me that she needed my help in picking a dress for tonight.”
“She’s got terrible fashion sense. You, on the other hand, never look less than stunning.”
She laughed, and he basked in it. “You manipulated us both.”
“I saw two hardworking, stubborn women who needed a break.”
“It was exactly what I’d needed, and I didn’t even know it. So, thank you.”
“It was my pleasure. When I arrived last night, you looked like you were ready to drop.” He’d been alarmed by how dull she’d looked with dark shadows under her eyes again. “Haven’t you been sleeping well?”
She tucked a wisp of hair that wasn’t in the way, and he knew she was going to lie. “I was fine. I just had a brutal week.”
“Did Mario say anything about my visits?”
“We had a few meetings scheduled but he... Damn it, I’m nervous. About this whole evening.”
He frowned. “Why?”
“I just... I wish we hadn’t decided to make this whole thing public today. Although that’s probably just me wanting to delay the inevitable.” She laughed at herself, turning the glass in her hand around and around. “Now you think I’m a little cuckoo.”
“No. But I’m definitely beginning to believe that saying you’re stressed is an understatement. Are you having second thoughts about this whole thing?” He carefully controlled his voice, loath to betray the pang in his chest that she might have changed her mind.
This had to be about her, always.
“Of course not!” Her chest rose and fell, the thin chain at her neck glinting under the light of the chandelier. “Not at all.” When he just stared at her, she sighed. “If you must know, I mostly avoided Mario this past week. I stayed at my flat the whole week, which I never do because I like to see Mum at least every other day—running away when I knew he might be looking for me, canceling on a one-on-one lunch saying I had a checkup, that sort of thing.”
Anger flared in Leo’s gut. He took her hand and was startled to feel her long fingers tremble. “Neha, are you scared of him? Has he caused you physical harm?”
“God, no. I’d like to think if he’d ever raised his hand to me, at least then my...” She cringed and snatched her hand back. And he wondered at how much she kept to herself, how little she showed of her true feelings. “If he had, I’d have knocked him down in return,” she said fiercely. “Mario thinks too much of himself to stoop to what he’d call vulgar behavior. His tactics are more...insidious. I didn’t tell you this, but I had an argument with him before I came to see you about this new book deal we’re signing and it just blew up.
“I’m sure he thought I ran to you to complain about it. After leaving it like that, you showing up at work in the last week and me avoiding