Signora Bettina; neither Melo or Rosa would have added his name to the guest list. His eyes lit on Melo with a predatory gleam, and her heart fell as he started across the room toward her. Once, she’d found his dark, Italian perfection attractive. But she wasn’t eighteen any more. And the way Sebastiano treated her during their brief fling had opened her eyes. He might have a gorgeous face, but he had an ugly mind. A very ugly mind.
“ Ciao , Bella. You look very beautiful tonight.”
Melo angled her body away from Sebastiano, keen to avoid his embrace.
He smirked, grasped her hand and smothered its back with damp lips.
Melo squeezed her free hand into a fist. Made her face blank. One, two… Finally he released her. Melo gritted her teeth resisting the urge to slap him. This was Rosa’s party. Not the place to have a scene.
“Sebastiano,” she acknowledged, pulling her hand away rapidly and clasping it with its twin in front of her dress. “I haven’t seen you for a long time. How are you?”
Maybe she could distract the man by getting him to talk about his favorite subject, himself.
Sebastiano launched into a detailed monologue. He talked about the extensive renovations he was doing to his house in the hills. His successful business. The new jet he’d bought to travel from Florence to Rome.
Melo stifled a yawn. When they’d been in school and he’d singled her out senior year and brought all his considerable charms into play to woo her, she’d been flattered. He was the first boy to pay her any sort of attention; all the other boys were drawn to Rosa’s blonde perfection like moths to the flame.
But Sebastiano had seemed different. It was only when he suggested double dates with Rosa and her boyfriend that she suspected he was using her to get closer to her sister. And when Rosa’s relationship broke up soon thereafter, and Sebastiano chucked her so he could move in for the kill…
Well that just confirmed it.
Rosa hadn’t given him the time of day. She still wouldn’t.
It was unbelievable he’d decided to attend the party; he couldn’t possibly be unaware of how the Bellucci girls felt about him, could he?
She glanced over to where he was gesticulating and still talking about himself. Then glanced around the room, seeking a savior. If she had to listen to any more she’d explode.
Cade was walking her direction.
It was a funny thing about tuxedos. They really separated the men from the boys. Sebastiano looked like a waiter in his custom-made Armani. Cade, on the other hand, was every woman’s dream. Tall, devastatingly good looking, and grumpy as hell.
Sebastiano reached out to grasp Melo’s arm.
And Cade’s expression darkened from grumpy to furious.
In a moment of madness, Melo turned to Sebastiano, and gifted him with her widest smile. She raised her eyebrows questioningly. She hadn’t heard a word he said, but he wasn’t holding any grudges. His chest puffed up like a dog being patted.
“I was asking you to dance.” He leaned closer. “I would like to have you in my arms again.”
Her stomach turned over at the very thought, but before she had a chance to react Cade was there.
He stood so close, the heat of his body warmed through her soft silk dress. She breathed him in, and her heart thudded hard. She forced air out through crushed lungs; swaying toward him like a compass unerringly finding true north.
“Melo, can I talk to you for a moment?”
Her dazed brain dimly registered his words and her head automatically tilted back and forth.
A sharp tongue-click snapped her back to reality, and her glance flicked to Sebastiano. If looks could kill, Cade would have gone up in flames instantly. It was so ridiculously macho Melo almost giggled.
“Melo and I were just about to dance.” Sebastiano curled his fingers around her upper arm.
His touch was abhorrent, and she picked his hand off like removing a caterpillar from a rose.
“If you remember, Sebastiano, I hadn’t
“ Ciao , Bella. You look very beautiful tonight.”
Melo angled her body away from Sebastiano, keen to avoid his embrace.
He smirked, grasped her hand and smothered its back with damp lips.
Melo squeezed her free hand into a fist. Made her face blank. One, two… Finally he released her. Melo gritted her teeth resisting the urge to slap him. This was Rosa’s party. Not the place to have a scene.
“Sebastiano,” she acknowledged, pulling her hand away rapidly and clasping it with its twin in front of her dress. “I haven’t seen you for a long time. How are you?”
Maybe she could distract the man by getting him to talk about his favorite subject, himself.
Sebastiano launched into a detailed monologue. He talked about the extensive renovations he was doing to his house in the hills. His successful business. The new jet he’d bought to travel from Florence to Rome.
Melo stifled a yawn. When they’d been in school and he’d singled her out senior year and brought all his considerable charms into play to woo her, she’d been flattered. He was the first boy to pay her any sort of attention; all the other boys were drawn to Rosa’s blonde perfection like moths to the flame.
But Sebastiano had seemed different. It was only when he suggested double dates with Rosa and her boyfriend that she suspected he was using her to get closer to her sister. And when Rosa’s relationship broke up soon thereafter, and Sebastiano chucked her so he could move in for the kill…
Well that just confirmed it.
Rosa hadn’t given him the time of day. She still wouldn’t.
It was unbelievable he’d decided to attend the party; he couldn’t possibly be unaware of how the Bellucci girls felt about him, could he?
She glanced over to where he was gesticulating and still talking about himself. Then glanced around the room, seeking a savior. If she had to listen to any more she’d explode.
Cade was walking her direction.
It was a funny thing about tuxedos. They really separated the men from the boys. Sebastiano looked like a waiter in his custom-made Armani. Cade, on the other hand, was every woman’s dream. Tall, devastatingly good looking, and grumpy as hell.
Sebastiano reached out to grasp Melo’s arm.
And Cade’s expression darkened from grumpy to furious.
In a moment of madness, Melo turned to Sebastiano, and gifted him with her widest smile. She raised her eyebrows questioningly. She hadn’t heard a word he said, but he wasn’t holding any grudges. His chest puffed up like a dog being patted.
“I was asking you to dance.” He leaned closer. “I would like to have you in my arms again.”
Her stomach turned over at the very thought, but before she had a chance to react Cade was there.
He stood so close, the heat of his body warmed through her soft silk dress. She breathed him in, and her heart thudded hard. She forced air out through crushed lungs; swaying toward him like a compass unerringly finding true north.
“Melo, can I talk to you for a moment?”
Her dazed brain dimly registered his words and her head automatically tilted back and forth.
A sharp tongue-click snapped her back to reality, and her glance flicked to Sebastiano. If looks could kill, Cade would have gone up in flames instantly. It was so ridiculously macho Melo almost giggled.
“Melo and I were just about to dance.” Sebastiano curled his fingers around her upper arm.
His touch was abhorrent, and she picked his hand off like removing a caterpillar from a rose.
“If you remember, Sebastiano, I hadn’t
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