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The necklace hung as if it had been designed solely for this night.
It drew the attention from thick nipples and it made her eyes a deeper green. Abby was almost scared of her own reflection because she looked sexy and wanton and she did not want to tease the tiger.
Yet she trusted Matteo not to bite.
It was the most contrary feeling in the world, given all she had been through, and with only instinct to guide her, Abby listened to her own voice now.
Both she and the dress would celebrate tonight.
* * *
Matteo waited.
Oh, he waited for way more than half an hour this time.
He wondered if Abby was having trouble getting into a denim dress and Doc Martens but just as he smiled at that thought the elevators opened and a shining, shy beauty stepped out.
She was in a dress that was a bruised shade of silver, just one polish away from gleaming, and around her throat was the reason Matteo had first made contact.
Not now.
Oh, he watched her walk towards him—too nervous and shy to be sexy. She was utterly gorgeous—and how the hell did he tell her the truth?
Never had he been more grateful for a goldfish attention span when it suited him. Matteo just dismissed the Lost Mistresses from his mind and dealt with now.
‘You look...’ What? Often Matteo stopped himself from saying what he wanted to with Abby; he didn’t tonight. ‘You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.’
And he felt the most responsible that he ever had towards another.
This was her night.
* * *
It wasn’t a restaurant like any other that Abby had ever been to.
White, candlelit tables were set on a private beach. It was an outdoor restaurant that combined fine dining with a sunset that fired as pink as her cheeks as they were shown to their seats.
‘Champagne?’ Matteo asked, and it was as if they were starting again.
Which they were.
He knew the truth now and, more importantly, Abby felt safe to let down her guard with him. She knew, Abby just knew, that she could strip naked and dance like a banshee and still he would see her safely home.
‘That would be lovely.’
The champagne was poured and the first thing he did was raise a glass.
‘To the Boucher team. Well done, you!’
They ate delectable seafood and their fingers met in the fragrant bowls and they flirted a little but more than that they talked and they celebrated her win.
‘Pedro’s happy,’ Matteo said.
‘For now.’ Abby nodded. ‘I’ve been watching him for years, since he was about sixteen. I know he’s good and that he’s thrilled with the win but he’s not going to hang around for long and I can’t blame him for that.’
‘Is that why it has to be this year that you win the Henley Cup?’
That being Hunter.
