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This was her dream.
He lifted his glass and drank, trying to ignore the nagging voice that told him he’d taken advantage of her desperate situation.
Their relationship had nothing to do with the fact that he’d rescued her. Nothing to do with the gifts he’d showered on her.
He’d acted on the chemistry that had always been there.
She’d chosen to start with a love song, slightly jazzy, nothing too intrusive. Silvio saw her glance nervously at the pianist, and then as the opening notes of the piano faded Jessie started to sing and he gave a slow, satisfied smile, sat back in his chair and waited.
Her voice slid over the room like a spell, silencing conversation and stilling all movement. Waiters stopped serving, even her fellow band members stumbled over a few notes, too busy gaping at her to concentrate on what they were doing. But Jessie didn’t stumble. She sang as she always sang, her beautiful voice so unbelievably perfect that no one listening could have doubted that she was a star.
As she hit the top notes, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and Silvio wondered how she’d managed to spend so long in obscurity with a voice like hers.
But he knew the answer to that.
Sometimes you needed life to give you a break.
And he’d given her that break.
Silvio glanced sideways, noticing that the women on the table nearest to him had tears on their cheeks.
No one was eating. No one was talking.
When Jessie finished the song, no one moved and he saw her look at him with panic in her eyes and launch straight into the next song.
He held her eyes, listening to the words of love that flowed from her lips and her heart, understanding that she didn’t have the courage to look at anyone else.
The words were soulful and intimate—far more intimate, he realised, than anything they’d said to each other in the privacy of the bedroom.
The fact that she was so unsure of herself sent a flicker of exasperation through him.
How could you have a voice that held everyone in thrall, and not be sure of yourself?
Silvio ignored the food on his plate and the champagne in his glass. He was as captivated by her voice as the rest of the people in the room. And then the song ended. There was an explosion of applause and everyone was on their feet.
/>
He saw the shock on her face. Saw her look from him to the audience, disbelief and excitement lighting her eyes.
And he knew that Jessie had got her break.
Just as he’d predicted, her life had changed in an instant.
Jessie felt as though she was floating on air.
Not just because of the amazing response of the audience but because she’d seen the pride glowing in Silvio’s eyes and as she’d sung to him she’d realised that she’d meant every word.
She was in love with him.
She’d been in love with him all her life.
And he had feelings for her too, she knew he did.
Why else would he have done so much for her?
Why else would he have given her the gold dress and the pendant?
As Jessie sipped the champagne someone had handed her, the compliments bathed her in a warm glow. It was like living your life in winter and then suddenly discovering summer.
