AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Minerva sighed heavily. His ego was such a massive yoke over his shoulders it was a miracle they were so straight and broad. They should be sagging beneath the weight.
Sadly, nothing on the man sagged.
“It will work,” she insisted.
“So you think that your father will blithely allow me to leave you?”
“If we explain.”
“Explain?”
“Once...” She looked around. “Once Carlo is no longer an issue we can explain everything to my family. And at that point he’ll be so grateful he will likely allow you to continue on with your efforts in the company.”
He looked at her as though she were a child, his expression nearly pitying. “It is not something we need to concern ourselves with.”
“We simply need to concern ourselves with not consummating.”
He looked at her for a long moment. “I will try to control myself.”
The arid reply left her feeling scraped raw, and she trailed after him at the party rather angrily thereafter.
But of course she couldn’t look angry.
She had to look pleasant.
It was very strange, acting the part of accessory to someone. She had never done it. And here she was, keeping position next to him, moving as he did, trying to mirror his body language, and facial expressions, so that they seemed as if they were in one accord, whether they were not.
By the time they had made their rounds, Minerva was famished, which was only adding to her mood.
Then Dante swept her aside, taking both of them out of the glow of the string of lights that went overhead.
“It’s time to put on a show, cara.”
“Show?”
“Yes,” he said. “I have a ring for you.”
“Oh,” she replied.
“Look surprised,” he instructed as he grabbed her hand and dragged her back beneath the lights.
“Of course I’ll look surprised,” she whispered. “I am surprised.”
“Try to look happy too,” he said.
She had no time to respond to that before he had turned toward their guests and, somehow, by his very motion commanded the attention of the crowd.
Minerva stretched her lips into a wide smile that she had a feeling fell flat around the corners.
“As this has come together very quickly, there is one aspect of our courtship that I have neglected. We have done a great many things out of order, Minerva and I.”
This elicited light laughter from the crowd.
Of course, in the rather sophisticated culture of the rich and famous in Southern California, having a baby before marriage—or without marriage at all—was not considered out of order.
But no doubt the chuckles were in deference to the presumably more conservative culture Dante came from.
“And in all the activity I have neglected to give Minerva her ring. I will do so now.”
