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She pulls back, assessing me. “You look good.” Her eyes wander over my shoulder to Enzo. “And who might this be?”
“Ah, this is Enzo,” I say as a slow grin spreads across her face.
She holds her hand out. “Very nice to meet you, Enzo.”
“Likewise,” he replies, all smiles.
Sarah turns to her groom. “This is my fiancé, Dale.”
The two of them shake hands, before I hug him as well and give them my congratulations.
She’s about to grill me for information on the two of us—since I’ve not mentioned before that I was bringing Enzo as my plus one—but a couple of other girls from college, Grace and Maggie, join us, and I’m being whisked away to catch up while Enzo falls into easy conversation with Dale.
I have to say, he does look very comfortable in any situation. Even thrown into a wedding party with total strangers, he somehow manages to not look awkward.
I drain my glass pretty quickly, and another swiftly replaces it.
It’s so nice seeing the girls and Sarah coo about the big day tomorrow. She wants all the women to have breakfast with her at the Carlos, a very famous and delicious Italian restaurant that I’ve been to before when I’ve been in town.
It is the first time in months that I’ve really let my hair down and have not been tied to my phone, checking emails. Though Bianca is miles away from me and none the wiser, she put me on a no-email ban until the weekend is over.
Now that I’m in relax mode and enjoying myself, I can see now that burn-out is real.
I’m chatting with Grace about her new job and her new boyfriend when I see him.
Holy crap.
It’s like in all the excitement, I forgot he would even be here tonight.
Toby.
Everything comes rushing back all at once, and I feel totally out of my depth. The whole idea of getting Enzo to pretend to find me irresistible seems totally ridiculous now. How could I make that the focal point of my plan to show him what he missed out on? I should have thought of something else. I’m such a loser.
Maybe I should escape to the bathroom?But that would be rude when Grace is engrossed in her story, and I’ve already zoned out and,fuck,our eyes meet across the crowded room. His lips twitch, his eyes just how I remember, and he’s as handsome as ever. He begins to move through the throng of people toward me.
Shit.
I gulp down more champagne, and just as I do, I feel two strong hands slide around my waist, the scent of Enzo’s aftershave taking over my senses.
“There you are, darling,” he drawls, running a nose up my neck. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
5
ENZO
A FEW MOMENTS EARLIER…
The sightof anyone as much as glancing in Valentina’s direction suddenly snaps me into gear, maybe thisboyfriendbullshit might be easier to pull off than I thought.
For some reason, I don’t like other men looking at her, and this feels like a little more than me being protective.
It’s certainly hard to keep my own eyes off her in that outfit, and what the fuck is it with her and these midriffs lately? It’s like she knows it’s pure torture for my eyeballs.
From across the room, I see her back stiffen and her head snap up. Following the train of her eyes, I see him; Toby, the fuckface who broke her heart. And he’s staring at her like she’s a piece of meat ready to be devoured.
My instincts kick in, but this time, I feel my heart quicken and my temperature rise at his predatory eyes. They’re taking in everything she’s got to offer and then some.
I don’t even think, as my feet begin moving toward her. Sliding my arms around her waist, she doesn’t bristle at my touch. It’s as if she knew this was coming, which is absurd. Even I know I shouldn’t be touching her.
