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Dante nudged his twin in the ribs. “Afraid his big, bad boy brother would steal his love away?”
Matteo grinned. “I would have, given half the chance. She’s quite something.”
“Why don’t we get dinner started and I’ll bring you up to date,” Luc ordered.
Within minutes all five Salvatores were gathered in the kitchen, working as a well-orchestrated team to prepare dinner. Grace watched in amusement. They’d obviously done this before. Each took a different duty, occasionally asking Grace to pass a pot or a measuring cup or utensil. Toni, delighted to be the center of so much masculine attention, passed from one set of arms to the next.
“Dinner will be in twenty minutes,” Luc announced. “Dante, set the table.” He turned to Grace. “And you, my fine beauty, may go change out of your office clothes and into something more festive. Tonight, I feel in the mood to celebrate.”
Four pairs of eyes, turned in Grace’s direction, each revealing a range of reaction from astonishment to speculation to frank interest. She could feel an intense blush blossom across her cheeks. Apparently, her masquerade remained a success with four of the five Salvatores present. She didn’t know whether to be pleased or insulted.
Noticing his brothers’ reactions, Luc explained, “Will-William, her fiancé, has her in disguise. For some reason, he wants her to look like a bag lady. I haven’t quite figured out why. I will, though.” His jaw set and his eyes filled with a combination of threat and promise. “I will.”
“A disguise?” Matteo asked, intrigued. “Like in the movies?”
His twin brother, Dante, approached. “You mean all I have to do is...”
Before she could protest, he whipped off her glasses. From behind, Soren slipped the pins from her hair, fluffing the wayward curls around her face and shoulders. “This isn’t fair,” she protested. “Stop it!”
Angel advanced next, and she knew from his mischievous grin that he intended to investigate what lay beneath her bulky wool suit. Apparently, so did Luc. Sweeping her clear of his brothers’ clutches, he gave her a gentle push toward the door.
“Put on the green dress,” he told her.
And by the remorseless gleam in his golden eyes, she knew it wasn’t a request.
Chapter 6
The Great Lie
Still Day 338 and Grace’s deception is fast unraveling . . .
Gracespent fifteen of the next twenty minutes debating whether or not to wear the green dress. Uppermost in her mind was Dom and his reaction should he discover she’d spent several nights at Luc’s apartment. Did Luc’s brothers know she’d spent the previous night? Or that she’d also be staying tonight? Probably. Why else would she have a change of clothing here? If they figured it out, Dom would eventually learn the truth from them. She couldn’t very well ask them not to mention it. What excuse could she give?
She sank onto the edge of the bed. This was getting too complicated. Perhaps she should give up her disguise. Or what was left of her disguise. If Dom found out, she’d be frank. She’d explain the situation to him and pray he’d understand. After all, she’d only been trying to help his family.
Despite that one rather tumultuous kiss, her relationship with Luc hadn’t gotten too far out of hand. Until Toni’s advent into their lives, they’d had no real personal involvement at all. What else could she have done? Carina and Brand dumped their baby in Luc’s lap, then took off for parts unknown. Should she have refused her aid? Left Luc and Toni to fend for themselves? It wasn’t in her nature to be so cold and uncaring. Surely Dom wouldn’t hold that against her.
Would he?
Giving up on such a fruitless debate, Grace reluctantly pulled the green dress from the closet. She’d bought it a month ago to wear home for Christmas. The trip was a gift to herself for having completed her year’s sojourn at Salvatore’s, and she’d wanted to treat herself to something special. Something spectacular. And the silk dress certainly qualified on that front. Even shopping for it had been fun.
Without giving herself time to reconsider, she stripped off her suit and slipped on the dress. It hugged her curves perfectly. Long-sleeved with a fitted bodice and V neckline, the belled skirt floated to her knees. A string of pearls and earrings her parents had given her for her twenty-first birthday lent a final elegant touch.
Crossing to the adjoining bathroom, she opened her cosmetic bag and applied a touch of makeup. She couldn’t suppress the delight she experienced from slipping into clothes in an appropriate size, and wearing colors that flattered rather than detracted from her appearance. She stepped back from the mirror and eyed the results with approval. Suddenly, she felt like herself again.
Next, she brushed out her hair. She assumed Soren still had her pins, so she’d have to leave it down. She tilted her head to one side. Her hair swept back from a deep widow’s peak and framed her face, falling in soft curls to her shoulders. A good portion of the rinse had washed out, leaving interesting streaks of gold mixed in with the brown, as though her hair had been partially bleached by the sun. It actually looked quite attractive.
Slipping on a pair of heels, she left the bedroom and followed the sound of masculine voices to the dining room. Dinner had just been put on the table, the assorted bowls and platters steaming, a variety of delicious odors wafting in her direction.
Luc noticed her first. To her dismay, he didn’t seem the least surprised by her altered appearance. With an annoying calm, he settled Toni more comfortably on his lap. But then a slow smile of satisfaction slid across his face and his eyes took on a gleam of hot intensity that shook her to the core. Had he known she’d look like this? But how? Was it possible he’d seen through her disguise from the beginning? It was a frightening thought, one that filled her with anxiety.
Matteo noticed her next, stumbling to a halt in mid-sentence. His mouth opened and closed, but he couldn’t seem to get any words out. At that, all conversation stopped. If the varied reactions to Toni had been amusing, the reactions to Grace’s transformation were even more so. Luc’s brothers rose in unison, approaching her like a large, intimidating, masculine wave. The wave broke, four large, gorgeous men surrounding her.
It felt wonderful. In fact, it felt better than wonderful.
“Grace!”
“What the hell have you done to yourself?”
