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Gia’s smile wavered. “Harrison made the arbor?”
As her manager, I’d seen the contract between her and Cain Rentals. She paid for his priority in providing services but not exclusivity. At the time they made the agreement, Gia’s business wasn’t big enough to support that, so Harrison was free to work with other businesses. But everyone knew how she felt about Silas Sharpe and Chesapeake Resort. She probably assumed Harrison wouldn’t work with him, which was a mistake on her part.
“He works for me now. Or didn’t you know that?” From Silas’s cocky expression, it was clear he already knew the answer to his question and was reveling in throwing Gia off-balance.
Gia’s eyes narrowed on Silas, and his answering smile was self-assured. Gia’s presence might have initially caught him off guard, but he’d recovered quickly. I was sure it was the businessman in him. He didn’t let anyone throw him off his game.
Gia stood, making her way past me and Leo before pausing in front of Silas. Even though she was shorter than him, even in heels, she managed to look down her nose at him. “If you’ll excuse me. I’m here to enjoy the wedding.”
Silas’s nostrils flared as he took her in from head to toe. Her hair was pinned in a chignon at the base of her head, and she wore a wraparound dress that accentuated every curve.
Gia brushed past him, moving with purpose down the aisle and into the main building. Silas watched her go, and I wondered if he was following the soft sway of her hips. He waited for a beat and then followed her into the hotel.
I started to get up, intending to follow her, when Leo’s hand encircled my wrist. “Let her go. She’s fine.”
“You don’t think I should check on her?” I wanted to make sure Silas wasn’t going to hassle her. But Leo might not have realized the level of antagonism between his sister and his best friend.
Leo let go of my wrist and settled his arm on the back of my chair, smiling down at me. He leaned in close to say in a conspiratorial whisper, “You’re the only other person I know here.”
He was so close I could feel the press of his arm on my shoulders and the scent of his aftershave. He was huge, and his presence was all-consuming. I couldn’t stop the heavy beating of my heart when Leo turned on the charm. I didn’t think he even noticed his effect on me. Or maybe he assumed that, because I was Gia’s friend, I didn’t think of him as anything other than a brother.
“I’m worried about her,” I said softly, reveling in the weight and warmth of his arm on my shoulder and how protective it felt. If we were here together, I’d feel like I was his. With that dangerous thought, my heart galloped away entirely.
Leo shook his head slightly as he pulled away. “Gia can take care of herself.”
I knew her family believed that, and I was sure it was true on some levels, but they didn’t see the woman I knew. She yearned for her brothers’ respect and her father’s approval, even though she didn’t work at Giovanni’s anymore.
“You don’t believe that?” Leo asked, really looking at me for the first time today.
I shifted on the hard chair under his scrutiny. “She’s strong, but she can be vulnerable too.”
He leaned back in the chair, spreading his legs wide so that his thigh was once again pressed against mine. His sprawl was undeniably sexy. “Gia can handle Silas.”
That’s not exactly what I was worried about. I suspected that Gia was attracted to Silas, and there was no way that could end well. Every time they were near each other, sparks flew. I’m sure her brothers thought it was the competition between them, but it was more than that.
They got under each other’s skin, and there was an undeniable passion simmering just under the surface. I had a feeling they’d implode if they got together, and it wouldn’t be good for any of us. The only way Silas and Gia coexisted was because her business was in Annapolis, and Silas’s was out of town. Silas occasionally showed up to important family events, but otherwise, they didn’t cross paths much.
“What about you,piccolaHarper?”
I rolled my eyes at the moniker Gia’s brothers gave me when I was younger. “I’m not little anymore. I’m all grown up.” I crossed my legs, shamelessly letting the hem of my dress slide up my bare thighs.
Leo’s gaze tracked the movement, and I felt the heat of his stare. I clenched my thighs together. I’d wanted Leo since we were kids, and he’d never given me any impression he was interested in me as anything more than a family friend. He was tasked with driving me and Gia to and from parties and dates when we were in high school, and his gaze had never lingered; his eyes never darkened with desire as they did now.
He swallowed hard before he finally looked away. “I can see that. You are all grown up, Harper Manning.”
I rocked my foot to keep my mind off how good it sounded to hear my name on his lips. Not my nickname or a silly moniker,my full name. A tingle ran through my body.
Was this it? Had he finally seen me for the woman I was? Did he see me as desirable, someone he could see himself with?
The only problem with this crush that I’d had on him forever was that I hadn’t gotten past the part where he’d finally notice me. I didn’t think he ever would, so I was safe behind my crush. There was no way Gia’s older brother would look twice at me, much less stare at me with the heat he just had.
An usher stopped at our aisle, and we stood to allow a couple to move past us to the end of the row, and the intimate moment was gone. Gia returned to her seat before the wedding processional began, and Paisley made her way down the aisle.
Leo didn’t look in my direction for the rest of the ceremony, but I felt him. Every time he shifted in his chair, letting his leg relax against mine, and the adjustment when he realized we were touching.
Not for the first time, I wished that he was just some guy I met at the bar. I could have one spectacular night with him, get it out of my system, and then go back to my boring life as a single mom.
Naomi and Chris’s ceremony was beautiful. I could feel their love as they allowed Paisley to stand next to them as they exchanged vows. For a few seconds, I imagined myself in the same position. A man by my side, declaring his love, not only for me but for my daughter, too. But it felt false, like it wasn’t meant for me.
