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Alessandro looked out over the crowd. The lights were up, so he could easily spot Megan a table or two back, her head resting against her brother’s. That was cute. She really did love her family.
“First,” he went on, “I would like to introduce the women who are the reason I’m here. Who let a clumsy kid who barely knew which end of a stage was which into their classes and encouraged him—and chided him”—he smiled at Etta and Susie in the front row—“to be the best he could be. I literally would not be standing in front of you without them. Please give it up for Etta Mayer and Suzanne Jackson.”
He led the applause and stepped back to let Etta and then Susie take the podium. They began with a blush-inducing rundown of his own achievements, during which he had to stand there while the audience gave him a standing ovation. He put his hand to his heart and then held it out to them, as he’d seen the American actors do with such ease. He thought it wassdolcinato—for God’s sake, Keanu Reeves had done it in a rom-com to show what a perfect boyfriend he was just by being himself—but if it showed his appreciation for his mentors in a way they’d understand, he’d do it.
He looked over at Megan and let Etta’s other words wash over him. Megan’s beauty shone out in the room, alongside that incredible dress. She’d told him she’d chosen it herself and she’d catch hell for it when Yasmin found out tomorrow, but that was one of the things he loved already about Megan—she knew her style and stuck to it.
She wasn’t touching Kane any longer, just sitting with that half smile Alessandro had learned was her neutral face, the one expected of her. He loved that he’d seen her natural expressions—both happy and pensive. And he’d seen those lips bruised and flush from his kisses. He suppressed a sigh. The evening was far from over yet.
One hand turned her wineglass around and around. Occasionally, her brother would say something to her and she’d laugh easily. Alessandro couldn’t remember the last time he’d held a light conversation with his brothers. He was the youngest, like Megan, but unlike her, arguments about his future had begun before he was even out of middle school. His brothers knew where their parents’ affections lay, and he didn’t blame them for wanting to keep them. Whatever rebellious streak he’d been born with couldn’t be talked or threatened out of him, and when he’d told them he wouldn’t be continuing with school after sixteen, they’d stopped speaking to him.
Megan’s body language showed how comfortable she was with her brother, and he’d seen the affection she and Ellen had with each other. What was that like? And was Alessandro going to break that with this crazy idea of wanting to spend more time with her? Kane had been perfectly friendly to him, and Ellen had accepted him right away, even speaking Italian to him. But what would happen when he went back to LA? He already knew he wanted more time with Megan than just this week. They’d barely scratched the surface of all he wanted to know about her. At their last dinner, they’d talked about childhood summers, agreeing without words to focus on the good times, before Megan lost her parents and Alessandro’s walked away from him.
Megan lit up when she talked about her family, but she also lit up when they discussed the work she’d done for the Studio. There was no denying the animation in her face when she talked about making other people look good. Feeling good and making others look good were one and the same for someone as generous as Megan, and she had the means to do it. Perhaps some of her optimism would rub off on him.
But who did he think he was to break into her life like this? What was a shift in career to the comfort and love she received from her siblings?
“…and I have to mention Megan Fielding,” Susie, who had taken over the podium, said. “Our Amazon in shining armor, who came in at the last minute and not only kicked our promotion into high gear but got us this incredible venue. Stand up, Megan!”
She did so and gave that clear, uncomplicated grin that made Alessandro grin in return. She was born for this kind of work. Dressed to perfection, bowing out of the limelight when needed, stepping up when required.
He was vaguely aware that people’s heads were turning between the two of them, since Megan wasn’t taking her eyes off him except for a second to bow to Etta and Susie. His own big grin wasn’t going to win him any most-grumpy-movie-star awards, but he didn’t care. He was the one who’d have ten minutes in a car with her at the end of the evening. Not a whole lot, but he’d take it.
Etta thanked The Rosette and Ellen next, and Alessandro watched Kane stand at once to applaud his wife. Thank God they’d made it through that situation all those years ago.
Etta and Susie wrapped up, and Alessandro directed everyone back to the auction. He stepped down from the stage and joined Megan’s table. This time, he was determined to stick by her side until absolutely required not to.
Kane stood as he approached and relinquished his seat. “Time for me to mingle,” he said. “Also, I think that rat bastard Turner is about to steal my TV.”
“What TV?” Alessandro asked, taking Kane’s seat.
Megan put her hand in his. “One of the auction items. He’s in a bidding war for it.”
“So… I shouldn’t double the last offer?”
She laughed. “No! Well, you can. But we’re trying to make Kane like you, remember?”
“True.” He looked into her eyes. “I might do it anyway, but I don’t want to leave being right here.”
Megan went pink and ducked her head. “Me too. Where did you leave your jacket? You don’t want to lose track of it.”
“It was gifted,” he pointed out. “It’ll turn up.”
“Well,” she said. He caught a deepening in her tone. “You look pretty good without it.”
“Thank you.” He took a chance and nuzzled her neck. In front of God and everybody. She smelled so good, lemony and bright. She rewarded him by giggling and also shivering. Alessandro got a surge of frustration he could assuage only by breathing her in and stealing a kiss on her one bare shoulder.
Megan shivered again. “Keep doing that, Mr. Rosselli,” she whispered, “and you might not make it to your next speech.”
“You promise?” he said against her skin.
She shook him off with a laugh. “Come on. We have work to do. Well, you do. And if you could maybe cover up a little, it would make it a lot easier for me to concentrate.”
“My dear Ms. Fielding,” he said. “Are you ogling me?”
“I’ve been ogling you for ten years,” she admitted. Alessandro cracked a laugh, and she gave him a gentle swipe on the arm. He caught her fingers and kissed them, watching as her eyes went black. Turning Megan on in public was his new favorite pastime. There was no masking with this activity; she was as open to him as his own loosened bow tie.
