“Where’s your wife?” Matteo asked, feeling like a jerk the moment the words fell from his lips when he saw the irritation fill Vince’s eyes.
“She’s working,” he bit out, his jaw going tight.
Matteo frowned. “She’s a model. She should want to be here. It’s a huge night.”
Vince shrugged. “She’s in France on a photo shoot. I tried to convince her to come, but she couldn’t make it.”
There was more going on between those two than Vince let on, not that it was any of Matteo’s business. He certainly hadn’t shared much with them when he was having his troubles with Lucia.
They found their table and sat, Matteo making sure Paige was between him and Stasia. He didn’t want his brothers to dig for information by bombarding her with questions. They were skeptical enough and their stern demeanor would only intimidate her. He knew they were just like him in that regard.
She remained quiet for most of the evening, her eyes wide, taking everything in. He’d come to the gala for years, had become almost bored with it but realized it was a rather dazzling event for someone who’d never attended before. The clothes, the jewelry, the famous people who filled the room, it was all heady stuff.
And Paige seemed completely enraptured, occasionally squeezing his arm and whispering in his ear when she recognized someone.
He found it cute. Endearing. Appreciated seeing his life and surroundings through someone else’s eyes. She made him feel young, excited again, incredibly lucky that his family’s business had become so successful, thanks to plenty of hard work on his part, of course.
Looking at her, the sparkle in her pretty bluish green eyes, the wonder in her expression as she took it all in, he realized she made him feel whole.
He was in love with her.
And he needed to tell her.
The awards ceremony started immediately after dinner, but he was distracted. By the way Paige looked as she watched the stage, her rapt attention on every single word that was said. She glanced around in the darkened room, as if hoping she would spot someone, and then she would look at him, a secretive smile curling her lips when their eyes met.
God. He wanted to haul her out of here and take her back home. Pull her into his lap in the limo, hike that long skirt up and fuck her right there. His blood buzzed with arousal, his skin felt as if it were on fire, and he reached for her, taking her hand once again and bringing it up to his mouth. Softly kissing her knuckles, the back of her hand, licking her sweet skin.
“Matteo.” Her voice was a low warning and he smiled, easing his other arm around her shoulders. “You’re distracting me.”
“Perfect. You’ve been doing the same to me all evening.” Leaning in, he dropped a kiss to her bare shoulder, felt her shiver beneath his lips. “I can’t wait to get you out of this dress.”
“I thought you preferred me in the dress,” she said jokingly, her gaze back on the stage, though he knew she was aware of him.
Her slender hand on the inside of his thigh told him so.
“You’re beautiful in it, there’s no doubt about that, but I want you naked.” He nuzzled her cheek, her intoxicating fragrance scrambling his brain. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Aren’t you being presented with an award?” she asked.
Damn it. He was. How could he forget? Was he that enraptured with the woman that he forgot everything else?
Apparently.
“The second the presentation is over, we’re leaving,” he said firmly, moving away from her, needing the space. Before he did something rash, like attack her where she sat.
“What about Stasia and Gavin?” She inclined her head in their direction.
“They can find their own ride home. I’m sure Rafe and Vince can take care of them. I want to get you home and in my bed.” Breathing deep, he glanced around, her hand still cradled in his. People were watching them, he could feel their curious gazes on their table, and when he cast his gaze about the room, many of them looked away.
Gossips, most like, looking for an interesting story. He knew others would be curious about Paige, but he didn’t think everyone would be this blatant. He almost didn’t want to leave her when they had to go up on stage.
But he did, albeit reluctantly, offering her a quick kiss on the cheek before he stood along with his sister and brothers and went on stage to accept the award. He gave a quick thank-you speech, his gaze roaming the room, finally settling on Paige, who sat straight up in her seat, her hands clasped together, the smile on her face so big it could probably light up the entire room.
That bubbling excitement, the obvious happiness, was all for him and his accomplishments. Just seeing her face made his chest puff up with pride.
He never wanted to let her go.
“I can’t believe you attacked me like that,” Paige said hours later as she lay naked and sprawled across Matteo’s sweat-dampened body in the middle of his bed.
He smoothed the hair away from her face, smiling up at her. “It’s all you. I take one look at you and all I can think about is how fast I can get you naked.”
She smiled and shook her head. “You’ve been…beyond insatiable these last few days. I’m completely exhausted.”
“Do you need to rest?” he teased. Slowly he rolled over so they lay side by side, his arm slung around her, holding her close. “Want me to leave you alone for a few days?”
“No, I love it when you act like this.” She kept her head bent, a little shy, which he adored. “Tonight was a very special night for you and your family, Matteo. Thank you for taking me with you. It was an honor.”
“You by my side, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.” He kissed her forehead, breathed in the light floral scent of her hair. “Thank you for coming with me.”
“And thank you for letting me borrow the necklace.” She still wore it. He refused to let her take it off when they came home, wanting to see the diamond slide across her naked skin.
“I didn’t let you borrow it, Paige. It’s a gift. The necklace belongs to you.” The woman was ridiculous. Did no one ever give her anything?
She touched the pendant, her fingers sliding over the shiny stone. “I couldn’t keep it.”
“Why not?” He was incredulous. Was she refusing his gift?
“I’m sure it’s worth a tremendous amount of money. Wouldn’t you rather sell it? I know it’s a one-of-a-kind piece, Stasia told me.” She looked nervous, his foolish, silly girl.
“You are worth more than all the gold and diamonds in this universe,” he told her with utter sincerity, his gaze locked with hers. “I could afford to give you one hundred diamond pendants just like that. So don’t worry about how much it’s worth. It belongs to you and only you.”
Tears sparkled in her eyes and she threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. “Thank you, Matteo. Thank you so much for…everything.”
“You’re welcome.” He slipped his arms around her, resting his hands on her bottom, pulling her in to him. Already he was hard and hurting for her again. “I need you to know how much you mean to me, Paige,” he murmured, his heart in his throat.
She looked up at him. “You mean a lot to me too.”
He touched her cheek, ran his index finger across her lips. “You’ve captured my heart completely,
bella
. I’ve fallen in love with you. I’m yours, if you’ll have me.”
Her lips parted, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. He stopped it with his lips, absorbing the salty drop into his mouth. “Of course, I’ll have you. I—I love you too, Matteo.”
Sweet pleasure rippled through him at hearing those words, filling him near to bursting. He pinned her beneath him, ready yet again to show her exactly how much she meant to him with his body.
God, he loved her so much. More than he had loved any other woman in his life, including Lucia. If all went as he planned, this woman would soon be his wife. Mother to Matty and their future children, the woman who would be by his side for the rest of his life.
He needed to find a ring and do this right as soon as possible.
It was the least she deserved.
Chapter Thirteen
Carolyn Leonard saw the first photo of the woman who ruined her marriage early on a Thursday morning. Looking through the newspaper, she stopped at the article covering the annual fashion gala that had been held at the Met last night. She scanned the photos of all the beautiful people in the fashion industry who were in attendance as she sipped from her first cup of coffee, sitting at the kitchen table. More than a few faces she recognized. Plenty of stars were there, though some of those featured she didn’t recognize.
One face popped out at her. The face of her worst nightmares. The woman who lured her husband into a quick but messy affair that resulted in said woman being fired as their nanny.
Paige fucking Stewart.
Rage boiled inside of Carolyn as she stared at the picture. The skinny, ugly redhead was on the arm of Matteo Renaldi, CEO of Renaldi Accessories. The dress she wore was gorgeous, the necklace with a fat diamond dangling from it looked expensive.
Carolyn wanted to tear her apart, rip every single stupid red hair from the girl’s head—she hated her that much.
After wadding the newspaper into a ball, she tossed it, then grabbed her cell phone, Googling Matteo Renaldi’s and Paige Stewart’s names together. A list of photos from the previous evening popped up, every one of them enraging her further. The complete adoration on Paige’s face as she gazed up at the handsome, rich-as-hell Matteo and how he looked at her as if he was madly in love.
Carolyn snorted. More like lust—just like her husband and what he felt for the stupid, simpering bitch. Oh, fine, the kids had loved her, but she thought Paige Stewart was a wimp. A suck-up.
A whore.
Her husband had sniffed around their ugly nanny like a dog in heat for months. Carolyn had ignored it at first—what man could resist a younger woman living under his roof? She laughed it off as some sort of innocent crush, though deep down inside, she worried. And after a while, she started to suspect there was more going on. Just like last time.
The man she married was an absolute pig, no matter how much she tried to ignore it.
When she confronted Paul, he denied everything, trying to convince Carolyn that she was crazy. Why would he be so stupid as to have an affair with a woman who lived in their house, for the love of God?
His logic was sound, but he was a man who’d been led by his dick more than once, and she knew it. So she’d spied on Paige, noticed how overly sweet she was to their children, working her best to win them completely over, and figured the girl was trying to move in on her territory. Why, she wanted to steal both her husband and her children, and Carolyn refused to let the bitch win.
So she lay in wait, ready to catch the two of them in a compromising position.
She hadn’t waited long.
Ever since that one time she caught her husband with his hands all over Paige, Carolyn had suspected Paul of fooling around with an endless string of women. Not that she ever caught him. The bastard was too sneaky for that. His phone was clean, his credit cards had no unusual activity, no records of him chatting with anyone suspect, no spending money on another woman. Nothing.
But she knew. Deep down in her heart, she knew he was still doing her wrong, she just couldn’t prove it. It was all Paige’s fault. She pushed the downward spiral of her husband further. Taught him that it was easy to fool around with another woman, and he’d become addicted.
She hated Paige Stewart with every fiber in her being. The girl had ruined her marriage. Ruined her children for any other nanny. Why, they still said they missed Paige and wished she would come back. It had been months, they’d been through three nannies since then, and her brats still weren’t satisfied unless they had Paige fucking slut Stewart as their nanny once more.
Carolyn was going to make that bitch pay.
“Whatcha doing, sweetheart?” Her husband sauntered into the kitchen, a big smile on his face, acting as if everything was right in his world. Asshole. She couldn’t remember the last time they’d had sex, yet he looked like he’d just gotten freshly laid.
“Reading,” Carolyn mumbled, not in the mood to talk. She watched as he poured himself a cup of coffee and grabbed a bagel, tearing it apart so he could slip it into the toaster. The kids were already at school, he should be at work, yet he was still here. Up in her business, annoying the shit out of her. “Why aren’t you at work?”
“Can’t a man stay home for the morning so he can spend time with his lovely wife?” He flashed her a smile and she wanted to slap it off his face.
Suspicion rose within her. What did he want? What the hell was he up to now? “You never want to spend time with me.”
“I’m trying to remedy that.” He leaned against the kitchen counter and she dropped her gaze back to her phone, scrolling through the pictures with that redheaded skank in them. “What are you looking at?”
“An article about the fashion gala last night.” She kept her voice perfectly nonchalant. “Looking at all the photos. Saw a few that were very interesting.”
“Oh yeah?” He didn’t sound interested whatsoever as he turned away from her to tend to his bagel.