Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77359 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77359 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
“She just wants out of the house,” Stefano said, and Massimo looked over at me, his eyebrow raised. He somehow managed to look both condescending and hot when he did that.
“What’s wrong with that?”
Carmine smirked. “What if we’re headed to the reptile house at the zoo?”
I shot Stefano a look. “You told them?”
“Yep,” he said smugly.
The other day, I’d been out back, and a garden snake had slithered across the stone path, practically on top of my foot. I’d freaked out and run inside to find Stefano, who’d been more than happy to help take my mind off of it in a most pleasurable way. And now he’d told his brothers—at least about the snake part.
I put a disdainful look on my face, as if their teasing was beneath me, but I didn’t really pull it off very well. “Where are we really going? Another fitting?”
I’d actually found the perfect dress. It was a bit of a compromise. It wasn’t as slinky and sexy as the one that had made Carmine’s eyes bug out of his head, but it was beautiful, and I loved it. The bodice was covered in beads, and the skirt hugged my hips but flared out a little at my feet. The sleeves were tight and kept my shoulders bare. I hadn’t yet decided if I was going to wear my hair up or down, but I was so pleased that I’d found the dress.
“Yeah, there’s a fitting and then lunch,” Carmine answered.
“Lunch?” The last time he’d taken me to a restaurant, it hadn’t ended well.
“A business lunch, of sorts,” Carmine said mysteriously.
Business? Wasn’t I supposed to stay as far from that as possible?
“There’s a woman, a singer named Zoey, who’s going to perform at the wedding reception,” Stefano said. Somehow it didn’t surprise me that he knew more about what was going on with my wedding than I did.
“She’s maybe going to sing,” Carmine clarified. “She’s really in demand, so that’s allowed her to be a bit choosy.”
“And arrogant,” Massimo muttered.
Carmine ignored him. “She’s insisting on meeting with you before she decides. She wants to make sure ... What was it she said? Something about if your energy aligned with hers or something like that.”
“Which is nonsense.” Massimo’s irritation was evident, and I couldn’t help biting back a smile. Since the night he’d broken my locket and we’d had our first real talk, we’d been getting along better than ever. Still, there was no doubt that he had all the power in the relationship, so it amused me that a woman, this singer, was making demands of him.
“I’d like to meet with her.” I didn’t know much about singing, but the idea of talking to another woman and having lunch with her sounded great.
“That’s what we’re doing. We’re going to a French restaurant,” Carmine said. “So wear something fancy.”
“And pretty.” Stefano winked at me. “But everything you wear is pretty, Leila.”
His compliment pleased me, but I worried about him saying those kinds of things in front of Massimo. But then I caught Massimo’s smirk and his direct look, and I flushed. I would’ve bet twenty dollars—if I’d had twenty dollars—that he was thinking about that awful old nightgown. It definitely hadn’t looked pretty. These days, I usually wore one of his old T-shirts to bed.
“I’m looking forward to meeting the wedding singer,” I said. I didn’t add that I was also looking forward to getting out of the house—but they probably knew that by now.
The restaurant was upscale, and my copper-colored sheath dress—one that I considered one of my best—didn’t feel very fancy.
Carmine spoke to the head waiter while I stood nervously at his side, scanning the restaurant for this Zoey.
Finishing his conversation, Carmine turned to me. “That’s her over there. The redhead. And the blonde’s her assistant.”
My gaze followed the way he pointed, and I saw two very elegant women sitting at a round table by the windows. The singer was gorgeous, her hair straight and long as it wound down her chest. And the blonde—my breath caught in my throat.
“Can I ... can I talk to them alone?” I asked, trying to sound casual.
He looked surprised. “Why? I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“It’s not that. It’s just ... well, you said she wanted to get to know me, right? Or know my energy or whatever. Sometimes it’s easier for women to get to know each other when there are no men around.”
He raised an eyebrow, a bit suspiciously, but his tone was light. “Because we’re so damn handsome that we distract you?”
“Something like that.” I couldn’t help grinning even though I was anxious.
“I promise you, I’ll keep quiet. You gals can talk up a storm.”
“Please? I haven’t had any girl talk in forever,” I begged. Carmine looked torn. “You vetted her, right? You’ve got men outside the restaurant. What’s the worst that can happen?”