“It’s not fine.” But a Senator from America approached them at that moment, engaging Massimo in a detailed conversation about some of their Texan oil interests. Alessia took the opportunity to excuse herself. She told them she was going to the ladies room but instead, she cut across the outskirts of the ballroom, keeping a smile on her face that didn’t reach anywhere near her eyes, not allowing anyone to arrest her progress.
She wasn’t aware of Massimo’s gaze following her as she went, nor was she aware of another pair of eyes that were glued to her progress. A pair of cream French doors opened onto a balcony that seemed to wrap around the side of the building. She stepped out gratefully, fingering the necklace distractedly as she breathed in the frigid evening air. Her wrap was inside. She wouldn’t be able to stay on the balcony for long, but just for a moment it provided the perfect escape.
And yet she wasn’t surprised when a moment later she heard a door a little way down push open. She lifted her head, turning that way expecting to see Massimo, aware he wouldn’t allow her to escape his line of questioning for long.
It wasn’t Max.
It was Sam.
The man she’d been engaged to. The man she’d thought, at one time, was so madly in love that he’d never hurt her, never disappoint her.
“Lexi.” He walked towards her with his confident gait, his movie-star charm in full swing. The tux he wore was perfect on his frame, his blond hair brushed back from his brow, his eyes crinkled at the corners in a smile that made it difficult to remember the way in which he’d unceremoniously dumped her.
“Sam?” She was a far less competent actress than he. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m with a friend.” He shook his head slowly, his eyes dropping to her pregnant shape then lifting to her with undisguised surprise.
“You’re having a baby?”
She looked away from him, wondering at the flash of guilt that fired inside of her.
“Yes.”
“And soon.”
More guilt. They’d only ended their engagement relatively recently. Despite the fact he’d dumped her, she couldn’t help but be aware of the sense of betrayal.
“Jesus, Lex. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Anger flashed in her belly but she concealed it expertly. “Do you think you have any right to know?”
His eyes hardened, his expression showing anger for a brief second. “Yes.”
She gripped the railing tighter. So much for fresh air to settle her nerves!
“We were engaged to be married –,”
Her eyes flashed. “And then you cancelled our wedding, a fortnight before it was due to take place. You didn’t call me to make sure I was okay; not once. You didn’t give me the courtesy of explaining why…”
He opened his mouth to speak then shook his head. “It had to be done.”
She no longer cared. Sam felt like a thousand lifetimes ago, and yet it didn’t make sense. They’d been so close, such good friends. His behaviour had been incredibly unkind.
“Sam, what happened?”
“You’re freezing,” he murmured, shrugging out of his black jacket, handing it to her, embracing her in his familiar aroma. She closed her eyes, not because she missed him or wanted him, but because there was such an overwhelming sense of nostalgia.
“Thank you.” She took the jacket, letting it hang loosely around her shoulders, keeping her eyes on the sweeping view of Rome.
“Who are you here with?” She prompted him.
“You think that’s what we should be discussing?” His laugh lacked humour. “Tell me about him.”
“Who?” But she knew who he meant. Massimo was in every single one of her thoughts, all the time. Even an oblique reference to him sparked something in Alessia’s blood.
“The father. You must have met him very soon after our engagement ended.”
Her lips twisted in a wry grimace.