Her Shameful Secret by Susanna Carr

with him. She hadn’t seen him for days and now he was going out for the night. Only this time she didn’t have a claim on him. She wasn’t sure she ever had.
    But she wasn’t going to make the same mistake this time. She was in the city of Rome. There was beauty and excitement all around her. She wasn’t going to stay at home in hopes that Antonio would return earlier than planned. She had wasted too much time waiting for him and putting her life on hold. Isabella wanted to make the most of her time in this vibrant city.
    “Okay,” she said, and she stared straight ahead at the Rome skyline, her gaze focused on the famous dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. “I might be home late tonight too.”
    Antonio started the ignition and paused. “Where are you going?”
    Isabella had no idea, but she was sure there were many choices. Maybe she would go to the Piazza di Spagna. She didn’t care so long as she wasn’t home alone. “I’ve always wanted to experience Rome at night,” she said. “I never really got the chance.”
    “You were out every night with Gio,” he muttered darkly as he sped the car down the wide lane that was flanked by big trees.
    “I’m not talking about nightclubs. When you’ve seenone, you’ve seen them all,” she said. “I want to explore the city and see a different side of it.”
    “Can’t you postpone that till tomorrow?” Antonio asked as they passed the intimidating iron gates that barred ordinary people from the Rossi world. “I promise I will make it worth the wait and show you Rome under the stars. Tonight I want you to come with me to the party.”
    “You do? Why?” What had prompted the invitation? Was it because he knew she wasn’t going to stay at home and he wanted to keep an eye on her? “I’ve never gone to a social event with you before.”
    She knew why. It simply wouldn’t have done for her to be at his side. He was sophisticated, powerful, part of prestigious family. She, on the other hand, had had no money, no connections, and hadn’t known the secret handshakes of high society. She had been a disadvantage. A liability.
    “I wanted you all to myself,” he confessed. “I know it was selfish but I didn’t care.”
    Isabella jerked her head and stared at Antonio. That was why he’d kept her from his world? “I thought it was because you were embarrassed by me.”
    “Why would you think that? Hell, I would have shown you off, but that would have encouraged an invasion of our privacy. I didn’t want anyone intruding on us. But I went too far. It was only this week that I realized how isolated you must have been. That was not my intention.”
    “I see,” she said softly. Why hadn’t he told her that earlier? But then, why didn’t she insisted that he take her along? Because she had been afraid of making demands.She hadn’t felt secure in her relationship with Antonio and hadn’t wanted to start a battle.
    “Would you like to go to this party with me?” Antonio asked as he shifted gears. “I think you’ll enjoy it.”
    She didn’t know why he was making the effort now, when she was leaving in a couple of days. Was it an apology or did he really want her to accompany him? She admitted that she was curious about Antonio’s life. What was he like when he was around friends and acquaintances? Antonio didn’t need to grab the spotlight like his brother, but he wouldn’t stay in the shadows, either.
    Isabella wanted to accept his invitation, but one thing was holding her back. “I don’t have anything to wear. And my hair …” She threaded her fingers along the ends of her hair, certain it was a tumbled mess. She didn’t usually style her hair, but she needed to go all out if she wanted to make a good impression.
    “You don’t need to change,” Antonio assured her. “It’s a casual party.”
    “We may have different definitions of casual .” She remembered Giovanni’s circle of friends. Casual had meant preparing all day at the spa and