make the best of it, Jade. Our marriage had a rough start but I had many happy years with my Giancarlo.’
‘I am sure we will make the best of things,’ Jade assured her with zero confidence.
‘Of all my boys, Nic is most like his father,’ Giovanna said. ‘He is restless, a free spirit—is that how you say it in English?’
‘S
ì
, that is exactly how you say it,’ Jade said.
Giovanna gave her another tight hug. ‘You and Nic are more alike than you are different,’ she said. ‘Salvatore always said you were an angel underneath. That is justlike my Nic. He has a soft core; you just have to know how to find it.’
Jade smiled wanly as the family escorted Giovanna to the waiting limousine. She was surprised at her new mother-in-law’s attitude towards her. There were not many mothers who would welcome someone with Jade’s reputation into the family, but then perhaps Giovanna was as eager as Salvatore had been for her youngest son to settle down, even if it wasn’t to the most suitable of brides.
Nic came over to where Jade was standing, watching as the car disappeared into the distance. She felt her skin lift even though the air was still warm. She turned and faced him, forcing a stiff smile to her face. ‘That seemed to go off rather well, don’t you think? ‘
His eyes gleamed as he looked down at her. ‘Everyone said the same thing: you were the most beautiful bride they have ever seen,’ he said. ‘I didn’t tell you earlier, but you took my breath away when you stepped into the church on your father’s arm.’
Jade didn’t allow herself to believe he was being genuine. She knew what he wanted. He wanted to end the day in bed. He was a master at seduction and what better way than to butter her up with compliments that would melt her resolve to keep this marriage in name only. ‘I think you went a little too far on the kiss in the church,’ she said in a prim tone. ‘A simple kiss on the lips would have sufficed. You should have shown a little more respect.’
His mouth tilted in a knowing smile. ‘Feeling guilty about wanting me, Jade? ‘
She folded her arms across her middle. ‘I do
not
want you. I just want the money this marriage will bring.’
‘So you keep reminding me, but your eyes tell me something else again,’ he said. ‘And not just your eyes but your mouth as well. I’ve had trouble getting our first kiss out of my mind. You really are a little firecracker, aren’t you?’
She gave a scathing little snort.
He studied her for a moment. ‘Have you had anything to eat?’
She looked at him in irritation. ‘Oh, please don’t start on about that. I had enough from my father. Not that he was any great example, getting drunk like that and having to be practically poured into the car with his new girlfriend fussing over him as if she really gives a fig about him. She’s after his money, any fool can see it, but then there’s no fool like an old fool, is there?’
Nic pursed his lips for a moment. ‘You don’t really hate him, do you? ‘
She sent him a look that would have cut through marble. ‘I feel nothing for him or for anyone.’
‘I am quite sure that’s not true,’ he said. ‘I saw you playing with Ella earlier. You don’t hate her, do you? ‘
Her eyes flashed angrily. ‘You seem to think you know me, Nic, but you don’t. I’m not the naive, foolish, pampered little girl who hung off your every word like a lovesick puppy in the past. I’ve grown up. I know how to protect myself from people like you. You think you can throw a few compliments around and entice me into your bed, but I’m not that easy.’
‘The press would have it otherwise,’ he said with a wry look.
‘The press don’t always get it right,’ she said. ‘They interpret what they see to sell the most papers. It suits them to portray me as a home-wrecker. It fits their imageof me as a tart who will bed anything in trousers. But I do have some standards. I am not interested
‘I am sure we will make the best of things,’ Jade assured her with zero confidence.
‘Of all my boys, Nic is most like his father,’ Giovanna said. ‘He is restless, a free spirit—is that how you say it in English?’
‘S
ì
, that is exactly how you say it,’ Jade said.
Giovanna gave her another tight hug. ‘You and Nic are more alike than you are different,’ she said. ‘Salvatore always said you were an angel underneath. That is justlike my Nic. He has a soft core; you just have to know how to find it.’
Jade smiled wanly as the family escorted Giovanna to the waiting limousine. She was surprised at her new mother-in-law’s attitude towards her. There were not many mothers who would welcome someone with Jade’s reputation into the family, but then perhaps Giovanna was as eager as Salvatore had been for her youngest son to settle down, even if it wasn’t to the most suitable of brides.
Nic came over to where Jade was standing, watching as the car disappeared into the distance. She felt her skin lift even though the air was still warm. She turned and faced him, forcing a stiff smile to her face. ‘That seemed to go off rather well, don’t you think? ‘
His eyes gleamed as he looked down at her. ‘Everyone said the same thing: you were the most beautiful bride they have ever seen,’ he said. ‘I didn’t tell you earlier, but you took my breath away when you stepped into the church on your father’s arm.’
Jade didn’t allow herself to believe he was being genuine. She knew what he wanted. He wanted to end the day in bed. He was a master at seduction and what better way than to butter her up with compliments that would melt her resolve to keep this marriage in name only. ‘I think you went a little too far on the kiss in the church,’ she said in a prim tone. ‘A simple kiss on the lips would have sufficed. You should have shown a little more respect.’
His mouth tilted in a knowing smile. ‘Feeling guilty about wanting me, Jade? ‘
She folded her arms across her middle. ‘I do
not
want you. I just want the money this marriage will bring.’
‘So you keep reminding me, but your eyes tell me something else again,’ he said. ‘And not just your eyes but your mouth as well. I’ve had trouble getting our first kiss out of my mind. You really are a little firecracker, aren’t you?’
She gave a scathing little snort.
He studied her for a moment. ‘Have you had anything to eat?’
She looked at him in irritation. ‘Oh, please don’t start on about that. I had enough from my father. Not that he was any great example, getting drunk like that and having to be practically poured into the car with his new girlfriend fussing over him as if she really gives a fig about him. She’s after his money, any fool can see it, but then there’s no fool like an old fool, is there?’
Nic pursed his lips for a moment. ‘You don’t really hate him, do you? ‘
She sent him a look that would have cut through marble. ‘I feel nothing for him or for anyone.’
‘I am quite sure that’s not true,’ he said. ‘I saw you playing with Ella earlier. You don’t hate her, do you? ‘
Her eyes flashed angrily. ‘You seem to think you know me, Nic, but you don’t. I’m not the naive, foolish, pampered little girl who hung off your every word like a lovesick puppy in the past. I’ve grown up. I know how to protect myself from people like you. You think you can throw a few compliments around and entice me into your bed, but I’m not that easy.’
‘The press would have it otherwise,’ he said with a wry look.
‘The press don’t always get it right,’ she said. ‘They interpret what they see to sell the most papers. It suits them to portray me as a home-wrecker. It fits their imageof me as a tart who will bed anything in trousers. But I do have some standards. I am not interested
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