admit that she had dropped out in advance of it. 'OK...fine.'
Rio spread his hands in an expressive motion. 'I personally feel that
the wisest solution is for you to work somewhere in the Lombardi empire.
Now, before you start saying that's nepotism, listen to the pros and
cons...'
'Pros and cons...' Holly parroted, hugely taken aback by his suggestion.
'Your hours would be negotiable- So if I want us to take off somewhere
for a break at short notice, or even have you accompany me on a business
trip, there won't be a problem.'
'I see...'
'Of course, you will have to do some business courses first, and some of
our company courses are quite demanding. But, when you're so keen to
have a career, I can't see that being a problem. You just haven't had
the opportunities before but now you do,' Rio informed her with
satisfaction.
The silence lay, a silence of expectancy.
Holly was aghast. She was seeing demanding business courses stretching
interminably into her future and cringing from the prospect. But after
all the noise she had made about working, how was she supposed to turn
round and tell him she had changed her mind? Especially when he had made
such an effort to alter his own outlook on her behalf. Why were men so
obtuse sometimes? 'Holly?' Rio prompted.
Holly swallowed hard and forced a weak smile. 'You're being really
supportive. I'll think the idea over.'
'I have a surprise for you, cara. Put out your hand and close your
eyes,' Rio urged.
Her mascaraed lashes clogged together. She felt him slide something onto
her left hand and she untangled her lashes to look.
'Six-week anniversary present,' Rio imparted. A fabulous sapphire and
diamond ring now sat next to her wedding ring. Her throat closed over.
When he went on a guilt trip, he really worked hard at it, she
reflected, tears stinging her eyes. 'It's just gorgeous...' she said in
a wobbly voice.
'What are you crying for?'
'I'm not crying,' she swore chokily. 'Look, I'd better get
dressed.'
'Spoilsport,' he murmured huskily.
She had had to fall like a ton of bricks for him to discover that
sometimes she loved him so much it literally hurt to think about it.
The party was held in a huge town house by a very fashionable
middle-aged couple. The decor seemed to have a gothic theme, or maybe it
was just the party theme, Holly thought, but there was a giant mural of
dragons adorning one end of the vast main room and the lights were dim
and the air heavy with the scent of incense. Huge mirrors hung
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on the walls and veiled marble statues lurked in dim corners.
'You've got some strange friends,' Holly told Rio.
'Frank and Lily are very conventional but they slavishly follow every
fashion trend,' Rio informed her with amusement. "The next time you
visit it will all have changed.'
Holly saw Christabel make her entrance, could not really have missed it
even had she tried. Wearing a shimmering, extremely short white dress
that caressed every curve of her perfect body, Christabel turned every
head in the room, both male and female.
As Holly sat there frozen by dismay and an instant sense of being under
threat, Rio drawled softly, 'I'm afraid that on some occasions you will
have to get used to seeing her around.'
'Did you know she was going to be here?'
'I didn't even think about it,' Rio countered in a decided tone of
exasperation.
Holly then noticed that Christabel had a very presentable male companion
in tow and the sight soothed her. She knew what Rio was telling her and
wished she hadn't commented. Christabel had a perfect right to go where
she liked.
An hour later she watched Rio's ex-fiancée putting on a stunning
exhibition of salsa dancing and generally becoming the life and soul of
the party. By her side, Rio got quieter and quieter. When he had asked
her to dance she had said no. She didn't know how to do salsa but now
everyone was doing it and doing it with real style.
While Rio was at the other end of the room chatting to their host his
cousin, Jeremy strolled up. 'Would you like to dance?'
'No, thanks.'
'You shouldn't let Christabel get you down,' Jeremy said
bluntly.
'Oh, is she here? I hadn't noticed.' Holly knew she was sulking and
feeling sorry for herself but she was unable to stop. She felt so plain,
so colourless in comparison to Christabel. Why had Rio become so silent?
Maybe he was jealous. Maybe seeing Christabel with another man annoyed
him. How could it not annoy him, for goodness' sake? Christabel was just
so unbelievably gorgeous, she
conceded miserably.
Jeremy drifted off again and Holly watched Christabel giggle in company
with their hostess, Lily. And then something happened. The older woman's
face froze and she turned on her heel and stalked over to her husband
and Rio. Christabel returned to her table and lifted her handbag to
rifle through it. Then the dancers screened her from view. But when
Holly glanced back at Rio for the first time she saw him looking in
Christabel's direction, lean, strong face taut, his tension
unmistakable. Suddenly Holly's heart felt as if it was thundering at the
base of her throat and threatening to choke her. As if in a dream, she
watched Rio cut a path across the crowded floor, making a beeline for
Christabel. Then she saw her husband standing with his ex-fiancée in the
circle of his arms and she couldn't believe it. Her very worst nightmare
was coming true before her eyes but she could not believe it.
But Christabel's head was down on his shoulder, her hair trailing across
his dark jacket like a blonde banner. Some people had even stopped
dancing to stare. The taste of bile in her dry mouth, Holly watched
sickly as Rio, with a supportive arm wrapped round Christabel, walked
her out of
the room.
Holly sat very still, just staring into space, eyes burning
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in her sockets, tummy cramping with nausea. She was horribly conscious
of the surge of comment washing round the room in a tidal wave. She
couldn't
hear it because of the music but she could see and feel it: the
heads moving together, the clumping up of couples into bigger groups,
the agonising moment when she accidentally collided with a speculative
glance.
Jeremy appeared in front of her. 'Rio called me on my mobile. He asked
me to keep you company.'
Rio had phoned Jeremy? Rio had actually left the party with Christabel?
Her husband had just walked out and left her stranded in front of an
audience? Well, where did you think he was going with her? she asked
herself numbly.
'I want to go home.' Holly got up, legs trembling, wanting some magic
process to transport her outside, away from the watching eyes and the
clattering tongues. Never in her life had she felt more humiliated.
Never had she dreamt that Rio would do such a thing to her.
There was no sign of their host and hostess, which was a relief. Jeremy
tucked Holly into a cab as if she might shatter into pieces if he wasn't
careful. He climbed in beside her.
'There's no need for you to come with me,' Holly said woodenly.
Jeremy's phone started playing some ludicrously upbeat tune. He handed
it to her. 'It's Rio...'
'Holly, I'm really sorry but I honestly didn't have a choice,' Rio
breathed in bleak undertone. 'Look, we'll talk later.'