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‘Enjoying your engagement party?’ Ewen said, grinning at me as he chinked his glass to my own.
‘Yeah.’
‘You sound about as thrilled as these two looked about coming.’ Maeve said, pointing a thumb at Grace and Elias, who looked furious at being dragged out of their bedrooms and into the real world. Man, teens were weird. We’d spent our teen years doing whatever we could to slip out from under the watch of dad’s men and get up to all sorts. I don’t think I could convince the teenagers to misbehave even if I paid them.
‘It’s just been a long night.’ I said, knocking back my champagne and setting the glass down. ‘Thanks for coming. I appreciate you all being here.’
‘She’s pretty hot, but I still think you’re an idiot,’ Mac added and Katie nodded at his side in agreement.
‘Join the long, long list of people who keep telling me how stupid I am.’
‘We don’t think you’re stupid. We just don’t think you need to put Dad’s plans ahead of your own life. You only get one. We just want you to pursue happiness. We have enough wealth to last a handful of lifetimes. You don’t need to hunt out any more.’ Maeve gave me a sympathetic smile as she leaned into Cam, who looped his arm around her waist while looking at her like she was made from solid gold.
‘I don’t need life lessons guys. I’m doing good.’
A member of Tony’s staff tapped me lightly on the elbow as I spoke, and I turned to him as he muttered under his breath. ‘Miss Valetti is ready to have your formal dance when you’re ready.’
I nodded and cleared my throat. ‘My fiancée needs me, but drink up and enjoy the party.’
Making my way through the packed room took longer than I could have imagined possible, between being stopped by guests to swap pleasantries and dodging round the many tables with their staggering floral displays.
Finally, I spotted Nicole’s sleek figure through the crowd and made toward her and the small group of people she chatted with.
‘Hey, here’s my man at last,’ Nicole said in a light, lilting voice as I joined them.
‘Logan, meet my aunt Lucille, and my cousin Valentina.’
I held out my hand to her aunt as my eyes took in the figure next to her.
My breath punched out of me as I looked into the face of my very own sweet Cherry. Cherry was Nicole’s cousin? I felt like my brain exploded into a thousand pieces and rendered my mouth useless.
‘Lovely to meet you, Logan,’ Lucille said, furrowing her brow at my dumbstruck face.
Cherry... Valentina narrowed her eyes at me for a moment, not having seen my face, before her eyes flicked down to my hand that still gripped her mother’s. They roved over my watch, and the tattoos across my knuckles, before flicking back to my face and widening.
I opened my mouth, trying to find words, but seeing her in person at my fucking engagement party left me floundering. She was even prettier in person, in a knee-length black gown with a deep slit and her dark hair pulled back into a chic ponytail. Her cheeks pinked up in the same way they did when she came. I ignored the thickening in my groin at the thought.
‘Logan,’ she said smoothly, holding out her hand as I took it. ‘A pleasure to meet you.’
It was like she electrocuted me with the brief touch of my hand, sending shocks through my system and frazzling it entirely.
‘You too.’ I stuttered out before Nicole linked her arm through mine.
‘Sorry to love you and leave you, but we’ve got the magazine’s photographers waiting to capture a dance between us. You know how it is.’ Nicole levelled an icy stare at Valentina before smiling at Lucille. ‘So lovely of you both to have come... we’ll need to get a little picture of the family together.’
Then she was dragging me into the middle of the dance floor as the band struck up a romantic tune.
‘Logan, why are you being so weird?’ Nicole whispered into my ear as she pulled me close. ‘We need this to look like we are madly in love, remember?’
‘Yeah, sorry. It’s been a long night.’ I pressed my hand tightly around Nicole’s waist and pulled her flush against me as she rested her cheek against mine. My body may have been on the dancefloor, but my gaze solely remained on my sweet Cherry. Nicole’s fucking cousin. Fuck my life. It should have solidified how bad a plan it was to do anything other than cut contact immediately, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.
She was pretty online, sweet and curvaceous, a luscious little treat. In person, she stole my very breath away. I wanted nothing more than to stalk across the room, throw her over my shoulder, and find a quiet place to absolutely ruin her.
Cameras flashed around us as people smiled and swooned, Nicole and I making the perfect mafia offspring pairing. Visually, at least.
Couples joined us on the dancefloor mid dance, and I lost sight of Valentina through the throng, only picking up glimpses occasionally as we danced. Then I spotted Hugh beside her, his fingers gripping into her arm as he whispered into her ear. The hairs on my neck stood up as I watched her glare at him and snatch her arm from his. When she walked off, he followed.
He’s her cousin.
