Page 29 of Marcus

Marcus laughed.

Cara still watched Cella, only now, with a softer smile playing at the edges of her lips. After arriving at the dinner party over an hour ago, the food had yet to even be served. Not that Cella minded all that much because it gave Marcus more than enough time to give her a quick tour and introduce her to some of his brothers that were able to attend the party. And his father, too, just to keep up the act.

His mother, on the other hand, seemed to constantly run from one thing to the next which meant this was the first time they had been able to approach her while she stayed still. God knew Cella understood, though, because her mother and the rest of the women in her family were the same way when they had an event at one of their homes.

She didn’t take offense.

Respected it, really.

“And this … the infamous Cella Marcello, yes?”

Cella let out a quiet laugh. “I’m not sure infamous—”

“Trust me, anyone who appreciates good home design knows you.” Cara gave her son a conspiratorial wink before adding, “But what I would love to know even more is how my son came across you, and why he didn’t think to tell me you would be his guest this evening for my dinner party. Marcus?”

Cella might have enjoyed the sight of Marcus looking sheepish at his mother’s admonishment, but he just as quickly came back from it with a charming smile that had even his mother shaking her head with a happy sigh.

“I thought the surprise might be nice,” he lied smoothly.

Cella had to look away at that.

“We met a while back,” he explained, “she’s a good friend of mine.”

Cara’s gaze widened. “Oh?”

“Could you not, Ma?”

“Why didn’t you tell me about your friend, then?”

“My fault,” Cella stepped in, willing to save Marcus the trouble, if only because he was trying to go to great lengths to keep his father’s surprise for Cara a secret as much as possible. “It’s only recently that I agreed to go out, and so far, I’m not regretting it.”

The older woman laughed, the light catching her red hair that had been left down in soft waves, making it a deeper shade of maroon.

“I would hope you’re not regretting it considering otherwise, I’d need to have a chat with him, hmm?”

“I will keep that in mind, Cara. And it’s very nice to meet you.”

Someone called Cara’s name from the side, making the woman sigh under her breath with more frustration that she had shown all night. “And you, too, but it looks like someone else needs me again. I’m making your father call Martina, Marcus, you watch me.”

“Ma—”

“I will find you later,” she told Cella, “so don’t you go too far.”

She accepted Cara’s hug, and the kiss to her cheek. Marcus did the same, and then the woman disappeared into the crowd of people that were currently moving between the large dining room and a sitting area.

“She loves this,” he said absently, his hand coming to rest at Cella’s lower back.

Just that touch …

It’s all it took for Cella’s body to be way up all over again.

This man would kill her, she was sure.

“Pardon?”

“My ma,” he murmured, grinning down at her with a wink, “she won’t call Martina—she’ll just whip the new catering company into shape, but because they’re new …”

“Yeah, I get it. And she loves you, huh? I could tell that right away.”