The Sicilian Marriage. Sandra Marton

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      SO MUCH for snowballs and hell.

      He ran into the Ice Princess just minutes after walking into the party. At least, he would have if he hadn’t spotted her and come to a screeching halt.

      She was standing with a group of people, her back to him, but that didn’t matter. The hair tumbling down her back, the endless legs, showcased by heels so spiked they should have been declared a hazard to a man’s health, were dead giveaways.

      All her attention was focused on a guy doing his best to make her laugh. Damned if he wasn’t succeeding.

      Gianni felt his muscles tense. This woman laughed easily for anybody but him.

      What was she doing here? Tomasso, he thought grimly, and just then, Tomasso had the misfortune to stroll by. Gianni grabbed his shoulder and glared.

      “Did you invite her?”

      “Invite who?”

      “Damn it, Tomasso…No. You wouldn’t do that to me. It was Fallon.”

      “It was Fallon what?” Tomasso said, his bewilderment so genuine that Gianni knew he was blameless.

      “Fallon who put Karen up to this. To inviting Briana O’Connell.” Gianni jerked his head in Bree’s direction. “Stefano’s wife is the only one who’d—”

      “Nobody put Karen up to anything. Briana is Karen’s best friend.”

      It was Gianni’s turn to look shocked. “Her best friend?”

      “Well, they’d been out of touch for a few years, but yeah, best pals, way back when. They went to college together. Roomed together. They were sorority sisters. You know, the whole nine yards.” Tomasso raised an eyebrow. “What’s the problem?”

      “Nothing,” Gianni said wearily. “There’s no problem.”

      “You sure?” Tomasso offered a friendly leer. “You and she have something going on?”

      “Only if you’d describe a spider as having something going on with a fly.” Gianni laughed and slung his arm around the other man’s shoulders. “How about taking me to meet that new daughter of yours?”

      The baby was cute, as babies went. The food was good, the ale was cold, and twenty minutes after he’d arrived, Gianni was ready to leave.

      World War Three had not erupted. The Ice Princess either didn’t know he was here or she knew he was here and was ignoring him. She was still chatting with the same group of people. The only thing that had changed was that now he could hear her laugh.

      It was the laugh he’d heard at Stefano’s. Husky. Sexy. Secretive.

      It was driving him out of his mind.

      How could she laugh when he was so royally ticked off? How come she didn’t know he was here? She had to know. He hadn’t been aware of the connection between her and Karen, but she’d certainly known he and Tomasso were friends, and—

      And, he didn’t have to worry about her driving him insane because he was already climbing the steps of the asylum. Why else would he stand here watching her? Why would he give a damn? Why would he feel his temper rising and his blood pressure increasing?

      Okay. All right. Closure. Wasn’t that what he’d wanted? He felt a muscle jump in his cheek. Closure was what he’d get, and right now.

      There must have been something in his face as he strode across the room because the people she was with fell silent. Only one man was still laughing; a look from him and the laugh turned into something that sounded like a caw.

      “What’s the matter?” Briana O’Connell said.

      She swung around and he saw the surprise and something more flash across her face, something he would have missed if he weren’t feeling it himself.

      Desire, hot, raw and savage, sluiced through his blood.

      “You,” she said, so dramatically that he almost laughed.

      “Me,” he said, and reached for her arm.

      “Hey.” She tried to pull away. He wouldn’t let her. “What do you think you’re doing?”

      “Yeah,” the man who’d been laughing said, “what do you think you’re doing?”

      Gianni swung toward him. “Whatever I’m doing,” he said pleasantly, “it’s none of your business.” The guy’s face turned a sickly grey. Okay. Maybe he didn’t say it pleasantly. “The lady and I have things to discuss.”

      He looked at Briana. Her face was as pink as the guy’s was grey. He could see the pulse beating in her throat. Was she afraid of him? She ought to be. He’d had about all he was going to take.

      “You’re crazy. We have nothing СКАЧАТЬ