An Offer He Cant Refuse - By Christie Ridgway Page 0,113
into a seat at the table where Tea was sitting alone. "Why are you looking so gloomy? The food's great, the party's rocking, no one's died."
Tea shook her head. "Not yet." She couldn't shake the feeling that something might still go wrong.
Eve sank into the chair on the other side of Tea's, looking like an untouchable blonde statue in silver sequins. "Worry-wart," she declared. "I talked to a couple of the journalists. They were impressed with the house tour. The LA. Times reporter is going to contact the editor of the Homes section. Johnny must have done a hell of a sell job for you."
"Oh, I'm sure he did," Tea said. "He's got great lines."
Joey glanced around. "Where is your B.F.? He should have had you out on the dance floor by now."
"B.F.?" She laughed. "He's not my boyfriend." Not only hadn't she shared with her sisters that he was Giovanni
Martelli's son, she hadn't told them her brief fling with the man was over.
Eve frowned. "What did you do now, Tea?"
Joey was looking at her with the same disapproval in her eyes.
Tea avoided their gazes by transferring hers to the dance floor. "Look, there's Mom dancing with Beppe. Maybe she can talk him into calling Rachele. The poor kid seems lost since she moved out of his house."
"You can't keep turning your back on the men in your life," Joey said. "You didn't even wish Nonno a happy birthday."
Tea held onto her temper. "I found a new venue for his birthday party, didn't I?"
"Where, despite all your fears, the guests include the eminently respectable, such as several politicians, the police chief, heads of three local hospitals - "
"Not to mention the dozen or so too-slick types who complained about the security check at the gate. Apparently they can't really get down and party without carrying a piece."
Joey waved a hand. "You make too much of all that."
Tea bit back her reply. By never revealing the secrets of the Loanshark book, she'd protected her sisters from the gritty reality of their father's life. They could still think it was all just rumors and innuendo, and there was no sense in tarnishing the crowns of Salvatore's youngest princesses now.
But they didn't let the argument go. "We want to be a family again," Eve insisted.
"And you're the one who's making that difficult," Joey added. "Can't you just forget about the past so we can get on with the rest of our lives?"
Heat rose like tiny hairs on the edges of her skin. She'd tried so hard to be good, she'd tried so hard to make up for what she'd done, that she'd let her sisters and everyone else pass judgment on her without a defense or demur. But the anger was breaking free of its bonds now. It expanded, filling her up, and she rose from the table as it rose like lava inside a volcano.
"Don't think you know what I should do," she spit out, shaking with emotion. Her voice was too loud, but she didn't care. "Don't presume to tell me how I should live my life."
They were staring at her as if they could see steam pouring from the top of her head. "You don't know me," she told them, almost shouting. The words shook too, made heavy with molten emotion. "You've never known me."
Then she spun away from them.
And found herself against Johnny's chest.
His hands closed over her upper arms. "Just the woman I wanted to dance with," he murmured, then took a step back that brought them to the edge of the dance floor.
She was rigid under his touch. "I don't want to dance. I don't want to be near you."
"You don't want to cause a scene either, Contessa," he said, bringing his mouth against her ear. "But people are looking and I somehow doubt you want to undo all that positive publicity you brought to yourself and your design firm tonight."
"I thought you told me not to be a good girl anymore."
"Ah, but you have to pick your moments. Save the fight you want to have with your sisters for another time."
Tea couldn't stop her limbs from trembling, even as she glanced around and noticed the curious glances directed her way. Tears of frustration stung at the corners of her eyes. "I've tried to do the right thing," she said fiercely. "I've tried to make up for what I did."
Johnny pressed his hand to her head, urging it against his shoulder. "Deep breaths, Contessa. Long, deep breaths."