did the same to Francesca. She tried with Mariko, but not often, respecting her as a rider. Now she had Grace to kick around, but Vittorio wasn’t having it.
“I’m going to warn you this once, Grace. I might not have a say when it comes to your business. I don’t like it, but I promised you, and I keep my promises. Any other time she gets out of line, I will be the one dealing with it. And I expect you to tell me immediately every single time it happens.” He held her gaze until she reluctantly agreed.
They reached Emmanuelle, Taviano and Anne. Vittorio immediately introduced Grace to Anne. Anne held out her hand and Grace took it. “Such a pleasure to meet you. Vittorio has told me so much about you.”
“None of it’s true,” Anne proclaimed with a wide smile. “You can’t believe a word he says.” She leaned over to brush both sides of Vittorio’s face with a kiss.
Vittorio could see the sorrow in her eyes. “Have you been dancing yet?”
“We were just about to,” Taviano said. “Would you care to join us?”
A very handsome man hovering near them smiled at Emmanuelle. “Dance with me, Emme?” He was tall, with dark hair and very dark brown eyes.
Vittorio tried to place him. He looked to be older than Emme by a few years. “You might want to tell me who you are before you take my sister anywhere.”
The man turned to him. “I’m Elie Archambault. I was in the military with Demetrio and Drago, same unit. My father is French, my mother American. He died some years ago and she brought me to the States with her.”
Vittorio recalled one of the famed Archambault riders dying of cancer some years earlier.
“My father was my mother’s world. When he was gone she was so grief-stricken that I came with her,” Elie added as if Vittorio would need more of an explanation. “She passed when I was eighteen. I joined the military and had a good career, but I was injured and had to leave. I needed a job when I got out, and Demetrio suggested I come here and train with Emilio as a bodyguard.” He sounded almost bored, as if he’d repeated his story several times, and Vittorio was certain he had.
Elie had accompanied his grief-stricken mother home rather than have her be alone after her husband’s death. Vittorio liked him more for that.
“You could have told all that to me, not my brother,” Emmanuelle pointed out. There was clear suspicion on her face, as if she believed Elie had been ordered to ask her to dance.
Elie’s cool dark eyes slid over her. “Your brother asked. You didn’t.” He turned on his heel and took a step away.
“Wait.” Emmanuelle had to take several steps to catch up. “I would love to dance with you. I should have said so immediately, but you surprised me.”
Elie turned back to her slowly, those dark eyes drifting over her. “You look beautiful. Like royalty. I don’t know why you’d be surprised that a man would want to dance with you.”
“You’re aware of the possible situation going on tonight?” Vittorio asked.
“Emilio apprised all of us of it. I’m on a break. I wouldn’t have asked her while I was working.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Emmanuelle let out her breath. She visibly relaxed at Elie’s declaration. Vittorio tightened his fingers around Grace’s hand and indicated Elie and Emmanuelle precede him to the ballroom. The music had changed to a slower, dreamy number and the moment the three couples were on the floor, Vittorio swung Grace into his arms. He’d been aching to hold her.
“I’m supposed to be working,” she reminded, her voice muffled against his chest.
“You’re supposed to be making sure your man is happy, which, at this very minute, he is.” Vittorio brought her even closer, welding their bodies together so they flowed over the floor in perfect harmony.
If he could get lost when there was potential danger surrounding him, or anyone he loved, it would have been right there, in that moment. The music, the stars overhead, the fragrant turquoise flowers cascading on trellises from ceiling to floor, all added to the complete magic. He lifted his head for one moment to look around him at the other couples dancing. The event planners had created the perfect moment for everyone, giving them a chance to indulge in a romantic interlude with someone they were hoping to get to know better,