Page 46 of Midnight Revelations

“Ah!” He nodded to somewhere behind me. “There’s my son. Ash!”

Xavier tightened his arm on mine, and Jordan’s hand landed at the bottom of my spine. Her giggling preceded her, and those breasts possessed a life force of their own as they swayed from side to side. She must have bruises after sex. I kicked myself in the ass at my thoughts, as I had never been that nasty over a woman before.

My smile remained in place as Ash joined us, his gaze roving over us before they moved to his father. “What’s up, Dad?”

“Xavier was just introducing me to his cousin,” Matteus replied.

“I’ve known Lucy for years. She’s Lucas’ youngest daughter, and my business partner. You already know that.” Ash never called me Lucy, ever. It sounded strange on his tongue.

“Oh, yes, I remember now.” Matteus flashed a megawatt smile in our direction. “It’s hard to keep track of Ash’s business associates and girlfriends.”

Another giggle drew our attention to the bubbly blonde at his side. She pouted and stared at Ash expectantly before giggling again.

His jaw tightened. “Everyone, this is Poppy. Poppy, that’s my dad and you already know Xavier and Jordan.”

She stared directly at me. “Which of these two men is your date?” she asked.

My eyebrows rose slightly. “Neither,” I replied. “Xavier is my cousin and Jordan my protector. I don’t need a date to be here.”

Her mouth opened in an O before she closed it again.

I gave Matteus my best impersonation of Catarina. “It was lovely to meet you. Have a pleasant evening.”

Xavier and Jordan moved seamlessly beside me, both of them pillars of strength. Without them, my knees would have given out. I caught sight of Michael standing close to a pillar at the side.

“Excuse me,” Jordan said in a low tone. I saw him approach Michael out of the corner of my eye.

“He won’t do anything stupid, will he?” I asked.

“He might beat the crap out of him later in a dark alley, but nothing inside this room.” Xavier kept moving until I found myself beside Papa.

“Xavier! I am so pleased to see you here.” Papa engulfed my cousin in a hug, thumping him on the back. “I was gifted three beautiful daughters, and this is my youngest, Lucrezia,” he told the men he was talking to. “Xavier is the male of our family who is the big brother to them.”

In other words, his heir. I almost rolled my eyes but I didn’t have the energy right now. I stood and smiled in the appropriate places for a moment before excusing myself to use the toilet. Instead, I went straight to the bar and ordered myself a shot of vodka. In boarding school, it was the tipple of choice because it could be disguised as water. I downed the drink and suppressed the burn in my throat.

“Want another?” Ivan, the man Papa had previously tried to set me up with in Paris, stood watching me in amusement.

I shrugged. “Why not?”

He waved the bartended over. “Two of the same again.” He leaned his hip against the counter and gave me his full attention. “Is the party that bad?”

I lifted the glass out in front of me and he lifted his. He grinned as I clinked my glass to his and swallowed the shot. “It depends,” I replied. “Is your papa trying to marry you off when you don’t even know the person?”

“No.” He laughed and shook his head. “He isn’t. I guess you’ve worked out what Lucas is doing.”

“He hasn’t been very discreet,” I said. “I don’t object to the candidates, just that I don’t know them and want romance, not a contract.”

“Some people see marriage as a business venture.” He watched my every reaction, so I stilled them.

“Not me. I grew up to the stories of Mama and Papa and their great love. Is it selfish to want the same?”

Ivan smiled and rolled his eyes. “I guess since I’m busted, why don’t we start again?” He held his hand out to me. “Ivan, pleased to meet you.”

My lips twitched. “Lucrezia. Have we met before?”

His laugh floated around me as the alcohol started to take effect and warm me. “No, but I saw the most beautiful woman in the room drinking alone and decided to join her.”

I nudged him with my elbow. “Flattery definitely works.”

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