Page 5 of A Son Hidden from the Sicilian

Leave it to Sicily and Lorenzo to remind her that she did.

But it wasinfuriating, really, to be tempted by so little. He hadn’t apologized for breaking things off with her abruptly. He hadn’t even acknowledged that two years had passed. He was just...propositioning her, like that was all hehadto do.

“I won’t be having coffee with you. Or anything else, Lorenzo.”

“Why not?”

Why not.Why not?She whirled on him, a surprising anger spurting up inside her. Surprising because she’d convinced herself she was over this. That by keeping Gio a secret she had somehow gotten even with him. But the emotion stirred, even years later, from him flirting with her like he’d done nothing wrong, like nothing had changed...

“You lied to me. You deserted me. Abruptly and without explanation. We can chalk that all up to a naive art student on her first international trip being easily charmed by a suave businessman who knows the games people play and plays them oh so well. Fine enough. But I’m not that woman anymore. And I’m not in any position to have random flings with men who have so little depth or human decency.”

Lorenzo did not allow his temper to flare, though the shot about hisdecencylanded sharp enough to make his control a hard-won thing. But he held on to the shield. He carefully iced the anger and offense away. He even smiled. Because there was something underneath her words he couldn’t quite understand or guess at.

She was behaving...strangely. Like she had something to hide. Like he was someone to fear. None of that added up, even if she was angry with him, still, for his...abrupt breakup two years ago. “Why not?”

She blinked, clearly caught off guard. “Why not what?”

“Why are you not in a position to engage in ‘random flings’ with men you once enjoyed?”Enjoyed seemed a dim word for what sparked between them—then, now—but he didn’t wish to overplay his hand.

Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. He saw her struggle to come up with an answer.

“Married?”

He watched her carefully. Once again she didn’t speak right away. Was she considering lying? And what would be the lie?

More important, what was the truth? Why did itneeda lie?

Well, he’d find out soon enough. He’d know everything there was to know about Brianna Andersen over the past two years and her strange behavior in the here and now.

She straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin, and met his gaze with direct blue eyes. Not like the sky or the ocean or even a flower. Just a shade that haunted him still.

“Lorenzo, we had a brief affair years ago,” she said, and she sounded tired though she didn’t look it. “I’m sure you’ve enjoyed many a model, actress, and who knows what all since then.”

“You reallyhavebeen paying attention, Brianna.”

Her mouth firmed. “Some drugs are hard to kick, Lorenzo. But I won’t be returning to this one. So I’d appreciate it if you leave me alone.”

He couldn’t quite keep his smile in place at her treating him like he was some kind of drooling stalker. Adrug, when he knew the utter destruction those could do. “I do not stick around where I’m not wanted.”

“You don’t even stick around where youarewanted,” she shot back.

And here was the anger he’d maybe expected. Or thought he deserved for his abrupt goodbye. The scorned woman. Still, no matter if it was deserved or not, he didn’tappreciateher little barbs. “What is it you want from me, Brianna?”

“An apology would prove to me that you’re a better man than I think you are, but the fact of the matter is, it’d have to be genuine. And begged-for apologies don’t tend to be genuine. So I don’t want anything from you, Lorenzo. Except to be left alone.”

“I am not sorry for what I did.” It had been necessary. He didn’t do things that weren’tessential.

Except you’re standing here right now having this ridiculous conversation.

“Fantastic. Regardless, I’m not here for an apology. I’m here to sell my art. In a few days, I’ll go home. I had no intention of running into you, asking for apologies, or dealing with you at all. You’re a piece of ancient history and I’d like to leave it that way.”

She stood there, delivering these statements with an anger and bitterness he never would have guessed existed inside of someone so...warm. But she had not only been warmth and sweetness. Even then. That was the problem with Brianna.

There were so many facets to her. She was an easy woman to read, and yet not an easy woman to get to know. Because she could be strong and she could be vulnerable. Naive and innocent. Cynical and passionate. He could see all these things on her face as easily as the makeup she wore—and yet it did not mean he understood thewhysbehind all her feelings, or that he could predict them. She’d gone from ignoring him, to being skittish, to an exhausted kind of rejection of him in a handful of minutes, and he understood very few of these abrupt changes.

But they were all her. Not acts. Not games. Just...her.

Perhaps that was the secret of why she’d lingered in his mind even after he’d left her. Even after he’d spent considerable time trying to cut her out of his memory.

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