“With no other living relative, my grandma took me in. Things were hard, life was hard. My grandma tried, but it wasn't enough. I had to work several jobs even though I was still in school. And when it was time to go to college I worked my ass off to get a scholarship, there I took a student loan to cover the rest of the expenses.”
She skipped the part she met her ex and said, “Finished school and worked four years in an advertising firm and here I am.” Paige explained, spreading her arms and acting like she wasn't bothered by any of what she had just said.When she turned she expected to find Leo repulsed, but the expression she saw on Leo's face toppled her defenses as she did not know what to think about it. She had expected to see disgust at the type of life she had lived, but what she didn't expect was to see understanding in his eyes. And pain on her behalf.“I think you turned out well. Your parePaige heard a hmm as he laid down and another one as he sat up, and she imagined him pulling off his shirt and dropping it on the floor. Paige swallowed. When he settled again, she almost laughed at the thought he couldn't get comfortable on the ground. What with the way he kept turning this way and that, trying to get comfortable. She doubted he had ever slept on the floor before now. Finally, having mercy on him as none of them would get any sleep done if he kept moving about restlessly Paige said, “Why don't you come up on the bed, am sure it's a big bed and can contain the two of us.” His movements stopped abruptly, and the next thing she heard was, “Are you sure?” In a deep, dark, drawl. “Yeah, it's not like you are going to pounce on me or anything?” Paige finished with a small laugh. Feeling stupid for having mentioned that last part. Silence
The next day after breakfast Paige had thought all she had to do was pretend to be the perfect girlfriend when they were in the public eye and the rest would be history.Especially after the events of last night where she had told Leo about the events of her life and that little matter about her ex-boyfriend Paige had been embarrassed and had longed for a quiet time away from him, but she had been surprised when after breakfast a Golf course was suddenly announced, one which would throw her in the same space with Leo and there was no way she could escape it even if she wanted to.At first, her excuse had been she didn't bring any appropriate outfit for the game, but like a fairy godmother, Leo's mother had appeared with something she could wear. And all her arguments dissolved like a pack of ice. So here she was in their bedroom dressed up in golf attire waiting for Cole. The same man she had been hoping to avoid by any means today.She convinced herself the
“Mother?” Leo breathed in the air of one who didn't know he was being watched. Because Paige couldn't understand Italian, the family has made it a point to speak English whenever she was within the vicinity, but there were still a few times when they resolved to Italian like now as mother and son greeted themselves in Italian. Flavia turned to them and looked from Leo to her. Leo was still holding her against his body which caused a rivulet of fire to spread throughout her body and she enjoyed it so much she was a step away from turning putty in his arms. Paige tried to think of a time when Leo had held her like this, but came up with nothing. He had never held her like this and she knew he was doing it today because of the charade because he wanted his mother to see them as the couple they were pretending to be, however, it was making her feel something in her belly. She risked a glance at him, but his gaze was fixed on his moth
Warm brown eyes turned to her earnestly. “What have you thought of me as?” Leo waited for her to say something anything but Paige never said a word instead she turned her face to the other side biting her lips. “I can't really say.” After hearing that Leo's face turned dark, but he didn't pressurize her. He only hoped she wasn't one of those who only saw what was on the outside. He had thought she was different. Maybe he was wrong. Bittered, he pulled the cart to a stop by the side of the road and got down and waited for her to do the same. Once she got down. Leo instinctively grabbed her hand into his own. Only after he had done did he realize what he had done. He stared down at her, hoping she did not notice. However, Paige was staring straight ahead, looking stiff. Leo didn't have to look
Leo looked at his uncle with his short-cropped hair and a face full of stubble and his father with his round rim glasses and protruding stomach and felt a cold sweat break out in his back. For the last ten minutes, he had been trying to pitch a business idea to his father, but his uncle kept sabotaging him. Was this what Alberto meant by my father and Rosa were working together. At first, he had not believed it but seeing how Uncle Stefano kept finding loopholes in his plan. He had no choice but to lay rest to its possibilities. He needed to do something, Leo thought at this rate, he will never be able to convince his father about introducing a wine brand with a mash-up of their local grapes and foreign ones with his uncle by his side and sabotaging him.
The sun was high in the sky and the gentle breeze which a while ago caressed Paige's skin blew hot air on her body as she tried to stop the wild staccato in her heart. Besides her, Rosa smiled.Earlier today after Leo had kissed her by the side of the mouth in the hallway Paige had tried her best to forget it and to not make him know how affected she was by that kiss. But as soon as they drove into the golf course, and Leo wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to his side for the sake of the charade. The fire in her heart had ignited and threatened to consume her, and she feared for her sanity and what she would do in that instant because she was having weird dangerous thoughts. It was as if her dam of reasoning was breaking, and she wanted to hold him tight, rise on her tiptoe and give him an intense kiss.So she had held her body stiff. Trying to pretend his hand was not on her waist and her
To an extent, her reasoning made sense and Paige almost considered it. What was she doing hankering after a man who would never have noticed her had he not needed her as a fake fiancée. 'He was not capable of loving?' Well, she wasn't sure about that one. She had heard of his past relationships but has never seen Leo in any relationship before. At that moment Paige was wavering with uncertainty and would have believed Rosa had she not seen that secret smile people gave to themselves when they were proud of something they have done. And she remembered how Leo had complained bitterly about Rosa and told her if possible never to make herself appear alone with Rosa. At the time she had thought he was exaggerating, but now she knew he was right. Rosa was a pain in the ass. In just a few minutes she had practically turned her heart inside out with her ugly words.
Just when she thought she was done with a big bad wolf a tiger comes strolling in can this day get any worse. The first thing that came to Paige's mind was to deny. So she looked up at him and twisted her face. “Er... I don't know what you are talking about.” It wouldn't look good to offend the man she still didn't know where his position was in the family tree. Two pairs of amused brown eyes stared back at her, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly which caused Paige's heartbeat to escalate as the suspense was killing her. He waved his big hand in the air “There is no need to pretend I already know the relationship is fake.” He knew? That can't be possible. “In fact, I was the one to give Leonardo that idea.” Fine lines appeared on his forehead and disbelief set in his voice when he saw he was not getting anywhere