'Come on. I may have missed school the day rocket science was taught, but I know how this works.' Even when the words weren't said, Sasha knew she was being judged by her father's dishonour.
'Your surname has nothing to do with it,' Marco answered, nodding greetings to several people who tried to catch his eye. 'When the awards committee learned I would be attending, they naturally assumed that I would be bringing a plus one.'
A sensation she intensely disliked wormed its way into her heart. 'Oh, so I was bumped to make room for your date. Not because...?'
He raised a brow. 'Because?'
Shaking her head, Sasha took a hasty sip of her bubbly. 'So why didn't you? Bring a date, I mean?' When his brow rose in mocking query, she hurried on. 'I know it's certainly not for the lack of willing companions. I mean, a man like you...' She stumbled to a halt.
'A man like me? You mean The Ass?' he asked mockingly.
Heat climbed into her cheeks but she refused to be cowed. 'No, I didn't mean that. The other you-the impossibly rich, successful one, who's a bit decent to look at....' Cursing her runaway tongue, she clamped her mouth shut.
'Gracias...I think.'
'You know what I mean. Women scale skylights, risk life and limb to be with you, for goodness' sake.'
'Skylight-scaling is a bit too OTT for me. I prefer my women to use the front door. With my invitation.' His gaze connected with hers.
Heat blazed through her, lighting fires that had no business being lit. His broad shoulders loomed before her as he bent his head. As if to... As if to... Her gaze dropped to his lips. She swallowed.
Chilled champagne went down the wrong way.
She coughed, cleared her throat and tried desperately to find something to say to dispel the suddenly charged atmosphere. His eyelids descended, but not before she caught a flash of anguish. Stunned, she stared at him, but when he looked back up his expression was clear.
'To answer your question, this is a special event to honour children. It's not an event to bring a date who'll spend all evening checking out other women's jewellery or celebrity-spotting.'
'How incredibly shallow! Oh, I don't mean you date shallow women-I mean... Hell, I've put my foot in it, haven't I?'
The smile she'd glimpsed once before threatened to break the surface of his rigid demeanour. 'Your diplomatic hat is slipping, Sasha. I think we should go in before you insult me some more and completely shatter my ego.'
'I don't think that's possible,' she murmured under her breath. 'Seriously, though, you should smile more. You look almost human when you do.'
The return of his low, deep laugh sang deliciously along her skin, then wormed its way into her heart. When his hand arrived in the small of her back to steer her into the ballroom a whole heap of pleasure stole through her, almost convincing her the butterflies had been vanquished.
The feeling was pathetically short-lived. The pictures of children hanging from the ceiling of the chandeliered ballroom punched a hole through the euphoric warmth she'd dared to bask in. Her breath caught as pain ripped through her. If her baby had lived she would have been four by now.
'Are you sure you're okay?' Marco demanded in a low undertone.
'Yes, I'm fine.'
Unwilling to risk his incisive gaze, she hurried to their table and greeted an ex-footballer who'd recently been knighted for his work with children.
Breathing through her pain, it took a moment for her to realise she was the subject of daggered looks and whispered sniggers from the other two occupants of the table.
Feeling her insides congeal with familiar anger, she summoned a smile and pasted it on her face as the ex-footballer's trophy wife leaned forward, exposing enough cleavage to sink a battleship.
'Hi, I'm Lisa. This is my sister, Sophia,' she said.
Marco nodded in greeting and introduced Sasha.
Sophia flashed Marco a man-gobbling smile, barely sparing Sasha a glance.
A different form of sickness assailed Sasha as she watched the women melt under Marco's dazzling charisma. Eager eyes took in his commanding physique, the hard beauty of his face, the sensual mouth and the air of authority and power that cloaked him.
He murmured something that made Sophia giggle with delight. When her gaze met Sasha's, it held a touch of triumph that made Sasha want to reach out and pull out her fake hair extensions. Instead she kept her smile and turned towards the older man.
If fake boobs and faker lashes were his thing, Marco was welcome to them.
* * *
Marco clenched his fist on his thigh and forced himself to calm down. He'd never been so thoroughly and utterly ignored by a date in his life.
So Sasha wasn't technically his date. So what? She'd arrived with him. She would leave with him. Would it hurt her to try and make conversation with him instead of engaging in an in-depth discussion of the current Premier League?
Slowly unclenching his fist, he picked up his wine glass.
Sasha laughed. The whole table seemed to pause to drink it in-even the two women who had so rudely ignored her so far.
By the time the tables were cleared of their dinner plates he'd had enough.
'Sasha.'
She smiled an excuse at the older man before turning to him.
'Yes?'
At the sight of her wide, genuine smile-the same one she'd worn when she'd offered her friendship at Casa de León-something in his chest contracted. He forced himself to remember the reason Sasha Fleming was here beside him. Why she was in his life at all.
Rafael. The baby brother he'd always taken care of.
But he isn't a child any more...
Marco suppressed the unsettling voice. 'The ceremony's about to start. You're presenting the second award.'
Her eyes widened a fraction, then anxiety darkened their depths.
'Yes, of course. I...I have my speech ready. I'd better read it over one more time, just in case...' Her hands shook as she plucked a tiny piece of paper from her bag.
Without thinking, he covered her hand with his. 'Take a deep breath. You'll be fine.'
Eyes locked onto his, she slowly nodded. 'I... Thanks.'
The MC took to the stage and announced the first award-giver. Sasha smiled and clapped but, watching her closely, Marco caught a glimpse of the pain in her eyes. Forcing himself to concentrate on the speech, he listened to the story of a four-year-old who'd saved her mother's life by ringing for an ambulance and giving clear, accurate directions after her mother had fallen down a ravine.
The ice-cold tightening his chest since he'd stepped from the car increased as he watched the little girl bound onto the stage in a bright blue outfit, her face wreathed in smiles. Forcing himself not to go there, not to dwell in the past, he turned to gauge Sasha's reaction.
She was frozen, her whole body held taut.
Frowning, he leaned towards her. 'This is ridiculous. Tell me what's wrong. Now.'
She jumped, her eyes wide, darkly haunted with unshed tears. Her smile flashed, only this time it lacked warmth or substance.
'I told you, I'm fine. Or I would if I'd remembered to bring a tissue.'
Wordlessly, he reached into his tuxedo jacket and handed her his handkerchief, a million questions firing in his mind.
Accepting it, she dabbed at her eyes. 'If I look a horror, don't tell me until I come back from the stage, okay?' she implored.
It was on the tip of his tongue to trip out the usual platitudes he gave to his dates. Instead he nodded. 'Agreed.'
Marco watched her gather herself together. A subtle roll of her shoulders and a look of determination settled over her features. By the time she rose to present the award her smile was fixed in place.
Watching the lights play over her dark hair, illuminate her beautiful features and the generous curve of her breasts, Marco felt the familiar tightening in his groin and bit back a growl of frustration.
'As most of you know, Rafael de Cervantes was supposed to present this award to Toby this evening. Instead he's skiving off somewhere in sunny Spain.'
Laughter echoed through the room.
'No, seriously, just as Toby said a prayer before rushing into his burning home to save his little sister and brother, so we should all take a moment to say a prayer for Rafael's speedy recovery. Toby fought for his family to live. Not once did he give up. Even when the rescuers told him there was no hope for his little brother he ignored them and rescued him. Why? Because he'd promised his mother he'd take care of his siblings. And he never once wavered from that promise. There are lessons for all of us in Toby's story. And that's never to give up. No matter how small or big your dreams, no matter how tough or impossible the way forward seems, never give up. I'm delighted to present this award to Toby Latham, for his outstanding bravery against all odds.'
Sasha's voice broke on the last words. Although she tried to hide it, Marco caught the strain in her face and the pain behind her smile even as thunderous applause broke out in the ballroom.
Automatically Marco followed suit, but inside ice clenched his heart, squeezing until he couldn't breathe. It was always like this when he allowed himself to remember what Angelique had taken from him. What his weakness had cost him. He'd failed to take care of his own.