The Infamous Italian's Secret Baby Read Online Free PDF Page A

thatshe had no choice but to turn and face the man she so longed to forget, as he had her.
    Gabriel’s expression was blandly polite as Isabella Scott turned to face him. ‘Miss Scott,’ he greeted evenly as he briefly took the cool slenderness of her hand in his before releasing it. ‘Or may I call you Isabella?’
    ‘I—’
    ‘Everyone calls her Bella,’ Claudia put in helpfully.
    ‘May I?’ The icy darkness of Gabriel’s gaze easily held Bella captive.
    Violet-coloured eyes were surrounded by thick dark lashes the same colour as that wild cascade of hair down the slender length of her spine…
    Bella blinked before abruptly breaking the intensity of Gabriel’s gaze to focus on something across the room. ‘Bella is fine,’ she answered him evenly.
    Isabella Scott looked self-assured and incredibly beautiful in an off-the-shoulder gown of the exact colour of her eyes, and, if Gabriel was not mistaken, her small, pointed chin was slightly raised in challenge as her gaze returned questioningly to meet the intensity of his…
    ‘More guests to greet,’ Brian Kingston murmured apologetically as he glanced across the room. ‘Excuse me, won’t you, Gabriel? I’m sure Bella and Claudi will be only too pleased to keep you entertained.’ He shot a teasing glance at the younger of the two cousins before turning and making his way back across the crowded room to his fiancÉe’s side.
    Gabriel’s gaze was hooded as he continued to look steadily at Bella. ‘Will you?’
    An irritated frown appeared between her eyes. ‘Will I what?’ she prompted sharply.
    ‘Be pleased to keep me entertained?’ he drawled with cool mockery.
    Purple lights flashed in the depths of her eyes. ‘Do you need entertaining, Mr Danti?’
    ‘In truth, I doubt I will be staying long enough for that to be necessary,’ he conceded.
    Gabriel hadn’t intended attending this party at all this evening, but at the last moment his father had asked him to represent the Danti side of the family, as he didn’t feel well enough to attend the party of his niece this evening as well as her wedding tomorrow. Gabriel had reluctantly agreed to come in his place, his intention to only stay long enough to satisfy the proprieties.
    At least, it had been…
    Gabriel Danti wasn’t staying long, Bella triumphed with inward relief. ‘I’m sure Claudia and I can manage a few minutes’ polite conversation, Mr Danti.’
    Gabriel Danti gave a mocking inclination of his head before turning his attention to Claudia. ‘Are you enjoying your visit to San Francisco, Claudia?’
    Bella allowed her breath to leave her lungs in a soft, shaky sigh as she at last felt herself released from the intensity of Gabriel’s dark, compelling gaze, and she took those few moments of respite to study him more closely.
    The man she had met five years ago had possessed the broodingly magnetic good looks of his heavenly namesake. Along with a lazy self-confidence and charm that was utterly captivating, and a warm sensuality in those chocolate-brown eyes that undressed a woman at a glance.
    Or, in Bella’s experience, made a woman want to undress for him at a glance!
    The man talking oh-so-politely to Claudia still possessed those broodingly magnetic good looks—the livid scar down the left side of his face only added a dangerous edge to that attraction!—but his eyes were no longer that warm and sensual colour of melted chocolate but were instead a flat, unemotional brown, and the lazy charm and self-confidence had been replaced with a cold and arrogant aloofness.
    As far as Bella was aware, Gabriel had never married—although, in all honesty, Bella hadn’t particularly gone out of her way to learn anything about his life in the five years since they had parted so abruptly.
    What would have been the point? The two of them had shared nothing more than a night of unimaginable and unrepeatable passion.
    ‘Would you care for a drink?’
    Bella raised startled eyes to