Wes didn’t have the right. He had hurt her, and he hated himself for it. He would keep his distance, but Wes knew he still needed to keep her in sight. She may not want anything to do with him, but he would still make sure she was safe.
Luca and Melody were holding court with a group of people near where Cara sat with Colin. Wes positioned himself at the outskirts of the group, where he could still see Cara, but also observe Melody. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for. A sign from the universe that Melody was the right choice? The safe choice?
Wes smiled as Melody jokingly placed her hand on a man’s forearm and leaned in to laugh flirtatiously. He recognized the move. It was more polished now, but it was the same move she’d used on their foster mother, Mrs. Cobb, to get them extra food.
He snuck a glance at Cara, standing with Colin and a few people he hadn’t met yet. She was smiling and seemed to be enjoying herself. Wes’s attention returned to Melody, who now regaled the group with a story about a photo shoot gone wrong, repeatedly touching the man next to her.Melody wants something from him.
Wes quickly dismissed the thought. Just because she was flirting, it didn’t mean anything.
Yet, it did.
He’d seen Melody manipulate people over the years using the same move, always for her gain—more snacks, free drinks, access to a club. If he hadn’t been watching them so closely, he would have missed when Melody’s eyes traveled to her fiancée, and Luca gave her a slightly approving smile.
Wes frowned, unsettled. His eyes returned to where Cara had been standing moments before, but the space was now occupied by different people. His eyes scanned through the crowd standing on the veranda and those he could see in the gardens beyond. There was no sign of her.
Wes had just taken a step to go find her when Melody’s delighted voice rang out.
“Wes!”
He tamped down the irritated feeling. Had she decided it was time to include him because he had started to move away? Wes was prepared to ignore her, but he glimpsed Cara getting a glass of wine from the bar, Colin still at her side. Wes scowled.
Is he planning on following her around like a puppy dog all night?
“Wes,” Melody’s voice was sharper. “I want to introduce you to some people.”
He wanted to go check on Cara, make sure Colin wasn’t bothering her. But across the crowd, she looked up and met his gaze. She flashed a thumbs up before going back to her conversation.
He huffed an angry breath. She was having a good time without him, and he had no one to blame but himself. He rubbed the back of his neck and reluctantly joined the group, now all watching him curiously.
“Wes is my oldest friend,” Melody was saying. “We’ve known each other since we were babies, practically.” Wes let the exaggeration go. Luca smiled widely and motioned for him to come closer.
“I just met Wes yesterday and finally put a face to all the stories. You’ve been such a good friend to my Bella.”
Wes gave a weak smile. He really wanted Luca to be a jerk.
Melody gestured to each of the others and introduced them as designers, models, and photographers. When she reached the man she had been flirting with before, she flashed him another coy smile. “And this is the great Giacomo diBenecto.”
The man demurred, but he was clearly enjoying the attention. “He shoots for Vogue Italia. He’s thinking about featuring some of Luca’s designs in a special spread.”
“Only my Bella could do justice to my work. She is my muse.”
Wes struggled to keep his face blank, but if he heard the word ‘muse’ one more time, he was going to lose it.
Melody chuckled. “You are too sweet, my love. I’m not Vogue material.” Even as she said the words, she met the photographer’s eyes, daring him to agree with her. By the cynical twist of his lips, Wes guessed this wasn’t the first time someone had attempted the ploy on the Italian.
“We shall see. Now is not the time to speak of work.” He raised his arms wide, encompassing all of them. “We are here to celebrateamore. Nothing is more important than that. Two hearts becoming one.”
“Of course.” Melody agreed though her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “In fact, let’s have a toast.” Looking around, she snapped her fingers at a server carrying a tray of champagne flutes. Wes’s brow wrinkled at the rudeness, but he took the proffered drink.
“To love,” Luca raised his glass, “and the hope that everyone finds their perfect match, as I have with my Bella.”
Melody’s face softened, looking up at him with an expression that Wes had never seen on her face before.
“To love,” she said softly, staring into Luca’s eyes, and everyone murmured their agreement before clinking their glasses.
Wes heard Cara’s laugh ring out, and his head swiveled to find where it had come from. A tall attractive man in a dark suit stood too close to Cara, whispering in her ear. The group she was with had ambled closer to where Wes stood, and under the stringed lights, he could see the blush staining her cheeks.
The man leaned down to whisper in her ear again, briefly touching her waist.
