“Smile,” Matt murmured, smiling at her. “I want my family to at least think we can be pleasant to each other.”
“That’ll be a stretch.”
He blinked at her words, and gave a low chuckle, and she found herself smiling back genuinely for the first time.
At that moment the camera clicked.
“Hey, that’ll be a great picture,” Nick said, looking at the screen on the digital camera. “Yes, it is. Now let’s try a few more, and then we’ll get someone to take a picture of us all together.”
Lana continued to smile, but she was grateful the camera hadn’t clicked a moment ago, or it might have caught her expression reeling from the effects of Matt’s devastating smile.
Matt Valente could only be described as terminally handsome, with his sophisticated good looks and attitude of self-command making a woman hard-pressed to turn her eyes away.
And he was now her husband.
And Megan’s father, she reminded herself, not allowing herself to forget the reason she was here today.
After the photographs, everyone headed out of the building to go to Cesare and Isabel’s apartment, where a late lunch with the family was to be held in their honor.
Lana had just climbed into the limousine when there was a flash as someone raced up and snapped a picture of them. Thankfully she’d been blocking a view of Megan at the time.
Matt swore and quickly shut the door behind them. “Bloody journalists,” he growled. “I don’t like them taking pictures of Megan.”
Lana’s brow rose in surprise. She felt the same but, “Isn’t the point of our marriage to get her known as a Valente?”
“Not with pictures. I was raised in front of the press, but it’s a different world now and I’ll be damned if I’ll let them use her. That’s not what our marriage is about.”
His words warmed her and she quickly buried her face in her daughter’s dark curls. For the first time she didn’t feel as though Megan would be alone in the world if anything happened to her. Dan would do his best from France of course, but it wasn’t the same as being cared for by a father who loved her.
She’d marry a thousand men like Matt to do this for her daughter, she admitted, then realized how ridiculous that thought was. There was no other man like Matt Valente.
Alex and Nick Valente were men in their own right.
And so was Matt.
He was one of a kind.
And he knew it.
Lana couldn’t help but feel a little reserved once they arrived at his parents’ apartment. Matt stayed by her side for a while, then left her to walk around with Megan in his arms.
As she watched him she wished she could believe that their daughter was some sort of trophy to him, but she knew that wasn’t true. He was a proud father, that’s all.
Occasionally he’d look her way and he’d smile at her for the benefit of the others, but Lana was sure they weren’t fooling any of them. She only had to look at his two brothers to see the truth in their eyes. They knew Megan was the reason Matt had married her.
As did their wives, Olivia and Sasha. Olivia was the daughter of a famous movie star, which had to be hard at times. And poor Sasha’s father had been charged with fraud and was due to be sentenced soon.
Yet both women were just so nice and unaffected by the trappings of wealth. They even mentioned getting together for lunch, but Lana held them off.
And she planned on holding them off for as long as she could. It was no use her getting too close to these women. She’d be gone before they knew it, she told herself, sipping at her champagne and watching Alex and Olivia’s eight-year-old son, Scott, and their newly adopted six-year-old daughter, Renee, playing together.
Just then Matt moved into her line of vision to talk to Alex. Megan was still in his arms and her poor darling was cautiously looking up at her father as if she wasn’t sure whether to cry or not.
And Matt wasn’t letting go.
And didn’t she know how that felt? Matt was paying no notice to Megan’s nervousness, just as he paid no notice to hers.
Suddenly Matt looked at Megan and kissed her cheek and without warning Megan gave her toothless little grin. Lana’s heart tripped over when she saw that.
Megan and Matt would be okay together.
“You’ve done the right thing for her,” Isabel said gently, coming up beside Lana.
Lana started, then gave a small smile. “I know, Isabel.”
“Matt will be good for her.”
“Yes, he will.” She would never have married him if he wasn’t.
“And you’ll be good for my son.”
Lana wrinkled her nose. “I’m not so sure about that.”
“I am. He needs someone like you.”
Lana shook her head. “No, you’re wrong. I’m nothing special.” Matt needed someone who liked to go out and party. And probably someone from a high-profile family would be even better.
The older woman considered her. “Don’t put yourself down, Lana. You’re a lovely person, and any woman who puts her child first like you’re doing by marrying my son is someone we’re proud to have in our family.”
Lana swallowed hard and blinked rapidly, touched by the words. “Most mothers would do what I’m doing.”
“No, sweetie, they wouldn’t,” Isabel said, turning to gaze at her three sons.
Lana remembered then that Isabel was actually Alex and Nick’s stepmother, not their real mother as she was Matt’s. From what she knew of the Valentes, Alex’s mother had died when he was little and Cesare had then married Nick’s mother, who’d walked out when Nick was a baby. Cesare had then found long-term happiness with his third wife, Isabel, who’d been a proper mother to the three boys.
Lana inclined her head. “You’re right, Isabel. Not all mothers are the same.”
A short time later, Cesare tapped his champagne glass with a spoon to get everyone’s attention.
“First of all, I’d like to congratulate my youngest son and his new wife on their marriage.” He held up his glass. “To Lana and Matt. May your marriage be strong and happy.”
“To Lana and Matt,” the others toasted, and Lana felt her cheeks warm. Was she the only one to see that cynical look in Matt’s eyes?
“And now,” Cesare said, “Izzie and I have a special gift for all our beautiful daughters-in-law. To each of you, we give the very first of our new Valente’s Woman Limited Edition perfume.”