Chapter 15.1

Pretend Alex was Tony.

Pretend they'd just met and it was wonderful...a dream come true...before it was destroyed.

Peter played the introduction and Gina didn't have to pretend. She remembered how it had felt with Alex before it was destroyed and she poured all that feeling into her voice as she lifted it to sing, to soar to that ecstatic place where for a little time, everything had been perfect.

It worked.

She was fine.

Better than fine if the audience response was anything to measure by.

They moved on to the duet, "All I Ask of You" from The Phantom of the Opera, then two of the most poignant songs from Les Miserables: "On My Own" and "A Little Fall of Rain." There was absolute silence throughout the lounge while these were sung, which was surely some kind of tribute to the touching lyrics and how they were interpreted. Even Gina thought her voice had never been so true and powerful in its delivery.

Maybe it was the spur of having Alex listening, or maybe it was the need to prove to herself that Peter's faith in her talent was justified.

Whatever was driving her, she knew she was giving the performance of her life as they followed through the program Peter had plotted. Her last solo, "Love Changes Everything" from Aspects of Love, was an absolute show- stopper, much of the audience rising to their feet and even calling out "Bravo!"

Peter grinned at her, giving her an exultant thumbs-up signal as he waited for the acclaim to die down. Clearly his ego wasn't on the line here. He was delighted with the reception they were getting. He literally purred into the microphone as he acknowledged it.

"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. To complete our very special program tonight, we take you back to West Side Story, to the song that encompasses what we most want from life. It's entitled "Somewhere"—that mythical place where even impossible dreams become possible. And so, I would like to invite you all to join Gina Terlizzi and myself in spirit on the magical journey that takes us... 'Somewhere.'"

It was amazing how quickly the audience quietened to listen, and their expectation was well and truly met when Peter started with no musical accompaniment, his voice crooning the words with such husky emotion, a lump rose in Gina's throat. She had to swallow hard before following his lines with hers, echoing the yearning and building on it. The piano came in, adding its spine-tingling notes. Then together, and in thrilling harmony, they drove the song to its soul-stirring climax.

For several moments after all sound ceased, the silence held, as though everyone in the lounge had been gripped by the song's heart- wrenching impact and didn't want to let it go. But it was over. The whole performance was over.

A single hand-clap started a storm of applause. Peter rose from his piano stool and joined Gina at centre stage. It was like being bathed in waves of pleasure. People called for encores but they had no more to give tonight.

"Let them remember the high and they'll come back," Peter murmured. "Just smile and nod."

"Is it always like this?" she whispered.

"No. You were superb. And it looks like Alex King thought so, too.

Accept the gift gracefully, Gina. You're on show." Gift?

She'd been trying to search out her parents from the crowd, deliberately evading any glance at the King group, not wanting to appear as though she was asking for anything from them. Her heart leapt skittishly at Peter's prompt. Before she could begin to monitor her response, her gaze zeroed in on the man who should have no business approaching her unless...unless...had she hopelessly misread the situation between them?

He was in a formal black dinner suit, commandingly tall and stunningly handsome. As in the ballroom at the castle, people automatically moved aside for him, giving a clear passage to the stage. She could feel the power of his presence coming at her, squeezing her heart, raising flutters in her stomach, sending quivers of weakness down her legs.

Too frightened to let herself believe everything between them would ever be happily resolved, Gina couldn't bring herself to look directly into his eyes. She fastened her gaze on the sheaf of flowers he carried across his arm. The gift...it was the kind of tribute people gave to a singer at the end of a show, yet he must have thought of it beforehand, must have anticipated... what?

That her performance would be worthy of it?

Or had he intended to seize this opportunity to get close to her again anyway?

Glittering gold cellophane encased the flowers. A satin red and gold ribbon made a bouquet of them. As he mounted the steps at the side of the stage, she saw that he was bringing her roses—masses of red roses!

Her mind dizzied with feverish thoughts. The songs she and Peter had sung had been about love. Did Alex think red roses were appropriate for the occasion? Or could they possibly represent a more personal statement from him? Love changes everything. The words of that song were so true in so many ways...but she mustn't let herself get confused by wild hopes.

Somewhere a time and place for us... That was a hope, a dream. The impossible didn't really become possible. She had to accept the gift gracefully. That was all. Smile. Nod a thank-you. She was on show. No need to look directly at Alex. She didn't want him to see what her eyes might tell him.

"For you," Alex said in a deep velvet voice, presenting the roses to her.

She smiled and nodded. "They're lovely. Thank you," she murmured, keeping her gaze fixed on the perfect blooms. Dozens of them.

"May I invite you both to our table?" he went on smoothly. "My grandmother would like to congratulate you personally on a truly marvellous performance."

"For Isabella, anything," Peter declared. "I have always admired her judgement of quality and she certainly picked it in Gina. If you'll wait a moment while I deliver our exit line..."

"Of course."

"Thank you, ladies and gentleman, and goodnight. We hope to see you here again next Friday evening... for the encores," he added with that touch of wicked promise he did so well.

Laughter and more applause. Peter tucked Gina's free arm around his, gestured for Alex to lead the way and they followed him across the stage to the steps leading down to the lounge.

"Does my little sister want protection from the big bad wolf?" Peter murmured in her ear. "I can run interference for you."

She threw him a startled glance.

His mouth tilted ironically. "Alex King is not here to give you accolades, darling girl."

"What then?"

"To win you." He cocked an eyebrow. "Are you winnable?" "I don't know. It depends..."

"Shall I step aside and let him have his chance with her?" he half- sung from My Fair Lady.

"Yes," she decided in a wild rush.

"Just remember you're quality. Real quality, Gina Terlizzi," he insisted on a sharply serious note. "Don't undersell yourself."

Amazing to hear Alex's warning about dealing with Peter Owen coming now from Peter's mouth and directed at Alex's interest in her. Clearly Peter had guessed something from having seen Alex leaving her house last Sunday.

She looked down at the extravagant sheaf of roses resting in the crook of her other arm. The cost of so many might not mean a lot to Alex King, but to Gina's all too impressionable mind, it meant he did not hold her cheap. But was he trying to buy her? Win another night in her bed?

She wanted him.

It might be a terrible weakness in her but...she lifted her gaze to the man leading them towards the table where he had his family gathered and she ached to touch him; to run her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, to curve her hands over the muscles of his broad shoulders, to lose herself in the strong masculinity he exuded from every pore of his magnificent body.

Was it only lust driving him?

Her instincts cried that it had to be more. Surely the roses said it was more.

All she knew was... she had to find out.