❤

***5 years before.***

"Can you tell him to stop trailing your every move with that hungry, glowering look of his?," Philip bent and whispered in Nadine's ear without taking his eyes off his friend.

They were at a dinner of Nicholas' business partners, a drop dead gorgeous Italian she had met earlier that night.

He couldn't be a day older than thirty but his hair had been streaked through with glowing grey and his black as sin, entrancing eyes had not helped matters as she had stared at the man.

He was tall, maybe an inch shorter than Nicholas and had the build of a Greek God, or an Italian god in his case.

"I don't think Nicholas here will sign my new business proposal if you keep doing that Mrs Cole," he had drawled lazily in a slightly accented tone when she continued staring with Nicholas by her side, with his eyes throwing daggers at the innocent man.

Then he smiled at her.

Then her babies had given her violent kicks.

Oh my God!

If smiles could win an Oscar, his would be nominated undefeated.

Her babies kicked again, bringing her back to the present.

She was a freaking, heavily pregnant woman for goodness sake and there she was ogling a man in public, in the presence of her beloved husband like a schoolgirl.

Scratch that. Even her behaviour was an insult to schoolgirls.

"Aren't you going to introduce us Nicholas?" She turned to a scowling Nicholas with an expectant look on her face. He gave her a once over and almost shouted a definite "no"

"I thought as much," their host murmured with a chuckle.

He bent in a mock bow and stretched his hand to her. "Allow me to introduce myself my lady. I'm Enzo Verdino at your service and I'm the scowling man's long time business associate." She giggled helplessly as she placed her hand in his and he dropped a perfunctory kiss on the back of her hand.

The man was a charmer.

Nicholas snatched her hand out of Enzo's and didn't let go, his scowl permanently fixed on his face.

"I think it's high time you attended to your other guests Enzo. We wouldn't want to monopolize your much sought after attention, right honey?," he asked turning to Nadine with a deadly look in his eyes.

Because seeing him so jealous over a harmless flirtation was so much fun she wasn't ready to see the end of, she blurted what he didn't want to hear. "I would so much love to monopolize all of him for the rest of the night," she replied with a megawatt smile fixed on her face.

If his eyes could darken, she thought it did at that moment.

Enzo gave a shout of laughter, enjoying himself. The lady was stunning and witty. He thought Nicholas Cole was one lucky bastard. His marriage wasn't ever going to be boring.

"I think I'll move on but not before I take my time to compliment the beautiful lady."

"No. It's not needed." Nadine couldn't contain the laughter bubbling up in her. Nicholas wasn't at all subtle about how he felt about the attention Enzo was directing at her.

"Well, I must." Giving her one of those heart stopping smiles again, he turned to her with all his attention "I must admit you are the belle of this dinner. Your glow and beauty lights up the whole room. And if you weren't taken, I swear I would have done all I could to have you on my arms for the rest of the night," he said, his tone of voice insinuating it would have been more than the rest of the night.

She giggled helplessly and her babies gave another kick. Served her right for flirting shamelessly.

Scratch charmer, he was a professional handsome charmer, not just a random one.

"I must take my leave." He nodded towards Nicholas and departed with another smile. She watched him move towards another guest.

"Nadine!"

"Yes honey." She turned to face him, with a knowing smile fixed on her face. He was still scowling.

"Do you know we are practically the centre of attention here?"

She knew that like she knew her due date. And there was nothing new about what he was saying. All eyes had turned to acknowledge their entrance when they had arrived. He was that big a deal in the business world were everyone that mattered in and out of the country were gathered.

But she suspected one of the reasons for the attention was because of her.

It was her first public appearance with him after their wedding of over five months ago and icing on the cake, she was appearing with a big baby bump.

So yes, people were staring at them. She was certain she looked good in her maxi chiffon gown and heeled sandals, Nicholas had assured her of that so she had nothing to worry about in the looks department. He was the only one she wanted to look good for anyway.

They could look their fill for all she cared.

"I know."

"Then what the hell was that?" He looked like he was making a lot of efforts to keep his cool.

"An introduction," she replied unfazed my his angry looks.

"No. You were flirting with him."

"I wasn't. I just happen to like him, Even you have to admit he's hot."

"No I don't. I'm not into men. I'm into you and you seem like you aren't into me right now." His hold on her hand tightened, like he was daring her to confirm his claim.

She threw back her head and laughed. Her man was such a baby whenever the jealous monster in him reared up it's ugly head.

"It's not funny Nadine. You just made me decide not to sign that business proposal."

"Common on, you know that was nothing. He doesn't hold a candle to you. He's handsome but you my husband, are the handsomest of them all. And he isn't even my type."

"What's your type?" He had to ask.

"You are my type," she replied with a cheeky grin.

"Just checking." His features finally relaxed a fraction.

"You must have been poleaxed to think any man will want me looking like this," she said gesturing to her jutting stomach and generous curves.

"Does that mean I'm not a man? Because I want you more than ever before. I want you right now."

He had the smoky look in his eyes.

She shook her head vigorously. "No hanky panky tonight. We are here to socialize. You haven't even introduced me to a single soul."

"I don't want to. All I want to do is leave."

"I don't want to."

"You weren't even all that enthusiastic about coming. Why are you so interested in socializing all of a sudden?" He had given her a suspicious look that spoke volumes, his green monster rearing its head again.

She grinned and gave a nonchalant shrug. "I see Philips. I'm going to him maybe I'll have better luck getting to socialize." She moved away from him towards his friend, nodding at the the guests giving her interested looks as she passed them.

And since then, she had been feeling his hot look track her every move around the room with Philip and it seemed to get hotter whenever she was being introduced to a man.

"What do you think will happen if I go over to Enzo Verdino?" She turned to look at Nicholas across the room as she asked her question.

"I could hazard a guess but do you want to find out?," he asked with a mischievous grin on his handsome face.