Aristide Angelico and Scarlett had a passionate affair, which ended in tears for Scarlett. When they meet up again the sparks fly.

Aristide has no wish to commit to any woman before he reaches middle age and Scarlett is in no position to get involved with him again…unless she comes clean about what she has hidden from him.

UPDATE (Aug 2023): Scarlett and Aristide’s story is called “Two Secrets to Shock the Italian“.

Excerpts From the Book

‘I never said that we were exclusive—’

Scarlett could hardly believe her ears. ‘It’s been two years, Aristide. Why would you come and ask me now?’

‘Is there harm to you in me asking that question?’ An ebony brow lifted.

‘You’ve got to admit that it’s more than a little strange when you didn’t care enough at the time to seek me out,’ Scarlett countered tightly, fingers snapping into fists by her side. ‘But it’s no big secret. It was Cosetta Ricci and that big formal ball you took her to in London. You didn’t mention it to me, you didn’t explain it. She was the last straw. I could hardly compete with a model and an heiress, and I wasn’t prepared to try and compete either.’

‘I never said that we were exclusive—’

‘Was there a reason you wanted to see me?’

Scarlett rose and settled down at the table. ‘Was there a reason you wanted to see me?’ she dared, stiff as a plank in her seat.

James reappeared and set a tiny ornamental quiche adorned with baby lettuce leaves down in front of her. It was so exquisite a creation that she was almost afraid to touch it. Mouth-watering pastry melted in her mouth and she looked at Aristide enquiringly.

‘I have a favour to ask,’ Aristide confessed.

Scarlett had braced herself for some reference to her children and her shoulders dropped in relief even as a frown line indented her brow, because Aristide Angelico didn’t ask for favours. Other people asked him for favours, but Aristide wanted very little and what he did want he bought.

‘A favour…from me?’ she questioned in surprise.

Remorse was roaring through her

Scarlett felt her tummy roll sickly and lay back down again on the sofa, no longer able to look at him. Remorse was roaring through her.

‘I wasn’t a drinker or an abuser and I was never unfaithful despite what you believed,’ Aristide stated levelly. ‘I didn’t lie to you either. And yet you have behaved as if I wronged you terribly in some way.’

‘You’ve said enough. I understand your feelings,’ Scarlett mumbled wretchedly, hoping to bring the character assassination to an end. She didn’t want to throw up his habit of dangling the threat of other women over her head. She didn’t want to provoke an argument when both of them were already overwrought and she herself was exhausted.

‘I had to speak up to have any hope of containing this anger,’ Aristide confessed in a raw undertone. ‘I trusted you until the day you sent me a text informing me that you were going to marry Luke. You have now betrayed that trust twice. With that sudden marriage and with the concealment of the twins.’

Her lips trembled, her eyes prickled, but she couldn’t possibly cry with Aristide in the same room.