The Billionaire's Masquerade

by Laurie Gene

  Unfortunately for Abby, she wasn't as talented when it came to doing her own hair and makeup, so she grabbed her smartphone and brought up YouTube. There were thousands of tutorials on how to do that sort of thing. It took longer than she would have liked, but once she found what she wanted, she was able to pull everything together with relative ease.

  The final touch was the simple black heels that went with the dress. She hadn't practiced walking around with them as she had hoped she would be able to only because someone had always been home.

  "I guess I'll just have to learn on the fly," she muttered to herself.

  Her heart beat erratically in her chest as she slid a black trench coat over her dress. It was a spring evening, but sometimes, spring evenings could be bitter cold in New York and the last thing she wanted was to be shivering with a sea of goosebumps on her skin.

  She arranged for a Lyft to pick her up and, grabbing her mask, was out the door in ten minutes.

  The air was cool but it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. She tried to relax into the leather seat but found she couldn't. Her body was still tense, her heart was still jumping. She didn't know why she was nervous other than the fact that Nick would be there, and she had come to the discovery that she liked Nick more than she was willing to admit. Even with her simple black mask on, covering the top half of her face, she worried that Nick would be able to tell she had feelings for him, and then that would ruin everything.

  Chapter 13: Nick

  When Nick saw Abby standing at the top of the staircase, his mouth dropped open. He should have been able to control himself better. He wasn't a teenage boy flipping through a dirty magazine for the first time or meeting a supermodel. He was a billionaire and this was his masquerade.

  Perhaps his jaw dropping couldn't be helped. After a glance around, he noticed he wasn't the only guy openly gawking at her. A flare of protection shot through his body, taking him by surprise. That was not a reaction he expected because he was not the sort of guy to get jealous or anything of the sort. And yet, he could not help it. Part of his pride swelled knowing that Abby...

  That Abby what?

  It wasn't as though Abby was his in any way. She was his employee and that was it.

  His pride should not be swelling because she wasn't his girlfriend or his lover. And on that note, he shouldn't be upset that people were staring, either.

  Regardless, he couldn't take his eyes off her and definitely couldn't help how he was feeling. He watched her look around the room from her high vantage point. It almost seemed as though she was looking for someone. Another surge of jealousy consumed his senses and he shook his head at himself. Even if she was looking for someone, it could have been a friend or a peer. It didn't have to be a date.

  It better not be a date, a voice in his head grumbled.

  He had barely gotten out of a relationship with someone two weeks ago, and now he was consumed with the idea of being with someone else. Whether that meant he wanted to physically be with her or if he wanted more than just a casual relationship, he didn't know. What he was aware of was that he hadn't felt this way about anyone before, not even Bonnie—and Bonnie had been the one he had asked to marry him. What that said about Abby, he didn’t know.

  Abby finally caught his eye and she shifted. She always shifted when she was uncomfortable with something and he hoped that didn't bode negatively for their relationship—whatever that relationship seemed to be. One hand went to hold her skirt, the other she placed flat on the gold banister, and she began to take each step with care as she descended the staircase.

  Even the way she moved was graceful and hypnotic, though Nick could tell those were two things she didn't realize she was actually being. The way she bit her lip and kept glancing down indicated she wasn't exactly sure of her footing in those heels. He smothered a smile; he liked that she didn't realize how flawless she really was. After dating dozens of beauties who knew how they looked, it was refreshing to meet someone humble.

  The mask she wore did absolutely nothing to conceal her identity, at least, to those who already knew her. It was simple and black with clear jewels outlining sparkling silver. She wore a simple black sleeveless dress, her cleavage on display but in a classy way rather than one that was too much for the formality of the event. Gold splashes on the black dress created a unique silhouette that revealed her curves. It was hard for him to keep his eyes on her face when he so badly wanted to trace her throat, her collarbone, her shoulder, and the hourglass shape of her waist.

  "Get a grip on yourself," he muttered.

  Except he couldn't. It was strange; he had seen Abby so often at the office that he had gotten used to how she looked. She was still beautiful, but he was familiar with the way she looked in business attire that was sometimes too big for her or flats that seemed worn in and didn't offer much support. He was the last person to judge people based on their clothes, but he couldn't help but notice that if perhaps she had better clothes, she might be more confident in herself.

  Now, it was as though someone had dressed her for her body, sparing no expense to make sure she looked her best. And he knew it made a difference. Her face had a glow about her.

  When she finally reached the bottom of the stairs, Nick grinned at her.

  "Abs?" he said.

  Abby blushed and he didn't know why, but there was part of him that liked knowing he was responsible for it. That he had some sort of effect on her.

  "Sir?" she returned.

  "Nick," he corrected. "I've been meaning to tell you since you started. Call me Nick."

  "Nick," she murmured like she was trying on the word for size. She grinned. “You’ve already told me that.”

  His heart skipped a beat at the sound of his name coming from her. She said it before, but it felt like the first time. He nearly shook his head at how ridiculous he was behaving. It was as though he was back in middle school at his first dance and he was holding onto Mindy Creevy again in the dimly lit dance floor, a Journey ballad playing through the speakers. His palms were sweating, his heart was beating erratically, and he couldn't stop staring. He didn't think it was possible for him to feel this way as an adult.

  "You find the place okay?" he asked. It was a lame joke. He knew it the minute it came out of his mouth. "I'm sorry." He shook his head. "My humor leaves a lot to be desired."

  "It was a dad joke," Abby said with a grin.

  "A dad joke?" Nick had never heard of that.

  "Yeah," she said, nodding, as he took her hand and led her through the lobby to the grand ballroom. They had to be careful not to run into the crowds of people gathered together and talking much like lunchtime at a high school. "It's the sort of joke a dad would make. Kind of stupid, but that's what makes it funny."

  "You think my joke was stupid?"

  "Oh, my goodness, no," Abby said, shaking her head. "Of course not. I like dad jokes. I think the fact that they're lame makes them hilarious."

  "So now my joke is lame?" Nick asked. He searched her eyes. "I'm just teasing you." He gave her a grin and her shoulders sagged in relief. "You're so gullible, Abs. Be careful with that or people might try to take advantage of you."

  Abby forced out a chuckle that didn't quite reach her face. She seemed to be just glad he was teasing her, that this was a big joke to him and that she hadn't genuinely offended him.

  "Do you want to dance?" he asked, looking down at her with a question in his eyes.

  Abby cleared her throat.

  "Y-yeah," she managed to get out. "I didn't realize you liked to dance. Everything I read about you seems to indicate you're not a fan."

  "You like to read about me?" He gave her an amused grin and laced his fingers with hers as they stepped into the ballroom.

  Nick was in awe of how beautiful this place looked. Pamela, of course, deserved all the credit. The lighting wasn't too bright, the flowers that lined each room had a subtle scent that wasn't too overwhelming, and everyone in attendance looked absolutel
y stunning. More than that, it looked as though everyone was having fun.

  "Did you read what Bonnie said about me?" Nick asked. They sidestepped a group of women, all staring at him before whispering amongst themselves in rushed, excited tones. He ignored them.

  He let her take the time she needed to answer. If she said no, it would be a lie and Nick would know it was a lie. Everyone read about what happened because Bonnie decided to make their breakup a spectacle. Nick knew Abby wasn't stupid. She would know she was the waitress Nick had apparently cheated on Bonnie with, even if it was a lie.

  The worst part about the whole situation was these gossip rags ran with the story without making an attempt to hear his side. They probably didn't care what Abby had to say if it didn't feed into the storyline about being Nick Stafford's secret mistress. And Nick probably wouldn't have responded for a comment. But it was just sickening to see how eager people were to feed on someone else's misery.

  "Uh, yes," Abby finally said.

  When they stepped into the ballroom, the music coming from the orchestra was loud and inviting. The beautiful wooden floor was about half-full, which meant that there was still room to move around and be comfortable, but it wasn't so sparse that it was awkward.

  "Before we start, I should tell you that I have no idea how to dance except swaying my body from side to side like middle school dances," Abby said in a rush.

  Nick chuckled and slowly positioned themselves in one of the faraway corners of the dance floor. It would be difficult to recognize them and that was what he wanted. He didn't need the paparazzi taking pictures of him dancing with a new woman so soon after Bonnie. Not because he cared at all what they thought of him but because he didn't want to expose Abby to the shark-infested waters of the gossip media. However, he wasn't willing to avoid her either. He just hoped they would back off, at least for right now.

  He placed one hand on her hip and took her hand in the other. Abby tested out her hand on his shoulder. He could tell by her grip that she had no idea what she was doing.

  He leaned down so his lips grazed her ear. "Don't worry," he told her. "You can trust me. I won't let anything happen to you."

  "It's not me I'm worried about," she replied, and he grinned.

  "You know," he said as they began to sway to the music. "Everyone thinks my Gran has the best feet in New York. She was known for dancing back in the day. But my mom? My mom can't dance to save her life. No matter what my Gran did, how many lessons my Gran put her in, my mom could not carry a rhythm. But she's still here and I know she'll still try."

  "Did that disappoint your grandmother?" Abby asked, looking up at him.

  He was caught by the complexity of her blue eyes surrounded by the black mask and he forgot, for a moment, what she asked him. However, he pressed his lips together and blinked once.

  "Uh, I think at first, yes," he said. "But then my Gran realized that my mom was trying her best and it didn't matter. And Gran's thing has always been, as long as there's effort, there doesn't need to be perfection."

  Abby smiled. "I like that."

  They continued to move in their small space. At one point, Abby laid her head on his chest and he tucked her head under his chin. It was perfect. It felt perfect.

  When the song changed to something my fast-paced, Abby picked her head up and looked him in the eyes. Nick wasn't ready to let her go just yet, however. He would have danced to a fast song, a slow song. Heck, he would have danced to no song at all if it meant getting to hold her in his arms.

  Without warning, he had the sudden urge to kiss her. To feel her lips on his.

  He should avoid it. She was his assistant. There was a conflict of interest. More than that, he’d just broken up with Bonnie and the last thing he wanted was anyone assuming Abby was the reason why they separated, even if Bonnie was lying about it.

  In that moment, none of it mattered. He had to take that chance.

  He closed his eyes, leaned his head toward her, and gently captured her lips with his.

  Chapter 14: Abby

  Abby's mind floated like bubbles, like clouds, like fairies who had just gotten their wings back.

  She pulled away, unsure if Nick had meant to kiss her or if the kiss actually meant something to him the way it had for her. The last thing she wanted was to be known as the fool who thought Nick Stafford cared about her when all he cared about was taking care of particular male urges. She released a shaky breath and dared to look into his eyes.

  He was gazing down at her, and there was something there, something she was surprised to see: uncertainty, but not doubt. Like he didn't quite know what he saw when he was looking at her. Like she was some kind of complex math equation that he wasn't sure he wanted to figure out.

  He reached out to her and curled a stray strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her skin and she leaned into the touch even though she probably shouldn't.

  This wasn't professional behavior. This was not good. She knew it. She knew she should back away, she should forget they had danced and talked and kissed, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to stay.

  At this moment, nothing else mattered. Everything fell away until it was just her and just Nick and just now where he hadn't broken up with his fiancée a couple of weeks ago and he wasn't her boss. He was just Nick Stafford, he said he liked her laugh and smiled when she talked too much. Nick Stafford, who made her feel good about who she was and didn't criticize her for everything she was not. Nick Stafford, who saw her for exactly the woman she was and didn't add or take away from that.

  "I'm sorry," Nick said in a low voice, and her eyes darted back up to his. "I shouldn't have—"

  No. That wasn't what Abby wanted to hear. She didn't want to know that he regretted what they did. She needed him to stop talking, but she wasn't quite sure how she to go about doing that, except...

  She stood on her toes—even in heels, she was forced to stand on her toes in order to reach his face—wrapped her arms around his neck, and brought his lips down to hers once again. She wanted to feel his lips, if for the last time. He could regret the kiss all he wanted, but she didn't want to have to hear about it. Let them have this moment, this night, and they could forget about it the next day.

  Impossible, her mind pointed out, and you know it.

  When she finally pulled away and stepped down, she released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding and slowly opened her eyes. Her arms were still locked behind his neck and she allowed them to linger there longer than they should.

  She shouldn't have kissed Nick. Not only was he her boss, but he had just gotten out of a serious relationship. Part of her wanted to point out that, technically speaking, he had kissed her first, but she didn't want to get trite over gestures that perhaps shouldn't have happened in the first place.

  Finally, she dropped her arms to her sides and forced herself to look into his eyes. She did not want to be afraid. She wanted to own her choice, even if it wasn't professional. Even though there was a good chance it would get her fired.

  Nick reached out with his hand and hesitated before brushing her cheek with the back of his fingers. Abby wished she had had someone do her hair so it wouldn't fall out of her makeshift bun. However, she couldn't lie and say she didn't approve of his hands on her, even innocently brushing hair out of her face.

  "I'm not," she said.

  He pulled his hand away, tilting his head to the side and furrowing his brow.

  Abby swallowed, realizing she needed to explain, as though he had already forgotten what he had told her a moment ago before she kissed him.

  "I'm not sorry you kissed me," he told him. "And I'm not sorry I kissed you."

  He seemed surprised by her words, and his eyes shifted back and forth as if searching for something. What that was, Abby couldn't say, but she hoped he found whatever he was looking for on her face.

  "Abby?" a voice called from behind her. "Is that you?"

  Abby's heart stalled. Her eyes widen
ed, and her gut twisted with sharp needles, stabbing at her insides.

  Please, no. Not now.

  There had to be two thousand people here and somehow, somehow, Trixie had found her in the crowd. Not only that, but she had also found Abby with one of the most important people in her life.

  "What are you doing here?"

  Saffron stood next to Trixie, which shouldn't have surprised Abby, but it didn't bode well for her either. One stepsister was annoying enough; two together were cruel.

  "Where did you get that dress?" Trixie asked, emerging from the crowd, her eyes narrowed on Abby. "Did you steal Mom's credit card and get it behind our backs?"

  "Aren't you supposed to be making us coffee at home?" Saffron asked.

  "I'm sorry," Nick said, his voice curt, his eyes narrowed. "Who are these people?"

  Abby didn't want to say. Before she could, another voice interrupted them.

  "Nick?"

  Now it was Bonnie who made her elegant, timely appearance. She looked just as happy as Trixie and Saffron, but she was much more beautiful. She wore a gold gown that was both stylish and form-fitting. Her hair looked like it came straight out of a shampoo commercial and her makeup looked like it was painted on by a world-famous artist.

  Abby felt like a peasant compared to her, and there was a quick jump in her heart that seemed to indicate that she was afraid Nick would see Bonnie and be reminded of just how beautiful she was and that maybe, maybe he could put up with her drama because she was so beautiful.

  "You're here," Bonnie said, completely ignoring Abby even though her fingers were laced with Nick’s.

  "Of course I'm here," Nick said, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice. "This is my masquerade, after all. I am surprised you're here, though."

  "Same to you, Abby," Trixie said, placing her hands on her hips. Her eyes were narrowed in Abby's direction and she didn't seem to care that she was making a scene. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be making us food so when we come home from the masquerade, we won't be hungry."