by Donna Grant
It caused her stomach to flutter in excitement and her feet to stop working. She stumbled, which caused his arm to wrap around her waist as he drew to a stop and hauled her against him. They stared silently into each other’s eyes as the crowds parted and walked around them. The steady thumping of his heartbeat could be felt beneath her palms.
What was it about Sebastian that made her forget herself? She was a different person with him, one that not only enjoyed his touch—but craved it.
The problem was, she liked how she felt around him. She enjoyed how he made her feel, and how she wanted to feel. The desire, the need, the hunger. She reached for it, accepted it.
Embraced it.
She didn’t know how long they stood there lost in each other’s eyes. For a brief moment, she wondered if it was one-sided. Could Sebastian feel the same as her? Did she dare allow herself to follow wherever this road led, no matter how many doorways she walked through?
No matter what it might expose within herself?
No matter what longing it might reveal?
No matter if she found herself walking alone?
She was standing on the edge of a precipice while he stood on nothing but air, holding out his hand and urging her to jump. Never one to take such a chance, she found herself wanting to do just that.
Even if it meant that she could hit the ground so hard she might never get up again.
It was strange to even consider any of this. Yet here she was. There should be more fear, more concern. Perhaps it was the desire overshadowing those other emotions.
“Gianna,” he began.
Her cell phone vibrated in her purse, causing her to jump and shattering whatever had held them enthralled. She couldn’t help but wonder if destiny was trying to tell her something. It was the second time they’d been interrupted that day when she’d felt sure he was going to kiss her.
By the vibration tone, it was her boss calling. “I’m sorry,” she said as she stepped back and pulled out her cell. Then she turned away and walked to the side of the street to answer it. “Hello, sir.”
“Is everything in order for tonight?”
She inwardly winced at Oscar’s brusque tone. Not that he was exactly a friendly person, but it was never a good sign when he was angry. And by the clipped tone of his British accent, he was bordering on livid. “Yes, sir.”
“Are you sure?” he demanded.
She enjoyed her job. It was taxing and trying at times, but it paid very well and gave her a measure of freedom she couldn’t get anywhere else. “I’m certain of it.”
There was a long, tense stretch of silence. Then he said, “Since when do you plan one of my parties and not be there to oversee every detail?”
“I’ve trained my people well. If there’s a problem, they would’ve reached out to me.”
“This is very unlike you, Gianna. What are you doing?” His tone suddenly changed. It was smooth, soft. Coaxing.
She was immediately on edge. “I took some time to myself.”
“Today? Of all days?”
“Everything will be perfect tonight. I promise,” she stated, unnerved by his call and his words.
“It better.”
The line disconnected. She lowered the phone and looked at the ground. Her day with Sebastian was over, and she was angry about it.
“What is it?” Sebastian asked as he came to stand beside her.
She faced him, regret souring her stomach. “Thank you for a lovely morning.”
“It’s no’ even noon yet,” he said with a frown.
“I know. Unfortunately, my boss needs me.”
Sebastian quirked a brow. “On a Saturday?”
“When you’re a personal assistant, you work when they work.”
“Do you no’ get any days off?”
She tucked her cell phone back in her purse. “I do, but today isn’t one of them.”
“What’s so important about today?”
“He’s hosting a masquerade ball tonight. The guests are a select group of people he’s done business with, and others he’s cultivating a business relationship with. These are VIPs in the truest since of the word. And everything has to be perfect.”
Disappointment filled his eyes. “Then I shall keep you no more.”
His acceptance of it only made her want to stay more. It was the first time since she began working for Oscar Cox that she wanted to tell her boss no. But she never would.
She started to tell Sebastian she’d had a great time and realized she’d already said that. Then she debated asking him if they could see each other again, but something held her back. She wasn’t sure what it was.
He took her hand in his and rubbed his thumb along the back. “Come find me when you’re finished.”
“I—”
“No matter the time or how many days have passed,” he interrupted her.
She was having a hard time holding back a smile. “I don’t know how.”
“Did I no’ tell you?” he asked with a sexy half-grin. “I live in San Polo. It’s the palazzo directly opposite the Town Hall palace.”
Her mouth fell open as she realized he was talking about the famed 17th century palazzo that had both front and side views of the Grand Canal. The very home her boss had tried unsuccessfully to acquire for himself—three times.
Just what family did Sebastian come from?
“Have a good day, Gianna,” he said as he bent and kissed her hand. Then he looked up at her and declared, “And know I’ll be thinking of you.”
She could only watch as he straightened and walked away. It took her several minutes to get control of herself after she lost sight of him when he turned the corner.
With a loud sigh, she pivoted and started toward Oscar’s house—also on the Grand Canal. The entire walk, she couldn’t stop thinking about Sebastian. Even once she was inside the palazzo and checking each room to ensure the flowers were right before stopping to chat with the caterer and then the decorator, Sebastian was always there, just at the fringes of her mind.
As she stood back and watched the final touches go up, she thought about the evening to come. Her gown had arrived weeks ago with the matching mask. Her only duties that night were to be on standby in case of an emergency, which there never was.
When she thought of all the balls and parties her employer had hosted, not one of them had she attended with an escort. Yet she’d never felt more clearly alone than she did now. And she didn’t like it. Perhaps it was time to turn another page in her life and rethink what she wanted. No longer was it so important for her to be alone.
What infuriated her was that she couldn’t remember why that had been so important in the first place.
She wanted Sebastian with her. His departing remarks led her to believe that he was interested in seeing her again. Perhaps it was time she stopped standing on the sidelines. Maybe this new door she’d walked through was a wakeup call to actually take a chance.
Gianna pulled out her phone and made a quick call before she was summoned to make some changes to the guest list. Her eyes scanned the names. Over a hundred people from all across the globe were attending. Only four had declined, with two more having to cancel at the last minute.
With each hour that grew closer to the time for her to begin getting ready, she found she was nervous and eager. When she could take it no more, she ducked out and hurried home to begin dressing.
She had never taken so long in the shower before, lathering her hair and body twice. Once she was dried off and her hair combed, she took special care to rub lotion over her entire body. Every place she touched, she imagined it was Sebastian’s hands on her. Her desire intensified, spreading and multiplying as it expanded.
Slipping into her pink silk robe, she sat before her vanity and stared at her reflection for long minutes. The woman looking back at her was different. It couldn’t be seen on the outside, but inside, everything had been rearranged. She wanted to look as different as she felt.
&nb
sp; No. She needed to look different to match what was changing inside.
Gianna opened the drawers of makeup. She put on her foundation and took it a step further by contouring and highlighting before adding her blush. With meticulous precision, she applied a seductive smoky eye shadow that she usually shied away from. A few coats of mascara and then she moved to her brows. Only then did she scrutinize her array of lipsticks.
She looked over her shoulder at the gown that hung waiting for her, then slid her gaze to the chair where her mask still sat in the box.
The color of a woman’s lips could either complement an outfit or ruin it. There were many choices, and she couldn’t decide. Yet.
So she moved to her hair. After she blew it dry, she ran her hands through the vivid red strands. There would be no bun for her this night. Her hair, like her face, would be changed.
Once she finished, she rose and chose a sexy pair of panties and a strapless bra. Her fingers ran along the edge of the underwear against her stomach.
Then she gazed at the dress. She walked to it and ran her hands over the material. It was a special dress for a special night. Once it was fastened in place and her shoes on, she returned to her vanity. Her hand hovered over the lipsticks as she imagined each shade on her lips. Finally she chose a color.
She didn’t look at herself in the mirror as she moved to her dresser and selected a pair of diamond stud earrings and rose gold bracelets that she placed on each wrist.
Next, she reached for her mask and put it on before tying it at the back of her head. With everything in place, she then looked at herself in the mirror.
Now the woman she saw was as changed outside as she was within. She stared at herself, taking it all in and finding that she wasn’t just happy about what she glimpsed, but comfortable with it as well.
She walked from her room and down the stairs to grab a shawl and drape it around her shoulders. Then she was out the door and getting onto the boat that would take her to the masquerade ball.
The night was going to be magical. She just knew it.
Chapter Seven
So much for being in control of the situation. Sebastian sighed as he stood with his hands in his pockets and stared out the window, watching the boats moving through the Grand Canal. He’d thought he was in charge of his plan. His skill and expertise were going to make it easy to woo Gianna. Then how the fuck was he the one who’d ended up seduced?
No matter how many times he went over it in his head, he couldn’t figure out where things had shifted out of his hands and into hers. What was worse, it didn’t appear as if she even knew she had control.
And he couldn’t decide if it was better that their kiss had been interrupted—twice, no less—or not. In order to maneuver her where he wanted her, he had to continue with his seduction.
The only problem was that he feared moving forward. Because he no longer wanted to use her as a pawn. Because the thought of causing her hurt made him ill. Because he found her intriguing and irresistible.
The Ice Queen.
Except he wasn’t so sure she was made of ice. If she were, wouldn’t he be frozen? He was on fire. Scorched, singed, enflamed.
Burned.
Since the moment he’d left her, he’d dug through everything he’d found about her and searched through the list Ryder had given him. He was hoping to find something, some kernel or nugget that would tell him she knew exactly what Mikkel was doing and that she was in on it.
If he knew she was a party to the madness, he could shove aside his attraction and concentrate on helping Ulrik. It wasn’t that he was forgetting about his old friend. On the contrary, Sebastian was the only one helping Ulrik.
However, there was no use denying that when he was with Gianna, Sebastian was engrossed with seducing her. What had been his mission was now something he craved desperately.
The knock at the door made him turn his head toward it. His first thought was Gianna, which had him hurrying to it. Whatever hope he’d held vanished when he opened the door and saw the young boy before him holding a box.
“Are you Sebastian?” the boy asked in a thick Italian accent.
“I am.”
The boy held out the black box. “This is for you.”
Sebastian handed the lad some money and took the box. He held it before him, wondering what it could be as he closed the door. He didn’t bother to lock it. There was a barrier around the entire palazzo that kept out Fae and humans alike. The only way they could be allowed in was with his invitation.
Taking the box to the kitchen, he set it on the large island and grasped the lid with both hands. Then he lifted it and peeled back the red tissue paper. Inside was a black leather eye mask. Beneath it was a note with his name scrawled in a neat, sweeping script. He opened the paper and began to read.
Sebastian—
I still don’t know why I accepted your proposal today and met you, but you opened my eyes to many things. I would like to thank you for that.
Perhaps you’ll accept this mask as well as my invitation to join me at the Masquerade Ball tonight. It starts at eight o’clock at the Byzantine palazzo. I hope to see you there.
Gianna
He set down the note and looked at the mask. Masquerades were a part of the Venetian culture dating back hundreds of years. It was still some time before Carnival began, but he suspected that was why Mikkel was having the ball now.
He closed the box and turned on his heel to make his way into the master chamber and then the closet. In every one of the homes owned by Dreagan, there were clothes and shoes in the style for each of the Kings, as well as their sizes. Including multiple varieties and colors of tuxes.
Sebastian opened a cabinet and found the selection of various masks. Several were voltos, or full-face masks that covered everything but his eyes. A volto would help keep him hidden from Mikkel, but it would prove difficult in his wooing of Gianna. If he went, it could tip his hand that he knew about Mikkel, but it was also a perfect chance to lay eyes on the man and discover if his hunch was right.
Grabbing a half mask, Sebastian laid it on the stool in the middle of the closet and stripped out of his clothes before taking a quick shower. Drying off, he tossed the towel aside and walked naked into the closet, where he chose a modern black tux. He combed his hair back into a queue, and then put on the mask he’d worn five centuries earlier during Carnival.
The Diavolo, or Devil mask, would hide all but his mouth and jaw. It was solid black and made from soft leather. There were two sets of horns at the forehead that gave way to curved temples and sloping cheeks that then came to a point on each side of the mouth. The downward slanted eyes of the mask also helped to hide his identity.
He glanced at the time to see it was just after eight. Sebastian grabbed the black cloak and put it on as he walked out of the palazzo and into the boat that came with the property.
The night felt alive with possibility. His heart thought of Gianna, but his mind only knew one target—Mikkel.
Sebastian was about to start the engine when a form stepped from the dark. He looked into black eyes and set his hands on the steering wheel as he waited.
“You doona look surprised to see me,” Constantine said as he stood on the dock.
“Because I’m no’. I knew you’d want to talk to me.”
Con nodded and looked around. “I’ve no’ been to Venice in over a thousand years. There is much about the city that hasna changed.”
“And much that has.”
The King of Kings met his gaze. “You seem verra sure of your theory.”
“There are unanswered questions. Someone has to ask them and demand answers.”
“And that’s you?”
Sebastian thought about it a moment and said, “Aye. It’s me because I didna do my part as Ulrik’s friend and help him overcome his anger during the war. It’s me because I never reached out to him while he was banished. It’s me because I know how I feel no’ being able to shift, and it’s o
nly been a few weeks. He’s endured countless centuries. It’s me because someone has to stand up for him.”
“And I willna?” Con asked, no censor in his words.
“If you were no’ King of Kings, I think it would be you here instead of me. I know you can no’ follow your heart as we do. You’ve proved that several times already. Ulrik was your brother, just as he was mine. We three might no’ share blood, but our bonds were just as strong.”
Con stood there in silence for a long stretch of time. “You’re right. Someone does have to ask the questions. I didna tell you that Anson heard the name Mikkel while he was being held by the Dark Fae.”
“Why did you no’ tell me?” Sebastian asked, not bothering to keep the anger from his words.
“Perhaps because it would be easier to blame only Ulrik.”
“Come with me. It should be you here, no’ me.”
“Once maybe, but no longer. Go find your information, Bast. I hope it’s what you believe it to be.”
Sebastian felt better knowing that Con was on his side. “If it is?”
“Then we’ll deal with it. But be on guard. If this Mikkel is in fact the same dragon we both remember as Ulrik’s uncle, he’ll be looking for any Dragon King.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“How are you getting in?” Con asked.
Sebastian thought of Gianna, his Ice Queen. “His personal assistant.”
“Most likely he keeps tabs on her, which means he could already know of you.”
“We might no’ get another chance at this bastard.”
Con ran his hand over his jaw. “I doona care what you have to do, but doona let Mikkel capture you.”
For the first time in hours, Sebastian smiled. “You have my word.”
“I expect to hear from you later,” Con said as he turned and began to walk away.
Once Con disappeared into the darkness, Sebastian started the engine and backed the boat out of the slip before proceeding the short distance to the Masquerade.