by Donna Grant
It was easy for Sebastian to move about the ball with his mask, though he spotted some men who were searching for a guest. Most likely for him. Not that he was worried about being found. It was going to take more than some men following Gianna and seeing who she spoke with to find him.
Though he remained close to Mikkel, Sebastian kept his eye on Gianna as well. While he searched the crowd several times, he never saw Ulrik again. But the proof he needed stood before him—if only Mikkel would take off his mask.
Sebastian made his way up the stairs to look down upon the party. The next few hours crawled by, leaving him thinking of Gianna more and more. He hadn’t intended to do more than kiss her on the balcony, but the look she gave him had smashed whatever control he had.
The feel of her in his arms as desire made her green eyes glow had pushed him past the point of reason. It was her moans and soft cries of pleasure that’d had him teetering on the edge himself. It was only the noise of the passing boats and the party within that stopped him from taking her right then.
But he’d known from the moment he saw her that his Ice Queen was a sleeping volcano waiting to explode.
“She’s verra beautiful.”
His head jerked sideways at the sound of the voice behind him. A voice he hadn’t heard in ages. “Ulrik.”
“Doona turn around.”
Sebastian swung his gaze to the right and down to where Mikkel stood with four other men. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same question,” Ulrik said.
“I’m here because—”
But Ulrik spoke over him. “You shouldna have come. You’ve put the woman’s life in danger.”
“Are you threatening her?” Sebastian tensed. He didn’t want to fight Ulrik, but he would.
It took him a moment to realize that he was willing to fight a friend over the idea of Gianna being hurt. As confusing as that was, he shoved it aside to mull over later.
“If I was, I wouldna warn you,” Ulrik replied tersely.
Sebastian drew in a deep breath and released it. “I willna allow her to be harmed.”
“Then you should’ve thought twice about involving her in whatever you’re up to. Leave Venice. Before it’s too late, Bast.”
He spun around when Ulrik said his name, but once again he’d disappeared. Sebastian slowly turned back and scanned the crowd for Gianna. There were three men following her. Two were obvious, but there was a third that Sebastian almost overlooked because he was so good.
Ulrik’s words repeated in his head like a drum. Sebastian was responsible for the men following Gianna. He was to blame for Mikkel’s sudden interest in her private life. And if Sebastian didn’t do something, he might very well be liable for her death also.
Gianna had begun as nothing more than an objective to woo in order to obtain the much-needed information about Mikkel. Sebastian had intended to do whatever it took to win her over, and he would’ve left her without a second thought.
That was then. Now...now he comprehended with crystal clarity just what he’d dragged her into. If she was innocent of knowing who Mikkel really was, then his actions were even more reprehensible.
But he couldn’t just leave, as Ulrik suggested, either. Now that Mikkel’s attention was on her, there was no telling what the bastard would do.
The more Sebastian watched Mikkel, the more he saw the arse look Gianna’s way every few minutes, as if keeping tabs on her. As if it wasn’t enough that the men were following her.
Sebastian saw Gianna turn her head this way and that casually. She was looking for him. Right before she lifted her gaze to the second floor, he took several steps back. Whether he liked it or not, Gianna couldn’t be seen with him again that night. That also meant that she couldn’t leave with him as they’d planned.
“Scusami, excuse me,” said a voice behind him.
Sebastian sighed. He’d really hoped to avoid such an interaction, but it looked as though his luck had run out. He turned around to look at the man in a silver and black eye mask who spoke.
“Signore?” the man asked.
Sebastian remained silent.
“Will you come with me?” he asked in broken English.
Since there were a few people watching him, Sebastian followed the guard toward a door. As soon as they were through it, he noted a narrow stairway down. Sebastian then grabbed the guard and slammed his head against the stone hard enough to knock him out.
He hefted the man over his shoulder and carried him down the rest of the stairs. There were two doors. He used his enhanced hearing to determine that the door to the right had no one behind it. He quietly opened it and slipped inside.
The room was small and used for storage. He bent and sat the man up. A quick search produced rope and tape. He covered the man’s mouth before binding his hands and feet. Then Sebastian slipped back out the entry and up the stairs.
Instead of returning through the door he’d left, he kept climbing the stairs to the next floor. When he came to the landing, he walked to the door and put his hand on the knob, slowly turning. It made a loud squeak, but thankfully it was drowned out by the music from below.
Sebastian opened the door and walked through it before closing it behind him. He looked to either side of him in the corridor to find multiple doors. By the sounds of approaching footsteps, precautions had been made to prevent guests from venturing upstairs.
He saw a door cracked open and peeked inside. The moment his gaze landed on a Dark Fae, he had confirmation Mikkel was the culprit. While Ulrik was the type of tactician who would use anything and everything at his disposal, the masquerade wasn’t a battle. The Ulrik he knew wouldn’t bring the Fae to such an event.
All Sebastian needed was a photo of Mikkel as evidence, something he couldn’t get at the ball with everyone wearing masks.
Now wasn’t the time to confront the Dark. There were too many mortals about who would only get in the way and most likely killed. His need to kill the Dark would have to wait for another day.
He turned and retraced his steps. It was time he disappeared.
* * * *
Mikkel ended his conversation with a prince and walked to Gianna. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but everything pointed to his assistant.
It all began when she took the morning off. That was something she never did, especially when there was an event that day. Her dancing was a rare thing indeed, but it was something she’d done before.
It was the way she dressed, as if she wanted to look sexy. In all the years she’d worked for him, not once had he seen her hair down. Then there was her makeup and the way she carried herself. That was something a woman did when she wanted to gain someone’s attention.
However, the most telling aspect of it all was the smile she’d worn all night. He knew the look of a woman who had been well pleasured, and Gianna wore that expression with ease. The question was—who had she taken to her bed?
There was a niggling worry that the Dragon Kings might discover him before he was ready to expose his plans, but he’d taken such precautions that he was sure it was just paranoia.
Unless it wasn’t.
It could be Ulrik. It would be just like his nephew to create such a stir. But Ulrik’s time was limited. Already the Druid had him in her sights. Soon, Ulrik wouldn’t be meddling in anything.
The more Mikkel thought about it, the more he knew it had to be Ulrik who was paying Gianna attention. And he knew just how to catch his nephew.
Gianna gasped and jerked her head to him when Mikkel grabbed her arm right above the elbow. Her anger disappeared as soon as she saw him. “Sir? Is everything all right?”
He pulled her away from the group she was talking to with an apology and moved her to the edge of the dance floor. “I’m sorry to have doubted you about the ball. Nothing is out of place.”
“I’ve never let you down before.”
Her tight smi
le didn’t bother him as he kept his hold on her. “I was told you invited someone for yourself. I’d very much like to meet him.”
“Of course,” she hurriedly said. “Did I overstep by inviting him?”
“Not at all. After all the fine work you’ve done for me and the fact you never ask for such things for yourself, I don’t see the harm in it. This once.”
Behind her mask, her gaze darted away. Mikkel’s disappointment in Gianna was great. She was one of the few he didn’t have to remind of their places in this world.
Until now. Until Ulrik.
“Take me to him,” Mikkel ordered.
She looked around, shaking her head. “I...I don’t see him.”
“Let’s take a walk around then. Perhaps we’ll find him.”
He kept Gianna by his side as he waved at his guests and ignored those who called him over to talk. After walking the entire expanse of the party, including the balconies, they had yet to find Ulrik.
Gianna forcefully pulled her arm from his grasp. She raised her chin and said, “Excuse me. There are things I need to see to if you want to keep the party running smoothly.”
He stared after her. She was a good employee, but the moment he suspected disloyalty he took action. It was too bad she was going to have to die.
Chapter Ten
Gianna didn’t think there had ever been another time in her life where she’d been so happy one second and so miserable the next.
The masquerade was meant to be her night. It had begun with excitement that only intensified with Sebastian’s arrival. Being in his arms as he moved them around the floor while they danced had been the stuff of her dreams as a little girl.
Their time on the balcony with their feverish kisses and the way he had brought her to orgasm with his fingers had been her fantasy as a woman.
The night couldn’t have been going better or more magically. Then Oscar made his appearance and everything had fallen apart, as if midnight had come and her fairy godmother had taken everything away.
Gianna stood on the balcony with her arms wrapped around herself and sighed as the clock struck four. The last of the guests had finally departed and the cleanup had begun. Normally she would be on her way home, but she remained, hoping for some sign of Sebastian.
Had one of Oscar’s guards found him? Had Oscar spoken to him? Those were the only explanations she could come up with that Sebastian would leave after assuring her that he’d wait.
Oscar’s bizarre behavior once he learned she had invited a guest, and then his perplexing interest in Sebastian, disturbed her. So many times that evening she’d felt Oscar’s gaze on her, making her apprehensive.
She’d been thankful that Sebastian kept his distance because of it, but now she wished that she had kept him by her side. Why should she be embarrassed for having a good time? Why should she have to apologize for having a life?
Sure, she’d overstepped by giving Sebastian an invitation without approval, but that wasn’t a big deal. Sebastian obviously came from money and breeding, so it wasn’t as if he didn’t know how to act in such circumstances. In fact, she wasn’t sure she’d seen Sebastian talk to anyone.
The only one who seemed to get his attention was that man in the white and silver mask. The way Sebastian had stared at the man was like they knew each other. She didn’t understand it since she could barely make out the man’s eyes through the mask, much less his hair color because of the hood on the cloak and then the hat.
When she saw the crew begin to roll up the carpet from the dock, she knew it was time to go. Oscar had departed hours ago. She wasn’t sure why he had the palazzo, since he rarely stayed within its walls.
She dropped her arms and turned to walk into the house. As soon as she was inside, servants hurried to close the balcony doors and lock them. It was sad that such a grand house would be closed up again, forgotten until there was a need for another party. It was why she came and walked the halls every few months.
Gianna made her way toward the front hall where a guard held her wrap. She didn’t say a word as she grabbed the shawl and strode out the front door to the dock. She waited fifteen minutes before she realized that all the boats were gone, all the while thinking about how Sebastian had promised they would leave together. But he was nowhere in sight.
With a sigh, she returned to the palazzo and walked out the back entrance to the street. It was only a few blocks until she could find another place to get a boat home. Her heels clicked loudly on the pavement. The night was eerily quiet for Venice. Perhaps it was because she was used to the noise from the party, but she was sensitive to the silence that caused chills to race up her spine.
The shawl did little to help keep her warm. If only she hadn’t remained so long on the balcony she could’ve found a boat and now she’d be sitting in a nice hot bath—or curled beneath her covers.
Her steps slowed when the street narrowed. There were dozens of shadows where anyone could be lurking about, waiting to harm her. She looked behind her to spot a cat racing across the street to disappear in the darkness.
She took a deep breath as she faced forward. Then she started walking. She passed the first shadow, then the second, and a third without anything happening. It was as she neared the fourth that hands reached out and grabbed her. She fought against the hold even as a hand clamped over her mouth to stop her screams.
“Gianna. It’s me.”
It took a second for the voice to register. When it did, she stilled. Sebastian! As soon as his hand dropped away, she spun out of his arms and glared at him. He was still in his tux and cloak, but the mask was gone.
He held up his hands, palms out, before him. “Easy, lass.”
“Easy?” she repeated in dismay. “You just scared ten years off my life.”
His lips flattened in a look of regret as he lowered his arms. “That wasna my intent, but I didna know if those men were still following you.”
“I don’t know why Oscar had those two men trailing me.”
“Three,” Sebastian corrected her.
She frowned, a growing sense of dread filling her. “Three?”
“You were too occupied with the others to notice him.”
“Obviously.” And she didn’t like the feeling that provoked within her.
He held out his hand to her. “I didna mean to frighten you.”
“You said you’d wait for me.”
“So I did. Just no’ inside the palazzo. I didna like the...interest the guards suddenly took in me.”
She winced and lowered her gaze to the ground in embarrassment. “I’m sorry.” She looked back up at him. “I don’t know what was wrong with Oscar tonight.”
“Just so you know, I made sure you had no choice but to walk this path tonight. I was watching to make sure no one harmed you. But I had to see you.” He took a step closer, their bodies brushing. “After the passion on the balcony, I need another kiss.”
“Just a kiss?”
His lips twisted in a sensual smile. “I want much more than that.”
She watched his fingers entangle with hers before caressing up her arm. She tilted her head to the side and raised her gaze to him. “Just what is it you want?”
“You,” he replied in a deep timbre. “Naked. On my bed. And writhing in need.”
As he spoke, she saw all of it in her mind. Her breathing hitched as her sex clenched. “And?”
“I’m going to spread those long legs of yours and taste what my fingers felt this night.”
Her knees threatened to buckle at the wicked promise of his words.
His arm snaked around her, yanking her against his hard chest. He leaned down until his lips brushed her ear. “I’m going to fill you. Then I’ll make you come again so I can feel your walls tightening around me.”
“What are you waiting for?” she asked breathlessly.
Without another word, he took her hand and started walking. She had to almost run to keep up with him, and despite the need pounding
through her, she noticed how he kept them to the shadows at all times.
Finally, they reached the palazzo. She wanted to admire it, but no sooner were they in the door than his mouth was on hers. She let the shawl drop to the floor as he walked her backward.
She shoved his jacket over his shoulders and down his arms, where it landed on the floor. As they continued their journey, her mask was the next thing removed.
Their passion was interrupted by a brief moment of laughter when he couldn’t get his shoe off. Sebastian had to bend down and remove it, then she was back in his arms and being kissed as if there was no tomorrow.
She managed to remove her heels right before they reached the stairs. He held up her skirts so she wouldn’t trip as she resumed her backward trek. She used that time to grab his shirt and yanked it open, causing buttons to pop off.
His answering groan made her heart race in excitement.
There was a loud ripping noise as Sebastian yanked the shirt from his arms and threw it on the stairs. By the time they reached the top, he had unzipped her gown. After she let it fall from her arms, he lifted her out of it as she stepped over the dress. She reached for the waist of his pants as soon as her feet were back on the ground.
Her fingers fumbled with the zipper before finally opening it and shoving the pants down his hips. He kicked out of the trousers as they reached a doorway and he maneuvered her inside.
Only then did he break the kiss. He gazed at her a long time, and she took the same opportunity with the moonlight flooding through the windows. Then she reached up and loosened the strap on his hair before running her fingers through the thick strands.
Her breath came out in a rush when she realized he was already naked. She flattened her hands over his chest and was awed at the corded muscles. She’d sensed, and even felt his power, but she hadn’t expected this.
She smoothed her hands over his wide, thick shoulders and bulging arms. Returning to his chest, she caressed down his stomach to his rock-hard abdomen that narrowed to a trim waist.