Both, she thought. But she said, “Maybe I should just go back to my own house.”
He scowled. “You’re giving up already?”
“No, but it might be less emotional if I wasn’t living with you.”
He stared across the table at her, the fountains gurgling in the background. “Don’t you like being here?”
Truthfully? She loved the pampered warmth he provided, and that was beginning to seem like a problem, too. What if she started getting crazy ideas about living here for real? She wasn’t supposed to be a permanent fixture in his home. “I just don’t want to overstay my welcome.” Or get more attached to him than she already was.
“You’re not overstaying anything. I want you here, Sophie. I want to see this through, the way we originally planned.”
She debated what to do. Maybe once her period ended, she would be able to think clearly. Besides, how much more attached to Tommy could she get? They’d been ingrained in each other’s lives since they were born. “All right,” she conceded. “We’ll keep things as they are for now. But I can sleep in one of your guest rooms until we start working on the baby again. We don’t have to keep sharing your bed.”
He shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re sleeping beside me, just like you’ve been doing.” He resumed eating. “So now that we got that over with, I have something to ask you. There’s a fund-raiser I’m supposed to attend later this month. You know how I hate those stuffy high-society balls, but Brandon gave me the tickets. It’s an art auction, and I promised him that I would buy something. He can’t attend because he has another event that night. Anyway, I thought it might be more interesting if you joined me.” He paused. “So, will you be my date?”
“Do you think that’s wise? Us dating like that? People might misunderstand and think that we’re a bona fide couple.”
“What people? Everyone close to us knows we entered into a donor agreement and that you’re living here for now. The assumption is that we’re sleeping together, anyway. That’s part of why I had everyone sign nondisclosures. Even the management team you work with signed them.”
That was true. He’d taken the necessary steps to stop people from talking about them. “What about the press? If there are any photographers there, our pictures might show up on gossip sites.”
“Don’t worry. That’s not going to happen.”
Did that mean this was a carefully screened event? It certainly seemed so. She relaxed a bit. “Okay, I’ll go with you.” Maybe it would be good for her to have an evening on the town, to get dolled up and get out of the mansion, to quit stressing about their relationship seeming real. They would be back to the baby-making business by then, too, and that was her priority.
“Great.” He tossed her a boyish grin. “Since the media won’t get wind of it, we can dance really close and kiss and make sexy spectacles out of ourselves.”
She shook her head. Even if they weren’t in danger of ending up on gossip sites, she wasn’t going to get wild at a charity ball. “We’re going to behave, Tommy. No PDAs.”
He didn’t reply. He drank his orange juice and gazed at her over the rim of the glass, as if he was daring her to do it when the time came.
* * *
Sophie felt like Cinderella getting ready for her famous ball. Tommy had brought a beauty expert to the house to do her hair and makeup. He’d purchased a designer gown for her. He’d also made certain that loaner jewels were available. She’d gotten dressed up for award shows and industry parties and whatnot in the past, but not where Tommy had hired a stylist for her or orchestrated what she would be wearing. No matter how much she tried to squelch the Cinderella feeling, it wasn’t something she could seem to shake. Of course, it wasn’t as if Tommy was her fairy godmother. She even laughed at the thought.
Her appearance wasn’t anything to snicker at. This was the most elegant she’d ever looked. She stood alone in the private dressing room designed for Tommy’s lovers, gazing into a full-length mirror. Her hair was swept into an intricate updo, and her champagne-colored, mermaid-style gown was embellished with hundreds of shimmering glass beads. She’d chosen a red garnet bracelet and diamond drop earrings as her accessories. Her heels were red, with shiny gold soles.
Suddenly, she caught a tall, dark reflection behind her. Tommy. He’d just entered the dressing room. He stayed quiet, admiring her from where he stood. Attired in a classic black tuxedo, he held a delicate red-rose corsage.
Her handsome date bearing a gift.
She turned to face him, and they gazed silently at each other. He moved forward to put the flower on her wrist.
“Thank you,” she said. “It’s beautiful.”
“You’re the one who’s beautiful.” He lingered over her. “I have something else for you.”
He led her out of the dressing room and over to the bed. On top of it was a champagne-colored mask that matched her gown.
She stepped forward without touching the mask. It had long, red fluffy plumes incorporated into the design. “We’re going to a masquerade ball? Why didn’t you tell me before now?”
“I wanted to surprise you.”
“Now it makes sense why you said us being seen together won’t matter. If we’re wearing masks, no one will know who we are.”
“Yes, but don’t get too excited. It’s still going to be the same stuffy function.” He picked up the mask and handed it to her. She held it against her face, and he tied it into place.
“How does it look?” she asked.
He circled around to face her. “Gorgeous. Sexy.” He opened an armoire equipped with a mirror. “See for yourself.”
She turned and saw a mysterious stranger, hot as fire, gazing back at her—gold beads, red feathers and crimson lipstick. “Where’s your mask?”
“In here.” He removed it from a drawer in the armoire. “It’s a stylized version of the Phantom of the Opera.”
He put it on. The black mask consisted of bold carvings and flat, smooth pieces of metal, curving around the edges. One side completely covered his face, leaving only his mouth exposed. On the other side, where a small portion of his face was visible, he still wasn’t recognizable. He’d been transformed into a mysterious stranger, too, with prominent changes to his forehead, the shape of his eyes and bridge of his nose.
She placed her hand against the section of his jaw that she was able to touch. “I’m going to want you when we come back.” She wanted him now, but she wasn’t going to start tearing off his tuxedo.
He smiled, much too wickedly. “You’re turned on?”
Her skin tingled. “Aren’t you?”
His smile turned even more sinful. “You have no idea.”
Before they decided to ditch the ball and tumbled into bed, she said, “We better go. You promised Brandon you’d buy some art.”
“He’s probably counting on me to bid on something no one else will want.” He shrugged. “Either that or he’s trying to teach me to have some class.”
She gave a sputtering laugh. “Can that be taught?”
He laughed it off, too. “Probably not. But let’s find out, anyway.” He got serious and offered her his arm. “I’ve already got the limo waiting.”
* * *
The ball was being held at an elaborate Gothic revival mansion, with architecture that mimicked the icing on top of a wedding cake. Sophie was in awe and thought it was the perfect setting for a masquerade-themed art auction. The proceeds from the fund-raiser were being donated to a wildlife foundation, which factored into the building’s motif, as well. Not only was the mansion’s decor punctuated with animal prints and faux furs, but the pieces being sold also depicted rare and exotic animals.
Sophie and Tommy wandered the grand halls, trying to hunt down the artwork. All of the pieces were hidden within the house, and there was a treasure map of where to find them. Sophie thoug
ht it was a clever tactic, enticing people to uncover whatever they wanted to buy. A security guard was stationed at every treasure site, and to place a bid, guests were required to use a specially designed app they’d downloaded onto their phones.
Other activities included sipping Southern cocktails on the veranda, eating delectable appetizers in the dining room and waltzing to elegant music in the ballroom. There were people everywhere, doing whatever struck their fancies.
Tommy checked the map and pointed in the direction of a narrow staircase that led to the attic. “There’s supposed to be a jeweled tiger up there.”
Curious, she asked, “What is it, exactly? A painting, a sculpture, a piece of jewelry?”
“I don’t know. That’s the only description. But the opening bid is pretty high.”
She followed him up the staircase, the wood creaking from years of wear.
They entered the attic, which was a steeple-shaped room, cluttered with furniture. They weren’t the only people poking around up there. Another masked couple was searching for the tiger, too. But it didn’t matter who found it first. Even if they all wanted it, only the highest bidder would win.
The attic was staged to seem as authentic as possible, even if there wasn’t a speck of dust in it. The floors were spotless. But you couldn’t expect people at a sophisticated ball to crawl around and get dirty.
While Tommy went through some old boxes, Sophie rummaged through a trunk filled with ladies’ clothing from the era of the house. If the tiger was a brooch, maybe it would be pinned to one of these dresses.
“I already looked in there,” the other woman said to her. “We’ve been searching everywhere.”
Sophie glanced up. Her competitor was a young, slim blonde in a green sequined gown and butterfly-shaped mask.
Sophie politely said, “It’s supposed to be in this room.”
The blonde knelt beside her. “Maybe he has it on him.” She nodded toward the security guard. “Should I frisk him and check?”
Sophie glanced his way. The man was tall and broad, as strong and thick as a live oak. “That’s probably not a good idea. He doesn’t seem as if he would be receptive to that.”
When the guard shot them a stern look, both women clammed up. A second later, they put their masked heads together and giggled like a couple of school-aged kids.
The blonde waited a beat before she stood and smoothed her dress. “There’s a hand-carved giraffe my boyfriend is interested in. I think we’ll go see if we can find that. Maybe we’ll run into you later.”
“Sure thing. I’m Sophie, by the way.”
A pretty smile appeared on the woman’s face. “Jenny.” She smiled again. “Good luck with the tiger.” She collected her man, and they left the attic.
Soon more people arrived, crowding the small room. By now, Tommy had stopped searching and was gazing out the lone window at the garden below.
Sophie quit sorting through the trunk and went over to him. He turned and leaned into her, then whispered in her ear, “I know where it is.”
“Where?” she whispered back.
“Come with me, and I’ll show you.”
“But—”
He shook his head, silencing her, making her heart pound. Were they going to leave the attic and return when no one else but the surly guard was there?
Tommy escorted her down the narrow stairs. Once they reached the second floor, they took the main stairwell to the lower level. From there, he whisked her into the backyard.
Was this a ploy to get her alone, to kiss her, to touch her, to leave her breathless for more?
He said, “We need to keep going.”
He was taking her to the garden, but she didn’t see another living soul around. “I don’t think we should be out here.”
“It’s okay.” He threaded his fingers through hers. “There’s a lighted path.”
They were soft, warm, romantic lights, she thought. “Are you going to seduce me?”
He squeezed her hand. “You bet I am. But not before I show you the tiger.”
He led her through a maze of greenery. At least there were flagstones below their feet and they weren’t traipsing through the soil. She inhaled a gust of the night air. She wasn’t sure if she believed him about the tiger.
Then she saw it: a huge statue in the middle of the garden, surrounded by cottonwoods. Its eyes were amber stones, along with the stripes on its body. A row of floodlights encompassed it, shining up at its muscular frame.
“Oh, my word. Look how big and beautiful it is.” She inched closer. “How did you know it was here?”
“When I was looking out the window I caught flashes of gold through the trees, and I realized that the tiger wasn’t in the attic, but was visible from it.”
“So the map had a trick clue,” she concluded, stating the obvious. “There’s no one out here to protect it, no security.” She reached out to touch one of its legs. “But I guess someone couldn’t just cart it away. It would take a crane to lift it. I wonder if anyone else uncovered it yet or if we’re the first.”
“I don’t know. But it’s magnificent.” He removed his phone from his pocket. “I’m going to place a bid.”
“And if you win the bid, then what will you do with it?” She couldn’t fathom buying a piece like that, but she didn’t have Tommy’s money. Or his impulses.
“I’ll put it in my garden. I think it’ll look as spectacular there as it does here.”
He was right—it would. He had plenty of space to accommodate a treasure like this.
When he put his phone away and moved closer to her, she asked, “Is this the part where you seduce me?”
“Not out here, Sophie. We’re going back inside, where I can seduce you into kissing me on the dance floor.”
Her pulse jumped in her throat. “I told you before that I wasn’t going to do that.”
“I know. But somewhere deep down, you know you want to.”
Heaven forbid, but that was true. She imagined a wicked kiss on the dance floor. “You’re right,” she said. “I do want to. But I’m glad our identities are hidden.” Of course that only added to the mystique, the feeling of the forbidden. “I told Jenny my name, but we’re still strangers to her.”
He stood in front of the statue, and with the way the floodlights were illuminating him, he looked downright sexy, especially in his mask. “I have no idea who Jenny is.”
“The blonde in the attic.”
“The other tiger hunter? If you see her again, don’t tell her we found it. I want to keep this bad boy to myself.”
Sophie wanted to keep her bad boy to herself, too. But suddenly, the thought of their affair ending and him resuming relationships with other women made her uncomfortably possessive. To combat the feeling, she reminded herself that her only concern should be the baby, not hanging on to Tommy. “I’d like to grab a bite before we dance.”
“Sure. Let’s get something spicy.”
She glanced at his mouth. “Appetizers to enhance the taste of our kiss?”
He smiled. “That sounds good to me.”
To her, too, she thought. But she didn’t reply.
They proceeded to the dining room, and he made up their plates. They ate in silence, indulging in honey chipotle wings, cheesy jalapeño poppers and hot-and-smoky meatballs, then topping it all off with fresh mint ice cream from the dessert bar.
“Are you ready to dance?” he asked, when they finished their last sweet-and-creamy spoonfuls.
“In a second.” She set aside her empty bowl, battling a case of nerves. Aside from proper little pecks, she’d never kissed anyone in public.
He fingered the edges of his bow tie. “I can wait as long as you need me to.”
She suspected that he was turned on by her hesitation. “How is it that you always seem to get your way?�
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He lowered his hand. “You don’t have to do this, Sophie.”
But she wanted to. Nervous or not, she was too aroused to backpedal. She linked her arm through his, encouraging him to escort her to the ballroom. “I can handle it.”
“Yes, ma’am. Whatever you say.”
Off they went. Once they arrived on the dance floor, he immediately swept her into a glorious waltz. He moved naturally, easily. But he knew the steps, too. She knew he didn’t like these types of events, but apparently he’d learned to waltz just fine.
“I’ve always wanted to slow-dance with you,” he said. “Except in my fantasies, we would be at a honky-tonk bar with a bit more hip action.” He softened his voice. “Then again, this is pretty damned nice, too.”
Yes, she thought, so incredibly nice. The chandelier above their heads cast a magical glow, giving her the Cinderella vibe again. She leaned in to kiss him. At this point, she just needed to fill her senses.
The taste of him burst on her tongue, causing a tangle of excitement to unfurl in her belly. This could have been their very first kiss, it was so thrilling.
She pressed closer, and as he held her, they kissed some more. Spices and lust, she thought. Cool mint and fiery heat. Sophie moaned, her frilly mask bumping against his.
This was no fairy tale, she thought. This was heat and hunger. She rubbed herself against him, needing more of it.
Finally, she pulled back, putting a proper distance between them. In that reckless instant, she wished that they were at a honky-tonk bar. She’d practically been mauling her date at a charity ball.
She sucked in her breath and peered at the other masked dancers. As far as she could tell, no one was gawking at them. Or gossiping about who they might be or why they were being so ill-behaved. Hadn’t anyone noticed that something inappropriate had just happened?
Of course they did, she thought. She just couldn’t read the expressions on their masked faces or hear their voices. Besides, at this point, Sophie’s mind was fogged. Her skin was still tingling, too. She could barely contain her reactions to Tommy.
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