When Cindy pulled her phone out of her small handbag to check the time she was dismayed to see it was eleven already. The party, or at least her time at it, was almost over. She was actually sorry she didn’t have longer to spend with Sebastian. She would be seeing him again soon, but it would be in a completely professional capacity. And she was sure he wouldn’t be at all happy that his date this evening had been deceiving him the entire time.
They were standing near the food table again, and Sebastian was surrounded by several people he’d talked to throughout the evening. Cindy wasn’t paying attention to what they were discussing. Instead she was scanning the crowd, as she had done periodically all evening, trying to decide when and how best to extricate herself from the party in time to rendezvous with Frank and the limo.
As Cindy swept her eyes around the room she noticed a blond woman in a fuchsia ball gown with a matching fuchsia and black feather mask at the end of the table, just a few feet from Sebastian. She had noticed the woman before, it was hard not to in that bright dress. But, as the woman hadn’t displayed any suspicious behavior, or even come close to Prince, Cindy hadn’t paid much attention to her. Until now.
Even now, the woman wasn’t doing anything noteworthy; she wasn’t even looking towards Sebastian. She was standing with her side to Cindy’s group, sipping champagne and engrossed in a conversation with a masked young man. Yet there was something about her that kept drawing Cindy’s eye back to her. There was something about the line of her aquiline nose and the set of her rounded jaw that seemed familiar.
The woman put her glass on a passing waiter’s tray and took her companion’s arm. As the two strode past on their way to the dance floor, the woman’s head turn and her gaze briefly locked with Cindy’s. A strange sense of familiarity swept over Cindy, but she had no idea why. The woman didn’t seem to have any reaction to Cindy at all. She offered a stiff, polite smile like one would when meeting eyes with a stranger, then looked away and continued walking.
Cindy watched as the two began to dance. She tried to place where she’d seen the woman before, but without being able to see her whole face, it was impossible. Everyone at the ball was rich, or worked for someone rich or in politics. Since those were the people that made up Godmother Security’s client list, it only followed that Cindy might recognize some of the guests. It was likely she’d met the woman in bright pink at some point while on the job. Yet, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling the woman invoked.
“Ella.”
“Wha…Oh! Oh, I’m so sorry!”
Cindy turned when she realized Sebastian had called her name and knocked her arm into his. Champagne went flying all over his shirt.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, grabbing a napkin from a nearby table and blotting at the large wet spot covering his chest. “I don’t know where my mind was.”
Mortification slammed through her, heating her cheeks. Swiping at the wet spot only seemed to be spreading it. “I’m so clumsy. I’ll pay the cleaning bill.”
Sebastian’s large hands covered hers on his shirt, sending trickles of heat through her. “Ella, it’s okay,” his tone was warm and laced with amusement. “Luckily I have a suite upstairs. I can just run up and put on a new shirt and jacket.”
“You just happen to travel with a couple of tuxedo jackets?” she asked, even though she knew he lived in the hotel. That was not something ‘Ella’ would not know.
He laughed. “I actually live here when I’m in the city. And I happen to own four tuxedos. You aren’t the only one prone to spills.”
He punctuated his last sentence with a wink that had Cindy’s heart leaping into her throat. She extricated her hands from his, and tossed the used napkin back on the table.
“Okay, I don’t feel so bad. But I’ll still pay for your cleaning bill.”
“What if, instead, you accompanied me up while I change, and we’ll call it even?”
That was better than if he went up to his suite alone, but he didn’t know that. She had to play this just right.
“Mr. Prince, you wouldn’t be trying to get me up to your room to take advantage of me, would you?” Her flirty-but-cautious tone was only half faked. If she were here as herself, and not ‘Ella’ she would be seriously taken with this man’s charms.
His smile was a little wicked. “Only if you ask me to. So will you walk with me?”
Hell, who am I kidding? I’m about half ready to jump into bed with him, on the job or not. Could I be more unprofessional? Stay focused, Ashe, she scolded herself.
She gave him what she hoped was a brilliant and suggestive smile. “I’d love to.”
She took his offered arm, and they started out of the ballroom. As they, walked Cindy forced herself to focus on the job and scanned the room, looking for anyone who took particular interest in their departure. She saw nothing out of the ordinary, but they were met at the doors by a slightly winded Gus.
“The lady and I are just going up to my suite so I can change my shirt. I’ll be back in ten minutes,” Sebastian told the bodyguard as soon as he saw him.
Cindy felt bad for Gus, he’d obviously ran the outer wall of the ballroom in order to make it to the door ahead of them. But, as she wasn’t supposed to know him, she kept her face carefully blank.
“Yes, sir. I still have to accompany you. Protocol.” Gus’s tone was polite, but firm.
Sebastian let out a small sigh. “Okay, just give us a little space, please?”
Gus nodded and stood back to let them pass.
Feigning concern, Cindy asked, “Is there a problem?”
Sebastian’s charming smile was back. “No, not at all. The insurance companies for the hotel and charity require tight security for the ball, especially for the Key Note Speaker. It’s nothing to worry about.”
Cindy had to give it to him, he lied smoothly. Someone that didn’t know it was a lie to begin with wouldn’t have noticed the slight tightness around his eyes.
They rode the private elevator up to the penthouse suite in silence. They stepped out of the elevator to a foyer hall that was about the size of Cindy’s living room. Sebastian turned to Gus. “Can you wait out here, please?”
Gus hesitated for a moment, but Cindy gave him a slight nod from behind Sebastian. His expression didn’t register any communication, but he immediately said, “Of course.”
Sebastian used his key card on the door and Cindy followed him into a large, airy room that greatly resembled a Victorian sitting room. “Wait here, I’ll be right back,” Sebastian said, disappearing down a hallway.
Cindy looked around. While the decor went well with the buildings architecture, and was exactly what you would expect considering the lobby and ballroom, it didn’t exactly match Sebastian’s personality. Not that Cindy really knew what his personality was, but she’d been expecting something sleek and minimalist. Perhaps grey and black with clean lines and lots of glass and steel.
Instead she was surrounded by antique furniture, damask fabric, and creamy paneled walls. It was lovely. The far had floor to ceiling paneled windows with French doors that opened out onto a wide brick terrace.
Deciding fresh air sounded like a good idea, Cindy stepped out onto the terrace. The warm, cozy feel of the living room continued outside with white wicker furniture with the chintz fabric, and potted plants around the outer wall.
“Here you are,” Sebastian’s voice sounded behind her.
Cindy turned and her mouth went dry at the sight before her. He was standing in the doorway. He had put on a fresh shirt, but it hung open, exposing and expanse of well-muscled torso. “I, um, the view is breathtaking,” she said, indicating the view of the city lights.
“Yes, it is,” he said, but his eyes were on her, not the scenery.
“Your apartment is lovely.” She hesitated. “But it doesn’t quite seem like your style.”
He laughed as he walked over to her. “Thanks, and no it’s not. When I first moved into the hotel the penthouse was occupied so
I took a suite on the tenth floor. I was perfectly happy there, and when the resident moved out here, I had no desire to move in. The hotel was getting it ready to rent out again and I had to come up and speak with the contractor about some repairs when I saw this terrace and the view. I fell instantly in love.”
Cindy turned to look out over the city again. “I don’t blame you. It’s gorgeous.”
“Ella, I have something to tell you.”
“What’s that?” She asked, turning back to him.
His eyes were dark and his voice was deep and husky when he said, “I have every intention of taking advantage of having you alone.”
Before Cindy could react, he cupped her face with both hands and lowered his mouth to hers.
The moment their lips touched Cindy’s brain misfired. She had one brief moment of ‘I shouldn’t do this’ and her hands flew up to his chest in protest. But when her palms came into contact with warm, bare flesh, she was totally lost. Her eyes fluttered closed as she relaxed into him, sinking into the kiss and letting her hands slide over the taught muscles of his abdomen and around to his back.
Heat sizzled every point of skin to skin contact, and flared out until warmth had flooded every poor of Cindy’s body. Then the tip of Sebastian’s tongue skimmed across her bottom lip, tracing it, and the tiny sparks of lust exploded into a conflagration. She sighed as the flames engulfed her, and Sebastian took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, slipping his tongue inside to explore and taste her.
The kiss had started off intense, but with every passing moment it got hotter and hotter, until Cindy wouldn’t have been at all surprised to open her eyes and find the world burning around them. She couldn’t think. She could barely breathe. The only thing she could do well was feel; and everything felt so incredible. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew this wasn’t a good idea, but she couldn’t muster the strength to care.
Sebastian’s hands slid from her face down her neck and shoulders and upper back, touching every bit of exposed flesh. His mouth tore away from hers to follow his hands. He trailed his lips and tongue over her jaw, traced her ear, then down her throat and collar bone. Cindy gasped for air and clung to him, her nails biting into the hard muscles of his back under his shirt.
Just as his lips touched the flesh just above the neckline of her dress, Cindy became aware of a strange buzzing. At first she thought it was coming from her own head, then she realized it was coming from inside the apartment.
“I think your doorbell is buzzing,” she said, weakly.
“Hmmm?”
“Someone’s at the door,” she said, pushing against his shoulder.
Sebastian raised his head. “Damn it.” He let her go and stepped back. “I’m sorry, excuse me a minute.” He turned and stalked inside the apartment, buttoning his shirt on the way.
Cindy stood there a moment letting the chilly night air cool her down and bring her back to reality. On shaky legs, she followed Sebastian and heard Gus’s voice.
“I’m sorry to bother you, sir, but the event coordinator is looking for you. She said it’s time for your speech and the unmasking.”
“Damn. Okay, give me one moment.” Sebastian shut the door and turned to Cindy as she came to stand behind him. “I’m sorry, I have to go do this. “
“It’s okay. Probably for the best, actually. I’m not sure I’ll be able to get this dress back on once it comes off.” Cindy gave him a teasing smile, surprised her voice didn’t shake.
His eyes smoldering behind his mask, he gave a low growl. “That wasn’t really incentive to go downstairs.”
“Responsibility sucks sometimes,” she said, meaning it more than he could possibly know.
“Too true. Are you ready?”
She glanced at herself in the huge gilded mirror on the wall near the door. Her skin was flushed and her lips were slightly swollen, but thankfully, Faye had insisted on smudge proof lipstick. The red on her lips wasn’t smeared across her face, or Sebastian’s.
“I’m good,” she said, and followed him out of the suite, keeping her head down so she didn’t meet Gus’s eyes.
As they stepped out of the elevator on the ground level, Gus touched the bluetooth earpiece and said, “We are on our way. Copy.” He turned to Sebastian. “Sir, they want us to go through the back so we don’t cut through the ballroom on the way to the podium.”
Crap. Cindy’s mind jumped into overdrive. If she went with them she would be by Sebastian’s side during his speech and the unmasking. That wasn’t a good idea for a myriad of reasons. She had to slip away before the masks came off. As they passed a short hallway tucked discretely off to one side of the lobby, an idea came to her. “You go ahead, I need to powder my nose.”
Sebastian stopped. “We can wait.”
“Sir, I wouldn’t advise that,” Gus warned.
“No, it’s okay. I’ll just be a moment, and I’ll see you when you’re finished,” Cindy lied smoothly.
“Okay, I’ll see you in a few minutes,” Sebastian said, dropping a kiss on her cheek beneath her mask.
A huge knot formed in the base of Cindy’s stomach. She felt like a complete asshole for lying to him, but felt even worse because she wouldn’t be able to see him again, at least not as Ella.
Before either of them could say anything else, she turned into the hallway and went into the Ladies’ room. Leaning against the door, she took several deep breaths, but she didn’t have time to dwell on the consequences of the kiss she and Sebastian had shared. It was midnight and she had to go.
She peeked around the corner to make sure the coast was clear. A few hotel guests milled around in the lobby, but there was no sign of Sebastian. She hurried across the lobby and out to the street. Limousines were starting to line up in front of the hotel, but as promised her aunt’s driver, Frank, stood next to a black stretch limo at the front of the line.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Midnight Getaway
“Take three or four blocks, will you? It’s going to take some doing to get me out of this dress,” she told Frank as he helped her climb into the back of the limo.
“No problem.” He gave her a quick wink before shutting the door.
Within minutes the car had pulled into traffic and was slowly moving down the road. Cindy sat back for a moment, going over the evening in her mind and just how close to sleeping with a client she’d come. She wasn’t the naive, gullible type. She didn’t fall for the uber-charming lines of slick ladies men like Sebastian Prince. She just didn’t. Until she did. Thank God Gus had knocked on the door when he had. She wasn’t sure she would have come to her senses otherwise.
Nothing to do about it now. With any luck Faye wouldn’t need her for this case after tonight. If she did, well, then Cindy would just have to face the consequences. She wasn’t afraid of what Faye would say. After all, Faye had put her in the role of seductress.
Her worry was Sebastian. She’d lied to him the entire night, and he had every right to be angry with her. That shouldn’t bother her as it was her job, and she hadn’t been the one to initiate the kiss. Yet, she’d enjoyed his company. Some deluded part of her had hoped… Hell, she didn’t know what she’d hoped. It didn’t matter. Sebastian Prince was sought after by every eligible woman in the country. When he couldn’t find ‘Ella’ after the ball he’d no doubt find some other willing woman to fill his bed, and will have forgotten about ‘Ella’ by morning.
That thought didn’t cheer Cindy at all. She shook her head to clear it. She couldn’t sit and dwell. She still had several hours of work to do tonight.
She’d told Frank to take extra blocks because she’d wanted to clear her head, but as it turned out, she actually did need the extra time to get out of the dress. It had been comically difficult to extract herself from the corset and layers of lace and tulle. She was infinitely grateful Faye didn’t have a surveillance camera in the limo to catch her rolling around trying to remove the dress. Even without the near nudity it would have gone viral
on Youtube.
Once divested of the dress and shoes, Cindy pulled the large gym bag from the seat opposite her, looked inside, and groaned. The clothes Faye had sent was running gear. After pulling on the jogging pants, sports bra, tank top, and running shoes, she hit the intercom button. “Frank, I’m going to need you to do an extra loop and let me off a few blocks from the hotel. Looks like Faye wants me to have a bit of a work out.”
Ignoring the laughter in her voice as he agreed, Cindy started pulling her hair down. What seemed like thousands of pins later, her hair fell around her shoulders and she pulled the mask off and tossed it aside. She was herself again, though she still felt a little out of sorts.
Rummaging through the gym bag she found a brush. After several attempts to tame her teased and lacquered hair, she pulled it up into a messy bun, and wrapped it with the scrunchy Faye had wrapped around the brush handle. Next she grabbed makeup wipes—Faye had thought of everything—and wiped away the dark eye shadow and red lipstick. Holding up a small mirror, Cindy saw Ella had been completely wiped away, and she looked like a woman on her way to the gym; with the exception of the diamond heart earrings.
Cindy pulled the earrings off and dropped them into the small box Faye had provided. Next she put her hand to her throat and gasped. Her necklace was gone. Tears welled in her eyes. How? Where?
It must have fallen off at the ball at some point. She’d never worn it before, perhaps the clasp was faulty. She tried to push back the sadness that threatened to overwhelm her. In contrast to the jewels other women had been wearing tonight, the necklace wasn’t valuable to anyone but her. If she’d dropped it at the ball and someone found it they would turn it in to the hotel. But what if a janitor found it? It was worth pawning for a couple hundred bucks. No, she wouldn’t think that way. Despite the evil she’d seen in her job, she believed in the innate goodness in most people. Besides, a couple hundred bucks wasn’t worth losing a job over. If a maid or janitor or other employee found it, they would turn it in. She had to believe that.
Unmasked (Godmother Security Book 1) Page 4