She made a face, then rose from the chair and walked towards the door. “So, this wonderful manager can count on her best friend to do a little detective work, right?”
The phone beeped insistently and interrupted his comeback. He reached for the receiver and mouthed, “You owe me.”
She laughed and left the office.
Hailey stared at the woman in the full-length mirror and caught her breath. It was her. But it wasn’t.
The woman’s hair had been left loose instead of fastened into her usual tight bun. Gleaming red strands poured wildly down her shoulders. Her blue eyes were framed by dark, lush lashes and took on a hint of mystery behind the brightly colored peacock mask. Her lips had been lined and colored with deep red lipstick, making them appear full and enticing. Her conservative suits and baggy sweat pants had been thrown away and replaced with a midnight blue silk dress. The material covered every inch of her body but slashed down the front in a deep V, exposing the ripe white curves of her breasts. Delicate high heeled sandals enhanced her height. A simple strand of diamonds clasped around her neck, and the light caught and shimmered on the stones, emphasizing the smooth naked skin beyond.
The longer she stared at her reflection, the more she felt as if a change was taking place deep inside of her. Tonight was the opportunity to explore hidden parts of herself she had denied. She dated many men before, but always approached the relationship with a brick wall firmly erected to hide her feelings. Usually after the third date, the man realized he
wasn’t going to get “lucky” and moved on. Hailey admitted a portion of fault. She never gave them a chance to get to know her. She offered intelligent conversation, the occasional humor, and a simple elegance that was part of her nature. Never any raw emotions or vulnerability.
God, how she wanted that now. How she wanted to experience a man who could think of nothing but touching her skin; giving pleasure. A man who was so forceful there would be no thought to holding back. Poised on the edge of a cliff, Hailey wanted more than anything to take a deep breath and jump. But she was still afraid she couldn’t.
Therefore, Ciro Demitris was the perfect man. A man who might give her the push she so desperately needed.
She intended to find the man behind the public image. He was confident about his abilities and could have any woman he wanted. He showed a cool demeanor to the world, but Hailey suspected he felt a number of things kept carefully hidden. The magazine article painted him as a corporate mogul who traveled the globe and dated a variety of beautiful women.
Hailey was more interested in the private man, the one who gave to charities and avoided long term commitments, possibly because of a broken heart. Like Theodore did.
The thought made her check her phone. Still no text. She needed to leave within the hour and he still hadn’t called. There was no way her plan could work if she didn’t know what her boss wore.
The phone rang.
She snatched it up. “Did you get the information?”
A deep laugh rumbled in her ear. “No hello? No singing ‘Hail to the Hero’ when I risked my life to get you the identity of his top-secret costume? No sweet reward?”
She sighed impatiently. “You’re impossible. I promise when I come back, I’ll personally give you what you want.”
“You know how that sounded, right?”
“Theodore!”
“Fine. Our tycoon will be the Phantom of the Opera this evening. Fitting, too. The guy seems to be part mystery, part monster.”
“Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me,” she said.
The line hummed with sudden silence. When he spoke, his voice was quiet. “I think I do. I hope you find what you’re looking for tonight.”
“I hope so too,” she whispered. “Bye. I’ll call you on Sunday when I get back.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Hailey hung up.
Theodore glanced at his packed suitcase. Tension twisted his gut when he realized there would be no turning back. The plan was set. He had imparted the identity of the costume, and now Hailey was poised to meet the man who would turn her sexual fantasies into reality.
The only thing she didn’t know was the man would be Theodore Rivers, not Ciro Demitris.
The thought of finally touching her the way he craved made him grow hard. Yes, he was her best friend. But he wanted so much more, and every time he dared to push the line, he watched her back off with a polite wariness that stopped him like a bucket of ice water. She would never give him a chance. He lived with the knowledge for almost a year now, and he finally had the opportunity to change his future. Their future.
Two years ago, they were working on the same project together and formed a tentative friendship. An attraction always zinged beneath the surface, but he’d been married, and committed to his wife.
Until his wife left him. Admitted to an affair and walked off without a glance back.
Things began to fall apart at work and in all aspects of his life. He refused to admit he needed help, but Hailey had saved his ass on many occasions and never asked a question. Before long, they were spending more time together. Drinks after work; planning sessions spent in the dim light of the conference room; long lunches over a bottle of wine. He finally opened up and told her everything. She held his hand as he cried for the first time. She supported him through lonely evenings and made him laugh again.
