Hailey shuddered. The tension eased, and she began to re-gather her control. This was what she had come for, but the reality of his presence shook her to the very core.
Fantasies were one thing while safe in her bed. But the reality challenged all her fears, especially when seeing Ciro in person.
For a few moments, her brain shouted all the ways this could be the biggest mistake of her life.
With a deep breath, she shut off the distracting thoughts and decided tonight would all be about action.
Find him before he disappears again.
She headed determinedly through the garden. She found the staircase and made her way to the second floor, hoping he’d still be up there. She passed couples lounging on the steps. A woman with her gown pulled down to the waist laughed as the man beside her dribbled champagne over her breasts and licked at her nipples. Her moans mingled with the strains of the music. Hailey rushed past them, face burning, and walked down the dimly lit hallway. The chattering voices and music grew faint when she finally found the balcony where her host had stood. The doors were flung open, and Hailey glimpsed the twisting pathways of the garden in the distance. The bedroom was decorated in wood and burgundy tones. She caught the faint scent of musk and spice from the room’s last occupant.
He wasn’t there.
Hailey sighed and turned away. Maybe he decided to join the party in the ballroom. She still didn’t know how she would approach him, what she would say…
“You shouldn’t have come.”
A deep masculine voice cut through the air. Steel sheathed in silk. Satin dragged over skin. A gravelly tone, yet oddly familiar. Vivid images flashed before her as Hailey felt that voice pour over her ears like warm honey, and her body responded as if the heavy liquid had been dripped over the naked breasts; hips; thighs.
Her hand paused on the knob. Halfway tempted to flee, she forced herself to turn and reminded herself this man was whom she had crossed an ocean to meet.
He stepped out of the shadows. His black cloak whispered around his body as he moved toward her. Hailey ignored her rapidly beating heart and strived to sound cool and confident.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know anyone was in here,” she said as he drew closer. “I was so intrigued by the villa I decided to do a little exploring.”
Those eyes narrowed, and Hailey realized they were not just regular blue, but a dark navy with sparks of gold. Like the deep depths of the ocean meeting the sparkle of sunlight. The odd combination made his gaze even more haunting. His lips turned downward in a sneer. “Forgive me for assuming we’d start by being honest. I’ve forgotten how easy it is for women to lie.”
She flinched in both surprise and embarrassment. Hailey forced her chin upward. “I don’t lie. And I resent your assumptions about my character. You don’t even know who I am.”
“I know you came looking for me,” he said softly. “I know we’re about to start the game a man and woman play when they’re attracted to one another. But it’s not time yet.” He turned as if to dismiss her. “I’m not ready to join the others. You shouldn’t have come,” he repeated.
An outraged squeak escaped her lips at his raging arrogance. “You flatter yourself, Phantom. I came up here for my own reasons. Now that you’ve satisfied my curiosity, I can leave.” Hailey spun on her heel and opened the door. The music drifted through the crack and filled the room.
“So, you did lie.”
She stiffened. “I suppose I did. But you’re safe from me. I’m not interested in playing games.”
His voice was rough and demanding. “Then what did you want?”
Hailey refused to turn around, refused to meet those mocking eyes. “I saw a man who was lonely. Separate. I came up here to find out what could cause someone to feel like that.” She paused. “Now I know.”
She shut the door behind her. On the stairs, the bare breasted woman thrust upward to receive the ministrations of her lover. The man flicked his fingers over one juicy red nipple, then bent his head. She closed her eyes in delight.
Hailey rushed past them and stopped in the ballroom. Tears burned behind her eyelids but she refused to give in. She had been wrong. She wanted to meet Ciro Demitris, but he was too beyond her, too ensnared in these wicked sexual games that she couldn’t seem to play. Theodore was right. She was way out of her league.
Hailey grabbed a glass of champagne and took a few healthy swallows. Though repulsed by his arrogant statements, the pounding heat between her thighs was still too real. He excited her with his command; his masculinity; the raw heat shimmering in those blue-gold eyes. She tried to fight the vivid picture swirling past her of what she could do with the Phantom. Tried
to ignore how badly she wanted to be the bare breasted woman being pleasured.
She thought of leaving, but why let Demitris win? The party could still strip away her restrictions and allow her to express some freedom.
Her heels clicked on the highly polished marble floors as she explored the mansion. A twelve-piece orchestra took up the front part of the room, and couples danced to old classics like Glen Miller and Frank Sinatra. Men in dark suits and tuxedos escorted women dressed in rich velvets and shimmering satin, hidden by a variety of masks that enticed as much as they concealed. A mingling rush of perfumes and sweat wafted through the air.
A crystal chandelier sparkled above as she walked through the ballroom. Long banquet tables were filled with every type of food imaginable, so she tried some caviar for the first time, and indulged in tiny bite sized morsels cooked to perfection. The walls were filled with gorgeous watercolors and art work she immediately knew were priceless. A circular staircase reminded her of the old southern style in Gone with the Wind, when Rhett Butler first spotted the beautiful Scarlett.
The champagne helped. Suddenly, a stranger pulled her into his arms and swept her across the floor. She opened her mouth to protest, but as the music swelled, she gave herself to the moment. The sweet fire of alcohol heated her blood. One man’s arms led to another as she danced with a long line of suitors, and looked into faces hidden by masks.
Something inside of her loosened and broke through her normal reserve. As the hours ticked toward midnight, the music changed to a grinding, sexy hip hop; pounding and pulsing in a more demanding rhythm. Hailey swung from partner to partner. She threw back her head and relished in the freedom of the moment, and then someone’s arms were catching her again, and she was pulled toward a broad chest and held in an iron grip.
