Page 36 of Captivated

“I would like to take her out—call it a date, if you want. But out somewhere. Safe, and private, of course.”

Lucian stayed quiet.

Joe waited the man out.

He didn’t think mentioning the hotel would be all that appropriate, or good for his cause, so he just opted to leave those details out.

“Why?” Lucian finally asked.

“I think it would be good for her. Should I need to step in, maybe then she would trust me a little more, and it’ll let me get to know her. And her for me, too.”

Lucian quieted again, and folded his arms over his chest. A silent Lucian, Joe found, was rather intimidating. He didn’t show that was how the man made him feel, though.

“Is there more to it?” Lucian asked.

Joe smiled at that question. “I don’t know—can there be?”

“Well, that’s not up to me, Joe. Have a good day.”

As quickly as he had come out in the alleyway, Lucian knocked on the door, it was opened, and he was gone.

Joe hadn’t gotten a yes.

But he also hadn’t gotten a no.

That worked for him.

Row five, seat three wasn’t the perfect spot to watch the ballet, but it was damn close. And for last minute tickets, Joe wasn’t going to complain. He wasn’t much for ballet, or something like the opera. It had just never been his style.

And yet, he had found it hard to look away during the showing of The Sleeping Beauty.

It might have been because the sleeping beauty in question was Liliana Marcello. He was known for his changing demeanor and masks whenever the right time called for it. Some people liked to say he turned into someone else entirely when business was at play, and Joe had never once denied that statement.

But her?

Liliana turned into someone else, too, when she danced. Some kind of human-angel hybrid moving across the stage with the kind of grace and beauty he hadn’t quite seen before. The emotions and focus on her face as she moved from one step to the next was enthralling, and addictive. She played her character beyond just the dancing, and perhaps even, took the persona on for the moments she was on stage.

It was amazing.

She was beautiful.

He thought, at first sight, she had kind of captivated him. And seeing her like this only added to that strange enchantment, really.

The red corset top of her costume contrasted brightly against the white flowy tutu of the skirt. Her hair had been pulled back into a high, tight bun, and her face painted with a dramatic mix of white makeup, with the reddest lips.

On the very tips of her toes, with her legs perfectly straight, and her arms bent in front of her, she ended the slow with a final bow. Then, she tipped her head up, and stared straight into the crowd, and smiled when the applause started.

Joe clapped, too.

At the same time, he was already getting out of his seat, and starting to move to the area backstage. He was pretty sure he knew the custom of shows after the final act, and the stars came out to do their final bow. While he didn’t want to interrupt Liliana during her celebratory moments backstage, he did want to make sure he could keep an eye on her.

That was his job, after all.

The small VIP stamp on the corner of his ticket allowed him to easily move past the man standing guard at the backstage entrance when Joe flashed it at him. Loosening his tie—fuck, he hated wearing a suit most of the time—he slipped into the shadows near the red curtain as the clapping continued just beyond the stage.

He watched as the man who he believed to be the owner of the ballet company waved for the dancers to go.

“Move, move—and smile, everyone! Big smiles!”