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She could not say the word lover. It was simply too intimate. Not that Alexander Worth could be considered anyone’s boyfriend. That was far too simple a word for such a complex man.
A couple swept by, the older man dashing in his tuxedo, the woman clad in royal blue and with sapphires the size of eggs around her neck and on her fingers. Tessa couldn’t help but stare as the man opened the ballroom door and allowed the woman to walk inside.
It gave Alex the advantage. He pulled Tessa in even closer, if that was possible. Her full skirts swirled around his legs, covering his feet and she braced herself, resting her hand against his hard chest, her fingers immediately curling into the soft, rich fabric of his jacket.
The man was gorgeous no matter what he wore. Tuxedo, suit, jeans…and she had a feeling he would be even more so in nothing at all.
“For one night I want you to pretend you belong to me, Tessa. No one else, just me.” He placed his hand on her cheek again, his fingers curving about her jaw, cradling her as if she were a delicate, fragile thing. “I don’t want you to look at another man, speak to another man unless I say or indicate that you can. You’re mine tonight.” The look in his gray-blue eyes was fierce, full of a fiery passion she’d never seen before.
She found she rather liked it.
“I can do that,” she whispered with a tiny nod, equally excited and perplexed by his request.
If she pondered it long enough, she could half believe him. That he wanted her, so badly he’d do anything to have her, if just for one night.
He smiled. A real smile, it lit his eyes and offered a teasing glimpse of a dimple in his left cheek. He kissed her, a quick brush of lips that sent a bolt of sensation straight through her, settling in her core. She very nearly stumbled as he withdrew and guided her toward the door, opening it to allow her entry.
“Please don’t leave me alone,” she said as he stepped into place beside her. The place buzzed with activity, so many people within the large room, it was an absolute crush. The scent of cloying, expensive perfumes filled the air, and she wrinkled her nose.
“I wouldn’t dare think of it,” he assured, slipping his arm around her waist. Glancing about, he studied everyone. Easy for him considering he was nearly a head taller than the majority of the people in the room, and she was a shrimp despite the four-inch heels.
Gorgeous shoes they were too. Delicate and strappy, chiffon and bejeweled flowers stitched across the top, she truly felt like Cinderella at the ball, her handsome prince by her side.
She only hoped she didn’t turn into a frump—or even worse, a pumpkin—when the clock struck midnight.
Remain by her side Alex did. He introduced her to an endless stream of people and she had no recollection who they might be. The women eyed her with thinly veiled disdain, especially the unattached ones. The men eyed her with unabashed interest. It didn’t matter if they were married or not, some of them leered at her even with a woman on their arms. She’d never been observed so overtly before.
Alex’s friend Giorgio Ricci was there, accompanied by his wife who was a rather beautiful woman if a bit plump. Guilt assuaged Tessa as she was introduced to the lady, and it took everything within her not to scream out in warning that her husband was a philandering fool.
But she kept herself—and her urges—in check. Nodding politely and offering a few words in congratulations that her charity event being such a success before they were on their merry way.
All the while, Alex remained firmly at her side, a determined look on his face. He was there to make an appearance, she kept reminding herself. He needed to look good to those influential in the Milan fashion industry, and Tessa firmly believed the majority of them were in this ballroom tonight.
It was good business sense, being at the event. Not only did Worth Luxury Goods make a sizable donation but the chance to mingle amongst the glittering set of Milan’s wealthy was an opportunity even Hunter couldn’t have conjured up with all of his connections. Alex spoke with many of them, an endless stream of people seemed to swarm around him, looking for their chance to speak with him.
Feeling decidedly like a fifth wheel, she excused herself, wishing to hide in the ladies’ room for a moment and get away from the crowds. He didn’t let her go, grabbing hold of her hand before she escaped.
“They’ll be serving dinner soon,” he murmured close to her ear. “So don’t be gone too long.”
“I’ll be back in five minutes.” She offered him a smile, wishing he’d kiss her again though she knew he wouldn’t. Too many people were watching and he wasn’t one to ever make a scene.
He released his grip on her hand, and she made her way through the crowds toward the opposite side of the room. The rich scents of the impending dinner wafted throughout and the clink of glasses sounded as people drank from flutes of champagne. A waiter approached her with a loaded tray and she plucked the glass of champagne off the top, offering a murmur of thanks before she sipped.
It was delicious, shimmering and crisp as it slid down her throat. She downed all of it quickly, licking her lips so as not to miss a drop before she set the empty glass on a nearby table and started toward the restroom.
“You’re a brave woman.”
The heavily accented, slightly snide voice stopped Tessa in her tracks and she turned to find Bianca standing there. Giorgio’s mistress. That she would make an appearance at Giorgio’s wife’s charity event was brazen, to say the least.
“Um. Hello, Bianca,” Tessa greeted, not wanting to be impolite.
Bianca rolled her eyes. “Did you not hear a word I said?”
“Something about being brave?” Tessa had no idea what she was talking about.
“You leave your man for a few minutes, very stupid. If I were you, I’d never leave him alone, especially with all the women in this place. Women far more beautiful than you,” Bianca said just before she drained a flute of champagne.
Tessa flinched at the insults. “I don’t see how any of this is your business.”
“It’s not.” Bianca smiled, her heavily glossed lips stretched wide. She had so much makeup on and the dress she wore barely covered her largest assets. Her breasts appeared ready to tumble out at any given moment. “But I thought you could do with a piece of advice. Considering you look like a naïve fool in your virgin dress, all wide-eyed at the money being tossed about before you.”
Disappointment crashed over Tessa, ruining her mood, her excitement over the dress, everything. Bianca was by far the rudest person she’d ever encountered in her life, and she’d run into a lot of rude people, especially during her retail days. “You should watch what you say. Your lover—or perhaps his wife—might hear you.”
“Ooh, the kitten has claws. I like that.” Bianca laughed and grabbed another glass of champagne from a passing waiter’s tray. “I just offer you a word of warning, poco gattino. You step away even for a few moments and the women surround him licking their lips and rubbing against him. Why, look at him now.” She indicated with a wave of her hand.
Tessa turned to see Alex indeed surrounded by a bevy of women, all of them young and gorgeous, not a man in sight. He smiled and laughed with one of them, looking so carefree and devilishly handsome he took her breath away.
That he looked at another woman like that and not her…her heart panged painfully at the realization.
“See how the woman touches him, looks at him?” Bianca asked.
The woman reached out and touched Alex’s forearm, her eyes sparkling as she stared up at him. She wore a revealing dress, black and sleek, and she was rail thin. He nodded at whatever she said and then they quickly embraced, much to Tessa’s shock, before the woman walked away, a satisfied smile on her face.
“I see,” Tessa said sadly, turning to Bianca. “But I’m just his—”
“It doesn’t matter what you just are,” Bianca interrupted. “You go back to him and show every woman in this room he belongs to you, gattino. Bare your fangs, show your claws. Let them know he’s yours and no one else’s.”
With that, Bianca patted her on the arm, offered a sad smile and walked away, disappearing in the crowd within seconds.
Such a strange conversation, one minute Bianca insulted her, the next she offered sound advice. Tessa had come so close to revealing the truth to her too. Thank goodness, Bianca had interrupted her.
Was Bianca disappointed she couldn’t be with the man she wanted to declare as her own? Tessa knew she wouldn’t be able to stand being in the same room with Alex while another woman stood with him as his date. Not after tonight…
She sidled up to him quietly, not wishing to interrupt the conversation he was having with yet another beautiful woman. When he caught sight of her he smiled, a look of relief in his eyes. “Ah perfect, she’s back. Tessa, I’d like to introduce you to Helene Rousso. Helene, this is Tessa Crawford.”
“How do you do?” The woman smiled and offered Tessa her hand, which she took, slightly shell shocked.
Helene Rousso? Daughter and head of the Rousso fashion dynasty? Tessa’s knees literally shook as she shook her hand. “It’s an honor to meet you, Ms. Rousso.”
