After putting on my dress and shoes, I glanced in the mirror one last time and smiled at my reflection. This was definitely one of my favorite dresses so far and, as silly as it was, I hoped Leo thought so too. It irritated me how much his opinion mattered to me, especially considering that we weren't anywhere near being a couple. Someday, I would stop caring. Someday, I would find someone else to love and I would finally put these feelings for Leo aside. Someday, I would be smart and let him go. Just not today.
As it was, I suspected he would just tell me to put on a jacket, too.
With a shrug, I tossed my hair over my shoulder and went into the adjoining room to find Ava. She was standing in front of the mirror, mesmerized by her appearance.
“Holy crap. I do good work,” I said, taking her in. Stunning didn't even come close to describing her. The dress was even better with her dark hair freshly curled and pulled back with a golden comb.
“You look gorgeous, Charlotte,” Ava replied, her eyes barely leaving the mirror to look at me.
“What? This old thing?” I teased, walking around to take a better look at her. “Sebastian's going to lose his mind when he sees you.”
“You're sure he'll be happy to see me?” she asked, pressing her knuckles into the lace at her stomach. Her cheeks were flushed but the rest of her was pale. I hoped she wasn't going to throw up from nerves.
“He's been the moodiest, most grumpy man I've ever had the misfortune of being around since you left. He hasn't even gone out paddle-boarding in the mornings. Just keeps talking about the dark.” I shook my head, not really understanding the man I called brother. Heartbreak was not an emotion Sebastian dealt well with.
“I'm just nervous. I don't want to screw this up again.” Ava's voice was barely above a whisper as she stared at the princess in the mirror.
I took her hands in mine. “He has been a mess without you. A broody, heartbroken, lovesick mess. He's going to be overjoyed to see you. I promise.”
Ava stilled. “You know Bastian and I had a fight, right?” Her hands shook slightly in mine.
I reached up and fixed a stray strand of hair, pulling it from her eyes and tucking it back where it belonged. “Yes. I know.”
“I said some terrible things...”
“He loves you,” I assured her, taking her hands in mine again. “I know Sebastian. And I've never seen him the way he was with you. He was happy. And this past week...” I shook my head, remembering just how moody and grumpy he'd been without Ava around. The entire staff was on tiptoes and I was fairly certain his secretary was about to have a nervous breakdown. “This past week has been a nightmare without you.”
“How could I have been so stupid?” Ava asked, her voice breaking and eyes starting to water. I hadn't meant to upset her, but apparently I had. I needed to work on my fairy god-mother skills.
“Don't you dare cry,” I warned, knowing that in ten minutes the two of them would be happy lovebirds again. “It may be waterproof mascara, but I will not have you messing up all the work we just did.”
“Sorry,” Ava apologized. She sniffed and looked up at the ceiling, blinking rapidly and waving at her eyes in an attempt to make the tears go away.
“Sebastian Belrose loves you. I think he was smitten from the moment he saw you.” I smiled, remembering the way he lit up around her and how he softened whenever he said her name. I'd never seen him do that for anyone else. If that wasn't love, then I was a crazy person.
“I don't think it was that fast. That first moment, I was kind of a jerk,” Ava said, trying to joke about how she had basically told him off.
I laughed. The fact that she stood up to him was probably part of the attraction. Anyone who could stand up to Bastian and not give into his brooding dark eyes and charming words was rare. “This is going to work out. I promise you. Just come downstairs.” I smiled and checked the delicate silver watch on my wrist. “You ready?”
I didn't even wait for her answer before pushing her out the door. It was time for magic.
The hallway was quiet as we made our way to the top of the double staircase. The closer we came, the louder the murmur of voices and music became. Ava slowed and then tried to step back, but I wouldn't let her.
She balked harder and I followed her gaze to a man in a tacky knock-off suit. Chad the Auctioneer. I really needed to put feeding him to sharks on my to-do list. Or at least talk to Eli, Bastian's head of security, about having an “accident” occur. Given Eli's impressive military history, I had a feeling he could pull off something appropriately dark.
“No running,” I whispered, pointing her toward Bastian instead of her evil ex. “Bastian's right there.”
Ava shook like a leaf, but as soon as she saw him, I knew she wasn't going to back down. Strength went into her spine. I gave her a gentle push, more to get her moving than anything. The two of them deserved one another and I wasn't about to let them miss a moment.
Ava stood at the top of the stairs while Bastian stood in the main foyer with Gabe and Leo. Bastian nodded occasionally to his business partners, but it was easy to tell that he wasn't really listening to a word they had to say.
Ava took the first step and it was like watching a movie. As Bastian's head turned, his eyes widened and his mouth dropped at her beauty. The two of them glided together as if on magnets, their eyes bright and full of hope.
He met her at the bottom of the stairs and I saw her blush and say something. I was too far away to hear their conversation, but at least they were both smiling.
Bastian's hand moved through the air, and I knew he was going to draw her in for a kiss, except he paused and then stopped. His face went cold and his eyes distant.
I looked behind Ava to see Chad ruining my perfect romantic moment. This was not the happy reunion with kisses I had anticipated and it was all Chad's fault. I was so calling Eli.
Bastian's hand went back to his side and his eyes were guarded. Ava blushed and looked like she might faint at any moment. Which, given that I knew Bastian would catch her, wouldn't be the end of the world, but definitely not the moment I had imagined for them.
I took the first step of the stairs, determined to get my brother and my new friend their fairy tale moment, even if it meant killing the auctioneer before the auction. On the second step, Bastian clearly asked if they could go speak somewhere else and my hopes rose slightly.
I was paying more attention to where Bastian and Ava were going than I was to the stairs and tripped on the last step. Luckily, Leo was there to catch me. His hands were warm on my bare arms as he made sure I was steady before letting me go. I wished he had held on for just a moment longer.
“Thanks,” I said, feeling a little silly for almost falling. My heart was pounding in my chest, and not just from nearly eating it. Leo looked amazing. His dark suit brought out the blue in his eyes and accented the strong lines of his shoulders and trim physique. Even his normally messy hair was brushed back and sleek. He looked every bit like a billionaire playboy and it had my body responding.
Damn him. I needed to concentrate on Bastian and Ava, not how good he looked in a suit. But, he just looked so good.
“What's up with them?” Leo asked, motioning toward the receding outline of Bastian and Ava as they headed toward the back porch and away from the party.
“Come with me,” I said, grabbing his hand and pulling him along behind me as I followed my brother and his girlfriend. I needed to make sure they kissed and made up without that stupid auctioneer's words really ruining everything.
I realized I was still holding Leo's hand as we came to the glass door leading out to the porch, and I quickly dropped my hand from his as we positioned ourselves to peek out on the couple. I was trying hard to keep my distance and not touch him. Touching Leo only let my heart hope for things it couldn't have.The night was dark and the porch unlit, but there was still enough light for us to be able to watch. I pulled on the curtain, hiding us further from their sight.We huddled together in the dark, peeking through the small space available to see, and I couldn't help but notice how he was pressed into me. Or was I pressed into him? Either way, we were touching and it was making it hard to think. I took a deep breath to try and center myself, but succeeded only in taking in his scent instead. Pure, clean and male. My heart skipped several beats before I could force it to start again.“What's going on?” Leo asked again, a chuckle in his voice. His muscled arm was strong under his sui
Leo still had my hand wrapped up in his and it was doing strange things to my heart. He'd never touched me for this long, at least not on purpose. With every moment, I knew I was falling just a little more in love with him and that I would crave his touch for days after this. It was almost cruel to know I wouldn't get it.Outside on the porch, the night was calm and beautiful. A cooling wind came in from the ocean, bringing the scent of salt and sand with it. The waning moon's small crescent shape was a silver glitter against the dark water of the Caribbean sea.Just before Leo closed the door, I heard the soft rumble of applause as Bastian began his speech inside. The door sealed with a soft thud, separating Leo and me from the rest of the world. It was warm and dark out here, and still thrumming with the magic of Bastian and Ava's reunion. I wanted to be in a world with just Leo, even if it was only for a moment. Even if I couldn't really have him, I wanted this moment.“Charlotte?”
The kitchen was on fire.Or at least, it had been.The acrid scent of smoke lingered in the kitchen despite the open windows and the industrial fan sucking up as much of it as possible. Luckily, the scent had remained contained and wasn't frightening the guests.The chicken however, was very frightening.“I'm so sorry Ms. Page- the chicken flambé, it wasn't supposed to do that!” The poor caterer looked to be about two seconds away from bursting into tears. This was probably one of the biggest events on the island, and definitely not how she had planned on making an impression on our guests. “I've done this a thousand times and-”“Are you okay?” I cut her off, putting my hands on her shoulders. “Are you or any of your staff hurt?”“I'm okay, the staff is okay,” she sniffled, not meeting my eyes. I could smell the scent of burnt hair lingering around her, and upon closer inspection noticed her eyebrows were singed. A single tear rolled down her flushed cheeks. “But the dinner isn't.”I
Everyone was seated in the party tents to the back of the mansion. Despite the massive size of the mansion, there just wasn't a good place to seat one-hundred and fifty for a formal setting. Especially not with the unparalleled view of the ocean that the tents offered. Tomorrow, these tents would be used for some of the smaller, more durable pieces being auctioned off.White linen and stringed lights gave the dinner a very Caribbean flavor that managed to look both comfortable and elegant at the same time, especially with the perfect ocean view. The tent doors were open to allow in the breeze, but the steady hum of the air conditioners kept the room comfortable. Camera flashes went off at regular intervals as the rich and powerful mingled over cocktails and appetizers.I immediately located Bastian, Gabe, and Leo all sitting at the head table. Ava sat next to Bastian, positively glowing with happiness. There was an empty chair next to her and the final two seats contained two friends,
Leo led me to the open dance floor, spinning me expertly into the music as a fresh song began. I fit into his arms like I was made there. Leo was an excellent dancer and following his lead into a waltz was easier than breathing. Cameras flashed and zinged as we danced, and as I looked up at my prince charming, I felt like a princess.“So?” I looked up at him, half expecting him to tell me it was all a mistake, or even worse, that I would wake up and find this all a dream.“So.” He grinned at me and spun me around, making my skirt flow out in a shimmer of blue fabric before pulling me back into the safety of his arms. “I wish we could get out of here. I'd like to kiss you some more, but-”A camera flash interrupted his words and accenting how public our setting was.“-But the auction should be front page news. Not us,” he finished, spinning me away from the camera. “I'll just have to be content with holding you until later. Then I want to kiss you again. And again.”Happy bubbles fille
Leo reluctantly let go of my arm to pull out my chair for me. I tried not to shiver as he brushed his hand along the bare skin of my back as he left to take his own seat. Heat built in my core at the slightest of his touches.In the center of the table was a beautiful bowl full of meringue covered ice cream. The caterer gave me a nervous smile as she cut an orange peel into a long thin string. After pouring liquor on the meringue, she dipped the string of orange peel into a saucer of Grand Marnier. With a deep breath, she lit the orange peel on fire.The sweet scent of alcohol and orange filled the tent as she set the pretty dessert danced with blue and orange flames. The caterer carefully made sure nothing burned, definitely hyper-aware of the danger of the flames. It was a beautiful dessert and as the flames slowly died, the scent of sugar hit me.The caterer let out a small sigh of relief as everyone clapped. She grinned at me before carefully placing seven small cups of perfect cr
Present Day“And that concludes our auction. Thank you to all of our bidders and to Mr. Sebastian Belrose.”I leaned against the back wall and let out a huge sigh of relief. The auction was over. My work here was done. Everything was now in the hands of the auction house and Realtor, so I could go back to my normal job and not be doing double duty. For the first time in weeks, I was free. After the gala last night, and the auction all day today, I was beat. But, with everything finally finished, I could finally relax.My sigh turned into a yawn, which I quickly stifled. I'd been up since before dawn making sure that everyone and everything was ready for the auction today. Luckily, the auction house run by Ava's aunt had their act together. Even my least favorite auctioneer in the world managed to show up on time and do a good job.My stomach rumbled, reminding me that the last meal I ate was coffee and a granola bar sometime around sunrise. I needed to eat soon or I'd be chewing on th
The thrum of the engines vibrated the entire helicopter. I loved the feeling flying in a helicopter gave me. It was so easy and free. In a helicopter, I could go anywhere. There were no limits to how high or how fast. I wasn't human anymore, in here, I was a dragonfly.Leo squeezed my hand. From the light in his eyes, he was a dragonfly too. There wasn't anyone else that I wanted to be a dragonfly with more.The copter skimmed the shore for a while, each wave merging into the next as we sped onward. Dark shapes moved in the water, leviathans of the deep. But we flew past them without a care. Onward, into the island the helicopter flew.The only flights I'd been on around the island were just ones for coming and going from the mainland. I'd never really had the chance to explore the island, especially this past trip. I'd been so busy working the auction that I'd barely even had time to leave the mansion, let alone explore.The helicopter flew toward the middle of the island. Key Island