Breaking All the Rules (32 page)

              “I know, I know,” Mia laughed, waving her hand lazily. “Fetch, this is my friend Lora. She’ll be needing a mask too.”

              Lora nodded a weak greeting.

              Fetch either didn’t notice her newfound shyness around him, or he didn’t care. He tugged both of their hands and led them to a display case near the back of the store, “Lucky for you I have a few pieces in stock still. Take your pickings, ladies!”

              The case held just more than a half dozen elaborate masks. They weren’t cheap replicas made for Halloween or party stores. The pieces were stunning works of art, beautifully crafted and well-kept.

              Fetch leaned against the wall as they looked, both girls trying to select which would fit best with their dress.

              “So you’re slumming with the big dogs now, huh?”

              Mia’s head tilted to the side, “What do you mean?”

              “Please don’t tell me those articles about you and the elusive Benson Ward were false. My poor heart couldn’t take it,” Fetch placed a hand on his chest dramatically.

              Her finger tapped on her chin and she gave a weak smile, “A girl doesn’t kiss and tell. Now come unlock this. I’ve decided.”

              The mask Mia chose would fit with her dress perfectly. It was a simple black mask with a slight lace overlay that had a near perfect match to the lace of her dress. A small black fabric rose was sewn into the upper left side of the mask, and the lace ribbons were silk. There were no masks the color of Lora’s dress, so she picked out an elaborate white mask with silver beading and feathers that made it look like it belonged on an angel.

              A quick text on their way back to Mia’s lonely studio alerted Zach that they were on their way. He arrived a few minutes before they did, jogging over and placing a kiss on Lora’s forehead before the trio traveled upstairs.

              Even with two extra bodies in the space, the room felt both empty and constricting at the same time. Though she was suddenly overwhelmingly depressed, she put on an upbeat playlist and started prepping her Cinderella for the masquerade.

              In a studio apartment, it is prepare a big reveal. Lora didn’t want Zach to see her until she was completely dressed and ready to go. Therefore, the two girls were stuck preparing in the tiny bathroom while he graded assignments at her island, head bobbing along to the music.

              “Do you think Benson will be there?” Lora timidly asked.

              Mia froze, her fingers buried in Lora’s hazelnut locks. The thought had been in the back of her mind since the day before. Hell, it may have been the reason she didn’t want to go at all.

              “Well, it
is
a masquerade party, so hopefully I won’t have to find out.”

              “You know how Benson is,” Lora’s half smile bounced at Mia in the mirror.
Stubborn. Persistent. Demanding. Dominant.
“If he is there, he’ll find you.”

              Mia didn’t respond. She continued to curl and tease Lora’s hair. How could she face Benson after seeing the look in his eyes when she told him to go? How could she look at him knowing she threw him away for a job that she now resented?

              After Lora’s hair was curled and pinned into an elegant up-do, Mia applied complementary makeup and turned her attention on herself. She liked her hair best when it was down, flowing in layers around her face.
So does Benson.
She decided to curl the ends a little to add extra volume and bounce. A black line under her eyes and a classic red lip later, and she was done.

              Zach was speechless when he saw Lora. Mia couldn’t help but smile when the lanky professor stumbled to occupy the space in front of them where he lavished the two, especially Lora, with compliments. To keep the two out of the dingy parking garage below, he offered to fetch Mia’s rarely used car.

              Ten minutes later Lora was kissing Zach goodbye from the passenger side of her red Mini Cooper. Fifteen minutes later Mia was sure she forgot how to drive a car. And forty minutes later when she dropped the car off with the valet, she was completely terrified.

              Each year Monarch held his masquerade ball at his own home. Just outside the city, the mansion was a castle forged from hit singles and back catalogues. The home towered with three stories and a tower that stood even taller. She had been to the home five times and it never became less intimidating or stunning.

              They secured their masks and passed through the final round of security. In front of them, the ball unfolded.

              Monarch was not a simple guy, and he never did understated. If the acrobats hanging from the vaulted ceilings, sensually weaving their bodies together, wasn’t enough to convince someone, maybe the half nude mimes would. Flashy and over the top, the masquerade ball was a showcase of new money and fame. The demanding staircases on either side of the grand entrance were full of beautiful gowns and designer tuxedos holding flutes of champagne.

              As they walked into the ballroom straight ahead, the music pulsated louder. A full orchestra played on a platform wrapped in gold. On either side of the stage were two large cages with women in stunning black lace lingerie and masks to match dancing. Under the light from ornate chandleries couples engaged in the most formal of dances.

              “This isn’t what I expected,” Lora quipped.

              Mia laughed and pulled her through to a dining hall that was equally as large, “What did you expect?”

              Though the hall was full of guests dining at the tables covered in white, the room didn’t seem crowded. A pair of lingerie clad women on unicycles loftily zipped passed and Lora gawked in their direction.

              “More of that.”

              “Well,” Mia leaned in and gave a devilish grin. “Monarch has a soundproof cement basement he had transformed years ago when the ‘youths’ of the industry decided his parties were a little lame. One of the electronic artists on the label performs down there. Strobe lights, glow sticks, illegal substances. Is that more your style?”

              “You’re kidding.”

              “Want me to show you? It’s kind of funny to see all these people in fancy dresses and masks down there grinding to club music.”

              Lora put a finger on her chin, “Do you think Heir is down there?”

              “She was up here last year. I think she gets a kick out of wearing next to nothing and waltzing with the CFO.”

              They headed back to the ball room, passing by an ice sculpture of the label’s logo. The room had filled out with a few more couples gliding across the room. After finding the source of the champagne flutes, the two spotted an empty table near the open French doors leading outside to the impeccable garden.

              A few songs passed and their chutes were long empty. As much as Mia hadn’t wanted to go, she enjoyed the ball. Seeing a room of celebrities and multi-millionaires pretend to be someone else for a few fleeting moments was always reassuring. When a broad shouldered suit approached their table, Mia’s breath caught in her throat. The man’s eyes met hers and she sighed heavily. Amber rocks gaze back before turning to Lora. He stuck out a hand.

              “May I have the next dance?”

              Lora peeked over at Mia and mouthed
Zach
, as if asking for help with the situation.

              “It’s just a dance,” Mia assured, reaching over and briefly squeezing Lora’s hand. “Have fun, Cinderella.”

              Lora’s cheeks flushed and the man gave a healthy laugh that oozed confident sex appeal. Turning her chin, Lora accepted the hand and rose gracefully.

As they walked away Mia could hear the stranger tease, “Calm down, Cinderella. Just a dance, remember?”

As soon as their bodies blended in with the group on the floor, she stood and made her way to the doors nearby. Her face hurt from holding a smile and she felt like she was going to explode if she didn’t get a chance to breathe. She was only a few steps from the door when she felt him. His presence was overwhelming- a force that swept her away and took her breath. Cautiously, she turned.

Though on the other side of the room through a sea of swaying bodies, their eyes met. The masks did nothing to conceal their identities. Mia would recognize those cerulean pools anywhere. She wanted nothing more than to run in the opposite direction, but it was like a magnet was drawing her closer. Each step brought a thunderous thump in her chest.

They drew closer together until they were a heartbeat away. Without saying a word, he tilted her head and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Her body exploded under his touch. Fire lit from under her toes and traveled to the furthest corners of her brain. Sensing that her legs were above to give, he curled an arm under her and provided the stability she desperately needed.

Once she regained the strength in her knees, he pulled her into the soft breeze of dancers. Dancing was the last thing she wanted to do. She wanted take his face in her hands and apologize for everything she had done. She wanted to right all the wrongs and love him until he could forgive her. But if his thin lips and stone jaw were any indication of how he felt, that was the last thing he wanted and she wanted a few selfish moments to feel his touch before he would set her free.

When Mia noticed the flash of his cufflinks, the pair of lion heads she had bought for him at the tiny vintage shop, her heart thrummed wildly in her chest and tears threatened to spill like a waterfall.

It killed Benson not to grab her and storm out of the party. Her eagerness to accept him was a relief, but when he looked at her he saw nothing but a newfound fragility that didn’t set well on the normally strong willed and stubborn face. Instead, he was going to dance with her until she was comfortable enough to speak.

Benson sent a silent thank you to Jet Hammond, who had agreed to ask Lora for a dance. He needed a chance to get Mia alone… just for a few second. He hadn’t expected her to glide across the room and directly into his arms.

She looked breathtaking. Her hair had just a slight curl to it, and her red lips were full and kissable. The dress was elegant and form flattering, though it looked as if she had lost a little weight since she had last been with him.

The security detail he had issued to follow her had mentioned she took long hours at work and rarely bought groceries or takeout. Mia may have needed space to clear her head, but he wasn’t going to let her put herself in a dangerous position. So she went back to the subway and traveled the streets as she did before she met him, only she had a guardian following her the entire time. His motives weren’t entirely pure. He wanted to see who she was associating with. When the guard reported the only person she spent time with outside of work was Lora, and on occasion, her boyfriend, Benson rested easier. Some part of him thought Tyler would try to play knight in shining armor. Or perhaps, Grant would try to weasel his way back into her life.

No, the reality was just as sinister. She was working her way into an early grave to avoid him. Not that he hadn’t been sleeping at the office, either. When he managed to sleep at home, he held her tee shirts desperate for any contact with her. Sometimes when he woke up, groggily and smelling of whisky, her scent surrounded him and it was almost like she was really there.

She haunted him everywhere he went. He had a framed photo of the two of them, a happy snapshot from a weekend at her apartment, at his office. Next to it was another shot. It was the picture of Mia standing on the deck in Sian Kaan wearing the white dress and the flower crown, leaning into the cool island breeze. At home, he had a similar arrangement of pictures spread throughout the penthouse. He could barely stand being there. Everywhere he looked, he saw her. In the silence, he could hear her laughter and sweet cadence.

But she was in front of him now, hands burning holes on his hips as they swayed to the rich music released from the orchestra. Her head rested delicately on his chest, as if she were fearful she’d fall right through. Her floral scent was heavy under his nose. When the music faded away, they stood unmoving.

Finally, Mia lifted her head and stared breathlessly at the man who held her so tightly.

“I missed you so much,” Her voice cracked as she dug her hand under the lapel of his jacket. “Please talk to me. The quiet is worse than yelling.”

He couldn’t find words. He kissed her again, unable to help himself. His eyes scanned the room quickly and he took a step back. Her hands fell away and she let out an audible sob, her eyes full of the same dread that filled Benson’s the night she threw him away. But even after all of that, he still wanted to pull her back in and comfort her. He wasn’t running away. He was looking for an escape. And he had found one.

He laced their fingers together and led her through the maze of bodies to the French doors she had failed to walk through moments before. The party spilled onto the outdoor living space and well-manicured landscaping. He led her as far away from the lights and noise of the house as he could. Finally, on a cold bench under a willow tree, he pulled her into his arms and shook with relief.