High Stakes Seduction - Book 1 (9 page)

"The designers we’ll be meeting with tonight are part of an exclusive guild," he said as he opened a black velvet box, showing me the contents.

Sparkling diamonds and emeralds stared back at me and I put a hand to my chest in amazement. He raised his other hand, twirling a finger. I obeyed, shifting in my seat so that my back was to him. I felt a shiver run down my bare spine, suddenly keenly aware of how exposed I was to him.

"They are interested in being represented in my store," he continued, reaching around, his fingers brushing the back of my neck as he fastened the necklace at my throat, "and are considering granting me exclusive rights to two of their evening wear lines that are currently only available in the European market."

My tension eased a little when I felt him lean back and I shifted around to face him. He was holding the box out to me again. I glanced up, meeting his dark, mesmerizing gaze. "They match your eyes," he said as I reached for the emerald studs.

I smiled, holding his gaze for a moment longer before looking away. I concentrated on putting in the earrings. "Is it the designs you’re after," I asked, "or is it the designers themselves?"

He eyed me shrewdly for a moment, then pulled out his cellphone, tapping away at the screen. "To be honest, the designs are beautiful, but they lack a certain novelty that I would prefer to see in a line that I’m introducing."

He passed me the phone. On the screen was a website featuring Carlo and Poula’s designs. I scrolled through them as Antonio continued. "However, as you appear to have correctly deduced, it is the designers that I am interested in. They are young, but extremely talented, perhaps even rising stars. What they might be missing now in their designs will come soon enough."

"I see," I said, nodding. I tapped a link that led me to an image of the twins. They were young, hardly more than twenty-five years old. They both kept their dark hair long and straight, parted in the middle. And, unlike the elaborate outfits they designed, their attire was all about simple lines and muted colors.

"And my role for the evening?" I asked, handing back the phone.

"Tonight I will likely be occupied with business details. Forgive me if I am otherwise engaged, but I am confident you can handle yourself, as always. Talk to the twins, gain some insight into their future plans and what they think they want. You and I can talk later about your impressions. You are, after all," he added with a mischievous grin as he tucked the phone away, "more than just eye candy, Angela."

When we walked into the posh restaurant twenty minutes later, it felt as though all eyes were on me.

I clutched Antonio’s elbow, trying to keep my composure. He leaned in close, patting my hand. "You’ll be fine," he whispered.

Unfortunately, the warmth of his breath on my ear and his velvety voice only made my heart beat faster; but I was determined not to let my nerves get the better of me. I closed my eyes for just a moment, inhaling slowly through my nose.
I can do this,
I told myself. I let the mantra play over and over in my head as I opened my eyes and gave a dazzling smile to the first of many people Antonio would introduce me to that night.

I was glad of his warning about the preferred method of greeting. I thought my cheeks might fall off from all the kisses, sometimes from far too dry or sloppy lips. Hiding my discomfort, I returned each greeting with air kisses of my own, careful not to smudge my lipstick.

"If you’ll excuse me, Angela," said Antonio. He inclined his head and I followed his sidelong glance to see a sullen-looking version of the young couple he had shown me earlier, seated at a table in the center of the room. Several men and women hovered nearby, presumably vying for the attention of the pair. But, when I looked closer at the group, I noticed that none of them were actually engaging the twins. It was as if they just wanted to be seen near them as photographers from the various high-class magazines buzzed around the room.

I nodded to Antonio, took another deep breath, and waded into what I tried not to think of as shark-infested waters.

"Janet," I said, loudly enough to attract attention as I approached. The lawyer, who Antonio had introduced me to earlier, glanced over her shoulder at me. Her eyes flickered with mild derision, as I slipped in beside her.

I felt a thrill of adrenaline running through me as the man to my left graciously made room for me in the little crowd. I’m not unusually shy, but pressing myself into a conversation uninvited definitely wasn’t my normal style. Maybe it was the gown and the way people were looking at me with either admiration or envy that bolstered my confidence. Or maybe it was that this was my second event with Antonio. Either way, I liked the feeling, and I figured it would help me with what I planned to do next.

"I understand you visited our store the other day," I said, smiling. "I’m sorry I missed you. I would have loved to help you pick out something to add to your already impressive wardrobe." I cast an approving glance over her deep red, strapless gown. "I truly admire your taste."

As much as I was putting on a show, I wasn’t making anything up. I’d become familiar with several of our regular clients through their customer profiles in our database, and Janet Trinn had been in our store just this week.

"Why thank you," Janet replied, her cool gaze melting slightly. "I love the new Scarlett line. I just wish you had my size in that gorgeous pantsuit the mannequin in the window was wearing."

I touched her arm, conscious of the people listening in around us. "It looks like I’ll have to order two of those suits," I said with a conspiratorial wink. "Let me know which color you’d prefer and I’ll be sure to order the other for myself. I adore your taste in clothing, but we can’t be showing up at the next gathering in the exact same outfit."

To my relief, Janet laughed at my little joke and that seemed to ease the tension within the small crowd. Conversation started up again around us, with a few people making inquiries about the store and our inventory. I answered their questions with ease and I made a mental note to thank Priscilla profusely for her intense and exacting training.

After a few minutes of carefully keeping the conversation on Antonio Mancini’s contributions to the fashion industry, I finally turned my attention to the twins, excusing myself to take a seat beside Poula. They looked bored out of their minds, ignoring the conversations that continued above their heads.

"This isn’t exactly your kind of party, is it?" I asked, leaning in to speak quietly to them.

The young woman stared at me blankly for a moment before responding. "It was our manager’s idea," she explained in a thick European accent.

Her brother sat forward, his dark hair falling over his shoulders. "He’s flitting about talking business, leaving us here to do nothing. And then all these people," he gave a dismissive wave of his hand, "hanging over us, wanting to be seen with us, but ignoring us all the same."

"It is our designs," Poula said almost petulantly. "We should have a say in what we do with them. But he tells us to just sit here and make small talk with people who don’t know how to talk to us."

"I’m sorry you’re having such an awful time," I said sympathetically. I glanced up just in time for a photographer to snap a picture.

"Do you work with Mr. Antonio Mancini?" Carlo asked.

"I do. My name is Angela." I extended my hand to each of them. "I am an associate in his store."

Poula and Carlo shared a long glance that made me wonder if there was any truth to the idea of twins being able to share their thoughts. Though they were obviously fraternal, there was no denying that these two were twins. When they turned back to me, I admired their almond-shaped hazel eyes and the smattering of freckles splashed across their narrow noses.

"Would you speak to Mr. Mancini for us?" Poula asked.

"I would be delighted to," I smiled. "Why don’t we chat over dinner?"

I signaled a passing waiter and we ordered drinks and appetizers. The twins turned out to be, as I expected, just like any other young adults our age. They were eager to try new things, but nervous about being thrust into the more conservative adult environment. By the time I excused myself, I’d managed to get them laughing and chatting about their design plans, as well as just about everything else that interested them. I'd even introduced them to a few of the people who had stopped by. They were enjoying themselves at last.

I smiled inwardly, pleased with my accomplishment. I looked around for Antonio. I hadn’t seen him for most of the night, but I’d promised Carlo and Poula that he would want to speak with them personally.

I felt a warm hand at the small of my back, the smooth touch sending shivers along my spine. I smiled, turning to tell Antonio the good news, only to find myself face to face with a tall, dark man with a dazzling smile.

"Bonsoir, beautiful," he said with the hint of a silky French accent. "I have been watching you all evening, waiting for my chance to make your acquaintance before you disappear."

"Oh," I said, flustered by his proximity and the warmth of his smile. I took a step back. "Very nice to meet you, Mr.…?"

"Francois," he said, taking a step forward. "Please, call me Francois."

He reached up, stroking my cheek gently with a finger. I laughed nervously and took another step back, but he matched my step with one of his own. His hand was still around my waist and he practically danced me backward until we were just outside the main banquet area, away from the crowd.

"It’s lovely to meet you, Francois, but I need to get back to—"

"Your date has done you a disservice tonight, leaving such a beautiful woman on her own. You never know who might come and sweep her off her lovely feet." He leaned in close, and I felt his hand slide around to my hips.

"You need to let me go now," I said in a low voice. I put a hand to his chest, smiled brightly, and gave him a gentle push.

He ignored the warning. He slid his fingers down over my hips and I grabbed his hand.

"Let. Me. Go."

He stared at me for a moment, his dark eyes locked on mine. Whatever he saw finally made him back off, and I breathed a sigh of relief, though I remained on my guard.

"Forgive me, my dear," he said, stepping back with a gallant bow over my hand that he still held onto. "I did not mean to offend you. But I meant what I said. Your date is not treating you in a manner deserving of your beauty and charm."

He gave me that dazzling smile of his, dropped my hand, and pivoted, almost walking right into Antonio.

"Monsieur Grebault," said Antonio. "I hope you’re enjoying the evening."

"Just admiring the sights," he replied, sizing up his competition. He tipped his head slightly in my direction before walking back to join a trio of men standing in front of the bar.

Antonio slipped his arm around me as he drew me out into the party again. And, while it remained there for the rest of the evening, save for when I introduced him to Carlo and Poula, there was a tension between us now—an edginess that had not been there before.

Several times during the evening, I felt eyes on me. When I looked up, there was Francois watching me with his wickedly roguish grin. A few hours later, as Antonio escorted me to the front foyer, I saw Francois for the last time. He winked, and I saw his lips move. I’m sure they formed the words, "You’re welcome."

I leaned back against the seat inside the limousine and shut my eyes for a moment, glad the stress of the last couple of hours was over. It had been fun while I talked with the twins, but after my encounter with Francois, things had turned a bit surreal.

Antonio cleared his throat and I turned to look at him. He watched my face, not saying anything.

"Everything seems to have gone well with the twins and their manager," I said when he continued to stare.

"I saw Francois Grebault tracking you with his eyes this evening," he said to me darkly, raising the privacy window.

Mmm, I didn't like his tone.

"What did he say to you when you were alone with him?"

I frowned, surprised by his words. I felt the weight of his gaze on me again, as he waited for a response.

"I—he was just flirting with me."

"And?" he persisted.

"He told me I was beautiful."

He looked at me silently for a moment. "Did you like it?"

"What?"

He shifted closer to me. I felt the soft fabric of his suit brush against my arm, and an image of him pulling me into his arms flashed through my mind.

"He is very charming. Did you like his attention?"

"Antonio, I—"

He reached out, slowly gliding the back of his hand down my cheek. I shivered, catching my lower lip in my teeth. He paused, watching me with his dark, gleaming eyes. His almost predatory gaze both frightened me and thrilled me. His eyes fell to my breasts, rising and falling as my breath came faster.

"Antonio," I whispered, as his fingers trailed down to my throat, following the curve of my neck to my shoulders. I felt goose bumps following the lines he drew down my arm and found myself gazing at his soft, inviting lips.