Page 32 of Until

Reggie pulls the car up to the front of the building where the ball is being held. The carnival music and people pour out onto the sidewalk every time the door opens. Reggie opens the car door for me and helps me smooth out the wide skirt of my dress once I'm out of the car.

Reggie takes my gloved hand and gives it a fatherly pat. "You look stunning, my dear. Just keep in mind that whether it's tonight or even over the next six months, you’re in charge."

I take a few steps forward, and my heart begins to race. I suddenly feel very alone, even though there seem to be so many more people around than at the ball last month. A camera flashes in my face, blinding me momentarily. I look at the ground, hoping my eyes adjust quickly, as several other flashes of light surround me.

I need to get out of here.

At a minimum, I need to get into the party, inside, where hopefully there is less chaos. But as everyone arrives, the photographers are relentless in getting the pictures they want.

Why are they even here?

I wrap my arms around me, feeling the soft plush of the faux fur shrug I’m wearing. I rub my arms, letting myself get lost in the long fur that I can feel through my gloves. It calms me and brings me back to center.

I look around for my prince, but I don’t spot him in the sea of people and photographers. I take another step forward, moving closer to the entrance, when I hear his voice.

I don't need to turn around to see who it is, that voice has been in my dreams since I first heard it a month ago.

"I knew you'd come back for more."

My breath catches hearing him, and my body responds to the warmth of his breath against my neck. I spin around to face him as he smiles from behind his dark green mask.

“Let’s get out of here,” he says as he holds his hand out to me.

CHAPTER 11

Ryan

For the last hour, I stood outside, off to the side from everything that was going on in front of the entrance for the ball. I don’t care how cold it is. All I care about is seeing her again and feeling that spark. I want her near me. And I want to learn more about her.

As more cars begin arriving, more photographers appear and hound the guests. As the ball entered its fifth year, more photographers figured out that the crowd was likely made up of the same high society elite that they follow around for their ridiculous articles.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. With a glance, I see my oldest friend, Daniel, is calling. He doesn't even know that I created the ball or that I am actively looking for that special someone. It's not that I don't trust him, I don’t trust anyone.

For the last five years, people have been coming out of the woodwork, trying to endear themselves to me and become a part of my life. Most of those people had bad intentions, and I recognized that right away. But there are always those who slip through the cracks.

Unsure of who I could trust, I decided to create the plan for the ball and meet people anonymously. All of this hiding, though, has also made me paranoid.

My spark is a perfect example of that. Even though she seems genuine and kind, I can't help but wonder why she’s here and where she came from. She’s almost too good to be true.

Those thoughts are running through my head when I see the car from Schwartz Luxury Auto pull up to the curb.

I watch from a distance as the older man Mel described gets out of the driver's seat and walks around to open Carina’s door. He helps her out of the car as any proper butler or chauffeur would, but then I notice him take her hand, lean in closer, and whisper in her ear.

That doesn’t make any sense coming from a chauffeur. There’s a closeness there that shouldn't be. I continue to watch as he drives away, and she takes a step toward the building’s entrance.

The flash of a camera seems to catch her off guard. I can tell from her shoulders and the way her face turns down to look towards the pavement that she doesn't like this at all.

I move closer, instinctually wanting to save her.

Her hands wrap around her arms, and she begins to pet the furry jacket she's wearing over her gown. I don't know her very well, but I can tell she's in distress. I pick up the pace as I push through the crowd and come up behind her.

"I knew you'd come back for more," I say, leaning close enough to smell the vanilla accents in her perfume.

Her body straightens for a moment as her breath catches. She lets out a breath as she turns around, and immediately, our eyes meet.

Spark!

Her face lights up and I hold my hand out to her.

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