Page 216 of Enigma: The Complete Collection
Hugo nudges his head to the large group of people filling the ballroom. “He had to make a call. He said to put your mask back on, then he’ll meet you inside.” He hands me the mask I left in the storage room before guiding me back into the wealthy-smelling room.
I snag a glass of wine off a silver waiter’s tray halfway in. The gala has the distinct aura of poise and importance—a category I don’t belong in.Even with their eyes covered by colorful masks, I feel the heat of several pairs of male eyes following me as Hugo and I float across the room. Obviously, my attempts to clean myself up was pointless.
My leisured pace slows when I spot the gentleman who was watching me earlier tonight. He’s at the bar with a glass of whiskey in his hand, and his dark eyes are planted on me. When he notices he’s captured my attention, a smirk curls his lips. Just like earlier tonight, I’m not afraid of him, but my intuition is once again immensely piqued. He’s watching me but in an unthreatening nature.
Letting my curiosity get the better of me, I stroll toward him. My quick steps falter when he shakes his head, requesting me to leave him alone. I freeze as my brows narrow down my face. He stares at me for several heart-thrashing seconds before his eyes flick to the other side of the room. He watches Isaac walk through the frosted glass doors at the entrance of the ballroom. Even with his alluring gray eyes covered with a black mask, his authoritative charisma can’t be hidden. A man with an aura like his doesn’t require an introduction.
My breathing levels when I turn my gaze back to the bar to discover the mysterious stranger has vanished. I frantically search my surrounding areas, growing dizzy when my eyes dart between hundreds of men wearing similar black tuxedos. A huff parts my lips when I don’t locate him anywhere.
“Did you see the guy sitting at the bar?” I raise my eyes to Hugo before nudging my head to the bar the stranger was seated at. “The one staring at me?”
Hugo slings his head in the direction I nudged. “Which one? There’s at least a dozen of them.”
“He isn’t there now. He just left.”
Hugo shakes his head. “No, I didn’t see him.” He steps to stand in front of me, blocking the bar from my view. “Is that what made you rattled earlier tonight? A man?”
Yes.“No.”
His brows shoot up his face as he works his jaw side to side. He doesn’t need to say anything. His look alone calls out on my deceit.
“He didn’t rattle me, he just…startledme.” My voice is as confused as I feel. “His face seems familiar, but I’m having a hard time recalling if I saw it while scanning Col Petretti’s file into the FBI database, or if it’s from a more personal setting.”
Hugo’s carefree attitude changes to menacing in an instant. “Do you think he’s one of Col’s men?”
“I don’t know,” I reply with a shrug. “I just have afeelingI’ve seen him before.” I stop talking to suck in a big breath. “He knows who Isaac is, though, as he gestured to him just now.”
Hugo curses under his breath. His scorn is quiet, but it still gains him the attention of the pompous-looking people mingling around us. A lady in a cream sleeveless sheath dress huffs before she saunters away from us with her nose held high in the air.
Suddenly, the hairs on my arms bristle, announcing that Isaac is close. My heart warms when he wraps his arms around my waist before pulling me in close. Once his torso is warming my back, he presses his lips to my temple.
Although I’m floating into the lust haze Isaac always instigates, the pleading look in Hugo’s eyes keeps my feet on the ground. No words escape his lips, but he’s wearing the same pleading look he had when he begged me to let Isaac’s security team into Megan’s family residence before the authorities.
After exhaling a breath to release the nerves knotting my stomach, I nod. Hugo smiles, pleased his big baby blues eyes worked before locking his eyes to Isaac. “We need to leave. There’s an unsecured threat to Izzy in the gala.”
Isaac stiffens before his arm drops to the lower half of my back. Without speaking a word, he guides me out of the ballroom and through the foyer of the hotel. Even with having his impressive reputation hidden behind a mask, the crowd parts when they see him coming. The heat bouncing off him settles the shiver running down my spine, but I’m still worried.
When Isaac leads us out of the hotel’s revolving doors, we skirt past Brandon and Melody chatting at the side. My pleading eyes lock with Hugo’s, hoping he’ll inform Brandon of our departure. They narrow into thin, angry slits when he shakes his head, soundlessly denying my request.
A black town car skids to a stop at the front of the hotel, its sudden arrival shocking the concierge attendants. Snubbing their alarmed gazes, Isaac opens the back-passenger door before gesturing for me to enter first. I slip inside, then slide across the cold bench seat, the coolness of the leather giving relief to my overheated skin. After talking in hushed whispers with Hugo, Isaac slides into place next to me and slams the door shut.
“Isn’t Hugo coming with us?” I peer at Hugo through the heavily tinted windows as the car pulls into the bustling traffic.
“No. He’ll scope the area to see if he can locate the gentleman he saw you with earlier.” His darkened eyes shift from glancing outside to me. “Why didn’t you tell me there was a threat when I first arrived?”
“He wasn’t threatening. His interest did startle me, but if he truly wanted to hurt me, he had the opportunity to…” My words dither when an angry growl rips from Isaac’s snapped-shut lips. “Hehadthe opportunity to, but hedidn’thurt me. I don’t believe he intended to harm me, Isaac. Not every man is a threat to my safety.”
“Jesus Christ, Isabelle.”
As he scrubs at the stubble on his chin, silence encroaches our vehicle. It’s tense and awkward but gives me plenty of time to study Isaac’s eye-catching profile. His unshaven jaw is ticking, and his fists are clenched into tight balls, but my body still aches for his closeness. Even with him sitting right beside me, he seems distant.
After sliding across the bench seat, I place my hand over his enclosed fist. Pain stabs my chest when he peers into my eyes. His stern glare can’t hide a facial expression I’ve never seen before. It’s a look that forces my heart to stop beating, an expression I never thought I’d see tainting his face. It’s the look of fear. It’s clouding his eyes’ normal appeal, corrupting them in a thick haze of doubt. Idid that to him.Imade him feel this way. So, it’smyjob to make things right.
Not seeking permission, I climb onto his lap to straddle him. I press my lips to the tick in his jaw before nuzzling into his neck where I inhale deeply, loving our romp is still evident on his skin. His silence weighs heavily on my chest. So many words want to spill from my lips, but I hold them back, realizing the best way to comfort him is by showing him I’m safe and protected.
The concierge at the hotel doesn’t bat an eye when he opens the door, and Isaac slides with me still in his lap. He maintains his quiet front when he sets me onto my feet before encasing his hand around mine. His grip is tight, alluding to his authority but not firm enough to cause me any pain.
Our walk through the impressively large hotel lobby to the elevators at the back is made in silence. The elevator attendant ushers us into a private elevator at the side of the gold-speckled corridor with tabletops decorated with white Phalaenopsis orchids.
