Page 49 of Prelude To You

He stepped close again, without touching me, his blue eyes burning into mine. I could feel his breath caress my skin as he spoke. “Then you will be at my mercy, my sweet. And I don’t know if that’s something you want to be.”

My sweet.I forgot to breathe. What exactly did he mean? And, more importantly, did I really care?

No, no, no I didn’t.

“Okay,” I said, fearlessly returning his gaze. “Let me think about it.”

A knowing look darted across his face. He peered off into the distance, as if some reinforcements might be coming to rescue him from this insane situation. He lightly touched my back, then led the way toward the hotel entrance. “Let’s go, Isabel. Now you’re just wasting time.”

I liked the way he said my name. He pronounced it with a French twist, exactly like my mom used to do. I tried to ignore the tingles raging through my body because it was important not to trip on these high heels.

Roman sensed the distraction of me trying to keep my balance, placed his hand more securely on the small of my back and swept me across the entrance of the Belmont Hotel.

My mouth fell open at the sheer opulence of the place. As if I hadn’t had my fill of opulence for one day. It was magic hour for the rich and famous. Whiffs of exotic perfume filled the air, and elegant women dripping with jewels adorned the arms of men in tuxedos.

You could say it was a bit overwhelming, especially for someone under the influence and without a sound mind to fall back on. Roman took the surroundings in stride. “There must besomething else big going on here tonight,” he said. “No auction requires this much glitz and grooming.”

My confidence was taking a hit beneath the dazzling lights. What was I thinking? That I would just walk in here and belong? I felt some stares shooting our way, and there was no doubt I stood out like a sore thumb with my fake Louboutins and hand-me-down dress.

“I’m definitely not dressed for this scene,” I said. “And believe me this was the best I could do.”

“We’re going to an auction, you look fine,” he said, throwing me an appreciative glance. Good for him trying to build my confidence. What a gentleman. Not that it helped a whole lot.

“I can’t breathe,” I whispered. “Maybe I should go back outside and get some fresh air. Excuse me.”

I was about to retreat and do just that when Roman gently caught my arm and hauled me to one side.

He opened a secret door that looked like part of the wall and drew me into a dim, narrow hallway. The stale smell of many years emanated from the walls and I couldn’t help but look around with some trepidation.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“In the old days this used to be a secret passage for staff. It’s not really used anymore.”

My suspicions increased. “How do you even know about this place? And why are we here?”

Roman was unperturbed by my outburst, gently rubbing my arm with the back of his hand. “This is a little more private until you feel composed. Since the drug doesn’t last very long, it seems counterproductive to wait for it to wear off in the foyer, don’t you think?”

“Oh my God, don’t make it sound like I take drugs on a regular basis! I thought they were Tic Tacs!”

“I’m not disputing that,” he said calmly, the trace of a smile garnishing his lips. “We’re at the making-you-feel-better part of the scenario, so let’s stay focused here.”

“Focused? Are you kidding me? I was just dragged into a dark tunnel!”

His smile spilled over into suppressed laughter. “It’s not all that dark.”

I glared at him through narrowed eyes. “You know I’ve watched some true crime stories. This is how people vanish from the face of the earth. Being pulled into dingy places by strangers.”

He was now openly enjoying my apprehension.

“I’m just going to presume that’s the happy pills talking,” he said. “I’m no criminal mastermind, but somehow I don’t think it’s the best plan to kidnap someone inside a very famous hotel with top-notch security and cameras everywhere. And I might add we’re not strangers; we’ve shared a pretty intimate kiss. That makes us acquaintances at least."

Then as suddenly as the pills kicked in, the euphoric feeling started to dissolve. The glorious bliss dissipated like smoke in a breeze, and my self-awareness charged back in full force. It was definitely a very steep dive down from that carefree little high.

My new quandary was amplified by this gorgeous man standing in front of me, watching my return to normalcy like a bemused hawk. It was fast becoming my worst nightmare and I was living it in technicolor. I internalized a shudder.

He waited patiently as my fog lifted, and cocked his head.

“Dare I presume that you are better, or shall we rather say…back in the real world?” His smile effectively disguised any genuine concern he might have had.

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