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“Ms. Mackay. ” He nodded down at her with a slight inclination of his head. “Mr. Vessante is awaiting you in the drawing room. ”
The drawing room? Those actually still existed?
“If you’ll follow me. ” It may have been worded as a request, but the tone was a straight-up order.
Her brother and cousins had ensured that she recognized the difference.
Before he turned away, his gaze raked over her with a glint of sudden curiosity, or familiarity. She’d met a lot of men over the years whom her male kin knew, and she was certain she had never met this man, yet that look gave her the uneasy feeling that he knew her.
Turning, he indicated she should follow him.
Dressed in black, perfectly creased slacks and a pristine white shirt that didn’t have a single wrinkle, he led her throu
gh the wide, steel-colored marble foyer that seemed to extend a mile or more. Reaching the end of the room-size entryway, he turned sharply to the right and a set of doors at the end of the short hall.
A sharp rap of his knuckles was answered in seconds. The butler gripped the doorknobs, pushed the doors open, then stood back for her to enter.
The heavy Gothic design of the room was a shock. Piper stepped from the more contemporary foyer and tried to control her amazement as she stared around the room. Dark, heavy woods, leather furniture with carved clawed feet, and thick, dark draperies over the windows that blocked the early summer sunlight and sent a rush of trepidation rushing through her.
She jumped, startled at the heavy snap of the doors closing behind her before swinging forward again. From the corner of the room, a light chuckle drew her startled gaze and she watched as Vessante rose and moved slowly into the center of the room. He approached her slowly, his head tilted to the side, icy blue eyes regarding her mockingly.
“You seem nervous. ” His tone was less than sincere as he attempted to put on a friendly expression.
What was going on here?
“Where are the other designers?” Piper blurted, then winced. Not exactly the most graceful greeting, but this private meeting wasn’t what she’d been expecting at all. She had to force herself to stay in place as he moved within inches of her, his gaze dropping to her breasts as his right hand reached out.
Piper accepted the handshake, the sensation of his damp palms giving her a slightly queasy feeling.
Something wasn’t right here. As a matter of fact, something felt very wrong.
“The others couldn’t make it. ” Pitched low, his tone still grated against her senses.
He wasn’t much taller than she was. At five-seven, Eldon Vessante was so skinny he was bony. There was an effeminate air about him that the overly long white-blond hair did nothing to dispel.
His face had a skeletal appearance, with high, sharp cheekbones and a long blade of a nose. The photographs she had seen of him had definitely given him more of a substantial air.
God, he reminded her of a rat.
Where had his reputation as a playboy come from?
“I see you brought your portfolio. ” He glanced to the large, square design folder she carried.
“Yes, I did. ” Gripping the folder with both hands now, she wondered at the sick feeling of panic growing inside her. “I assumed your assistant and the other designers with your company would be here. ”
She wished they were.
She hated the feeling of being trapped, alone with him.
“We don’t need them, my dear,” he drawled, the slight, feminine pout of his lips more apparent as he smiled slightly.
He might not need them, but she did.
“Come, shall we sit and discuss our new venture?” With a wave of his hand he indicated the sitting area on the other side of the room. “I wasn’t really considering another designer this year. ” He turned as though her acquiescence were a foregone conclusion. “One must be certain to choose carefully. To ensure the market doesn’t become overly glutted, you understand. ”
Piper followed, but she did so warily, listening to the precise, self-important tone of his voice rather than the words themselves.
“You’re not contributing to the conversation, my dear. That’s quite rude of you. ”
