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‘Now, you’ve really gone and done it,’ she said huskily. ‘We’re going to have to skip the party…’

‘No chance.’

Javier slanted her a slashing grin.

‘But I want the main event!’ She wound her arms round his neck and kissed him as slowly and thoroughly as he had kissed her earlier, but when she went to touch his erection he put his hand over hers.

‘Delayed gratification is a thing, you know…’ he said, laughter in his voice.

‘That’s just mean!’

‘I want to make sure you’re so hot for me that you’ll be begging to leave that damned party after ten minutes. And just for the record?’

‘Yes?’ She nibbled the side of his neck and then licked where she had nibbled.

‘I want you to spend the entire time we’re there thinking of me and what I’m going to do to you just as soon as we’re back…’

* * *

Hope looked at the grand house in front of her as it flashed through her head that she couldn’t have been further from her comfort zone than if she’d somehow landed on Mars.

She’d thought that Javier’s villa was huge but this place was the size of a small city.

‘Ostentatious, isn’t it?’ he whispered in her ear just as the driver was opening the passenger door for her to step out of the car.

He grimaced.

‘Unfortunately, the man’s as ostentatious as his house,’ he added. ‘I give it an hour and then you’ll be as bored as I’ll be.’

Hope laughed. It would take too many words to explain what it felt like to have the out of body experience of attending this sort of extravagant, over-the-top high-society event, because it was clearly the sort of thing Javier would have grown up with.

Could they have come from worlds that were more different?

Along with everything else, it was just another comforting reason this intense physical connection she had with him was so safe.

Like he’d said, with no emotions attached there was no fear of hurt.

In the meantime, she would give in to the crazy glamour and the spectacular gorgeousness of everything around her.

The vast courtyard was busy with chauffeur-driven cars disgorging men and women who glittered with the patina of old money, inherited status and, of course, newfound fame and fortune.

The dresses ranged from ballgown-worthy to barely-there chic. Masks were used with flirtatious intent.

There were palm trees everywhere. Christmas lights weaved between them, twinkling as though a constellation of stars had fallen from the sky.

‘Do you know any of these people?’ Hope asked, looking up at him.

‘Hard to tell with all these ridiculous masks but I expect I have a passing acquaintance with the majority. The higher up the ladder you are, the smaller the goldfish bowl.’

‘Aren’t you scared someone will start a rumour about you showing up here with a strange woman who doesn’t quite fit in?’ Hope laughed a little nervously.

‘Are you?’

They were heading slowly towards the melting pot of the rich and famous, who were all swarming inside the mansion like moths to a flame.

He drew her to one side and looked at her with his head tilted to the side.

‘I guarantee there isn’t a single person I know who would ever stand a chance of getting an invite to something like this. But, if by some weird stroke of fate, there were? And if they spotted me? Well, there would be quite a bit of explaining to do. So, yes, I probably wouldn’t be overjoyed,’ Hope said, having given his question some thought.