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Yes! Everything! For a start, they hadn’t spoken about Ben in ages. Her queries as to whether he’d found her brother had been met with a curt, ‘No,’ before he changed the subject.
Now was the perfect opportunity to ask about the hunt for her brother. But the frighteningly large part of her that didn’t want this to be over just yet kept the words from forming, and instead proffered different ones. ‘I prefer to leave the hearts and flowers for my performances, that’s all.’
His eyes narrowed. Then he gave a brisk nod. ‘Understood.’ He leaned forward and planted a hard kiss on her lips. ‘If it’s not too much to ask, will you join me in the shower?’
Say no. Take back the control you’re losing.
‘Yes.’
One corner of his mouth lifted, then he took her hand and led her from the room. A long leisurely shower and another bout of lovemaking later, Xandro emerged from his dressing room wearing a dark grey suit, pristine white shirt and statement-making tie. Every inch of him screamed powerful tycoon. But she’d seen under the suit. Knew he wasn’t all hard edges and ruthless dominance.
But what did that matter? As soon as Ben turned up, she would be history. The knot in her belly replicated around her heart. The heart she suspected was no longer completely hers.
‘Sorry...what did you say?’
He straightened to send her a wry look. ‘I said I’ll see you tonight before the party.’
She tensed. ‘What party?’
‘The one I promised Hunter Dance Company. Did you forget?’
She had. Completely.
‘I have a progress meeting with Melissa at six. Be ready to leave at seven.’
With that he leaned down, kissing her thoroughly before walking out. And leaving her with a new set of uncomfortable problems.
Melissa. The choreographers. Her fellow dancers. They would all know by now that she and Xandro were more than acquaintances. With time and distance she’d put it out of her mind. But she couldn’t hide from it, or from her life, for ever.
It was time to take back control before she risked her career, too. She feared her heart was already on the line. It took an hour to summon up the courage to accept her decision. As she rose from the bed, she swayed. The temptation to sink back into bed was huge. She didn’t want to confront her feelings.
Sage straightened her spine. She’d let this go too far...
But no more.
She repeated those three words to herself through the morning, and in the afternoon when James informed her that the stylist had arrived with a selection of clothes for the party, as per Mr Christofides’s instructions.
No more.
?
?Tell her thank you, but no thanks,’ she replied. And then, because she needed to cement the foundations of her decision, she grabbed her purse, took the lift downstairs and headed for the less expensive boutiques she’d seen on The Strip.
Within half an hour, she had an outfit for the party.
At a quarter to seven she grabbed her new clutch and ran a slightly damp palm down her new sleeveless green sequined cocktail dress before raising her chin in the mirror. The vice around her heart had tightened in gradual increments throughout the day, causing that organ to scream loudly at her decision. But she was doing the right thing.
‘James, please tell Mr Christofides when he arrives that I’ll see him at the party,’ she said when she reached the living room.
He hid his surprise and nodded.
Nerves shredding her, she made her way downstairs to the stunning Sofia Ballroom, where the party was being held.
The quiet entrance she’d hoped for never happened. Michael spotted her immediately and bellowed a welcome, drawing dozens of eyes to her.
Sage kept a smile pinned on her face as he drew her into the group. That smile threatened to waver when she caught two dancers whispering about the fact that she was alone. She heard the speculation repeated several times as she drifted through the party.
But all through catching up with her colleagues and skirting personal questions that came her way, her senses remained attuned to Xandro’s arrival.
