An Extravagant Tryst by Lauren Blakely

Author:Lauren Blakely [Blakely, Lauren]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Little Dog Press

4

Daniel

A Few Minutes Earlier

* * *

Some might call me a gamesman.

They wouldn’t be wrong. Anything with a bit of strategy or a touch of cunning holds a particular appeal.

A bet, a night, an opportunity—it’s almost as if I’m drawing a bow across a violin, teasing out a lovely melody.

The start of a symphony.

One that begins with spotting a beautiful woman, admiring the waves of her hair, the cut of her jaw, the curves of her body.

But that’s not all.

That’s not even what interests me the most about the fairer sex. Everything that matters is found in the eyes. And in the lips.

Eyes are hard to see with masks on, so in many ways I’m handicapped.

But that’s fine by me. I like it when the game is a little harder, when I have to think and act smart. To make choices that might backfire.

As I regard the guests—this one, that one, perhaps another one—my gaze returning to the woman in the peacock mask, I know what it’s going to take for this dalliance to work the way I want it to. I’ll let Cole think he spotted her. He’ll dance with her first. Then I’ll cut in.

The symphony plays out in my head, the music growing stronger, louder, suggesting how the evening might unfold.

Because she’s the one.

It’s as clear as night.

She didn’t know it before she left her home, but she was destined to meet us tonight.

The woman in the black corset with a diamond necklace wrapped lovingly around her neck—Could there be any more of a sign that she’d adore long, lingering kisses on that supple neck?—is most definitely the one for us.

As we drink champagne and survey the dance floor, I say nothing to Cole to indicate I’ve found her. I simply let my gaze occasionally drift her way. Part of my plan to let him think he saw her first. Eventually, as Cole and I chat about everything and nothing, which is what we usually do, he keys in on her too.

Perfect.

It’s like leading a horse to water, as he says, “I believe it’s time to ask someone for a dance.”

He sets down his champagne.

I take a drink of mine. “Best of luck to you, mate.”

He raises an eyebrow above his black mask. “You think I need luck?”

“We all need luck. We all need luck every second of every day. Never underestimate the value of luck.”

He shoots me a doubtful grin, then heads over to the woman.

We both believe in hard work, but Cole doesn’t know what it’s like to have luck stolen from you. As I finish off my champagne, my eyes drift briefly to the long, jagged scar that runs between the first two knuckles on my right hand, all the way down to my wrist.

Luck is everything.

In this city, hell, in all the cities all around the world, you have to make luck work for you. Tonight, I let my best friend and business partner think he’s making the first move. It doesn’t hurt anyone for him to believe that.

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