“What luxuries are you taking advantage of?” he called to her through the closed door of the bathroom.
“There’s a hot tub and sauna downstairs. And you aren’t invited to join me,” she said.
“I know. I don’t think that would be a good idea either. You in a bathing suit and me in nothing, steaming water. Bad combination,” he called out.
In the bathroom, Antonia closed her eyes. But the image of being in the hot tub with him wouldn’t leave her mind, the pulsating jets massaging tense muscles while the water worked its own magic.
His next words broke her out of her seductive mood.
“I’ll need you to be ready on Friday night. There’s a party at the Ritz for some visiting scientists.”
“What? Why do you need me there?” she asked, stepping out of the bathroom attached to her old room, wondering if he was going crazy.
“Because you’re my date from now on,” he said, pushing off the bed and coming to stand directly in front of her. “You look gorgeous in that bathing suit,” he said, one finger trailing along the top edge of the fabric.
Antonia’s breath instantly caught in her throat and her breasts, which were aching for his touch, seemed to swell towards his hand. “Don’t do that,” she said, wishing she could step back out of his reach. But her feet wouldn’t obey her brain’s commands.
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want you to,” she replied, but her eyes closed as his fingers trailed down her stomach lightly.
“Explain why you’re so against this wedding,” he said, stepping away from her.
It took a few moments for her mind to clear. But she realized he wanted a serious conversation. She tried to accommodate him. “Except for the past four years, I’ve lived my whole life dominated by strong men. First my father, then my brothers. And now you’re trying to take control.”
“I’m not trying to take control, Antonia. I’m trying to make you understand that we were meant to be together. If you weren’t so stubborn, you’d realize that and accept the inevitable.”
Antonia grabbed his drink and took a long sip. “I disagree.” He took the drink back before she could finish it off. “That’s because you’re just being stubborn. Which is fine.”
“It is?” she asked at the doorway to her old bedroom. She’d stopped and turned back to watch him. He was so sexy, standing in her frilly bedroom, leaning against the pink walls, his starched shirt open at the collar and his long, lean legs crossed at the ankles. Just looking at him made her want to walk back to him and beg him to make love to her.
“Of course it is. You’ll just have to realize that I’m more stubborn,” he said and smiled charmingly.
Antonia shook her head and hid her smile. He was too handsome for her peace of mind. She walked out of the room and started down the hallway.
“Whatever happened to the idea of getting married because two people are in love?” she called back, afraid to see his reaction.
“You love me. You’re just too stubborn to admit it,” he called to her and Antonia could hear the smile and confidence in his voice. “Friday night. I’ll pick you up at eight,” he called to her.
Antonia didn’t respond. She just kept walking down the hallway. Why couldn’t he understand that they weren’t right for each other? She didn’t want to be under any man’s control. Yes, she was in love with him. But did it matter? Being in love just gave him another way to manipulate her and get her to do things the way he wanted them done.
Did she have the courage to call his bluff? Would he really tell Sal about where she worked? Antonia stepped into the steaming, bubbling water and wondered. But she knew the answers to her questions already.
Antonia stood in front of the mirror at a quarter to eight the following night. She was wearing another dress from Saks. This one Brett had given her free reign on choosing. He’d had a credit card delivered with a note explaining that the dinner was black tie. And that was all she’d heard from him since last night.
Now he was on his way to pick her up.
She had formed a weak plan last night while sitting in the hot tub. She wasn’t even sure it would work. Brett seemed like the type that wouldn’t change his mind very easily. It would take all her acting abilities, everything she’d learned while waitressing at Cesar’s and all the tricks she’d observed from the other waitresses in handling men.
The plan was simple enough. She would just ignore Brett and make him realize that a marriage between the two of them would never work. She wanted too much independence to be tied to a man with the same arrogance and power her brother’s wielded.
At least she looked good, she thought, twirling in the blue dress, watching the beads sparkle in the light. She’d chosen a long, midnight blue, beaded gown interspersed with silver that danced whenever she moved. The top was fitted, but cut low along her chest with only thin straps holding it in place. The skirt was slim with a long slit that came to her lower thigh. It was the most daring dress she had ever worn and the feeling boosted her confidence.
The doorbell rang precisely at eight o’clock. She opened the door to her bedroom and walked slowly down the staircase.
Both Sal and Brett looked up and watched her descend. She felt like a teenager going to the senior prom, Sal being her father instead of her older brother, and Brett was her date instead of her pseudo fiancé.
Brett came foreword when she reached the bottom step and took her hand, his admiration for her shining in his eyes. With his other one, he placed a ring on her fourth finger. Antonia didn’t understand until she looked down and saw the diamond sparkle.
It was so beautiful it took her breath away. The center diamond wasn’t the largest she’d ever seen, but it was the brightest. There were two square cut stones next to it, both had to be at least a half carrot each.
Antonia looked up and her pleasure shone in her eyes. “It’s wonderful,” she said to him.
“You’re welcome,” he returned. “You look lovely,” he said, still holding her hand.
“Thank you,” she said, glowing with happiness with his simple words, completely forgetting her plan to feign boredom for the night.
The drive took only a few minutes and before she knew it, she was being handed out by a valet as Brett confidently came around the front of the car, then took her hand.