Taking a deep breath, Antonia followed him inside the building, into the bright lights of the ballroom and the cheerful noises of the crowd. There were so many colorful dresses and ornate hairstyles on the women, whereas the men were clad in the required tuxedo, black cummerbund and black tie. All of them looked handsome, but Brett seemed to shine. Not only was he at least a head taller than most of the other guests, he also exuded an aura of confidence that was natural, not stemming from one’s position or financial status. Brett looked like he knew who he was and always got what he wanted.
He led her into the throng, introducing her as his fiancée to everyone they met. The reactions from each person varied. even the married ones. But most were announcement they never thought they’d hear regarding Brett. Some of the women seemed jealous, surprised, then excited to hear an
Walking through the elaborately decorated room, they were stopped several times by business acquaintances or friends. Antonia tried to be nonchalant about everything, but the people she met were too genuinely nice to be ignored. Surrounded by fragrant flowers, beautiful orchestra music and soft candlelight, it was difficult to be bored. She found herself chatting with several of the men and women who ran subsidiaries for Brett. They were all interesting and well read, listening and respecting her opinions as well as speaking their own minds.
It was a unique experience for Antonia. She usually attended these types of affairs as Sal’s escort and was unintentionally excluded from the conversations by her older brother.
Antonia took a glass of champagne from a waiter, but this time, she was careful to drink it slowly. She didn’t want a repeat of the last time they were at a formal occasion together. Whenever Brett turned to her, she did her best to ignore him. Unfortunately, he only found it amusing and came up with some reason to touch her. If she turned her back to him, he would casually run a hand down her spine. If she only turned halfway, he trailed a finger down her bare arm. There were times she could barely pay attention to the person speaking because Brett was pulling her against him or touching her in some privately erotic way, leaving her shaking and wanting more.
After two hours of socializing, Brett pulled her out onto the dance floor. He pulled her close, leaning down and nuzzling her ear. “I know what you’re doing,” he said, chuckling softly.
“What am I doing?” she asked breathlessly. Brett was a wonderful dancer. The music, his cologne and his closeness all made her head spin in a magical way.
“You’re trying to ignore me. It’s your way of telling me that I should drop the wedding idea.” He spun her to the right, using the twirl as an excuse to wedge a leg between hers. To a casual observer, it seemed a very gentlemanly move. But Antonia had reached a point of sexual tension where should could no longer think, she was so tuned to every movement Brett made.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied, holding on to his shoulder tightly as he pulled her closer to twirl her to the left.
“I heard your Aunt Marsha found the perfect wedding dress for you,” he said.
This was the first time she’d heard that and it showed on her face. “What do you mean?” she asked. She was hoping to stall the purchase of a dress. How was she supposed to do that when all her aunts and cousins were going out on their own to search one out for her?
“I don’t know anything other than that it’s perfect for you, according to Marsha. No one will tell me anything except to wear a tuxedo.”
“Oh,” she said, her mind spinning.
“Don’t worry about anything,” Brett laughed in her ear. “All the bills are coming to me. So if you run away at the last minute, Sal won’t be stuck with thousands of dollars worth of wedding bills.”
Antonia couldn’t believe that Sal would allow that. “Does he know this?” she asked.
“No. I arranged it all myself.”
She didn’t want to discuss the monetary aspect of this charade. It would make her too ill to know how much had already been committed as her sisters tried to create her dream wedding.
But Brett wasn’t going to allow her the luxury of ignorance. He leaned down and whispered how much had already been spent. The number was so high, she missed a step. “That’s emotional blackmail,” she said accusingly. “You’re not playing fair. On top of everything else, though, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” she said angrily, refusing to look at him. She looked off to the side, smiling at the other dancers, at the orchestra, anything but him.
“That’s exactly what it is,” he said, laughing and twirled her again, bringing her close again.
“Well, at least it’s your money and not mine. I don’t care about that,” she said, wishing it were true.
“Good. I enjoy spending it on you.”
Giving in to her panic, she almost tripped on her own feet. Looking up into his blue eyes, she pleaded, “Brett, this is crazy, why don’t we just walk away from it all.”
Antonia felt his hand tighten over hers. “Because you’d be walking away from it because you’re afraid of me. Of what I make you feel,” he said.
“That’s not true,” she denied too harshly.
“Yes it is,” he said, leaning down again and kissing her earlobe. Antonia instantly shivered, the pleasure she remembered from their one night of passion a distant memory compared to now and the pleasure he could make her feel with a simple touch.
“Why fight something that’s inevitable?” Brett said.
“I refuse to believe that this wedding is inevitable,” she said, shaking her head.
Instead of responding, he pulled her closer, moving to the music.
Antonia was silent on the drive home that night. As soon as he pulled up in front of the house, she jumped out. But Brett was right behind her. He followed her to the door. Before she could put her key in the lock, he turned her around gently but forcibly.
“Antonia, the wedding is inevitable. The sooner you realize it, the sooner you’ll enjoy it,” he said a moment before his mouth descended upon hers.
Antonia’s body betrayed her. She wanted him despite his manipulative behavior. She wanted him badly. And just as always, when he kissed her, all thought of avoiding him flew out of her mind. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, desire sparking through her system.
She felt him touch her bare shoulders, his hands sliding down to her waist. And she wanted more. Pressing her body into his, she gripped his shoulders, one hand slipping into the hair at the nape of his neck.