But she felt so unprepared. It wasn’t as if she’d done this many times before. Oh, could she possibly live up to his standards? Whatever his standards were?
Oh, to hell with it! She was going to be with him. She had already decided that the moment he gently eased her onto the dance floor and seduced her vertically.
She just hoped, prayed that nothing would interrupt their closeness tonight.
“Okay, everyone,” Mariam announced as she held the microphone to her lips. “We’re now going to have the next prize draw for those holding a lucky ticket.”
The crowd gathered in her direction as she stood by the musical section and in front of the prize table.
“Now, as you are all aware, when you received the invitation to the Diamond Ball and RSVP’d there was a number on the invite and you were notified that all invitees would be eligible to win a door prize.”
The guests murmured excitedly. The music had already stopped so all attendees would be able to hear.
“Now. The ticket stub I have here belongs to…” she fumbled with a card that she had pulled out of the glass draw box. She almost got her hand stuck in the opening. Many of the guests cheerfully prodded her on, eagerly anticipating winning one of the prestigious door prizes from the Diamond Ball. They were famous for giving away many luxurious gifts from a new sports model car, a newly built cottage, all-expense paid vacations and a grant of up to $50,000 to be used in a business venture startup, a scholarship to the university of the winner’s choice or cash! Many visitors attended for the prestige and excitement but the generosity of the Romeros was staggering compared with many other balls and charity functions. Oftentimes, Mariam thought the Romeros were far too generous and far too kind but she realized that it wasn’t her decision to make.
“Well, let me see here,” Mariam hesitated. She paused for a moment and narrowed her eyes. She realized that all eyes were fixed on her and she quickly changed her expression. “Lucy Shillerton!”
She heard a shout from the audience but it could not have been Lucy, could it? She thought she saw that girl leave with Antonio after the slow dance. Not that she was spying on or stalking them. It was just so obvious that she was making a fool of herself trying to seduce poor, unsuspecting Antonio on the dance floor in the middle of the ball in front of all these elite girls.
Mariam tasted bitterness in her mouth at the thought but stopped herself. She knew Lucy Shillerton would be trouble the moment she’d first met her.
But still, Antonio’s a big boy, she consoled. Why surely, he could take care of himself from gold-digging opportunists? Why was Mariam worrying? She’d been around to protect his father and she would do anything she could to ensure that he didn’t get himself wrapped up with the wrong type of girl, much less distracted from the family business.
Soon Mariam realized that the call out came from the girl who worked with Lucy at the agency. She’d been introduced to her earlier that evening as Maxine.
Mariam’s eyes scanned the room and she raised the microphone to her lips again. “Lucy Shillerton. Lucy, are you here?”
Everyone looked around and shrugged their shoulders.
“Lucy. Shillerton. Are. You. Here?”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“It’s beautiful,” Lucy commented as Antonio led her into a spacious guest room on the ground floor of the west wing.
“It’s okay,” Antonio murmured as he closed the French doors behind them.
Finally. They were alone. At least for now.
Lucy didn’t think she could breathe again. Her heart was pounding fiercely in her chest, the thrill of anticipating what was to come overpowered her.
Breathe, Lucy. Breathe.
Antonio looked even more ravishing in the dimly lit presidential-like suite. She quickly looked around, trying not fall into a trance from his penetrating gaze. “Nice. Do presidents come to stay here?”
He grinned. “Presidents of companies. Yes.”
“Oh.”
“Can I get you anything?”
Just you. “No. I’m good, thanks.”
Antonio leaned in to Lucy and gently pulled her closer to him. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, Lucy,” he said, tilting her chin up slightly so that he could gaze into her eyes. He seemed to carefully survey her features and a grin of approval touched his eager lips.
“You have?” she whispered.
“Why does that surprise you?” he asked in a hoarse voice. “You’re a very beautiful woman, Lucy. Surely, you must know that deep inside. I realize that baggage of humility you like to carry with you can be overbearing but any man who doesn’t see how gorgeous you are has to have something seriously wrong with him.”