Thank you for honoring us with your presence at the Wicked Valentine’s Day Ball. If you have been here before, you will know the rules. If you are a new attendee, please pay careful attention. Your partner will meet you at the entrance upon your arrival. Note that this person will stay with you all night unless someone is accompanying you. Your night will be led by your choices, desires, and expectations. Enjoy.
Well, that was kind of cryptic. She wondered if she should go. There were specific instructions on what to wear. Nothing too strange. Maybe a little on the revealing side. If the word wicked was anything to go by, this would not be a boring party. And she really needed to get out.
There was no way she was going to let some jerk’s threats keep her locked inside. Besides, she knew how to defend herself if it ever came to that. She and Alex had a weekly date at the gym where they took boxing and other self-defense classes. Checking out the Valentine’s Day Ball was better than staying home alone and eating chocolates—only to feel guilty tomorrow—she winced and headed for her closet.
There was a row of dresses she referred to as attention grabbers. One after another, she flicked over the hangers and discarded dress after dress, until she reached the one. She pulled out the red-and-black mini with spaghetti straps that was covered in clear plastic.
Once she’d showered and lotioned her body down, she eyed the flimsy dress material. Maybe that one wasn’t such a good idea. Dammit but it was perfecto. Just perfect for what had been described, and Nina was not a coward. She liked to think she looked good, considering she never lacked dates or boyfriends. It was the commitment part that scared her. She’d yet to meet a man to make her feel interested in more. It was usually the opposite. With most guys, after a few months of dating, she realized it wouldn’t go anywhere and broke things off. But not so that night with Max. He’d been the first to make her rethink of the dreaded commitment word.
“Estupida,” she muttered and tore off the plastic covering the dress. Maybe she had been stupid, but now she needed to forget Max. She put the thin slip of a dress on and stared at her body in the mirror. She couldn’t wear a bra under the thin material, and her nipples instantly puckered with the rub of the soft satin. They were very visible, and unless she took a shawl, everyone would be able to make them out through her dress. Her gaze traveled down her body to stop mid-thigh, which was where the mini-dress ended. She nibbled her lip and twirled to look at her backside. If her ass wasn’t so big, the dress wouldn’t ride up so much.
She sighed. There was no changing that part of her heritage. All the women in her family had curvy bodies, herself included. She put on some makeup and lifted her chin. Screw it. It was Valentine’s Day, and she had a special invitation to one wicked ball.
* * *
Nina’s heels clicked on the marble steps, ratcheting up her excitement with each clack. When she reached the entryway, she noticed the two hulking men that stood guard.
One eyed her body boldly and smiled. “Invitation?”
She grinned. This was turning out better than she thought. She handed him her invitation. He passed it off to the second man, who promptly got on a phone and called someone.
After a moment he returned to her and the other man. “Ma’am, if you’d just head into our foyer, your companion for the evening is waiting for you there.”
Wow. They were really thorough. She hadn’t been sure they could find someone for her with a two-day RSVP, but she guessed they probably had men on staff just for that.
The other super sexy guy who had been giving her some hot looks winked. “Have a great time.”
She walked toward the foyer with a smile on her face. But the smile she’d been carrying slowly turned into an O of surprise as she stepped into a large, open room. A room filled with men. She gulped and stared at the multitude of handsome guys.
“Sabrina.”
She whirled around. Her throat went dry. The way he looked at her, filled with open hunger, made her breath hitch.
“Max.” She gulped and peered down his body. He wore black dress pants and nothing else. Her eyes widened. She stared at his sexy arm muscles. Her gaze traveled down his tight pecs and stopped at his six-pack abs. “What are you doing here?” She licked her lips and glanced back up to his face.
A slow, sexy smile split his lips. “I’m your companion for the evening.”
“Excuse me?”
“Didn’t you read the rules? You get a companion for the night.” His smile turned predatory. “And that’s me.”
She stared past his shoulder, to where a new woman had arrived, dressed in some slinky dress not that different from hers. A man detached from the sea of temptation and met up with her. She smiled tentatively and gave him her hand. He dipped his head, said something into her ear, and caressed her jaw. A flush covered the woman’s face, but she nodded. Her companion placed her hand around his beefy arm, and they strolled off together, down a dimly lit hallway. Curiosity made her wonder where they were going. This was no usual ball.