Chapter 3
Three
Astrid
He made short work of the narrow space, and before I knew it, he was holding aside the curtain of lights for me again as we made our way back into the massive ballroom.
This time, we bypassed the stairs, instead finding an elevator to take us to the top of the building. We were quiet as the floors ticked past, a strange energy encompassing me all of a sudden.
This was weird. Incredibly weird.
Was I delusional to think that I could hook up with a complete stranger? Other people seemed to have no problem doing it, but it felt a bit forced to me, so odd and awkward.
It was a strange time to realize I craved some romance along with the physical.
I needed to know a person, inside, to get a feel for their heart, their mind, their way of thinking.
Despite how attractive this man was, I suddenly didn't know if I could go through with it.
And an equally valid point was, did he even want to have sex with me?
My sister Annalise's voice rang in my head. When I'd worried out loud to her about this very point last week, she'd said, "Of course he'll want to have sex with you. He's a guy."
It almost made me laugh right then and there in the elevator like a total dork, but I successfully smothered it. At least I hoped so.
We finally arrived, and the doors slid open to reveal a hallway. Straight ahead was a door that looked like it led to a stairwell, and sure enough, there was a small sign on it that said rooftop access.
Phantom—that was it. I couldn't do the phantom thing, so I was just going to go back to calling him mystery man. It was a little boring to keep repeating the same phrase over and over, but there was nothing else I could do.
Anyway, mystery man gave me a significant look as he dug the key from his pocket. "The moment of truth," he murmured.
Goodness, the nerves whipping around in my stomach were unreal.
I put a hand on his arm, stopping him. "So tell me, what happens if it works? What happens if we actually win this thing?" What a stupid question for me to ask. Why had I even opened my mouth?
He looked at me, his lips parting in a devilish grin, making my breath catch. "We dance, love," he said.
His smile was contagious, making me a bit gushy inside, and I found myself calming down. I could do this. Maybe not the sex part—I'd worry about that later—but definitely the dancing part.
Returning his attention to the key, he inserted it into the knob. While I held my breath, he paused, drawing out the drama, giving me another tiny hint into his personality. So he liked to tease a little apparently.
Just turn the knob already, I said in my head, not wanting to voice my impatience out loud.
As if he could hear my thoughts, he finally turned the knob, and lo and behold, the door opened for him.
I squeaked with excitement, not just that we'd won, but that we'd also get to check out the rooftop garden that so few people had ever seen. What a privilege, and how I couldn't wait to brag about it to my sisters.
That stunning smile firmly in place, he made a gesture for me to go ahead, and I didn't hesitate. I rushed up the steps to find yet another door, this one unlocked fortunately. I shoved it open, mystery man reaching across to assist, and my breath escaped me once again.
The sight in front of me was stunning, like something out of a dream or romantic movie.
The rooftop was filled with lush greenery, nearly every bit of it decorated with string lights, glowing lanterns scattered across the stone floor and a beautiful view of the city's lights finishing off the scene.
"Wow," I whispered at the top of the stairs, too stunned to move forward.
He whistled. "Wow is right."
It was pure magic, enchanting, a word I didn't get to use very often.
Hidden speakers played classical music, the notes wafting lazily in the cool night air, and there was more champagne plus chocolates displayed artfully on a small table.
Did I go right for the cute little table? But of course, mystery man following me closely. We both reached for some of the sweets, and he poured some champagne for us as well.
I watched him as he did so, wondering what had made this man approach me downstairs in the first place. Did I look like an easy target? Or was he actually attracted to me?
There was no way he could be as attracted to me as I was to him. Not for the first time tonight, I studied him, drinking him in. His features, what I could see of them anyway, were gorgeous, those full lips, that strong chin, and an even stronger jawline.
After handing me a glass of the bubbly, he clinked his glass to mine, the corners of his lips lifting in a hint of a smile. "Here's to tonight. To secret gardens and masked dances. And magic."
I smiled at his words, something about them perfectly capturing my hopes for the evening. His eyes were a deep, dark brown color, my favorite actually, something so expressive and warm about them. And maybe a tinge of mystery also.
Not wanting to just stare at him, and hoping to step up my game a little, I took my drink over to the edge of the terrace, where an intricate wrought iron fence marked the boundary of safety.
There were fairy lights strung here too, the city beyond all lit up, its non-stop energy pulsing as usual, tangible even from this height.
He came to stand beside me. "Are you cold at all?" he asked.
It'd been a fairly mild winter so far, and tonight was no exception. "I'm good. It's not that cold. Plus, I tend to run hot anyway."
Turning to him, I imagined that he raised a brow, but I couldn't tell for sure because of these masks. I laughed to myself, drinking a long sip of my champagne.
"Good to know," he said, his free hand going to the railing.
Talk about hand porn. Was that a thing? Well, whether it was or not didn't matter. This man could turn me on just glancing at his hand, all masculine strength and perfectly groomed, but not too much either. What would those fingers feel like inside me?
No, my goodness, I shouldn't think like that.
But yes, I should. That was what tonight was about after all.
If anyone could hear my wishy-washy thoughts, they'd think I was losing my mind. Which maybe I was. My brain was all over the place.
"What are you thinking about over there?" his rumbly, deep voice interrupted my inner mental tangent.
"Who? Me?" I asked. Duh. Of course me. "I, um..." I'm thinking about how hot you are and your fingers inside me didn't seem like the right thing to say. "I'm actually wondering why you approached me downstairs."
He nodded. "Ah. Good question. And I have to say... I'm not exactly sure. It was just a gut instinct."
"So your gut told you to come talk to me?"
A rumble of a laugh sounded next to me. "When you say it like that, it sounds weird. But what can I say? I needed a partner. I looked up and there you were, a beautiful woman right in front of me. How could I resist?"
This man was smooth. "So obviously, you must do this sort of thing all the time."
"Actually, not really."
"Oh, yeah?" This man was lying through his teeth. Everything about him screamed player. "I'm the rare exception, huh?"
"Yes, you are."
Next, he was going to declare that it was love at first sight, that the second he saw me, he had to have me. "I bet you say that to all the girls."
Oh, my lord, when had the cynical voice of my sister Annalise taken over my brain?
Tonight was about nothing other than getting laid. There were very few actual requirements for that, except needing a man with a working penis, who was somewhat handsome and willing to wear a condom. Oh, and he couldn't be a total douche. He had to be decent and respectful to me.
Phantom, mystery man, so far checked all those boxes.
"I'm too busy usually to say that to all the girls."
"Oh, yeah? With work? Travel? All of your expensive toys?" I teased, although he seemed like the exact type to have a yacht or a private jet or at least a fancy car.
He barked out a laugh. "Pretty much all of the above."
Just as I'd suspected.
I'd grown up doing all the fancy private schools, summers in the Hamptons, and countless charity galas where I'd get lost while staring at all the pretty gowns. So I'd been around men like him for as long as I could remember.
While I knew instinctively that was the kind of man I'd most likely meet tonight, I still found myself a tiny bit disappointed. I'd been hoping—no, craving—someone different than the norm, a change from the rich playboys who only cared about their stock portfolios.
"So you're really actually alone tonight?" I asked, just to be sure. Because it still seemed strange to me that a man like him wasn't already paired up. "You didn't come here with anyone?"
"No, I didn't. I came here alone. And what about you?"
"Same." I needed to change the subject quickly because he might ask me the question I wanted to ask him, which was why? Why had we both come to this function alone? Personally, I didn't want to even attempt to answer that one.
"Why?" he asked before I could think of something else to say.
Crap. Now what?
I looked out at the city, instead of the handsome man beside me, hoping to find inspiration out there somewhere. "Well, I just wanted to get out of my comfort zone, try something totally new," I finally said.
My peripheral vision caught his nod.
"And you?" I added.
"The same thing really," he admitted.
"There's something freeing about having a mask on."
"I agree. Not knowing someone's real name gives you a different perspective."
"Yes. Exactly right." A horrible thought popped into my head. "You're not a serial killer, are you?"
He laughed outright. "No. No, I'm not."
"A spy?" Remembering my future brother-in-law Max Sterling, I thought of another question. "An undercover billionaire boss?"
"No, none of the above."