His kiss was electrifying, breathing new life into me. I came alive and pushed him back, kissing him, touching him. He moaned in ecstasy as I moved my lips along his stubble-covered chin.
The limo came to a stop and we were at the courtyard party.
Jason looked at me, out of breath and hair perfectly disheveled.
“We’re here.”
I could feel my hair and makeup were out of order. I pulled my cocktail dress down over my thighs. We both smiled and giggled before Jason moved in and kissed me one last time, slow and hot.
“I love kissing my fiancé,” I said, feeling his smile as he pressed against my lips.
“Come on, let’s celebrate.”
“I thought we already were.”
Jason smiled again before grabbing my hand and helping me out of the car.
Even though it was past midnight, the courtyard party was loud and bright. Colorful lights shone in all directions, whirling around like some sort of outdoor rave. A full piece band played not to far from us, and in the distance I could hear a DJ playing some sort of trance music.
Jason pulled me along and I stumbled behind him in my tall heels which were harder to manage than the ice skates.
Everyone around us was dressed in fancy cocktail dresses and suits. Many of them were wearing masks.
“What’s with the masks?” I asked.
“It’s a masquerade ball.” Jason grabbed two masks from a table on the side and handed one to me. “Everyone was supposed to unmask at midnight, but it seems more fun to keep them on.” He pulled on a silver mask which covered everything above his mouth. His piercing dark eyes stared at me from the slits in his mask. There was something sensual and electric about Jason in a mask. It forced me to focus only on his eyes and his chiseled, masculine chin and lips.
Those lips.
A part of me wished we stayed in the car.
Stop, Sophia!
No getting excited just yet. There was still a whole night ahead of us.
I pulled on my mask, which was bright fuchsia and covered in sequins. The mask matched my dress perfectly!
Once we got into the thick of the party, I looked around.
“Oh my — there must be a thousand people here!”
Jason smiled, pulling me in close to dance with him. My body pressed against his.
“You are the most beautiful woman here,” he whispered.
“How can you know that? Everyone’s wearing masks.”
“Trust me. You’re the most beautiful woman here,” his deep voice rumbled.
My hands became clammy and my cheeks grew hot and pink. I was glad the mask was there to hide my blushing. I smiled. I knew he could see that. Jason pulled me in tighter, dancing me in a circle along with the old-school bandstand music.
As we danced, my thoughts drifted to our wedding day, wondering what the big day would be like and which song would play during our first dance. I held onto Jason a bit tighter and he readjusted his grip. I inhaled deeply — he smelled like a dream and I nearly felt like I was in one. As the music stopped I awoke from my daydream, remembering that it was past midnight and I was downtown, celebrating New Years.
The music picked up the pace as the band played some funk. People around us let go of their partners and began dancing wildly. I could tell that the alcohol had been flowing freely all night.
Waiters ran around with trays holding flutes of champagne and when one came by, Jason grabbed two for us.
“Sophia! Jason!”
I whipped around. Even though Ellie and Ty were wearing outrageous masks, I recognized them right away.
Ellie’s mask was large with numerous feathers poking out from every direction. If her mask was a bird, it would have been a peacock. Ty’s mask was also made of feathers, but these were short and gray — more reminiscent of a hawk.
“So? Where have you guys been?” Ellie look from Jason to me. Her eyes (which couldn’t be subtle even behind her flamboyant mask) instinctively flashed down to our hands. “OHMYGOD!” A high-pitched squeal escaped her face.
I happily held out my hand.
“We’re engaged!”
Ellie grabbed my hand and pulled it up in front of her eyes, which were nearly bulging out of her mask. “Now that’s what you call a rock! Good job, old boy.” She nudged Jason.
“Thanks.”
“So, who proposed to who?”
Something clicked in my head and I pointed at her. “Hey! You knew he was going to propose! That’s why you were convincing me not to do it myself.”
Ellie shrugged and took a swig of champagne. “Guilty.” She smiled sheepishly before looking at her flute and realizing she only had a gulp of champagne left. “Hey! To the happy couple.” She lifted her glass of champagne up to the sky. We all followed suit.
“To the happy couple.”
“And to the new year,” Jason added.
“To the new year.”
We all clinked our glasses and took a long sip. Knowing Ellie didn’t oppose my marriage made all the apprehension I had felt from the day before melt away.
This was the right thing to do.
Of course it was.
I smiled, but was glad the mask hid any lingering emotions on my face. For some reason, things felt right when Ellie was there to worry for me. It meant one of us was being rational. But now that everyone thought this was a good idea, there was something strange about it.
Was it a good idea?
Of course it was. But… Jason and I only knew each other for less than a year. Was this too soon?
Jason slipped his hand in mine.
“Would you like to dance?” His lips were close enough to my ear for me to hear him.
I smiled and nodded. I drank the rest of the champagne before putting the flute loud and hard onto the table next to us.
“Easy there, the night’s young.” Jason smiled amusedly.
I wiped my mouth. “Let’s do this.”
Jason was clearly more than amused as he pulled me back onto the dance-floor where people were sweating it out with reckless abandon. Jason whirled me and spun me around. I stabilized myself high on my tall stilettos as I danced next to him.
Damn, I felt hot!
There was nothing hotter than dancing with a sexy man. Jason and I moved in sync with each other, catching the eyes of those around us, and I knew it was because of the way we moved together (and not because I was dancing with the one and only Jason Powers). How would they know? He was wearing a mask, anyway.
When the song finished I collapsed into Jason’s arms and we laughed.
“You’re a demon out there,” he said, his lips brushing my ear.
I grabbed another flute of champagne from a passing waiter. At this point, the proposal, the alcohol, the giggling, and the dancing were making me feel happy and tipsy.
“Oh. There’s something vibrating in my pocket.”
“Is there now?” I grabbed Jason by the tie around his neck, pulling him close to me.
“No, I mean it. My phone is ringing. I’ll be right back.” Jason pulled the phone out of his pocket and answered it while blocking out his other ear. He pulled away from me and disappeared somewhere quiet — wherever that was.
I smiled as I looked around the courtyard. People were laughing and drinking, all having a good time. This was what I loved — people enjoying each other’s company. I tried looking for Ellie and Ty but I couldn’t see them. With these masks, it was impossible to find anyone as almost everyone looked the same. It was just a sea of sweaty people, all made anonymous by their outrageous masks.
I stepped back, trying to get some air but I bumped into someone and they grabbed my waist, preventing me from falling. Turning around, I saw a dark mask and a dark suit.
“Oh — Jason, I didn’t see you there.”
The eyes behind the mask looked at me with an intensity I hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Jason?”
The eyes stared at me for a little longer. T
hey were blue.
No, it wasn’t Jason. The stranger’s lips were parted now as if they were about to say something.
“Sophia?”
I whipped around.
“Jason!”
Then who was…
I turned around to face the stranger who had captivated me, but he was gone. I looked through the crowd and saw a tall man walking away. A tall, blond man.
I kept my eyes on him until he completely disappeared.
“Who was that?”
“Hm?” I looked up at Jason who let out a short laugh tinged with concern.
“Are you alright? Sophia? Who was that?”
He was so familiar — who was he?
“No one.” I shook my thoughts away. “Who called you?”
“My parents. They wish you a happy new year. I also told them the news — they’re ecstatic! They say congratulations.”
I smiled. “That’s great.”
“Come on.” Jason grabbed my hand. “Let’s dance.”
He pulled me back onto the dance floor, but even though I was with him physically, my thoughts were a million miles away.
~Chapter 6~
As I walked through the mall days later I couldn’t help but smile knowing I’d be marrying Jason Powers soon. Walking by the magazine shops I saw numerous paparazzi photos of Jason with a ring around his finger.
I stopped to look in the window and read the headlines:
Billionaire Bachelor No More?
Who’s the Lucky Lady?
Did Jason Powers Secretly get Married?
I smiled as I continued on through the mall, touching my ring with my thumb. I was unable to get used to the piece of jewelry and I kept looking at it every few seconds just to make sure it was still there.
Rounding the corner, I made my way to Ellie’s dress shop where she was going to show me the dress she made for me.
“Sophia!” She was helping an older lady, pinning her into a dress. “I’ll be right with you.”
“No problem.” I sat on a chair nearby as Ellie pinned the older, more rotund lady into a brilliant fuchsia gown.
The older woman nodded appreciatively in the mirror.
“I’ll let you have a moment,” Ellie said as she pranced her way over to me. “My, my. You’re absolutely glowing, aren’t you?”
I couldn’t hide my smile.
“It might be because I had three cups of coffee this morning, but Ellie — I’m so in love.” My voice was dreamy as I closed my eyes. I was pretty sure my smile was permanently etched onto my face.
“She sure looks like she’s in love,” the older woman said, smoothing out her skirt.
I pulled Ellie in for a tight hug. “Oh, I’m so happy, Ellie. This is everything I ever wanted. I love Jason so much.”
“Alright, alright, that’s enough, Casanova. Are you ready to see your dress?”
Giving Ellie a wide, tight-lipped smile, I nodded.
“You’re going to love it,” Ellie said in a sing-song voice as she disappeared in some racks of dresses. When she came out she was holding a giant pile of white fabric wrapped in a plastic covering. “Now get in there and try it on.” There was a devilish look in Ellie’s eyes. Fashion was always what got her going and today, with me trying on a wedding dress, she was sure to get that crazy look in her eye more than once.
The dressing room wasn’t nearly big enough for both me and the dress.
“How many rolls of fabric did you need to make this?” I asked, finally descending from the clouds and touching back down to reality.
“You don’t want to know,” Ellie said from behind the curtain.
Making sure I didn’t dirty any of the material by dragging it on the ground, I stepped into the dress and pulled it up. Without waiting, Ellie pulled back the curtain and helped lace up the back. Once it was on, I shuffled out and looked at myself in the three-way mirror.
“Oh, Ellie. It’s beautiful.”
The dress was a beaded corset on top and a full, puffy silk skirt on bottom.
“I feel like a princess.”
“You look like one too,” the older lady chimed in, nodding appreciatively in my direction before looking back at her own dress in the mirror.
Ellie was staring longingly into the mirror at me. “You really do look like a princess.” She sighed. “I can’t believe my best friend is getting married.”
“It won’t be too long until you’re slipping into a white dress.” I smirked at her.
“Well, don’t hold your breath.” She fluffed up the bottom of my dress and looked at me again before whistling. “Jason is one lucky man.”
I smiled but my thoughts pulled me away.
“What kind of veil do you want?”
I hardly heard Ellie over the sound of my thoughts.
“I have a couple ideas but — Sophia? Hello? Earth to Sophia.”
I shook myself back awake.
“Well? What is it?” Ellie asked.
“I’m just wondering something.”
Ellie waited for me to speak. “Well? Tell me, honey!”
“Remember how you said you had a different dress, a traditional one, in mind for me in case I married Luke?”
“Luke? Yeah. It’s not as glitzy as this one.”
“Do you have one like it? I kind of want to try it on.”
Ellie’s face fell. “You don’t like this one?”
“No, I love it. I just don’t want to get married and only try on one dress, you know?” I smiled and she perked up.
“I understand completely. I’ll go get it.” Ellie trotted into the back of the store and deep down I felt guilty because I had just lied to my friend.
Ellie looked through the white dresses and pulled one out for me to try on. Soon I was standing in front of the mirror again, looking at myself in a traditional, lace dress. It wasn’t as puffy as the other one, in fact, it showed off my curves quite nicely. The lace covered my shoulders and was much more classic than the glitzy, princess dress I had on earlier.
“Oh, Sophia.”
“Now that’s a bride if I ever saw one.” The old lady stared at me with a romantic look on her face.
It was evident: this dress fit me perfectly.
“Now if I didn’t know better, I’d say this was the one,” Ellie said, fastening a veil onto the crown of my head.
I wasn’t an overly romantic person, but tears welled up in my eyes.
How could this be the dress if it was meant for Luke?
“Is everything alright, Sophia?”
I nodded and blotted my tears away.
“Yes, I’m just — overwhelmed.”
“Oh, honey. Getting married is a big deal.” She rubbed my back.
“No, it’s not that. It’s just — we were talking about Luke the other day, and then I thought I saw him — or someone who looked like him on New Years, and it got me thinking.”
“Honey, Luke is a loser. Plus, you haven’t seen him in years. Jason’s the man in your life now.”
“I know, but if the glitzy princess dress isn’t the one for me, how can I be so sure that Jason is the one for me?”
Ellie let out a sharp sigh. “Oh, honey.” She rubbed my back. “Don’t let what I say mess with your head. A dress doesn’t signify who you’re going to marry. It’s all about what’s in here.” She grabbed my hand and touched my chest with it. I curled my fingers around hers.
“You’re right.” I wiped away the last of my tears. “I’m just being silly.”
“I know you love Jason very much. And if you’re hesitating about getting married, then all you have to do is tell him and I’m sure he’ll wait for you.”
I nodded. “You’re right.” But I shook my head. “I don’t want to wait. I want to marry Jason.” My voice shook as I said it.
“Alright then, well let’s get you out of this dress before you drip mascara all over it.”
“Oh Ellie, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s alright, hon. You’re not
the only one to cry in one of my dresses, now off to the dressing room you go, come on, scoot.”
***
As I left the mall, my head swirled with a million thoughts.
Was Jason the man for me? Did I really want all this glitz and glamour in my life? Did I want my husband to be regularly featured on the cover of People and Us Weekly magazines?
I sighed. Maybe the corseted, bejeweled princess dress was destined for someone else. The traditional lace was more my style, after all.
My chest grew tight and I choked back tears.
No, stop doubting yourself, Sophia.
Why did I always let my thoughts run away like this? Why could I never be sure of myself?
Deciding to give myself a treat (and hopefully a break) I walked outside through the courtyard where the New Years party had taken place. There were no tables or bands set up now — it was just a shopping area, as it usually was. There was a donut place near the fountains and the treats there always made me feel better about myself.
As I walked, I stopped at the area where I thought I had seen him.
Was it really him?
Luke, I mean. It looked so much like him — those eyes, those lips. Just the sight of them brought back a flood of memories. He was so intelligent, so calculated in everything he did. He was nothing like Jason, who was spontaneous and often flew by the seat of his pants. No, Luke always had his entire life plan laid out in front of him. He knew which schools he wanted to graduate from, which hospital he wanted to practice surgery in — he even knew how many children he wanted (two boys and one girl).
I couldn’t help but wonder if he ever achieved all his dreams.
“Sophia.”
I could almost hear him calling my name. That New England accent of his plagued my mind.
“Sophia!”
I whipped around. A blond man stood against a pillar, staring at me.
“Luke?”
Was that him? I rubbed my eyes. I felt like I could almost see him. But how could I? His dream job was in Maine, and knowing Luke, he had achieved his dreams and was living in an ocean-side cottage near the hospital.
Forever Ours (The Billionaire Next Door Book 8) Page 3
