CHAPTER ONE
DEEPBREATHS.
Emma Brown ascended the stairs to the party venue, and as she entered the ballroom looked around the dimly lit, extravagantly decorated space hoping to find her best friend. She wanted to adjust her mask and flatten her cobalt dress for the hundredth time, but silently instructed herself to stop fidgeting.
She walked through the entrance, eyes searching for her friend’s tall frame amongst the sea of ballgown-clad women. There were masks of every colour, style and shape wherever she looked. Everyone seemed to be glittering in their adornments, and every hand was accessorised with an elegant glass of champagne.
Crystal chandeliers hung from the draped ceiling, reflecting light in all directions. Emma looked out at the wall of glass, a small smile playing on her lips as she walked, admiring the thousands of golden fairy lights as their glow danced on the surface of a pool. This hotel was always beautiful. She loved how the city rose up around it. There were very few places she loved as much as Melbourne.
She was so completely bewitched by her surroundings that she paid no attention to where she was walking until she hit a very solid wall that knocked the breath out of her. A strong arm wrapped around her waist, steadying her.
‘Oh! Ex-excuse me,’ she stuttered.
‘Are you okay?’ a deep, resonating voice asked.
She was mesmerised, both by the crisp English accent and the piercing sky-blue eyes that bore down into hers, and her stomach was doing somersaults. Emma could feel pure heat radiating from the hand on her back, but she wasn’t sure of anything in that moment apart from the fact her heart was going at a million miles an hour.
‘Um...yeah... Sorry about that.’ She laughed nervously as she righted herself. ‘Enjoy your evening,’ she murmured as she walked away from him, blushing furiously.
Emma looked back over her shoulder at the tuxedo-clad man in his simple black mask and was delighted to see he was still watching her. She turned around and spotted her sisters, who had already started mingling and were nodding to her to join them, but Emma was immensely thankful that Hannah was nearby, waving her over.
Hannah, her best friend, roommate and eternal saviour, was the only reason Emma had agreed to attend this charity masquerade. It had been Emma’s twenty-eighth birthday the day before, and Hannah had thought they could extend the celebration. And right now, as she once again stole a glance at the handsome stranger, she was very happy she had agreed.
‘Hey! You look amazing!’ Hannah gushed as she hugged her.
‘Thanks...’ Emma mumbled, fiddling with the fine silver filigree mask she wore. ‘You’re going to turn heads tonight.’
‘And beds.’ Hannah chuckled darkly, twirling a lock of red hair around her finger.
‘You’re terrible.’
‘Probably.’ Hannah handed her a tall flute of bubbly. ‘I think you’re going to need that in you before your sisters come over here.’
‘Got anything stronger?’
‘Left the poison in my other bag,’ Hannah deadpanned. ‘So, who’s the dreamboat that keeps looking at you?’
‘I’m pretty sure that’s Lord Alexander Hastings,’ Emma whispered.
‘Pretty sure?’
‘The mask adds some doubt.’
‘Why don’t you go over there and introduce yourself and eliminate the doubt? Seriously, he looks like he’d be interested.’
‘I very much doubt that—especially after I nearly bowled him over.’
Hannah laughed. ‘You’re an idiot. And speaking of idiots... Lauren incoming.’
‘Great.’
Emma and Hannah fixed polite smiles in place as the woman approached. Lauren, the eldest of her sisters, and by most accounts the most beautiful, was blessed in many ways. Tall, blonde, with hazel eyes with flecks of gold that could bewitch most. Eyes that her younger sister Maddison shared. Lauren had always made Emma feel plain. But perhaps her biggest blessing of all, was the unequivocal favour she enjoyed from their father.
‘Hey, sis,’ Emma greeted her. ‘Where’s Maddie?’
‘Somewhere around here. You’ve made an effort, I see,’ Lauren said haughtily.
But Emma wasn’t listening. Her gaze was fixed on the man who seemed to be pulling at her on a primal level. He stood with one hand in his pocket as he spoke to the group of people around him. She could see the smirk on his face despite the dim lighting, and knew he was watching her as much as she watched him. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking.