applied mascara, blinked and reapplied it.
But being nervous had some advantages. At least it meant she could hardly think straight. Certainly not about what everyone would be saying about her tonight. It had been different at the masked party. Everyone there had been hiding who they were. But tonight there would be reporters and photographers, and Malachi would be looking to generate as much publicity as possible for the opening of his first casino in South America.
Her heart gave a jolt of hope. But what did that mean for her? She knew what she wanted it to mean. She wanted to forget the past—forget this stupid deal and be his wife again.
But it was so much more complicated than that.
Thankfully her hairdresser chose that moment to arrive, and she was able to push aside her troubling thoughts.
An hour later Addie breathed out in relief as the young woman styling her hair stepped back and smiled.
‘You look very beautiful, Ms Farrell.’
Turning her head from side to side, Addie stared into the mirror with pleasure. She had decided, on Lupita’s advice, to put her hair up in a French pleat. It was not something she had ever done before, preferring the simplicity of a ponytail for work or a low chignon for more dressy occasions. But now she was glad she had followed the stylist’s advice.
‘Thank you!’ She smiled up at the hairdresser.
The girl looked pleased. ‘I think Mr King will be very happy,’ she said shyly.
Addie took another quick glance at herself. Hopefully he would. She would soon find out.
Staring round the casino floor, Malachi felt a rush of satisfaction. The building had been derelict when he’d first seen it. Originally an opera house, it had been abandoned after a fire had damaged most of the stage, and then it had simply been left to decay. Only he had seen its potential. Not as an opera house. The capital city of Venezuela already had one of those. But as a casino.
It had taken six months just to clear the site and make it safe to work in. Another year to rebuild the interior and bring it up to modern health and safety standards. Then another five months painstakingly recreating the original gilded domed ceiling and setting up the casino floor.
His vision had been clear. No cool, contemporary chic. He had wanted old-style glamour. Gilt and glass and glitter. And it had been worth it, he thought triumphantly. It looked incredible: a gilded, show-stopping interior that mixed fin-de-siècle opulence with an unmistakable whiff of the forbidden and decadent.
And yet there was something that didn’t feel quite right. Some detail he had overlooked. Something was missing, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it...
The next moment his uncertainty was forgotten as yet another swathe of local VIPs stepped forward to offer their congratulations. Twenty minutes later, though, he was staring round the room again, the famous King smile in place, while his brain clicked through the evening’s schedule, looking for glitches.
Only there was nothing out of place. Frowning, he glanced up at one of the boxes he’d insisted be kept during the refurbishment, and caught a flash of red hair, a glimpse of long leg and felt his chest tighten.
Addie! She was here.
He was shocked by how happy that made him feel—happy then stunned as he realised that she had been what was missing. Abruptly his elation faded as the woman turned and waved excitedly at a friend in the crowd. It was not Addie. And her hair wasn’t even red. He must have been hallucinating! Seeing what he wanted to see.
His words echoed inside his head and he felt a momentary flicker of unease. Did he really want to see her that badly?
Eyes narrowing, he gazed across the room. There were so many beautiful women here tonight. Why was he obsessing over Addie when he could just pluck one of them out from the crowd?
Because he didn’t want just any woman. He wanted Addie.
His heart began to thump. But it was inevitable really, he reassured himself. He’d been spending so much time with her that he’d got used to having her around. And with her glorious red hair and beautiful curving body she was there for a very specific reason. To stand out—to be seen by his side. Together they would be the most dazzling, the most desired couple in the room.
He frowned. But where the hell was she?
And then he saw her.
And this time there could be no mistake.
She was standing at the top of the wide, curving staircase that led down to the main casino floor, the two bodyguards he had assigned to protect her on either side of her.
Caught beneath a pool of light, she looked beautiful. More than beautiful, he thought dazedly. She looked like a goddess. Her heels were black and high but her dress was dark red and short, with long sleeves. It clung to her curves as though she had been sewn into it.
But as she stared down into the crowded casino he felt her hesitation, saw the uncertainty in her eyes. He was moving even before he realised he was doing so—striding across the room and up the stairs.
She saw him just as he reached her side, her ruby and diamond earrings catching the light as she turned to greet him.
He stared at her, his heart in his throat. Up close, she looked even more stunning. Her long hair was swept up, revealing her slim neck and flawless face, and suddenly he couldn’t stand it any more. He had to touch her. More than touch—he wanted to lay claim to her.
Reaching out, he took her hand and drew her slowly towards him. ‘You look beautiful, sweetheart. I think you should keep these.’ Gently he touched her earrings. ‘And that dress looks divine on you.’
She smiled then, her uncertainty fading, and it was as though they were alone; around them the swarming mass of people melted away.
‘Thank you. I wasn’t sure about the length. But I think covering my arms balances out my legs.’
He nodded. He had no idea what she was talking about. Just looking at her was throwing him off balance. ‘I agree. Or I would if I knew what you meant.’
She pinched his hand. ‘There are rules, you know. About clothing.’
His eyes gleamed. ‘Has this got something to do with the tie—?’
‘Malachi!’ She glanced nervously over her shoulder, her body twisting, and suddenly he was too jolted to breathe, let alone speak.
Cut low and draped at the back, whatever rules she had been talking about, that dress was breaking all of them. His eyes bumped down the curve of her spine, his blood thickening and slowing, his thoughts a heaving mass of yearning, unfocused desire.
Trying to bring order back to the chaotic disarray of his body and mind, he dragged his eyes away from the smooth, golden temptation of her bare skin and gestured at a passing waiter.
‘Here!’ Back in control once more, he handed her a fluted glass of champagne. ‘Let’s go and mingle. There are
