Hard Deal. Stefanie London
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“But we decided to go with this shade because it’s in the middle. Fashionable but still elegant, because I don’t want to be completely off-trend...”
Daniel stopped in front of a woman in a full-skirted dress in a vibrant pattern that looked like it could have been lifted directly from an Impressionist painting. Her mask was elaborately designed, with lace and ribbon in shades of soft pink, purple and yellow.
“But I mean this is the biggest event of the year. One must step out of their comfort zone.”
“Absolutely,” Imogen said, her eyes fixed on her brother-in-law as he chatted to the woman in the stunning dress.
Perhaps this was the blonde she’d seen him with at the bar a few weeks back. Between the mask and full-skirted gown, it was impossible to tell. But then he reached down and grabbed her hand, slipping his fingers between hers. It was an intimate gesture. Definitely not the kind of thing two strangers did.
Bile rushed up the back of her throat. Poor Penny. She was so in love with Daniel and here he was acting like she meant nothing at all—and after talking about her moments earlier, no less. Imogen drained the rest of her champagne and excused herself from the conversation with the woman in the blue dress.
Daniel might think he could keep someone on the side, but Imogen wouldn’t allow it. The memories rushed back—of finding her husband’s dating profile on a site specially for people wanting extramarital affairs. Counting the women he’d agreed to meet with...one, two, ten. Fifteen. More. He hadn’t even tried to deny it.
That one time she had used the F-word.
Daniel and the mystery woman made their way to the courtyard, heads bowed. His companion smiled, her perfect white teeth practically sparkling like in those cheesy toothpaste ads. Imogen could almost hear the ping sound-effect. Ugh.
Her stomach churned and a wave of uneasiness washed over her. How was she going to break the news to her big sister? Penny was so optimistic and caring and kind. The wedding was her whole world right now and this would shatter everything.
But what was the alternative? Letting her sister walk down the aisle with a guy who didn’t deserve her? Letting her have that sickening moment of discovering betrayal?
No. That couldn’t happen.
Imogen flagged down another waiter and snagged a glass of champagne. She hovered at the edge of the ballroom and kept her eyes on Daniel. It wouldn’t do to get too close in case they spotted her. If she spooked him now, there might not be another chance. Holding her champagne flute in one hand, she used her other hand to fish her phone out of her evening bag. Photographic evidence, that was what she needed.
Once he and the mystery woman walked into the courtyard and rounded a corner, Imogen set off again. The string quartet played a lively piece of music and people flocked to the dance floor. Judging by all the giggling and the unsteady way some women tottered in their heels, the circulating drinks were doing their job. Hopefully it would mean Imogen’s actions would go unnoticed.
She headed outside and made sure her steps were slow and easy. Like she had all the time in the world. Balmy air brushed her bare arms and caused the panels of her skirt to flutter around her ankles. The scent of white flowers enveloped her in a heady, intoxicating hug. Every detail of this ball had been meticulously thought through—from the white roses and gardenia trees dotting the courtyard to the tiny white cakes sitting pretty on silver trays. It was impossibly romantic. Like a grown-up version of Alice’s Wonderland.
For a moment Imogen stood there, sucking it all in. If only she was here for fun and frivolity, rather than amateur sleuthing—all because Daniel couldn’t keep it in his pants.
Draining the rest of the champagne, Imogen set the flute down on a table. Liquid courage acquired.
Refocusing, she scanned the courtyard. No gold mask or Impressionist dress. They must have snuck off for some privacy. Imogen followed a path that led deeper into the mansion’s gardens, all the way to the stables at the back of the property.
She toyed with her phone. How on earth was she supposed to get a picture of them without being completely obvious?
You’re a master of improvisation. You’ll think of something.
Flying by the seat of her pants—or in this case, by the skirt of her sexy lace gown—was so not her style. But she had to go with the flow, no matter how uncomfortable it made her.
The stables were set back on the property, away from the main building. But against the brown tones of wood and trees, the mystery woman’s dress was easily visible. From this angle, Imogen couldn’t see Daniel and she definitely couldn’t get a photo. The zoom on her iPhone camera wasn’t exactly paparazzi-worthy.
“Shoot,” she muttered. If she walked too much farther along the path she’d come into their view. There was only one option.
Sighing, Imogen hiked up her dress and bundled the length in one hand as she stepped onto the grass.
* * *
“I can’t believe you picked me out right away,” Caleb said.
Karolina made a snorting sound. “You’re wearing literally the most ostentatious mask I’ve ever seen, and I would know that cocky swagger anywhere.”
He chuckled. “Subtly isn’t one of my strong suits, huh?”
Karolina Petrov-Wells was a longtime friend of both his and Jason’s. She had a fun-loving, vibrant and vivacious personality and could make anyone smile. Which was why Caleb had crushed on her hard all through high school. But after sharing an awkward kiss in their university days, it was clear the romantic chemistry wasn’t there. They’d decided to remain friends and Caleb was happy it had turned out that way. She was the sister he’d never had.
“So, are you going to tell me why you dragged me out to the stables so we could ‘talk’? This doesn’t seem like the place where a lot of talking happens.” He waggled his brows in an exaggerated fashion that was about as far from sexy as he could possibly get. “Are you going to seduce me?”
“You wish.” She grinned. “Seriously though, I needed to escape for a minute. I swear, if my mother drags me over to one more ‘suitor’—”
“Suitor?”
“Yeah.” Karolina snorted. “She actually said that. Pretty sure she thinks we’re living in a Jane Austen novel.”
He shook his head. “I don’t see what the big rush is.”
“Well, I’ll be thirty next year, Caleb,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Apparently that means my uterus is about to shrivel up and die. I told her I didn’t need to get married in order to have a baby.”
Caleb stifled a laugh. “How did that go down?”
“Uh, not well.” She bobbed her head. “Not well at all. I don’t suppose you want to marry me?”
He raised a brow and Karolina burst into a laugh a second later. “Can you not even keep a straight face through your phony marriage proposal?”
“Sorry.” She pressed a hand to her stomach and shook her head. “The thought of it... We’d drive each other crazy.”
“We certainly would.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Besides, one sham marriage is enough for my family.”
Karolina made a tutting sound. “Stop that. Your parents are not in a sham marriage.”
“Okay, a one-sided marriage.”
“Not even that.” She placed a hand on his arm and squeezed. “Look, I know what they have isn’t perfect. But that doesn’t make it fake. Jase was telling me things have been tense between you and Gerald. You’re projecting. I bet he’s different when it’s the two of them.”
He made a noncommittal