SAGE AWOKE SLOWLY.
She was warm but not too warm. And the bed was soft but not too soft.
And best of all, she was wrapped in very strong, capable arms. She opened her eyes and gazed into coffee-brown eyes. Her heart fluttered in her chest. She didn’t know that she could be this happy.
Trey smiled at her as his fingers stroked her cheek. His thumb traced over her bottom lip, sending a bolt of desire through her core. The truth was that she’d never get enough of him. Trey was everything she’d ever dreamed about—and more.
Her hand reached out to him. Her palm pressed against his bare chest. She could feel his heart. It was still pounding with need. Her fingers inched up his muscled chest until her hand wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to her.
As she scooted closer to him to press her lips to his, he disappeared. Her hand landed on the empty spot in the bed. Where had he gone? Her gaze searched the room but it was empty. Once again she was all alone.
“Trey! Trey!”
The next thing she knew she was being jostled. “Sage, wake up. It’s a dream.”
Her eyes blinked open. “Trey?”
“Yeah. It’s me.” He sent her a reassuring smile. “It was just a nightmare. Do you remember what it was about?”
She remembered every delicious detail and it was certainly no nightmare. And she also remembered that, in the end, he’d left her. Just like the other people in her life.
She shook her head. “It’s a blur.” She glanced down, finding herself still dressed in the clothes from yesterday. “It looks like I fell asleep on you last night.” And then she realized how that sounded as heat rushed to her cheeks. “I, uh, must have been more tired than I thought.”
“No problem.”
Her gaze moved to the man who starred in her very hot dream. Her face grew warmer. Why did Trey have to be the man of her dreams? Now how was she supposed to act professional around him knowing she secretly desired him?
Don’t make a big deal of it. He can’t read your thoughts. Just act normal.
She took in his smart-looking suit. “It looks like you’re all ready to face the day.”
“I’ve been up for a while.” A serious expression came over his face. “Sage, we need to talk.”
Oh, no. What exactly had she said in her sleep? She didn’t want to know. Nope. Not at all.
She scrambled to climb out of the other side of the bed. “Sorry I’m running late. Just let me grab a quick shower and I’ll be ready to go.”
“You don’t have to rush—”
“Sure, I do.” She moved to her suitcases, which were waiting for her in the corner of the room. “We have to get our badges.”
“We have all day.”
“It can be a long wait since they have to take our photo. Besides, this is a good day to catch some people before they get caught up in the movie premieres and the parties.”
He arched a brow. “How would you know?”
She shrugged. “I attended the festival with my father. It was a long time ago, but I still remember parts of it. And one of those memories was waiting in line at the Accreditation Centre. I take it you’ve never attended?”
He hesitated. “I’ve attended the festival.”
“Then you should know we have a lot to do today.”
“If you say so.” Trey moved to the door. “I’ll get us some breakfast.”
“Just coffee for me.”
“You need more than that since we’ll be walking to the festival.” When she sent him a surprised look, he added, “A lot of the roads will be closed. Walking will be our fastest option.”
“Okay. I’ll be down in a few minutes.” If she could just get them away from this very cozy setting and into the public, things would smooth out. And hopefully Trey would forget about her calling out his name and whatever else she’d said in her sleep.
“We’ll see about that.”
Before she could say another word, the door snicked shut. Alone again. She sighed. She looked at all of her luggage. Perhaps she had brought a lot of clothes but she knew she had to dress smartly. So her roommates had loaned her a few dresses, creating an extensive, all-event wardrobe.
Her and her two roommates routinely shared clothes. On a tight budget, it made clothes go a lot further. But if she could keep QTR on its upward swing, her finances wouldn’t be quite so strained. Of course, her latest private investigator looking into her stepmother was taking a large bite out of each paycheck. She’d instructed him to look under every rock until he found what Elsa was hiding.
Sage placed a suitcase on the large bed and opened it. With her arm full of dresses, she moved to the wall of closets and found half of them filled with men’s clothes. It must be the owner’s. Thankfully there was enough room for her things.
Not wanting to keep Trey waiting much longer, she didn’t bother with the other suitcases. They could be dealt with later.
* * *
He never expected to hear Sage calling out his name in her sleep.
Trey had no idea what to make of it.
Her tone hadn’t been one of passion. Instead there had been an urgency to her voice. So if she was having a nightmare, why would she cry out to him? It was just one more thing for him to ponder about his beautiful boss.
They had just collected their photo badges and were standing outside the doors of the Cannes Exhibition Centre. Sage was pleased to find their badges were marked with a red dot containing the letter R. It granted them access to red-carpet screenings.
Trey may have grown up in Cannes, but he’d never been that involved with the festival. So, much like Sage, he was figuring it out as they went along.
People strolled by in stylish clothes. Some were famous, others weren’t. All smiled brightly when there was a camera pointed in their direction.
He glanced over at Sage as a smile lit up her face. She wasn’t wasting any time trying to save her...er...his magazine. He didn’t like that they were on opposite sides of keeping the magazine. Still, he couldn’t help but applaud her resilience.
“Hello.” Sage stepped forward and held out her hand to the female lead in an upcoming action film. “I’m Sage White with QTR Magazine—”
The young actress immediately withdrew her hand. “I can’t talk to you. I’ve heard about your magazine.”
“But you don’t understand—”
“I understand enough.” The young woman turned and walked away as fast as she could on those five-inch heels.
Sage turned a worried gaze in his direction. He didn’t know what to tell her. His father had done quite a number on the magazine—taking it from stellar reporting to the depths of heresy. They were lucky his father hadn’t put headlines of UFO sightings on the cover.
The magazine had been in Trey’s family for generations. Each generation had made their mark on it. Way, way back in the beginning, the magazine had started here in France.
A few generations later, it had been relocated to the States. New York to be exact. But then Trey’s great-grandfather had moved it to Los Angeles. He was a big fan of John Wayne. But when it came time for Trey’s father to put his mark upon the publication, it was all about profits. It didn’t matter how he got them. He’d taken the Rousseau name and dragged it through the mud.
And now it was up to Trey to put an end to it all. But perhaps Sage’s idea for the magazine wasn’t a bad one—but would anyone even give her a chance? As time went by, she didn’t get past a greeting before people moved on.
“Perhaps we should try again tomorrow,” Trey said, feeling bad for her. “When people aren’t in such a rush.”
“I can’t stop now. I haven’t even gained one new contact.”
He’d give her a gold star for effort. “But it’s only the first day of the festival. People are still getting settled in. There are still ten more days to go.”
“I know. But I had a goal to gain at least one good contact per day. You don’t understand how important this is.” Sage started walking.
Trey kept pace with her. “Maybe you’re putting too much pressure on yourself.”
She cast him a sideways glance. “You don’t believe that, do you?”
He did believe it, but he also knew she wasn’t in the mood to hear his observations right now.
He reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out a small envelope. “Perhaps this will help.”
She had to admit that she was very curious. “What is it?”
“I’ve secured us an invitation to the Red Heart Gala tonight.”
“You what?” Her mouth gaped. “But that party is totally exclusive. I heard some of the stars couldn’t even get invitations.”
“See. The problem with them is they don’t know the right people.” He sent her a big smile.
“And who might that be?”
“I don’t know if you can be trusted with this highly sensitive information. If it leaks out, I might lose my source.” He winked, letting her know that he was teasing her.
“I swear no one will hear from me. Now spill.”
“It’s Maria.”
“Maria?” It took her a second to figure out who he meant. “You mean, Maria—that works at the château?”
He laughed. “Yes. The one and the same.”
“But I don’t understand.”
“Maria is a part of the housekeeper network. If you need something, her group can definitely pull it off. They are amazing and highly resourceful.”
“I’m totally impressed. These tickets are highly sought after. Anyone who is anyone will be there.”
“And that’s why we’ll be there.”
“You mean to try and gain some interviews?”
He shook his head. “Not tonight. It will be all about enjoying yourself and just soaking up some of the atmosphere. No stressing. No worrying. And no working.”
“But—”
He held up a hand, stopping her protest. “There are no buts. Those are the rules or we don’t go.”
“I still have one but.”
He didn’t want more problems. “What is it?”
“But I don’t have a red dress to wear. I have black, blue, turquoise and deep purple but no red.” When he sent her a puzzled look, she said, “The dress code is red, except for the men. Black tux is mandatory. You do have at least one tux with you, don’t you?”
He nodded. “I made sure of it before we left LA.”
“So that just leaves me with nothing to wear.”
Trey told her about a couple of local dress shops. They agreed to meet up later at the château. As soon as she walked away, he reached for his phone to call ahead and tell them to charge him for anything Sage picked out. But then he paused. How would he explain that to Sage since he hadn’t found the right time to tell her about his true identity? He slipped his phone back in his pocket.
* * *
The evening was amazing.
Sage and Trey had walked the red carpet and posed for a photo. Trey explained that even though they weren’t famous, the photographers made money selling the photos back to the people. Sage had to admit that she would be buying the photo—most definitely. She never wanted to forget this amazing experience.
She never imagined she’d be in the same room with so many stars. It was dizzying trying to name all the celebrities. And the fact that she was speaking with them as though she were one of them—well, it was a night she’d never forget.
The hotel where the gala was being held was the same one where she was supposed to be staying. The architecture was stunning. Marble pillars supported an intricately designed ceiling. And one crystal chandelier wouldn’t do for this ballroom. Instead, there were at least a dozen. This place was fit for royalty.
She glanced down at her deep-red full-length gown, wondering if she was dressed appropriately.
Her visit to the boutique let her know that she couldn’t afford anything in the store, even if she had maxed out her credit card. But the salesgirl, having noticed the distress written on Sage’s face, told her about a little out-of-the-way shop where secondhand dresses were sold for a fraction of the original price.
It was where Sage had found this off-the-shoulder, figure-hugging gown with a daring slit up her left thigh. It didn’t fit exactly, but a few strategically placed pins in the bodice held it in place. And luckily, she had a pair of black stilettos that paired perfectly with the dress. She actually felt like Cinderella at the ball. Did that make him her prince?
Her heart fluttered in her chest. The most handsome man of all was the one holding her in his very capable arms. She lifted her head and stared up at Trey as he guided them around the dance floor.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” Trey’s voice broke through her thoughts.
“I am. I don’t think my feet have touched the ground since we arrived.” She leaned in closer. “Did you see the jewels people are wearing?”
Trey smiled and nodded as they practically floated past the white marble columns surrounding the dance floor.
“Look at that.” She pointed at the enormous chandelier made up of thousands of crystals. “I love how the light dances off it. Now that is flashy.”
A smile lifted his lips and smoothed the lines on his face.
“What are you smiling about?”
“You. I’ve never seen you so...” He hesitated as though searching for the right word.
“Awestruck? Impressed?” Then she moved her hand, stroking her fingers down over his soft beard. “Captivated?”
His dark eyes lit up as though her touch awakened a part of him. His gaze dipped to her lips. Her pulse quickened. She had a feeling this night was just getting started.
She couldn’t turn away. My, he was handsome. So handsome and sweet that her reservations about trusting him slipped from her mind. Tonight, they were no longer boss and assistant. Tonight, he was just Trey—a devastatingly handsome escort with a twinkle in his eyes. And she was just Sage, his date. So was there any reason not to let down her guard and treat him as she would any man who caught her eye and dazzled her with the most amazing night?
The lyrics from the next song wrapped around them. Their bodies swayed gently to the tune. As her body brushed against the hard plains of Trey, the breath caught in her throat. Every nerve ending in her body was stimulated.
In that moment, with his hand pressed lightly to the bare skin at the small of her back, she couldn’t think of any reason not to give in to her desire. She stopped dancing. She lifted her chin and their gazes caught.
Questions reflected in his dark eyes. His mouth opened to say something, but nothing came out. The next thing she knew his head was lowering toward hers and she was lifting up on her tiptoes. When their lips met, it was like a powerful jolt of electricity zapped through her body.
She had never felt this way with any other man. Trey was unique in so many ways. And she never wanted this magical night to end.
His lips moved slowly over hers. His touch was soft and teasing. A need grew within her. She wanted more of him. All of him—
The band stopped. A round of applause filled the room, jolting both Sage and Trey back to reality. With great reluctance, Sage pulled back.
Her lips tingled as Trey led her from the now-empty dance floor. She had no idea where they went from here, but she was anxious to find out.
They spent the rest of the evening mingling, dancing and sipping bubbly while eating the most delicious hors d’oeuvres, but sadly there was to be no more kissing.
Sage was surprised at her eagerness to taste him once more and was disappointed that Trey didn’t feel the same. Because as soon as they arrived at the château, Trey mumbled something about needing to send an email and he disappeared, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
She’d messed up. She knew it. Crossing that line between them was a mistake. Going forward, she was going to have to do better.