Alex gave in to Sergio’s persistent courtship after six weeks. It was easy for her to sleep with him. He was an exceptionally attractive man, and his breathtaking apartment on Park Avenue—once he finally brought her there—made him even more desirable in her eyes. Pure luxury spread over two floors with their reflecting thirteen-foot ceilings. The salons were furnished with the finest antiques, French crystal chandeliers, and thick carpets. Alex had heard of these stately apartments that only the super-rich could afford, larger than some country houses, but she’d never seen one from the inside.
The memories of her first night with Sergio sent pleasant shivers down her spine. To feel this well-composed man completely losing control of himself filled her with a thrilling sense of power. Sergio was crazy for her, and that in itself was flattering. But she’d left the next morning before he woke up so he wouldn’t think he could claim his prize after just one—admittedly very exciting—night. Less than eight hours later he was standing at her apartment door to invite her to lunch at the Crow’s Nest at the Water Club, which he had reserved entirely just for the two of them. “Impress me,” Alex had challenged him on a date a few days ago, and Sergio had obliged.
“How are you, cara? How is work?”
“Suffocating.” Alex signaled her secretary Marcia to put the files that she was carrying on her desk. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“I wanted to ask if you already have plans for tonight.”
“Oh.” Alex quickly scanned the mountain of files in front of her. “I still have a lot more work to do. It depends.”
“It depends on what?”
“On what you are about to suggest.” Alex smiled lightly. By now Sergio should understand that she wasn’t the type to come running when he snaps his fingers.
“Hmm,” he responded. “I don’t know if you like things like this, and it’s short notice, but I wanted to ask if you’d like to accompany me to the Stephen Freeman Foundation charity dinner at the Plaza tonight.”
He said this in such a casual tone, as if he were inviting her ice skating. Alex straightened in her chair. She quickly forgot her work. She needed to reconsider her priorities, and the opportunity that Sergio offered her was clear. “But if you are too busy with work…” Sergio’s voice sounded regretful, with a mocking undertone.
“My work isn’t going anywhere,” Alex replied.
“So you’ll join me?” Sergio asked.
“Yes, I’d love to.”
“Good,” he responded. “I’ll pick you up at eight o’clock.”
Alex smiled in satisfaction as she hung up the phone. This would be another big step in the right direction: socializing with the city’s most important people. Without a doubt, her first appearance on Sergio Vitali’s arm would attract attention. Alex smiled triumphantly at her reflection in the window and then picked up the telephone. She had to look absolutely perfect. She had just four hours.
At dinner, Alex was seated between Sergio and Paul McIntyre, the commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings. The other people at their table were Vincent Levy and his wife—who showed no surprise at seeing his head of M&A at Sergio Vitali’s side—the famous real-estate speculator David Baines, Senator Fred Hoffman, and a few other important members of high society. After listening to Levy’s and MacIntyre’s wives discussing Cayman Islands vacations, and the building commissioner’s wife raving about the wonderful luxury apartment that Vitali had generously placed at their disposal, she quickly wrote off the wives of these influential men as uninteresting. She had never cared for female companionship, and this type of women’s talk seemed like the epitome of wasted time to her. Instead, she concentrated on the conversations among the men at the table as they discussed a construction project on Staten Island. As Alex’s eyes wandered through the splendidly decorated ballroom, she noticed many celebrities. The realization that she was sitting among them filled her with an intoxicating sense of victory. But the other attendees were also eyeing her with curiosity, because it was scintillating for Sergio Vitali to appear in public with a woman who was both completely unknown and beautiful.
Alex enjoyed Sergio’s undivided attention the entire evening. He made her laugh time and again with anecdotes about the people around them. The seven courses of the gala menu were exquisite, and the accompanying wines were wickedly good. After the official speeches were given, Sergio asked her to dance. Alex wasn’t a particularly good dancer, so she was glad that they could hardly do more than turn on the overcrowded dance floor.
“Did you see Vince Levy’s face when he saw us together?” Alex giggled. “What do you think he’s thinking?”
“He probably thinks the same thing as everyone else here.” Sergio smiled. His blue eyes examined her with an intensity that triggered a familiar sensation in her body. “Namely, that we’re sleeping together.”
Alex managed a relaxed smile.
“If I had known that you had such a bad reputation, I wouldn’t have gotten involved with you,” she said.
“Really?” Sergio raised his eyebrows. “I thought you didn’t care about my reputation.”
“Indeed, I don’t,” Alex said with a smile. “But I do care about my reputation.”
“That’s what I like about you, Alex,” Sergio responded with amusement. “You remind me of myself. You’d do anything to reach your goal.”
“Certainly not anything,” Alex countered. “I might be ambitious, but there are definitely limits.”
“And what are those?”
“Why don’t you find out?” Alex stared deep into his blue eyes. Sergio returned her gaze. His hand slid from her waist to her bare back, and he pulled her closer to him. How had she managed to keep him at a distance for six weeks? She longed for him with every fiber of her being.
“You know I will,” he murmured. His voice so close to her ear sent a shiver down her spine. “I want to find out everything about you.”
They danced for a while without saying a word, until the music abruptly ended and the band took a short break. Sergio held Alex tightly in his arms, gazing at her while the other couples left the dance floor. They turned back to the table, her holding his arm. Time and again, Sergio—who apparently knew everyone there—stopped to introduce her to someone. Once they’d reached their table, Alex felt Sergio’s body flinch at her side and stiffen for a split second. She followed his gaze. Paul McIntyre and Senator Hoffman, a white-haired giant, were talking to another man who looked vaguely familiar to Alex. The man stood up and put on a thin smile when he saw Sergio.
“Ah, good evening, Sergio.”
“Good evening, Mayor Kostidis,” Sergio responded smoothly.
Of course! That was Nicholas Kostidis, the mayor of New York City, who was incredibly popular but controversial. She had seen his distinctive face often enough on television and in the newspapers. Before he became mayor, he made a name for himself as a district attorney who prosecuted many investment bankers and who also earned a reputation for being America’s most successful Mafia hunter. Alex studied him with curiosity. He was about the same age as Sergio, yet he wasn’t as good-looking in a classic sense. He would have seemed almost insignificant at first sight—compared to the imposing appearance of Senator Hoffman, Paul McIntyre, and the handsome Sergio Vitali—if not for the forceful intensity of his fiery, almost-black eyes that impressed and unsettled Alex. Kostidis’s posture exuded self-confidence and power. Sergio and the mayor sized each other up with cold looks. Alex could almost physically feel the tension between the two men, who were quite similar, despite their completely different appearances.