Read Love in the Vineyard (The Tavonesi Series Book 7) for Free Online

she stepped away from the man’s touch. And saw that in addition to the simple black mask, he wore a costume that made him look like a cross between a dark angel and some sort of swashbuckling musketeer.
    “That good authority being me,” another man, one wearing a wizard’s costume, said with a jolly laugh as he stepped up to them. He nodded to the man with the velvet voice. “Don’t trust his opinion of American food. He’s new to the country.”
    “Not that new, Parker,” the man with the unsettling smile said. “And besides, these are Asian dumplings, nothing American about them.”
    His easy laugh shouldn’t have sent a warm path of energy flooding through Natasha.
    “No names ,” said the man outed as Parker. “ You are officially fined one thousand dollars.” He turned to Natasha. “ You’ll be fined too if you give any identifying information. Any at all.” He wriggled his brows and grinned. “We have agents throughout the room keeping track of rule breakers.” He nudged the other man. “You can pay up now or at the end of the evening. If you don’t want to break my well-crafted spell, you’ll have to wait till midnight.”
    “Put it on my auction tab. I want that painting. But you won’t get any more fines from me. My lips are now sealed.”
    Parker turned to Natasha. “You’re forewarned. But if you do slip up—no worries—all the fines and auction proceeds go to the Boys and Girls Club, so no harm done. But I do prefer when my parties run according to plan.”
    “He’s a step away from being the party police,” the first man said in a good-natured tone. “But we love him just the same.”
    “Do not try me,” Parker said. “I wanted to use the airplane hangar for the auction, but several guests had already claimed it to house their jets for the night.”
    “I can imagine that put you in a foul mood.”
    Parker looked from Natasha to the other man. “I am never in a foul mood. Well, maybe once. But that was when we lost the polo match to Argentina.”
    “That was no fault of yours, Parker. You played like a demon.”
    “ You scored the only three goals that afternoon.”
    “It was my lucky day,” the velvet-voiced man said with a shrug.
    “I don’t believe in luck.” Parker turned to Natasha. “Do you, my lady?”
    “Not lately.” Not good luck.
    “A woman of the highest sensibilities,” Parker said. “You really should set your sights higher than a dark-force musketeer.”
    A woman wearing an Egyptian headdress and slinky silk gown—incongruously holding a clipboard—sidled up and whispered in Parker’s ear.
    “I’m off. Needed.” He shot another playful grin to Natasha. “Remember, no identifying information. There’s party karma at stake here.”
    As Parker walked off with the clipboard-hugging Cleopatra, the dark musketeer turned to Natasha. “Don’t mind him.” His lips turned up in a smile. “Parker’s the heart of this event. He has much on his mind.”
    Her heart stuttered when he held out his hand.
    “Since I can’t tell you my true name, I’ll introduced myself as Dumas, the man who invented the fictional character I am supposedly representing in this silly costume. I was promised a Prince of Darkness costume, but I was badly deceived by our man Parker.”
    There wasn’t a single silly thing about the clothing he wore. He looked authentic, and his accent made him seem that much more real. He could’ve stepped off the screen of an eighteenth-century period film.
    “And what might I call you?” he asked. He surveyed Natasha’s costume.
    She shivered under his scrutiny.
    When he returned his gaze to hers, though she expected to feel judged, the smile in his eyes melted through her ready defenses.
    “I recognize the era of your dress, but the mask is much more modern. Edgy. Exquisite, really.”
    She fingered her mask, hesitating before taking his offered hand. It was a simple handshake he offered. She shouldn’t be feeling so