The Billionaire's Masquerade: Betting On You Series: Book Two by Jeannette Winters Page A

hand. Once she was back in the groove, she booked the new location. Thank you, Jill! Then she spent the rest of the afternoon and part of the evening finalizing the relocation, reaching out to each vendor with the new details. She didn’t know how people ever did this without an event planner. She had to give Victor credit, he really had thought of everything and would never have needed her help if it wasn’t for the fire. That wasn’t how she pictured a former Marine. Shows you can’t judge a book by its cover.
    Closing her laptop for the second time that day, she decided tomorrow would be spent updating the guests. All she wanted to do was go home. When she left her office, she couldn’t help looking toward Trent’s door. It was still open and the light still on. She wasn’t the only one burning the midnight oil. Feeling melancholy, she headed to the elevator and waited for it to start her journey home. When the doors opened, she hesitated getting in, and the doors eventually closed. His comments to his father were still troubling her. Avoiding it wasn’t going to solve the issue. She had two choices: press the button again, go home, and lie awake replaying it, or confront him now. Turning, she headed back down the hallway to Trent’s office with forced boldness in her step.
     
    ***
     
    “Hi, you’re working late. I thought you would be at dinner with your father.” Her tone was dry.
    He had been absorbed in a report and hadn’t even heard her enter his office. “My father’s visit today threw off my schedule.” His father didn’t normally stop by the office, especially without advance notice. Trent was grateful his sister Rose called earlier, giving him a heads-up on what was going on—his father was on his way to see him. It made the meeting go so much smoother. Trent loved his family, including his father, but they had had a difficult relationship to say the least. His father always did what he was told, played by the rules, and found it challenging to raise a son who did neither. Who could blame him? His other four children fit the family mold perfectly. But today was different. This was the first time his father had ever come to him for help instead of going to his siblings. Maybe it was a sign things were changing between them. Looking at Elaine he thought , a lot of things have changed lately. “Why are you here so late?”
    “That would also be your father’s visit today.” She smiled. “I do have good news. I’ve found a new location and updated all the vendors. Looks like everything will be ready for your mother’s party just as he hoped.”
    “You never cease to amaze me. I knew you could handle it but didn’t expect you to have accomplished anything today.” He normally would have assigned something like this to Wendy to handle. That is what an assistant was for. But when he received the call from his sister, the only person who entered his mind was Elaine. That shouldn’t surprise him; she was all he’d thought about since the moment he’d met her in Jon’s office over a month ago. He was positive the effect she had on him would have worn off quickly as it always had with other women. Instead, each time only enhanced his attraction, his need for her. Damn it. I really like her.
    “Thanks, I have some good contacts. Your father requested I arrive the day before, which I will, but I’m confident everything is in order. You and your siblings should be able to handle it from there.”
    She’s not getting off that easily. The last thing he wanted was to be the go-to person for the party. Things were better, but not that good. “I believe my father wanted you to be at the party.”
    “I’m sure he was only being polite when inviting me. This event is for family and friends. I’m neither.”
    “My father wouldn’t have invited you if he didn’t want you there. There is another reason for you to be there as well.”
    “And what is that?” she asked.
    He got up from behind