When she stops in front of us, her gray eyes meet mine and I realize it’s Elena, Matteo’s sister.
“Sorry, kid,” Matteo says, shrugging his shoulders, slipping his arm from mine to give his sister a hug. “We got a little distracted.”
Elena looks me up and down, from head to toe. “Listen, I like men, but I too would be distracted by her.” A smile curves on her lips as she looks at me again. “Girl, you’re a fucking bombshell.” She pulls me in for a hug. “Making me question my sexuality and shit.”
“I’d gladly remind you of your sexuality,” Cam Shaw calls from the top of the stairs. I don’t know how long he’s been standing there. Elena releases me and gives him the middle finger.
“Watch yourself, Shaw,” Matteo warns, stepping beside me and his sister.
“A guy can dream, Ford. She’s your little sister. I’d rather keep the teeth I have.”
“You look rich,” I say to Elena, ignoring the guys.
Elena hooks her arm through mine. “Babe, I am rich,” she chuckles. “Come on. I see Matty forgot it’s a masquerade. I set two of the masks aside that they have inside, just in case.”
She leads me up the stairs with Matteo rushing past us. He stops beside Shaw and they both open the doors for us, letting us walk through first. To the right, just inside the foyer, is a velvet-draped table with ornate masks.
Elena crouches down, fishing out two masks from under the table. She hands me an ivory colored one, dusted in delicate crystals. For Matteo, she has a matte black mask with sharp gold detailing. He slips it on, a smirk tugging on his lips.
He looks dangerous as hell.
Matteo takes my mask, stepping behind me to tie it around the back of my head. He rests his hands on my shoulders and gently turns me around to face him, his gaze burning into mine as he lets out a shallow breath.
“Perfect,” he murmurs, brushing his fingers along the side of my face.
A bright flash blinds me from my peripheral vision. It happens two more times and Matteo turns, his glare murderous as he looks at one of the photographers.
“Can I get a photo of the two of you?”
My stomach does a somersault. What will they use the photos for? Does Matteo even want there to be evidence of us at an event together?
Matteo’s hand snakes around my back, gripping my hip as he pulls me flush against his side. “Is this okay?” he whispers into my ear.
“Yes,” I breathe, smiling as we both look at the photographer. She takes a few photos before disappearing from the foyer. Matteo’s grip loosens, but he doesn’t release me.
“Come on,” Elena urges. “People are waiting to speak with you.” She looks over at Shaw. “Come on, Cam. No more hiding out here.”
Shaw lets out a sigh and shakes his head as he starts to walk into the reception hall.
“He’s not a fan of events like this,” Elena explains to me as she grabs two flutes of champagne and hands one to me. “He hates the auction.”
Matteo nods toward the doors and Shaw falls in step with him as the four of us head toward the door.
“Why doesn’t he like the auction?” I half whisper to her.
She glances at me, arching a brow. “Of course Matty didn’t say anything.” She rolls her eyes, huffing. “They have an auction for an outing with each player.”
“Like a date?”
Elena shrugs. “Depends on what the winner and player decide. Sometimes it’s golf or some fun activity or even dinner.” She leans closer. “You’d better outbid someone for Matteo tonight.”
Realization washes over me. Someone else could bid and win him tonight. Jealousy rolls in my stomach. It’s not like it’s for a real date or anything sexual, but still.
“Sunny, come here, I want you to meet some people,” Matteo says, breaking into mine and Elena’s convo. She gives me a wink as Matteo slips his hand to mine and leads me over to a small group of three at a standing table near the corner. “Hey guys,” he says as we reach them.
A woman with long dark hair and the two men turn to look at me. Her red lips pull into a smile, her gaze soft as she stares at me for a moment. The three of them are older and the two men could pass for twins.
And they both have gray eyes. Eyes that look exactly like Matteo’s.