Chapter 17: The Stranger

Eight years ago...

Luna ran a nervous hand down her sequin gown. The material was a finer one than she had ever felt pressed against her body in all her life, so when she realized she was running her sweaty palms on it, she immediately stopped.

She stood at the entrance to the hall, where the party was already in full swing. Jake Kierney had only just dropped her off at the mansion a few hours ago, and a few hours after that, she’d gotten the call from Moira Lake. She’d told her a personal stylist was going to be coming to the house to help her get dressed for a party, she’d instructed her to be ready for the stylist and for her first night as Justin’s wife.

Luna had been staggered to hear the news for a couple of reasons. One, she’d thought she was going to be introduced as Justin’s girlfriend first, or fiancée. And then after that, after they’d shared a few moments in public and in the spotlight, and everybody had adjusted to the idea of the two of them as a couple, then they’d be married. But, apparently, Moira Lake’s plan was to announce her at the party tonight, as Justin’s wife.

She’d said- when Luna had asked her on the phone- that they’d just say they’d been married in a quiet ceremony, family only. And they’d kept their relationship quiet, because they were so in love that they didn’t want the press to be a bother.

While Luna had found the story romantic, she was shrewd enough to know Moira Lake hadn’t gone with the story for its romantic nature.

The second reason she’d been staggered by the abrupt news was because she’d assumed she would get to meet her meant-to-be husband and his family before she was thrown into their life. But apparently again, it wasn’t to be so.

“Nervous?” Jake leaned down to whisper into her ear beside her.

He had been the one to come pick her up from the mansion too, for the party. She glanced up at him. He was the only familiar face she knew as far as she could see in all the guests milling about at the party, and she was glad for him.

“A little,” she replied.

He flashed that dangerous smile of his. “A little? Please, I’d probably be hyperventilating right now if I were you. You are strong, Luna, you just might survive this yet.”

The encouraging words and the vote of confidence bolstered Luna a bit.

“Hey, you know, I don’t see Moira anywhere here,” Jake leaned down slightly to whisper to her. His eyes roam the room. “Maybe you could get some fresh air and much-needed alone time, I’m sure, before you have to meet her.”

Luna looked at him, he nodded his head towards a terrace in the opposite corner of the hall. He looked back at Luna.

“Trust me, you’re going to need it,” he said.

Luna looked at him, her friend, and she knew he was looking out for her. If he said she needed it, then she needed it. And maybe the space would calm her nerves down some.

“Thank you,” she said to Jake. She turned and made her way towards the terrace.

As she passed between the sea of people holding champagne glasses and wearing million-dollar dinner gowns and suits, Luna could feel a few of those eyes on her.

She got to the terrace and quickly walked through the doors to the other side, she closed the doors and leaning on them, she closed her eyes and threw her head back. She heaved a sigh of relief as the door shut out the noise of the party.

A mild evening breeze blew by and Luna let it wash over her as she savored the quiet.

“What are you doing here?” a voice suddenly spoke out of the darkness.

Luna’s eyes flew open, she jerked away from the doors. A tall shape stood in front of her, no more than three feet separated them. She couldn’t make out most of his features because of the darkness, but she could see enough to know it was a man.

His hair glistened darkly underneath the terrace lights, but his broad shoulders blocked the light from shining on his face, so she couldn’t make out those features. And his voice has been all male.

Luna started to answer his question automatically, and then she remembered she was in New York. She had to be sharp, and she didn’t have to answer every single question that she was asked. What if this stranger was a fraudster, and he used just her name to hack into all of her accounts?

“I don’t even know who you are, why should I answer that?” she replied, throwing a question back at him.

The man took a step forward, Luna stumbled back, her pulse jumping a bit. She was alone with a strange, obviously strong, man, on a dark terrace, and the doors were closed.

“You should answer because I asked first,” the stranger replied.

Luna took another step back again, her hand finally touched the handle of the terrace doors. She gripped it firmly.

“You could be a mugger,” Luna said.

“If I was a mugger, I wouldn’t be interested in your name,” the man replied.

“You could be a hacker,” Luna tried again.

“There’s not much I could do with just your name if I was a hacker.”

“Then you’re not a very good hacker, but you’re still a hacker,” Luna insisted.

The man was silent for a few seconds.

“You got a point there,” the stranger said, his voice tinged with amusement that Luna could hear even through the darkness. “But I assure you, I am not a hacker. What is your name?”

Luna relaxed a little, hearing the amusement in the stranger’s voice. Odd, but she suddenly wasn’t scared of him anymore. In fact, she hasn’t been scared at all, all along.

“Luna,” she replied to the stranger.

A beat of silence.

“Luna Jones?” the stranger asked.

Luna frowned, his voice had suddenly hardened.

“Yes,” she replied.

She wanted to ask ‘Do I know you?’, but before she could, the man walked towards her, brushed past her as he walked towards the door behind her. Luna had only a second to catch a glimpse of his face as he looked down at her. She saw a hard, handsome face, set in stone, and then he was gone. The door closed behind her with a snap as the face she had just seen, registered in her brain.

Justin Lake, her husband-to-be.