AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I stilled, the words whispering over my skin and warming me from the inside out.
Call me pretty all you want, but tell me I’m doing a good job? Nowthatwas the kind of compliment that made my little old heart sing.
But when I faced the man who’d spoken to my to-do-list-loving heart, my breath caught in my throat. He was dressed as some kind of 1800s thief, and he towered over me, reminding me of the heroes on the covers of those historical romance novels my momma used to read. If this man were on one of those covers, I’d bet my last dollar the title would’ve had the word “rogue” in it.
Sure, he was masked, but that didn’t stop me from noticing the playful mirth in his blue eyes, or his sharp, strong jaw. And don’t even get me started on those lips. Framed by smooth cheeks, set in a curve that had my pulse pounding... I lost my words for a second.
But then I remembered I was wearing a mask, so how did he know I was the one responsible for the party? How did he know I wasn’t just another guest, like him?
“What’s your name?” he asked, not seeming to care that I’d been too in my head to thank him for the compliment.
I frowned. “I think you’re missin’ the point of the masquerade theme. We’re supposed to be anonymous.”
He shrugged, one broad shoulder swooping up and then back down with casual grace. “I guess that’d be the point of the masks, but I’m no expert in masquerade party rules. Where I come from, exchangin’ names comes with the territory when you meet a lady.”
“Do we really need to, though?” I raised my chin, giving him a teasing smile. “Seems like you might already know who I am since you commented on how good of a job I’m doin’ tonight.”
“Nah, that was easy enough to figure out. I know you’re not the host, but you’re still runnin’ around this place like you’re in charge. You should slow down and enjoy it, by the way. It’s a good party.”
“I rarely slow down to enjoy things like this. The plannin’ and the work…” I trailed off, sighing as I gazed around the party. “That’s the fun part.”
“Ah, no wonder.”
My gaze cut back to his.“No wonder what?”
“No wonder I was drawn to ya. People call me a workaholic, too.”
“Hey, I’m not a workaholic,” I protested, fighting the urge to swat him in the chest. But he only stared down at me with that playfulness in his eyes, and I finally relented, letting my head fall back with a tiny groan. “Okay, fine, maybe just a little.”
He held up his hands.“I’m not judgin’. There’s a lot of satisfaction in a job well done.”
“Agreed. And what do you do?”
He gave me a long look. “That’s not too much to give away in the name of stayin’ anonymous?”
“You’re right. Don’t tell me.”
“Do you also like to fix stuff? Not with tools, but I mean, fixin’ problems.”
I bobbed my head, goingon high alert as I wondered if he’d asked because there was a problem that needed my attention. This new single for Laney and Riley had to do well, and this party was one of many steps in my world-domination plan for them.
Thus, if there was a problem, you bet I wanted to fix it.
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?” I asked, looking around as if it’d be more efficient to find it than wait for him to explain it.
“The problem is,” he continued, leaning in with a roguish glint in his blue eyes, “I wanna keep talkin’ to you, but if I suggestyou take a break and kick your feet up, you wouldn’t last a minute before jumpin’ up tohandle some otherparty crisis.”
I laughed, the sound light and breathy. “You could be right.”
I peeked over his broad shoulder, scanning the crowd for anything amiss. Finding nothing, I started to turn back to the swoony stranger. But then my gaze landed on Tyler across the room, surrounded by a gaggle of masked ladies. ?He caught my eye and grinned.
I shook my head in warning.
The stranger’s deep, smooth voice pulled my focus back. “What if I said it was a little stuffy in here, and I wanted to go outside forsome air, but I didn’t wanna go alone? Would you come with me?”
My shoulders tensed, prepared to spring into action. “Is it stuffy?”
“Hey, whoa.” He gently grasped my wrist before I could rush off to fuss with the thermostat,his large hand engulfing mine as a bolt of lightning shot through me. “No, it’s fine.I was just hopin’ you’d keep me company if it was for a work-related reason. Not to have fun or to relax, I swear.”
