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Torrian straightened. “I believe this is a charity event, and anyone can come who purchases a ticket.”
Kenny got in his face. Torrian knew the scowl had intimidated many men because of his cousin’s infamous temper. “We don’t need or want your money.”
“Hey, Donnelly,” Billy called. “You okay?” Torrian almost answered. Kenny had been two and half years his junior, so growing up to distinguish between them, everyone called him by his first name.
Kenny sneered at Torrian. “Yeah, I’m all set. Just thought I saw someone I know.”
“Yeah?”
“No, just another Masshole.” Kenny almost spat the derogatory term and spun away to rejoin his friends.
Torrian let him go. He didn’t come to fight, nor did he ever take pleasure in arguing with his cousin. Kenny had never forgiven him for finding a way out and making a better life for himself. Torrian was done feeling like he needed to apologize for it. Maybe he didn’t belong, and that was fine. He had tonight, and that had been enough for years now.
Chapter Two
“Who are you looking for, Jaz?”
Jazara jumped and spun around to face her sister, Yasmine. “Who me? Nobody,” she lied. In truth she’d forgotten about work for the umpteenth time when her mind wandered to thoughts of the man she’d met earlier. She couldn’t tell what he looked like behind the mask, but from those shoulders, the height, and the sexy, deep voice, he had something going on. She wanted to know more about Tor, like where he’d turned up from. She’d been back in the area for almost a year, and she had thrown herself into work at her full-time job at the outreach center, with a chunk of her time card allocated to the programs at the community center. She absolutely loved helping people, and since she had grown up in an area not far from this one, she gave it her all.
Yasmine curled one side her mouth and narrowed her eyes at Jaz. “I know you, and I saw the way you were looking at that guy.”
Jaz bit her lip and grabbed her sister’s arm. She dragged her out of the main fanfare of the partyers. “Do you recognize him? He said his name is Tor. What does he look like under the mask?”
Yasmine laughed. “Down, girl. I don’t know, not having X-ray vision and all.”
“Ha-ha, funny.” Jaz smacked her arm.
“Well, he’s been eyeballing you all night.”
Jaz tried to look confused, like she hadn’t been looking right back. “You’re being dramatic, sis. Besides, you know how horny the guys get who come to these things and drink. They just want to hook up with anything in a dress.”
“Uh-huh, that’s why you’re fixing your hair.”
Jaz froze her hand as she tried to lay the flyaways flat. She nurtured her hair like a beast and did all she could to coax to the foreground the Native American blood that was generations back. She’d be the first to admit her hair was her biggest vice. After all it wasn’t like she would get any taller. Then along came Tor, and she couldn’t help soaking in the tall, muscular—single—man.
“What if he’s ugly,” Yasmine whispered in her ear as if she had read Jaz’s mind.
Jaz sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes. “I told you I’m working, Yasmine. Charity work keeps me busy. I don’t have time for a man right now. Besides…”
Her sister shook her head in disbelief. Jaz and Yasmine could never deny being sisters, but Yasmine kept chopping her hair almost to the roots and dying it blond. Besides that, her hips far outdid Jaz’s as she’d given birth to three kids and hadn’t lost all the baby fat.
“He smells yummy,” Yasmine murmured.
Jaz rounded on her, frowning. “You forgot about your husband?”
“Please, Lamont knows I’m not leaving his behind.”
Jaz scanned the dance floor. Just as Yasmine had said, Tor stood on the opposite side of the room, and his gaze was locked on her. She widened her eyes and smiled, the only expression she could make behind the eye mask she wore. He raised his beer in greeting, and she knew from experience all she had to do was signal, and he’d come right over.
“You like keeping them on a leash, don’t you?” Yasmine asked, a slight tone in her voice. Jaz glanced at her sister, but Yasmine smirked. “We’ll know for sure in a couple hours.”
Jaz gasped, and she checked the analog clock hanging on the wall. Yasmine was right. They had time before the unveiling when everyone removed their masks, but she had contests to run. Damn, I wanted to have some fun with him. No, I’m going to have fun with him!
Jaz drained the last of the punch she had been enjoying and tossed her cup in the trash.
“You’re going for it?” Yasmine asked.
A slight buzzing started in Jaz’s head. “Yeah, I figure I’ll enjoy the scent and the hard body.” She winked at her sister. “Maybe I’ll even steal a kiss before the unmasking.”
