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He didn’t.
I cleared my throat.
Chuckling, the masked man tipped his head back andstudied the night sky for a long moment. “It’s not my story to tell, but let’s just say there’s a woman here my brother has a long history with, and now that’s all it is. History.”
Intrigued, I stepped closer without even thinking about it. Who did his brother have a history with that was apparentlyclose enough to Laney to ban him from the guestlist she’d helped me make?
“Between you and me,” he stage-whispered, “both of ‘em are justtoo stubborn to realize it doesn’t have to be this way.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Did they let outside stuff get in the way?”
“Sure did. And if he found out I got to set eyes on her tonight when he couldn’t? Shoot. I don’t even wanna think about the damage that fight would cause.”
I gulped. “Fight, huh?”
His brother sounded like a real prince.
“Don’t get nervous,” he said with an easy laugh. “That’s how we roll in my family. Dukin’ it out orbreakin’ a lamp or two in the name of brotherly love.”
“How could you tell I was nervous? I’m wearin’ a mask.”
The corners of his mouth turned up. “Your face is covered, but your body gave you away.”
“Hmm.”
“I mean it.I’m pretty good at readin’ body language, and yours just said, ‘Uh oh, this guy might be trouble.’”
He demonstrated his perception of what my body had done, and?I shook my head, laughing at his exaggerated impression. I’d onlyslightlyleaned away.
“Most guys wouldn’t be so quick to correct a woman on that impression,” I said, lifting my chin.“Dark and dangerous is a thing.”
“Well, that’s a shame, ‘causeI’d rather you be into me for the stand-up guy I am.”
I started to playfully question him about that, but then our eyes met... and the words just wouldn’t come.
Our surroundings faded away: the chaos of the party, the music coming from inside the house, and—most alarmingly—the work I should’ve beendoing instead of all this frivolousstrolling.
But I didn’t care. Everything outside our invisible bubble was now muted and dull, as if his earnest words had drawn me in. And that raw Southern charm, common as it was in my world,felt more genuine coming from him.
I was hooked.
But then he blinked, breaking the moment and looking entirely unaffected.
Was I the only one getting carried away every time we made eye contact?
Maybe it was the gown. Who wouldn’t feel trapped in a romance novel wearing a sparkling gownon a starlit patio with a masked man who looked like him?
He rubbed his jaw again, almost like a habit, and his serious expression shifted to a casual grin. “Anyway, yeah, if my brother knew I was here, we’d throw some punches just so he could work through it without havin’ to talk about it.”
“Sounds healthy,” I quipped, grinning when he did.
“Oh, very healthy. And maybe this mask has me feelin’ a little free with my words, but I don’t blame the guy. He’d only be mad because he’d like nothin’ more than to be wherevershewas.”
I desperately wanted the tea. Who was she? Did I know her? If she was here, did that mean she was a celebrity, or simply the guest of one? And how did Laney know her?
But if I asked any of those questions, it’d open us up to sharing more than I wanted to.
“So, why did you decide to come?” I asked, shutting down the sadness that had threatened to seep in.
