Page 4 of Midnight Whispers

“Are you here with anyone?” Not sure where the douchebag of a man she’s with that would let her out of his sight for a second, but she’s definitely concerned about someone spotting us.

“No, I’m here by myself.”

“You’re looking everywhere but at me. Figured you were with someone here.”

She chuckles, and my stomach swoops from the carefree lilt of her laughter.

“What’s your mask?” she asks, changing the subject.

“A raven.”

She studies it for a beat. “It’s a lot fancier than everyone else’s.”

“I wear a mask on other occasions, so I invested in a nice one.”

“Oh, so you come to this event every year?” Her head tilts, and one of the curls from her updo escapes. I force myself not to tuck it behind her ear.

I smirk. “Something like that.”

“Are you here with someone?” she asks.

Her question is innocent enough. I’m currently dancing closely with her. I have the urge not to mention Maude, which is an asshole move, but the thought of telling her I’m here with someone else feels like a blow to the gut.

“I am.” I circle her around, knowing I need to be honest. “In fact, I’m proposing to her later this evening.”

Her footsteps stumble, and my hand slides down, clasping her waist so she doesn’t fall.

“Sorry.” She strips her gaze from me, and her body grows tense in my hold.

Maybe I’m not the only one who feels this pull between us. I’ve only been around this woman for a few minutes, and I don’t even know what she looks like without a mask. I need to ignore whatever this is since I’m proposing to another woman tonight.

The song ends and another one starts, but she steps out of my arms.

“Thanks again for the help. Good luck with your proposal. I wish you a lifetime of happiness.” She turns toward the crowd.

“Together.”

She stops and glances at me over her shoulder. “Sorry?”

“You forgot to add together at the end of your sentence.”

For the first time, her smile falters, and her lips thin. “No, I didn’t.”

As she disappears through the crowd, I realize that I didn’t even get her name.

I make my way back to Maude, but the mysterious blonde lingers in the back of my mind. Not the best sign.

Chapter

Three

NERO

APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR LATER…

Iblink at the picture, zooming in to get a closer look.

Still unbelieving, I close the picture to re-read the anonymous email. I had to have missed something.

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