Page 4 of The Secret Play

He smiled. “Right now, all I’m looking for is fun. And you’re even younger, so you should be too.”

“I’ll try,” I said, watching as he sauntered away, his charm already dialed up to eleven. As much as I loved my brother, I worried he was losing himself in the pro lifestyle. But it was his life, not mine.

With Nico gone, I was on my own. I’d never been the kind of person who thrived at parties, especially not ones where everyone else seemed to know someone except me.

I wandered toward the edge of the dancefloor, my champagne glass still clutched in my hand, and tried to look like I belonged.

That was when I spotted him.

Again.

He was leaning casually against the bar, his red satin mask gleaming in the dim light. It was simple but striking and accented with black filigree. It matched the sharp lines of his tuxedo.

He wasn’t like the other men in the room—instead of easily laughing with the people around him, he looked like he was counting the seconds until he could politely excuse himself.

And he was hot. Old-time movie star handsome. He had one of those strong jaws. His casually styled grayish hair made him look older than his posture said he was.

A sexy silver fox in a tux.

Before I could think twice, he turned his head and caught me staring.

I froze, my cheeks heating under my peacock feather mask.

But instead of looking away, he smiled—a slow, easy smile that made my heart skip a beat.

He raised his glass in a silent toast, and I felt my lips curve into a smile of their own.

And just like that, he was walking toward me. It was more like a confident swagger, his muscly build gliding across the room.

“Breathe,” I muttered to myself, remembering Nico’s advice from earlier in the day.Try to have fun. This isn’t an execution—it’s a party.He had hyped me up so much for the party that I had almost believed I wouldn’t be this nervous.

I was wrong.

“Good evening,” he said, his voice low and smooth in a way that curled up my spine and made me fight a shiver. “I couldn’t help noticing you over here, looking like you were trying to disappear.”

I laughed softly, feeling a little more at ease. “Is it that obvious?”

“Only to someone who knows what it feels like.” His crystal blue eyes sparkled.

That made me smile. “Were you dragged out to be here, too?”

“Not entirely. These functions are part of the job,” he said with a shrug. “Someone had to drag you out to be here?”

“Drag might be too strong a word for it. Coerce is more accurate.” I hesitated to say more, because I was sure I’d screw this up. But I wanted to hear him speak. His voice made my knees weak. What was the harm in a little conversation? We were in masks, so I decided to play up the anonymity of it. “It’s nice to meet you, Red.”

He smiled, and all thought drained out of me. He took my hand in his, warm and firm. “Nice to meet you, Blue. Care to dance?”

“Yes,” gasped out of me before I could stop myself. I looked past him, toward the dance floor where couples were swaying to the soft strains of the band. It wasn’t something I’d normally do, but tonight felt different.

Tonight, this masked stranger made me feel like someone else—someone who could say yes.

He led me onto the dance floor, his hand resting lightly on my lower back as we found a rhythm. I wasn’t a great dancer, but he didn’t seem to mind. He moved with an easy confidence, guiding me through the steps as if we’d done this a hundred times before.

“You’re good at this,” I said, trying not to trip over my own feet.

“So are you,” he replied.

There was something about the way he looked at me—something that made me feel seen, even behind the mask.

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