Page 13 of Moonlit Colorado

The man tugged on her shoulder, trying to pull her toward him. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but this isn’t what we agreed.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

As she spoke, I was already striding toward them, squeezing my bourbon glass with fury burning in my gut.

I stopped close to her, though I didn’t touch her. What I really wanted to do was shove this prick out the door and ban him from my hotel. I didn’t give a fuck who he was or what he assumed, whether he was one of Kip’s VIPs or otherwise. If she hadn’t given permission, then he shouldn’t have had his hands on her that way. Period.

But causing a scene on my third day in Silver Ridge was the last thing I needed.

“There you are, gorgeous,” I murmured softly. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” I angled my body away from the prick and winked at her.

She looked up at me. Amber eyes, and again, I was struck with deja vu. Her brows tightened in confusion and suspicion. I wouldn’t have blamed her for not trusting me, since I was the second man within a few minutes who’d approached her.

Go with it, I mouthed silently. Her pretty eyes widened.

“This isyourdate?”

Slowly, I swiveled my head to glare at the man in the blue mask. My anger flared back to life. But when I spoke, I managed to keep my tone even and calm. “Exactly. So unless you want me to break every one of those fingers, you’d better take your hand off of her.” I grinned, showing my teeth. It was not a friendly smile. Unless you could call a shark’s smile friendly.

“But she’s wearing the mask,” he muttered. I didn’t move, and the guy finally got the message. His hand lifted, and he stumbled back a step. “I’m… My mistake.”

I kept my gaze on him as he slunk away.

Then I turned back to the woman. “Did he hurt you?” I narrowed my eyes, studying her shoulder.

“No.” Her voice was small. Fragile. But she cleared her throat and said the word again, more confidently. “No, he was just some asshole who thought I was someone else.”

“He mentioned your mask.”

She touched the feathered edge. “I got it from a stranger. This has been a really weird night. First I couldn’t find my friend, and then there was this woman in the bathroom who gave me this mask, and nowyou. Seriously. Weird, weird night.”

The lights in the ballroom were dimmed, but I could still see a pretty pink blush spread over her pale skin. It crept up from her breasts, across her neck, and into her cheeks. The urge to touch her skin, find out if it was hot, made my fingers twitch.

She went to untie the mask, but I brushed her wrist with my fingers to stop her. “The guy’s gone now, so you might as well keep it. Unless you want to be the rebel without a mask at a masquerade. I could get behind that.”

“Not ready to rebel just yet. I’d better pace myself.”

I grinned, but warmly this time.

Leaving the mask in place, she picked up her glass of wine. “Anyways, thanks. I really should go find my friend.”

“But I just declared you my date. We ought to stick together, at least for a bit.” If the man in the blue mask bothered her again, or even looked her way, I’d throw him out of here myself. But there was something about her, and I was still trying to figure it out.

“He caught me by surprise,” she said. “I’ll be ready next time. These heels are very sharp.”

I laughed. “If you take those heels off, you’ll catch himby surprise for sure. He won’t see you coming.”

Her mouth twisted with amusement. “Is that a comment about me being short?”

All at once, it hit me.

The girl from the coffee shop.Advanced Techniques in QuickBooks. So much about her was different tonight, including those heels that made her a whole lot taller. But it was her.

Now Icouldn’tlet her go yet. She was far too intriguing. “Stay here a few minutes. Drink your glass of wine. Then if you like, I can buy you another.”

“I shouldn’t.”

“But this is the second time I’ve run into you in two days, and if I’m being honest, I already can’t stop thinking about the first.”

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