Why the hell would one of the Crestwood brothers have gone out of his way to dance with me? Andkissme? I wasn’t delusional—half the women in this room were prettier than me, and I couldn’t believe I’d roped him in with my wit, considering how I’d babbled on about suits and weed and video games.
“Who are you, anyway?” the woman asked, curiosity burning in her big eyes.
“Marigold Parsons,” I answered automatically. “I don’t know why I was invited here. I’ve never met any of the Crestwoods—before tonight, I mean. But I’m not sure I belong here, with…” I swept my arm to indicate the people around us in their elaborate dresses and tuxes.
“Well, obviously Octavian wants you here.” The woman fluttered her fan again. “The question is, why?”
I had no freaking idea, and that was exactly the problem.
“There must besomethingspecial about you,” the woman went on, looking me up and down again as if she didn’t quite believe it. “What is it you do, exactly? You’re not related to the Trevor Parsons who owns ZanderTek Industries, are you? I wasn’t aware Trevor had any female relatives.”
I wasn’t sure I liked being an object of speculation, and it was clear this woman didn’t have any more answers for me.
“If you’ll excuse me,” I told her, “I think I’m going to go check out the buffet.”And find a private place to contact Isaac and Esmer.Esmer especially was going to freak out when she found out I’d kissed Octavian Crestwood—and then she’d probably give me a bunch of tips on how to take things to the next level. But it was Isaac’s perspective I was interested in at the moment. I wasn’t the least bit concerned that Octavian was some sort of murderer, but something here still didn’t quite add up.
The crimson-gowned woman protested as I backed away, but at least she didn’t try to follow me. I moved along the edge of the room, looking for a quiet alcove or little nook where I could pull out my phone and gather my thoughts. Surely there had to be a bathroom somewhere, too. I wasn’t picky.
It wasn’t long before I stumbled across an angular recess in the wall where an ancient-looking urn was on display. There was just enough room for me to slip beside it, offering me a little privacy.
I set my empty goblet on the pedestal beside the urn and reached into my purse, fumbling around for my cell. My fingers brushed against the little canister of pepper spray and the thin billfold that held my ID and credit card, but not my phone.
What the…I lifted up my purse, fishing around inside it, but there was nowhere for my phone to be hiding. It was simply…gone.
Someone had taken my phone.
Don’t panic, I told myself, even as I could feel the panic rising up my throat in a lump. Maybe the phone had simply fallen out of my bag. Maybe if I retraced my steps, I’d find it lying on the floor somewhere, hopefully out of the way of any fancy heeled shoes.
I snapped my purse shut and practically leaped from the alcove—
And slammed right into the warm, hard chest of someone I hadn’t even noticed.
A pair of strong arms came up around me, steadying me before I could topple over. I found myself braced against an athletic chest—not nearly as broad as Octavian’s, but still obviously muscled—and my hands were pressed into a velvet suit of deep forest green.
“Did you lose something?”
I tilted my head back, and my heart leaped. I was looking up into a pair of eyes just a shade lighter than the suit, shining from behind a silver mask made to look like a wolf’s head.
George Crestwood.
5
A Dangerous Bargain
WhileIwastryingto recover from the shock of running into my second Crestwood brother of the night, he continued to stare down at me expectantly, and I suddenly remembered he’d asked me a question.
“Yes, I—” I began, then cut myself off. There was still a chance I’d just dropped my phone somewhere, but if thatwasn’tthe case, then there’d only been two people who’d been close enough to me tonight to steal my phone out of my bag—the woman in the crimson gown, and George’s own brother Octavian.
What if that was why Octavian kissed me?I wondered, my face going all hot again.What if he was just trying to distract me while he took my cell?
Of course, the burning question was stillwhy? Until I knew that, I wasn’t going to make any accusations to George.
“I was just thinking it was time for another drink,” I said cheerfully. “And maybe a visit to the buffet table.”
I extricated myself from his arms, and though he didn’t attempt to hold me, he continued to block my way.
“You were dancing with my brother.” His voice was smooth and rich as honey—but with a dangerous edge to it.
“Heaskedmeto dance,” I pointed out. “I just agreed. And I didn’t even know who he was at the time. He refused to tell me his name, and I didn’t know about the masks.” I found myself looking more closely at George’s now, taking in the sharp, silver teeth along the wolf jaw. While Octavian’s mask had been regal and proud, George’s suggested something wild and unpredictable.
