“Shit, I forgot to take off the mask.” I exhale sharply. “Whatever. It’s just nice to be alone.” I close my eyes and sigh once more.
“I’m sorry to say that you aren’t.”
My eyelids fly open, and I sit up, heel in hand. “Who and where the fuck are you?”
A low chuckle sounds, then there’s a click from the left corner. There sits the brown velvet chair I forgot was in the room, with the bright lamp beside it. My eyes take a moment to adjust before a man in an impeccable classic suit and tie, wearing a dark blue-and-black mask, appears. The mask covers his face well, just like mine does.
He sits with his ankle resting on top of his other leg. One hand holds what appears to be a drink with whiskey, while his other is under his chin. His perfectly groomed light brown hair shines in the light.
He smiles slightly at what I assume is me staring at him. I can’t help that the guy is hot.
“Who are you?” I ask, pointing the tip of the stiletto at him.
He looks down at my weapon of choice and then back up to me. The man pauses to study my face. “I could ask you the same thing.”
I shift my hip to the side. “I’m the girl in the room with a man who was just silent for an entire five minutes while I was making myself comfortable. So, I’ll ask one more time. Who. Are. You?”
He clears his throat and adjusts himself in the chair. “I’m someone who was here first. I didn’t follow you into the room; it just so happens I needed some alone time, too. And I only stayed quiet because you were too preoccupied talking to yourself, which was highly entertaining, by the way. The most exciting thing I’ve seen all night.”
Feeling slightly embarrassed, I raise an eyebrow. “Well then…” I reach for my other heel. “I’ll leave you be and find another place for myself. Good night, whoever you are.”
I’m about to grab the bottle of champagne when he says something else with an inviting tone of voice. “Or you could stay and tell me who Michael is.”
Turning back around, I assess him. I can tell he’s older than me—maybe late twenties or early thirties, if I had to guess. Definitely older than my usual type. He doesn’t look malicious, although you can never be sure. I can’t say that he isn’t piquing my curiosity, but what is a good-looking man like him doing hiding in a room instead of out on the floor with a date?
“Are you a serial killer?”
He smirks. “No, but if I were, do you think I’d tell you?”
I pretend to mull over his question. Shrugging my shoulders, I set my heels back on the floor and decide to stay. I grab the bottle of bubbly and lie back down on the couch. This time, I face Mr. No-name.
“Michael’s the guy I lost my virginity to four and a half years ago.” My lips curl upward at the sound of him choking on his drink. The champagne might’ve made me a little tipsy. I’m usually private about my sex life, even with my friends, but it helps that he’s a stranger I’ll never see again. “He’s still not overit and is trying to make me jealous by sleeping with half the city, making sure the info gets back to me.”
“And is it working?” The man’s voice is low and gruff.
Continuing to look up at the ceiling, I say, “No. It’s frustrating and pathetic. I’d feel bad for the guy if he weren’t such a pompous ass.” That brings a short laugh from him. I sit up a bit, leaning my back on the edge of the couch. “So, now you know why I need some alone time. Why do you?”
He takes a sip of his drink, eyes flickering with curiosity, hesitation, and a kind of fire. “Hiding from certain people.”
My lips straighten. “Seriously? I just told you who I lost my virginity to, I’m sure that earns me something more than ‘certain people.’”
He lets out a deep breath. “Fine. Certain people are trying to buy some property of mine.”
I let out a sarcastic laugh. “You’re hiding from people who are trying togiveyou money?”If only that were my problem.
A subtle grin overtakes his features, and he looks at me intensely while sipping his whiskey. I squirm under his gaze. He sure knows how to make a woman feel seen.
“People who wouldn’t appreciate my property or keep it what it is,” he says slowly. His voice sends shivers down my spine, and I know right away that I’m highly attracted to this man. “Why don’t you tell Michael to leave you alone?”
That question makes me scoff. “You think I haven’t done that already?” I take a swig from the bottle. “If anything, it makes him want me even more. He said, and I quote, ‘We had something real. It’s obvious that we still do by the look in your eyes. We’ll be together again someday.’” I finish my imitation of Michael, and it brings a chuckle from the man. During my imitation, I almost let my name slip, but I noticed that neither of us have said our names, and there’s something exciting about it. Still, I have to call him something.
He smirks. “You know what? I’m convinced that’s exactly what he sounded like.”
Smiling, I nod. “It was pretty accurate.” I shift on the couch to sit up straighter and adjust my dress, causing one spaghetti strap to slip. Putting it back in place, I notice the man giving me a once-over from head to toe, his fists tightening. He quickly finds my eyes and clears his throat.
All right, so it’s lust at first sight on both sides. Good to know. This is one of the few moments I wish I were a one-night stand kind of girl, but alas, those never end well for me, not that I’ve had many. “What kind of property do you own?”
The man grabs the back of his neck. “Uh, a couple of restaurants. Mostly holes-in-the-wall.”
