My heart thudded in my chest. I had a little bit more time before I turned into a pumpkin and needed to be responsible again. Why not? I placed my hand in his.

For tonight, I would forget all my worries and spend a little more time with my sexy, handsome stranger.

4. Ro

Chapter 4

Ro

I couldn’t look away from the woman beside me.

Her pale skin glowed, such a contrast to the inky blackness of her hair and dress. Her skirt whispered as we crested the steps and walked into the shadowed mezzanine. I saw lots of low tables and chairs grouped around.

She paused by the railing, looking down at the ball below. Her face was in profile, the top half covered by that intriguing silver mask. My heart beat so damn hard. I’d seen plenty of beautiful women, and had many of them in my bed. I wasn’t sure what it was about this one. I wanted to reach out and trace the delicate arch of her cheekbones.

I shook my head. Clearly I’d been working too hard. Something this woman understood. She definitely worked for a living and was no pampered socialite. She’d caught my eye moving through the crowd, a little removed and untouched by everything. Then I’d seen her rush in to deal with the drunken guest without hesitation.

She turned her head and smiled. She looked pleased about something.

“What?” I asked.

“The masquerade is perfect.”

I cocked my head. There was definite pride in her voice. “Did you organize it?”

“Just a little bit of it. These kind of things are always a team effort. It’s raised so much money for a worthy charity.”

I hoped my large donation had helped with that. She wasn’t a resort staff member. They were all wearing masks with the resort logo on them. Maybe she worked for the charity? Or a florist, or another supplier?

“Come with me.” She tugged on my hand and led me along the mezzanine.

The colorful stones of a pretty bracelet on her wrist glittered in the light, catching my eye.

She stopped at the end of the room. “Look at the view from here.”

We leaned against the railing. Here, we had a perfect view of the elegant chandeliers, the arches of flowers and fairy lights, and the dancing crowd below. The lights were dim, and the entire space felt a little magical. Tessa Ashford had outdone herself.

But right now, I only wanted to think about the woman beside me. I pulled her closer, leading her into our own private dance, moving slowly from side to side. “Damn, you feel good.”

She made a sound and pressed into my body.

“I think you’re bewitching me,” I murmured. “Are you really a fairy queen?”

She laughed. I liked it. I could tell she did it often and meant it. When was the last time I’d really laughed out loud?