Masked Attraction by Mary Hughes

rejecting his proposal—he hadn’t meant it, but the rejection still must’ve stung him—and yet he stayed with her.
    Most importantly, he’d said we . Not, “I’ll stick until you get this.” But, “I’ll stick until we get this.”
    Now, tonight, again, Daniel said, “ Marry me.”
    The sweetest words. She’d been waiting years to hear them burst impulsively from a man’s lips.
    No. She’d been waiting years to hear them burst impulsively from Daniel’s lips.
    But like this, so cold, so calculating…
    Zoe stepped back as if struck. The blood drained from her, her body like ice. If he’d said, I love you, first, or even once looked at her… But his masked face was turned toward Zeus, his narrowed gaze locked with the other man.
    The words were even more hollow than last time.
    “You don’t mean it.” She whispered, voice hoarse.
    Daniel was only trying to distract her. From Zeus? Or from the key ?
    The one boy who’d had no agenda beyond simply liking her was now a man who didn’t care, like the rest.
    Her heart shriveled in her chest.
    Zoe put a hand to her forehead. She didn’t know herself any more.
    No. Maybe she didn’t understand all these roiling feelings, but she was a wolf in the line of alphas and a business owner to boot. Resolve stiffened her spine, and she dropped her hand. Stick to the original plan . Find out Zeus’ game. If he had the key, get it back however she had to. Use the parchment to get a taste of romance.
    And then get on with the rest of her suddenly barren-looking life.
*  *  *
    Daniel was horrified when, at his impromptu proposal, Zoe’s face turned white. He wished with all his might her green eyes would light with a stubborn glint. That she’d straighten her back and snap a “Not on your life” at him, no matter how bad that boded for him or cooperation.
    He’d take a thousand glints over a single moment of shock.
    Instead, she’d whispered, “You don’t mean it.”
    If only she knew how wrong she was.
    But then, she turned to Zeus, held out her hand and said, “Let’s find someplace private.”
    Daniel’s lungs seized.
    The asshat sneered triumphantly at him, inviting a punch to the nose.
    Zoe tapped a playful finger on Zeus’ jaw to turn his attention to her. Curling a flirty come-hither at him, she sauntered off.
    Daniel mentally smacked his forehead as he realized her game plan. She thought she was going to take Zeus to the prep room and use seduction to get the key from him. Stun the brutal-faced mage with her body.
    The thought of her in Zeus’ arms turned Daniel’s lungs to ash, but that didn’t matter. She didn’t know the other mage could turn tables on her.
    Zeus could bewitch her, literally.
    Daniel was damned if he’d let it get that far—which meant getting the key now .
    He bulled after Zoe, stopped her by grabbing her shoulders, and whirled her to face him. “I’m sorry, Lady Mystery. I got carried away by your beauty. Your feelings are not to be trifled with, and you’re not an object.” If he’d had time, he’d have separated his apology from what he was about to do. But speed was of the essence. “Though any man would be glad to fight for your attention .”
    On the word attention , he brushed his wand in its pocket, priming the spell. He was a wizard prince. If he couldn’t make a physical bridge to retrieve the key, he’d make a magical one.
    In his periphery, Zeus was scowling.
    Daniel knew the mage had felt the shift in magical energies, but he was already a step ahead.
    “I’m just so glad I found you.”
    On the word “found” he pointed the primed finger at Zeus. The brutal-faced wizard’s eyes widened. He pressed a hand to his belly, over his cummerbund.
    So that was where he’d hidden the key. Didn’t matter now.
    “Found you here .” Daniel touched his finger to his unburned breast pocket and immediately felt the added weight of the key drag the inside lining down.
    Zeus’ hand clutched his cummerbund.