Page 56 of Arranged To Be Mine

He set the boxes on a nearby table and opened the first one, revealing Jeremy’s mask. It was elaborate and dramatic, with curved horns rising from the temples like some kind of mythical goat creature. The base was black with gold accents, designed to cover the upper half of the face while leaving the jaw exposed.

“Holy shit,” Jeremy breathed, picking it up carefully. “This is incredible.”

“The horns were a special request,” Giovanni looked pleased with himself. “Very unique. Very memorable. Goats represent desire. Lust. Seduction.”

We both looked at the tailor. I couldn’t tell if he was serious. Goats and lust were not two things I would ever associate.

“Is a goat the right move?” Jeremy held the mask up to his face, checking the effect in the mirror. “What do goats say? Neigh? Baa?”

And then he proceeded to practice goat sounds. My brother was ridiculous, but at least he was entertaining.

Giovanni opened the second box. My eyes nearly popped out of my head.

“Holy shit,” I murmured.

The mask was a fox.

Deep russet red with white accents around the eyes and muzzle. The craftsmanship was exquisite, every detail perfect from the pointed ears to the tiniest details that made it look almost alive. I’d chosen it with her in mind. I knew she’d like it.

She liked foxes. At least I assumed as much after the way she’d practically drooled over that wooden fox.

Foxes meant something to her. I didn’t know what, exactly. Maybe she related to them. Clever creatures, they were animals that thrived by being smarter than everything around them. Whatever the reason, I’d wanted my mask to be something that would make her smile.

“A fox,” Jeremy said, glancing at me with raised eyebrows. “Interesting choice.”

“It felt right.”

“Uh-huh.” That knowing look was back.

“Shut up, you horny goat.”

He laughed but mercifully let it drop.

We finished up at the tailor’s, scheduling a final fitting for later in the week. Jeremy headed off to some lunch meeting with his agent, Lucy, leaving me alone with my thoughts as I drove home.

The fox mask sat on the passenger seat, still in its box. I kept glancing at it, thinking about Darcy’s reaction when she saw it. Would she make the connection? Would she realize I’d chosen it for her?

Did I want her to?

I pulled into my garage and headed inside. I was working from home to save myself some time. Turned out when you didn’t spend two hours sitting in the car for a commute, you could get a lot more work done.

Inside, I changed into comfortable clothes and settled at my desk with every intention of getting some actual work done. I had a contract that needed reviewing. A pending settlement to look over. And apparently the next big neighborhood war involved shrubs that shielded my client from the prying eyes of her neighbor. Said neighbor dumped some kind of plant killer on the shrubs. I was looking forward to dragging the asshole neighbor through the mud.

I opened my laptop and pulled up the first file.

Twenty minutes later, I realized I’d read the same paragraph four times without absorbing a single word. My mind kept drifting to Darcy.

She’d told me about going dress shopping with Cleo. Something about the original dress being too icy and on-brand for the nickname she was trying to escape. Cleo had helped her find something new. Something that would show a different side of her.

I was curious what she’d chosen. More than curious. I was genuinely excited to see her in it.

That was a problem. After the last dress, I couldn’t imagine what she would wear.

I forced myself to focus on the contract, making notes in the margins and flagging sections that needed revision. Work was my comfort zone. The place where everything made sense. I knew the rules and how to win.

Darcy Corwin didn’t fit into any of my usual categories. She wasn’t a client, not really. She wasn’t a friend, though we were getting closer to that every day. She definitely wasn’t a romantic interest because I’d promised myself I wouldn’t go there.

But she was something alright.