Free Masked Attraction by Mary Hughes Page A

seared him, a fierce desire that raged almost immediately into direct action. Using his hold on her hand, he spun her into his arms and bent to seize her mouth.
    Zeus barked a protest.
    The sharp sound called Daniel back from the brink of insanity. Zoe deserved romance—or at least a sweet seduction, not pawing. He barely managed to turn the kiss into a press of lips to her cheek, just below her mask.
    She gasped in surprise. Followed by a soft sigh of delight.
    His whole body fired at the sound. Forget the key, forget the damned Quatrain. He wanted to sweep her into his arms for a thorough kissing. Return to the prep room for a helluva lot more.
    “Lovely Lady Mystery. This chump is as romantic as a two-by-four. Come away with me.”
    Her lids rose. She searched his eyes, brow wrinkling. “You’re trying to sidetrack me. It won’t work.”
    He wished he could tell her he was doing this for her own good, impress on her how dangerous the black fire wizard was, but with the creep right there, that would only put her in more danger. Instead, he said “You don’t want this jerk. He gives innocent slime a bad name—”
    “Zeus.” She straightened in his arms, her chin kicking up. “His name is Zeus, and I’m enjoying his company. Let me make this plain. Go away.”
    Daniel released her instantly, surprised by how her words knifed his heart, even though she wasn’t rejecting him, just trying to dazzle Zeus. Yet memory taunted, a dork in high school…
    Even though he knew her rejection wasn’t real, it hurt. Why did it hurt this much?
    He understood why it hurt as a youth—he’d been infatuated with Zoe, then. But that was the past. Now, he could have as many women as he wanted…
    Staring into her gorgeous, angry green eyes, the truth struck him with a brilliance that cut. He didn’t want other women, and it wasn’t a past infatuation.
    He wanted Zoe, only Zoe—and it had only ever been Zoe.
    Daniel swallowed hard. After all the rejections in high school, he’d promised himself no more pain . Playing the field, he never got too close to anyone. The idea of settling on one woman, especially the one woman who mattered—who’d always mattered, the woman who could hurt him above all others—scared him shitless.
    The brutal wizard’s gaze darted between him and Zoe and lit with cunning. “Lady Mystery. Let’s you and I get out of here.”
    The words were for her, but the ass was grinning at Daniel as he used two fingers to slide a peek of something from his breast pocket. A mahogany curl.
    A lock of Zoe’s hair.
    Zeus’ gaze, fastened on Daniel, gloated.
    It was a perfect curl. With that lock, a wizard could set the perfect romantic mood, tuned just for her—and an unscrupulous wizard could enthrall her into doing his will.
    Brutal eyes danced. Now I can get the parchment from her whenever I want , they said. However I want.
    Daniel growled, low in his throat. His feelings didn’t matter. The parchment didn’t matter. He wanted Zoe away from Zeus—now.
    Blast subtlety. Daniel grabbed her wrist and dragged her away. Catching her off guard, he got her all of two feet before she dug in her heels. Not stopping him, but slowing him. He simply dragged harder.
    She hissed. “Your caveman tactics don’t impress me.”
    “I’m not trying to impress you,” he hissed back. “I’m trying to rescue you.”
    In fact, he wasn’t happy just getting her away from Zeus. He wanted her offsite altogether. He burned to drag her to a hotel where Zeus would never find her, and Daniel could ply her with drinks and take her to their room and plunder her…
    “I can take care of myself.” Her wrist tingled under his hand.
    Magic.
    She’d accessed her wolf to stop him. His heart hiccupped. She was serious.
    He’d never forced a woman in his life.
    Daniel stopped hauling, hand open but still on her wrist because, even now, he couldn’t keep from touching her. “Not against this guy, you can’t.”
    She searched his