Free Halloween Masquerade by A.R. Williams

Chapter One
     
     
    Sharice’s office door closed with a snap behind the arrogant entrepreneur Elias Cook. Sharice would have thrown her paperweight at the door if her best friend and partner Claire hadn’t snatched it out of her hand. Thwarted in venting her exasperation one way, Sharice instead let her thoughts rip verbally.
    “He is such an arrogant SOB. He demands and I—I mean we—are supposed to jump to do his bidding.” Sharice scowled at the door.
    A cough interrupted Sharice as she opened her mouth to continue her tirade, and she turned to stare at her friend.
    “You kind of have to. You’re his event planner—whatever he wants, you are required to make happen,” Claire stated factually, pushing her glasses up on her button nose.
    Sharice glared. “Well, he doesn’t have to be sooo bossy about it, and the way he stares at you with those icy, penetrating eyes.”
    Claire rolled her eyes at Sharice’s exaggeration, “Perhaps his eyes look icy because they’re a strange, light silver and it comes across that way.”
    Sharice eyes narrowed to slits. “Hey, whose side are you on, hmmm? You’re supposed to be my friend and listen to me vent my angst, not make excuses for Elias.”
    “Just saying the truth.” Claire shrugged her dainty, dark brown shoulders.
    They were both in Sharice’s office leaning against her desk. Sharice reached over and poked her friend, earning her a slap to the shoulder; they both jostled each other and then broke down into fits of laughter.
    “All right, I’ll stop insulting your new friend Elias, because I know you have a crush on him. Besides, he does seem to be charming with you and everyone else. I appear to rub him the wrong way.” Sharice moved away from her desk and walked around it to sit in her leather recliner. “And you can give me back my favourite paperweight; I would never have thrown it at him even if he really did deserve it.”
    Claire turned to face her and reached over, dropping the jagged, abstract crystal back on the desk. “Yup, you would be right about my crush. Who wouldn’t have a crush on him? He’s fine for a white guy. If you were being honest, you’d admit you have a crush on him too. Elias might even show you his charming side, if you would smile at him instead of scowling when he opens his mouth. Personally, I think you both are fighting a strong attraction to each other.”
    Sharice glared in response to Claire’s comment and then silently admitted to herself that, deep down inside, she found Elias’s dark good looks and silver eyes panty-wetting too. She was finding it hard not to throw herself on him and beg him to take her, right there and then. Damn, he was seriously fine. Elias Cook was on the Forbes list of young, handsome, wealthy men in their late 30s. At 35, three years older than her, he had become a successful millionaire. Forbes had detailed his hard ride to the top. How he had started with nothing, working odd jobs to save money to renovate his first house and then flipping it for profit.
    Elias soon made a name for himself by continuing to buy, renovate, and flip houses. He then expanded to restaurants, then reality TV shows documenting his craft—the rest was history. He had women flocking to him in droves, and tabloids and newspapers always had pictures of him escorting socialites, models, and actresses—the cream of the crop for a man with his magnetism.
    “So what just happened before I walked in?” Claire arched an eyebrow and shifted against Sharice’s desk.
    Sharice’s mind flashed to what had occurred in the office before Claire had arrived late for their meeting with Elias. During their conversation, Sharice had found it hard to pay attention to his long list of instructions when he looked so good today. Instead of his typical three-piece suit, he had come into Fine Event Planning wearing dark navy jeans that hugged his sculpted legs to perfection and a tight-fitting T-shirt that flaunted his muscular arms,