“Are you feeling okay this evening?”

  As we made our way to the arena, I glanced at Andi. “I’m tired. What’s new? I keep waiting for this burst of energy I’m supposed to be getting in my, uh…” I peeked around to make sure no one was close enough to hear us, “in my second trimester.”

  “If you’re tired, your body is trying to tell you to slow down. I can take on more work, Mia. You should get more rest.”

  “Impossible. If I’m not busy, I’m thinking about Ayden. Do you realize they’re due back in another month and I’m no closer to deciding about our relationship than I was before he left?”

  Andi opened her mouth to say something but decided not to when we passed a few staff members. Four of the guys from the maintenance crew were chatting with a couple of security guards. All smiled and wished us a good evening as Andi and I walked by.

  She looked at me when we were out of hearing range. “Maybe there’s no decision to make regarding Ayden.”

  “Beg your pardon?”

  “You love Ayden. He loves you. Now there’s…” She lowered her gaze to my waist. “Maybe your subconscious is trying to tell you something.”

  “You’re a forever optimist, aren’t you?”

  She shrugged while sporting an impish grin. “All I’m saying is things aren’t over between you and Ayden. You can deny it, but you know it’s true.”

  Even if she was right, I wouldn’t tell her. I couldn’t deny how I felt about Ayden, but it didn’t mean we should be together. When would she realize that? My inability to decide came down to one thing. Our child. I had to make a good decision.

  Making our way inside the arena, I considered taking a detour to the bathroom but decided not to. I needed to go inside and find D. Any other time, I would have Max fix me a glass of his special Witch Brew. Unfortunately, alcohol was off limits.

  As soon as we entered the bar, I gazed across the arena, admiring the people on the dance floor. I had my staff bring tables to the main level, but I left most of the space for dancing.

  Waving at a few guests, Andi and I walked to the edge of the dance floor. Couples twirled and spun as gowns in an array of colors swayed to the rhythm of the music. I couldn’t count one person who didn’t have on a mask.

  This was where D promised to meet me. Thankfully, he told me what his mask looked like. I wouldn’t be able to pick him out from the crowd had he not described it.

  “Wow, Mia. Everything is beautiful. I can tell this masquerade ball is getting popular.”

  “You’re right. We sold three times as many tickets this year as we did last year.”

  “We should probably mingle with the guests. Maybe some mysterious stranger will whisk me away for a dance. I just wish it was Bentley who was doing it.”

  My chest tightened at Andi’s response. Slumping my shoulders, I motioned her to lead the way. I followed her toward the row of stools at the bar. She approached a guest and began a conversation.

  It didn’t stop there. We worked our way down the bar, chatting with everyone. I followed her lead, shaking hands, welcoming people to the ball, and thanking them for coming.

  After finishing our greetings, we walked to the right-hand bar. We were halfway there when I sensed something weighing on me—a heavy gaze. I found a pair of eyes staring at me from a black and red horned dragon mask.

  D.

  He was standing near the edge of the dance floor between the two bars. As soon as Andi spotted him, she stopped walking and looked at me. “Who is that? And why is he staring at you?”

  “It’s D, and he’s not staring. He’s waiting for me.”

  She folded her arms over her chest. “What do you mean, he’s waiting for you?”

  “He asked me to be his date tonight. It’s just as friends, not an actual date, and it’s just for a couple of dances.”

  She thought it was a terrible idea. I noticed the way she shook her head and averted her eyes. Still, she said nothing. There was no time. A tech from the lighting department approached, asking for her help. Before she walked away, she glanced at me again and sighed. “Enjoy your dance. I’ll see you soon.”

  I waited until she was gone before looking at D, who was approaching. When our eyes met, he offered me his hand. He led me further onto the dance floor, but close to where we had been standing. Once he faced me, I placed my hands on his shoulders. When his hands rested above my hips, I tensed. I didn’t want him near my abdomen.

  While I might not be showing yet, I noticed how firm my belly had become a few days ago. I didn’t want to draw attention to myself. Then D would ask questions.

  Relaxing my muscles, I allowed him to pull me closer. Our eyes met again, but he didn’t say a word. Instead, he led me into a slow dance as the music changed.

  During the time we spent together in L.A., he’d comforted me on more than one occasion. That included hugging me. Being close to him shouldn’t feel weird, and yet it did. His firm muscles were more tense than usual.

  Was D nervous about being close to me? Perhaps that was the real reason behind his mysterious text earlier. He wanted to keep everyone guessing who he was. He even remained quiet to keep up the ruse. I thought he was doing it as a joke, but now I couldn’t help but wonder if I was wrong.

  Maybe he was doing this to protect our reputations. It would hopefully prevent the rumor mill from spreading stories about us. He knew I was undecided about my relationship with Ayden. This was his way of enjoying my time, with no one interfering and causing problems.

  With each day that passed, I appreciated him more. Part of me wished I was still in love with him. It was our breakup that helped him mature into the man he was now, but my heart wasn’t on board. It beat vigorously for another.

  “I’m glad you asked me to come tonight. I didn’t realize how much I needed this.”

  A smile crept over his lips. He nodded at me, but never said a word. This was him keeping up the ruse. I had to play along.

  “The last couple of months have been stressful with Izzy losing her baby, Ayden and I separating, and my… health issues.”

  This time, his arms tightened around me. He knew I was sick, but he didn’t know why. I still hadn’t mentioned my pregnancy to him. It had been tempting, but I couldn’t tell him before I told Ayden.

  I wanted him to know I was okay, and I appreciated what he did for me.

  “D, I hope you know how much I value our friendship. I know we’ll always care about each other. At times, I wish we still loved each other the way we used to.” I glanced at his chest, trying to find the right words to say. “I wish I loved you the way I love Ayden.”

  When I looked at him, he nodded. For a moment, I lost myself in his eyes, the way they burned into me, the emotions they carried within them. D wanted to say so much. If he wasn’t my mystery date, he would speak his mind. Yet, what he didn’t say with words, he showed me in the way he held me close. He hung onto every word and stared at me like I was the only person who mattered.

  Ayden used to look at me the same way. I missed him. I missed us. Unfortunately, with my sister around, we may never get to be us again. I couldn’t keep putting Ayden through hell because of Izzy’s jealousy. If he found someone else to love him, someone that wasn’t me, maybe my sister would let him live his life in peace.

  Then again, if Izzy wasn’t acting out because she hated me, it meant she loved Ayden. It was a sick and twisted kind of love, but love nonetheless. My sister would never let him be happy with anyone except her.

  I had to face it. Ayden and I couldn’t be together if Izzy was at Music Haven. She would always be there to interfere.

  The heat of D’s body chased away the chill that ran down my spine. With one flex of his muscles, he pulled me to his chest. I found something familiar in his gaze, and yet, something about it was different.

  Perhaps I was making myself feel weird because I was carrying another man’s child inside me.

  No. It wasn’t the baby. It was something about D, the feel of his firm body, the heat of his embrace, the warmth of his breath against my cheek. We shared a bond—a friendship—but this… This wasn’t platonic.

  As he lowered his head toward mine, I half expected him to whisper something to me. Instead of leaning toward my ear, his lips grew closer, and their warmth radiated to mine. I stood in disbelief. Perhaps this was why he wanted his identity to be a mystery.

  D was about to kiss me.

  My heart slammed against my chest. Every muscle in my body screamed at me to back away. I couldn’t move. My feet felt as though they had become one with the ground.

  D’s breath teased my cheek as he tugged at my mask. There was no time to react. Just as he peeled it away, I broke free of his embrace. My chest heaved with heavy breaths as I stood in front of him, staring at the mask in his hands.

  Why did he remove it?

  “What are you doing, D?”

  Staring at me in silence, he held my mask in one hand while moving the other toward his. He caught the edge with his finger, drawing it over his face. When he pulled it off, all I could do was stare in disbelief. No wonder the connection between us was off. The man standing in front of me wasn’t D.

  It was Ayden.

  ~Ayden~

  * * *

  Fire shot through my body as Mia stared at me. Her chest rose and fell with every rapid breath. I didn’t expect her to have a different reaction to seeing me. What I hadn’t prepared for was her admitting she was still in love with me, not Darius.

  The thought caused the thumping in my chest to increase. So did Mia. I couldn’t believe I was standing in front of her. More than that, I had held her in my arms again. I’d come so close to kissing her, but I couldn’t do it under false pretenses. She thought I was Darius. I wanted her to know the truth.

  Had the guys and I not returned to Music Haven, my former mentor would be standing in my place. We weren’t due back for another month. Luckily, Dark Soul’s manager canceled the last few performances because the lead singer came down with pneumonia.

  It was unfortunate for him, but a stroke of luck on my end. Darius played his part, too. He’d kept tabs on Mia for me while I was gone, assuring me she was doing okay and hadn’t passed out anymore. As soon as he found out we were coming back, he reminded me of the masquerade ball.

  I still remembered the words he told me when I asked why he was helping me. He swore Mia’s feelings for me hadn’t changed, no matter how much she denied it to everyone. Her admission tonight confirmed that.

  Afraid she would pull away, I slipped my mask over my face, then did the same with hers. She didn’t flinch when I drew her back into my arms. She moved her mouth to say something, but no words came out.

  As the music changed again, we swayed. The weight of Mia’s gaze grew heavier the longer we remained quiet. By now, she had figured out that Darius had helped me plan this ruse. I hoped she didn’t get too pissed off at him. He had sincere intentions. Still, she had confessed to something dire while thinking I was her ex. I couldn’t ignore that fact any longer.

  “Did you mean it?”

  Her body tensed. “Mean what?”

  “What you said earlier when you thought I was Darius.”

  Her mouth parted again as the sweet scent of her breath filled my nose. “Don’t make this into something it isn’t, Ayden.”

  She tried to back away, but I tightened my arms around her, trapping her against my body. “I’m not making this into anything. I just want to know the truth.”

  “What truth?”

  I nosed closer. “You said you wished you loved Darius the way you love me.”

  Several seconds passed while she did nothing but look into my eyes. I knew she was struggling to answer because doing so meant telling me the truth. If she lied, I would call her bluff.

  “Mia—”

  “Yes, Ayden, I still love you.” I couldn’t help but smile at her answer, but it soon faded when I noticed her shaking her head. “Me admitting I love you changes nothing.”

  “Bullshit. It changes everything, Mia. You know I love you. We feel the same about each other. Nothing’s going to change that.”

  “You’re the one who said you shouldn’t be in a relationship.”

  The tension in my muscles released as I slumped my shoulders. “I was upset and confused. Looking back, I know I should have kept my big mouth shut. It always gets me in trouble.”

  “Ayden… I don’t know what to say.”

  “Then say nothing. Just hear me out. Please.”

  Her mask made it hard to read her facial expressions, but I could tell by the thin line of her lips that she was upset. The tension in her body told me she wanted to leave. I wouldn’t release her until she heard what I had to say.

  “It killed me to get on that tour bus and leave this place. You didn’t give me a chance to make things right before I left. It’s affected me, Mia. I’m lost without you.”

  “Again, you’re the one who said—”

  Placing my finger to her lips, I waited until she stopped talking before I removed it. “I didn’t mean what I said to you at the hospital. Mia, I love you. I don’t want to be with anyone but you. I would rather be alone than choose someone else.”

  “You can’t say stuff like that, Ayden. You don’t know how you’ll feel a year from now.”

  “Yes, I do.” My raspy voice caused her to wince. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone. For Christ’s sake, ever since I left here, I’ve been having nightmares, Mia.”

  “About what?”

  This time, her voice was free of cynicism. Instead, I heard concern. It gave me hope. She still cared.

  Leading us to the edge of the dance floor, I stepped onto the carpet and away from the crowd, but I didn’t let Mia walk away. As I held her close, I leaned back so I could study her face. It wasn’t easy to admit this. I only hoped it would help her understand.

  “This will sound crazy. Believe me, I’ve questioned why it’s happened almost every night since I left.” I drew in a deep breath and prepared to tell her the rest. “The dream starts in a room. I don’t know where it is, but I hear a baby crying. Once I find a crib and go toward it, you show up. You block my path and tell me it’s too late, that you’re...”

  My throat grew dry. It was hard enough admitting this to Bentley. Confessing to Mia was embarrassing.

  “You tell me you’re with someone else. I can’t ask who it is because the guy pulls you away.”

  She peered at me from behind her mask. “Who is the guy?”

  My body tensed at the thought of answering her question. It meant admitting that Darius was the man in the dream. After everything he did for me, I didn’t want to resent his relationship with Mia, and I sure as hell didn’t want to appear intimidated.

  But I couldn’t lie to her.

  “It was Darius.”

  She pressed her lips together and shook her head. It wasn’t the reaction I wanted. My hands grew sweaty, even though the rest of my body was shivering. Maybe it was my conscience reacting to this conversation. God knows it was getting the best of me.

  “Mia, say something.”

  Her attention shifted to my arms. I worried she would pry my hands from her waist, but she didn’t move. “What can I say, Ayden? First, you tell me I’m better off without you. Now you’re having bad dreams about my ex and me getting back together. I don’t know what to think.”

  “I’ve feared the thought of losing you to Darius since you brought him here when you returned. I understand why he was in the dream. What I don’t get is you blocking the crib and telling me I’m too late.”

  The tension between us intensified as she took a step back and hugged her chest. “I’m sure it has something to do with the baby my sister lost. It has been on your mind.”

  I nodded. “I thought the same, but it doesn’t explain why you blocked me from the crib.”

  She didn’t miss a beat when she looked at me and answered, “It’s your subconscious. Deep down, you feel you had to choose between the child my sister was carrying and me. I was blocking you from your happiness.”

  Her answer chilled me to the bone. I clasped both of her arms and leaned closer. “That’s not true. You are what makes me happy. Besides, dreams usually mean the opposite of what they appear to be.”

  “Then you should know nothing is happening between D and me. We’re friends. At least, I thought we were. I’m assuming he helped you concoct this entire scheme.”

  She tapped my mask and glared at me.

  I didn’t back down. Instead, I moved closer. Mia’s glossy lips made me eager to feel them next to mine, but I focused on what I had to say. “Yes, Darius helped me. You shouldn’t be mad at him, though. Since I left, I have driven him crazy with hundreds of texts. I needed to know what was happening, Mia. I’ve been worried sick.”

  When I cupped her cheek, she tilted her chin up and gave me a defiant look. “I already told you I’m okay. There is nothing for you to worry about, Ayden.”

  She was resisting me. I could sense her pulling back. Instead of letting her go, I tightened my arms and pulled her to my chest. Her lips radiated with heat, reminding me every second of how desperate I was to taste her. I needed her in my life.

  “I worry because I love you, Mia. Nothing will change that. Nothing.”

  Her heart beat against my chest in a rapid rhythm that almost matched mine. When her mouth parted, I leaned closer. Satisfaction filled me when she closed her eyes.

  I slid one hand to the small of her back, the other tangled inside her hair. In one slow sweep, I brushed my lips against hers. I went in for another sweep when Mia pulled away. Yet it wasn’t the worst part.

  That was the moment she broke free of my embrace, rushed toward the main doors, and disappeared from my sight.

  Chapter 3

  ~Ayden~

 

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