Masked Encounters (Intoxicating Passion #1)

by Felicia Tatum

  The ball made a satisfying crunch as it impacted with his face. I was unable to hide the smirk as blood began to pour from his nose. I didn’t think it was broken, but I was sure it wouldn’t look pretty tomorrow for the Halloween bash our frat house was throwing.

  “Dammit, Dane!” he screamed, using his palms in a desperate attempt to catch the pooling blood.

  “I thought we were playing. Why did you turn away?” I questioned innocently. His pride wouldn’t allow him to call me out in front of all the guys. He’d look like a wimp.

  Jack’s eyes narrowed. “We’re done,” he growled. He turned and grabbed his shirt, using it to cover his nose, before stomping off.

  I shrugged, allowing the snicker I’d been holding to escape. He deserved that and more. I was glad I had been the one to put him in his place. Bending to get my shirt, I used it to wipe the sweat from my face then threw it over my shoulder. Resting my backpack on top of the sweaty garmet, I turned and ran right into Cale. “You scared me, Buddy.”

  “We need you to help decorate tomorrow morning,” he grinned, knowingly. Cale was sure the throw was intentional; I could see it in his eyes.

  “Ok. I need to get a costume. What are you going to be?” I asked, starting my walk back to the house.

  “I dunno yet. You going now? I’ll go with.”

  “Sounds good,” I stated. I walked at a steady pace, returning back to the house in record time. Jack was nowhere to be seen, which wasn’t surprising, but I guessed he’d already been through and told everyone. I got a few stares, a few high fives, and a few glares. Most of the dudes wouldn’t mess with me; I was older, I’d been here longer, and I could make their life hell if I needed to. Turning to Cale, I said, “I’m gonna shower, be back down in ten.”

  ###

  Going shopping was a pain in the ass. Especially this close to the holiday, but I’d forgotten about our party. I needed a costume with a mask. We searched several stores, but I couldn’t find one I wanted. I’d gotten two phone numbers, however. The last one, a feisty brunette with amazingly tight pants, would probably be getting a call from me tonight. Last night’s release was only temporary. I wanted to sink myself deep into every nook and cranny she possessed.

  I leaned against the counter, contentedly waiting for Cale. Two girls walked by, one blonde and petite, the other a gorgeous brunette with the most amazing body I’d ever seen. She wasn’t too skinny, not too big. Curvaceous and stunning. Her hair fell to mid-back, her eyes as rich as the near black strands. She was the sexiest woman I’d ever laid eyes on. I couldn’t stop myself from staring.

  She glanced at me, furrowing her brows, before moving to the other side of her friend. Odd, I thought. Women don’t react that way to me. I stepped forward, eager to speak to her, but Cale’s timing stunk. I turned, responding to his calling my name; he was standing impatiently, holding two large bags. I held up a finger, signaling him to wait, but when I looked back around, she was gone.

  Chapter Three-Korah

  The stores were clustered with people and some of them smelled. The stores, not the people. Leela was in super-happy-hyper-mode, while I was ready to go back to the apartment and take a nap. She tried on outfit after outfit at store after store. We were at our sixth stop of the day and it was barely noon.

  “You haven’t tried on anything,” she scolded, giving me her signature “I’m-disappointed-in-you” eyebrow raise, before disappearing in the dressing room with arm load of clothing.

  “I haven’t noticed anything I like,” I called sweetly. It wasn’t a lie, nothing looked good to me. I didn’t want to be a cliché witch or princess for Halloween, and most adult costumes were slutty. It seemed impossible to find what I envisioned: a classy costume, with a mask.

  Leela stepped out of the dressing room, her long legs showing all the way up to her butt cheeks. The outfit, a little red riding hood get up, was just that…little. Her boobs poured out the top while the bottom left little to the imagination. Exactly what I meant by slutty. She looked gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but slutty, nonetheless.

  “What do you think?” she asked excitedly, spinning in front of the mirrors to check herself out.

  “Honest?” I questioned, giving my bottom lip a gentle bite. She was my best friend; I didn’t want to make her feel bad.

  She gazed at me, nodding emphatically.

  “You look like a little red riding whore,” I admitted, letting my eyes travel her body. “Those guys won’t have to wonder about anything.”

  She laughed loudly, jumping up and down. “Exactly what I was going for!”

  Rolling my eyes, I left Leela preening in the mirror while I perused the racks. Everything showed too much skin, or in the case of the nun costume, not enough. I wasn’t a prude by any means, but I didn’t feel comfortable running around with a bunch of masked people nearly naked. It just wasn’t me.

  I wandered the store aimlessly. In my minutes of solitude, I decided I wouldn’t go. She would be mad, and probably cry, but I couldn’t find a costume. That was a good excuse, right? I argued internally for a bit, finally taking a deep breath for courage, I turned on my heel heading back to the cash registers. That’s when a piece of heaven caught my eye.

  A long, silk white dress with large feathered wings was hanging on the mannequin. It looked like it would be snug, but it would cover most of my body. The neckline was low, but not embarrassingly so, and there were small beads lining it. A mask, also white with a feather jutting off each side hung from the mannequin’s hand.

  How could I say no to this costume? A sales associate obviously saw me gaping, because he walked up, smiling. “Want me to get it down so you can try it on? I think you would look lovely as an angel,” he purred, eyeing me closely for a reaction.

  Too in awe for words, I nodded. He got the ladder, brought the costume down, and directed me to the dressing area. Leela was MIA, but I didn’t care. I needed this dress to fit. Something about it was…special.

  I undressed in a hurry. Then indulged my fingers in traveling along the material, feeling the fabric whisper in a seductive smoothness. It was amazing. I slipped it over my head, keeping my back to the mirror. Setting the mask in place, I closed my eyes for a brief moment, before spinning to see my reflection.

  The dress fit me perfectly, showing off every curve I possessed. My breasts looked larger, rounder. The mask hid most of my face, revealing only my lips and eyes. My dark eyes appeared nearly black contrasted against all the white. My hair, long and loose around the dress, became a rich brown hue, more chocolate than faded milk chocolate. Even the wings were perfect, peeking just beyond my shoulders.

  A knock at the door shook me from my assessing. “Korah? You in there?” Leela called.

  Still unable to speak, I opened the door, eyes wide, and waited for her reaction.

  Her mouth fell, her pupils grew large. “You look amazing, Korah,” she whispered reverently.

  I ran a hand down my side and across my hip, “Is it ok? Too much?”

  “Too much?” she quizzed, placing her hands on my arms. “You look amazing. Beautiful. And not slutty like I’m going to look. I say get it,” she smiled with all the sincere warmth I loved her for.

  I nodded, going back in to take it off. Closing the door, I stared at myself for several more minutes. My insecurities regularly brought me down, but something about the way I looked right now…it mesmerized me. I must have this dress. I felt crazy, but I thought this costume was meant to be mine. After changing back to my clothes, I stepped out to find Lee eagerly waiting for me.

  “You’re getting it, right?” she questioned. Leela knew me too well.

  I normally would back out, but not this time. “Yeah, I’m getting it.” A smile bloomed on my face all by itself.

  She squealed loudly, causing everyone to turn and look at us. I made my purchase, ignoring the flirtatious comments from the guy who helped me earlier, and led Lee out the door. “Lunch?” I asked, nodding toward the small café we like
d to eat at during our trips.

  She nodded, linking us at the elbows, and bouncing down the street. Leela chatted about nothing in particular, in an animated way that allowed my mind to drift and overanalyze our day. The bad date last night caused the Christopher nightmares to resurface. Leela startled me awake, demanding I go with her to a party, knowing how much I despise them. Why was I going? Good intentions aside, she always set me up with men who were totally wrong for me.

  But…were all of them wrong? I was broken, damaged goods, unable to love or be loved. Every guy had some sort of issue; a reason I was not interested. He wore too much cologne, or his toenails were too long. Sometimes they did have serious issues, such as being unable to commit. No matter who it was, I found a problem. A deal breaker that completely turned off any and all emotions I may have been considering.

  I’d been this way since breaking up with Christopher eight months ago. I couldn’t stop it; well, more accurately, I didn’t know how to.

  “Korah?” Leela prompted. We stood outside the café, her giant blue eyes filled with concern, clearly waiting for an answer to the question I hadn’t heard.

  “I’m sorry, what?” I refocused my attention, feeling bad for ignoring her.

  “I asked you what exactly happened with Zane last night. I know you don’t want to talk about it, but he gave me some crazy story and I want the truth.”

  I told her everything, including the creepy crawly feeling I got when he leered at me. Her face showed disgust, while her eyes lit with fury. Leela was overprotective, a mother hen, and even though she set us up, she wasn’t going to let some punk treat me badly. She kept quiet, as we walked into the restaurant and requested our usual table.

  “Are you mad I left?” I was not sure how to approach her after confessing.

  “No. I’m mad at him. He promised he wouldn’t be a douche and he treated you that way. These guys need to stop thinking with their pants,” she ranted, picking up her menu, then slamming it back to the table. “I don’t understand why guys are so awful around here. Are there none that have any decency? Manners? How hard is it to take a girl out a few times before trying to get her back to your apartment?!” she exclaimed. Throwing her arms up in frustration, she once again gained attention from onlookers.

  “I just have bad luck,” I shrugged, and resumed perusing the menu.

  “Maybe I should quit setting you up,” she thought aloud, tapping her finger to her chin.

  I giggled at her seriousness, while nodding my head in solemn agreement. She should stop setting me up. It never went well. “So, this party…you don’t have some connection planned?” I asked wearily.

  She shook her head, “I told you, you’re my date.”

  “But you try to set me up so often, I wasn’t sure,” I mused, affectionately.

  “This is true,” she agreed with a laugh. “I’ll stop….if you promise to be open-minded and not shut someone out if you have feelings for him.”

  The server came, bringing our water and taking our orders. After she walked away, I thought about what Leela said. I shouldn’t be so opposed to love and romance. Not all guys were Christophers. “Lee, I’ll try, but no promises. I can’t stop the insecurity that comes with dating. And I know all people have it, but I still have nightmares about him and everything he did. If someone decent comes along, I promise I will try,” I paused. She knew this but saying it out loud was difficult. “I’m broken.”

  Leela’s eyes brimmed with tears as she reached across the table, taking my hand gently in hers. “You aren’t broken,” she reassured softly. “Maybe a little torn and tattered, but definitely not broken. You’re one of the most amazing women I know, Korah. I wish you could see that,” she gave me a watery half smile.

  I smiled back, my heart swelling with love. Leela meant well, and always had my back. She was the sister I never had and always wanted. I squeezed her hand, happy to be having this talk with her. “Thank you,” I said. “Sooo…the costume, is it really ok?”

  Her expression brightened. “Girl, you are going to turn every head in the place! You won’t know what to do with all the attention,” she giggled in happy anticipation.

  I had to agree with her last prediction. I wouldn’t know what to do. I’d be nervous, for sure, but I hoped I could keep my cool. Having a mask would help. Before I could contemplate and worry myself more, our plates arrived. We talked about the party between bites. My excitement grew with each word, and every quick peek at the beautiful promise in the bag next to me. It was time to step out of my shell, to be a new Korah. The shy, timid Korah wasn’t much fun. She was too scared of life and feelings. If nothing more, for one night, I would be someone else. Someone confident. Someone fearless. Maybe even someone sexy.

  Chapter Four-Dane

  “You sure that’s your costume?” Cale asked, again, as I pulled out my debit card to pay the cashier.

  I offered it to the older lady, giving her a charming smile that made her blush as she took it from my hand. “Yes,” I said through gritted teeth. “I’m sure. Why do you keep asking?”

  He shrugged, “I dunno. It doesn’t seem…you.”

  I let his words roll off my back, signing for my purchase and stuffing everything into my wallet. I decided to ignore his badgering. “You ready?” I questioned, taking the bag and nodding my thanks to the still smiling clerk. “I’m starved.” I started out the door, my thoughts drifting back to the girl in the third store we had been. It was unusual, the effect she seemed to be having on me. She wasn’t interested, that had been clear, yet I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Her onyx eyes had touched my soul, stirring something I hadn’t felt in a long time.

  I wasn’t sure I liked it.

  “Let’s go back and order pizza,” Cale suggested.

  Completely distracted, I answered with a short nod, before walking aimlessly to the car. I fought to not think of her, but I couldn’t stop. Would I ever see her again? Would it matter if I did? She’d obviously disliked me. The questions rolled around in my mind the entire drive home.

  ###

  “It’ll be $25.83,” the delivery girl flirted, batting her long lashes at me. She was short and petite, a redhead with brown eyes. She wasn’t ugly, but she wasn’t spectacular either. She eyed me, her gaze apparently favoring my biceps and chest.

  It was obvious she wanted me.

  I pulled out the cash, giving her $30 and telling her to keep the change. Balancing the pizzas on one hand, I attempted to close the door with the other. A small foot lodged between the frame and the door, stopping me. I had to look down to even see what caused the blockage. “Yes?” I asked, slightly annoyed.

  “Is this where the party is tomorrow night? The Masked Nights theme?” she smiled, reaching through the still cracked door to grasp my forearm.

  I nodded, knowing where this was heading and not liking it.

  “Is everyone invited? Will you be there?” she asked, not trying to hide the hopeful lilt in her voice. I could see the desire in her eyes, growing as I indulged her in conversation. Her panties were probably soaked at the thought of having a chance with me.

  She didn’t, though. No one did, for anything more than a single session.

  “Yeah, it’s for everyone. You need to have a masked costume to get in the door. There will be bouncers,” I explained. I hoped I didn’t sound interested.

  “What are you going to be, Big Boy?” she cackled, falling short on sounding sexy.

  “It’s a secret. Whole point of the party is to make connections with people without knowing who it is,” I clarified, pulling my arm from her grip. This chick wasn’t getting the hint.

  She pulled a pen from her pocket, scribbling a number on top of the pizza box. “Why don’t you text me what time the party starts so I don’t miss it.” She sounded expectant, and slightly desperate. An unattractive combination.

  I gave her a tight smile, not agreeing to anything, and told her bye as I firmly closed the door. Trudging to the kitchen, I w
ondered how in the hell I got to this point in my life. I used to be able to love…to care…to feel, but not now. No, I couldn’t do it anymore. My heart had been ripped from my chest, stomped on and shredded to pieces. A bear could have torn me apart and it would have hurt less than the pain I’d felt when my heart shattered. Loving a woman was dangerous, a risk I couldn’t take anymore. Feeling for someone was a gamble, and I was broke.

  Bet on everything and lost.

  Dropping the boxes on the table, I grabbed two slices before leaving the dining room. I couldn’t deal with any of my brothers right now. I shuffled up the stairs, closing and locking my door so I could get some much needed studying accomplished. Stuffing half of one slice in my mouth, I searched for my books.

  Technically, I was in my third year of college, but careless drinking my freshman year put me a few classes behind, so I still registered as a sophomore. Apparently slamming back shots of whatever I could get my hands on wasn’t a good studying technique. Now I knew.

  I pulled my backpack to the bed, shaking the contents out and arranging them by classes...kind of. Half my classes were still general requirements while the other half were upper level. I had to take my second biology term and a calculus course next semester and that would be finish the all the requirements. I couldn’t wait to really dive deep into my major and learn things I wanted to, rather than repeating shit I’d already learned over and over again in my younger years.

  I finished my pizza in four bites before sprawling out for an afternoon of studying. Tonight and tomorrow we would decorate, but at the moment, I had to do everything I could to divert myself from the dark haired goddess I’d seen this morning. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my phone and a slip paper fell to the bed. Tight pants girl, I shot her a text, requesting her address so I could come by later. A much better way than studying to forget the girl causing my distraction.