Cinderella Masquerade
Author
LaQuette
Reads
17.4K
Chapters
15
HarlequinOne
âAbsolutely not!â Zanai James shook her head and crossed her arms as she stared down her best friend in the whole world, Morgan Grandin. Considering the smile spreading on her friendâs lips, Zanai was doubtful Morgan was taking her objection seriously. She never did.
âCome on, Zanai,â Morgan fake whined as she stepped from behind the counter of her boutique, The Rancherâs Daughter, and stepped in front of Zanai. âThis is the party of the year. Anyone who is anyone attends. People start ordering their costumes nearly a year in advance to make sure theyâre prepared for the masquerade ball. Youâve spent years dodging this event, itâs time for you to stop hiding.â
Self-conscious about the truth her friend was hurling at her, Zanai looked down at the top of her very sensible Mary Janeâstyled shoes.
âMorgan, I appreciate what youâre trying to do. But it wonât work. I donât fit in to spaces like these. Books, science, research, those things all make sense to me. Small talk and flirting are foreign concepts. Hell, I canât even bat my eyelashes properly. I look like Iâm having some sort of seizure when I do.â
âZanai,â Morgan huffed as she placed her hands on Zanaiâs shoulders. âYouâre beautiful and smart. People will love you if you just give them the chance to.â
Zanai shook her head. âPeople find me awkward and boring.â
âHey, donât talk about my best friend like that. Youâre neither.â
Zanai smiled at Morgan, loving how protective she was. âI didnât say I was awkward and boring. I said people find me to be so.â
When Morganâs lifted eyebrow revealed she didnât get the distinction, Zanai continued. âMorgan, that wasnât a self-deprecating comment. I like the fact that Iâm a nerd. I wear that badge proudly. Itâs just Iâm smart enough to know other people donât appreciate that quality in me. So I stay away from them and live my best STEM life.â
Morgan gave her a sad smile. Zanai knew her friend didnât pity her. Morgan just didnât think it was healthy for anyone to spend so much time alone.
âZanai, you promised your aunt you wouldnât let your light be snuffed out by work and that pack of wolves masquerading as your family.â
Guilt and grief tugged at the edges of Zanaiâs heart at the mention of the only loving influence sheâd had in her life since her mother died when she was a child. Her motherâs sister DĂŠjĂ was everything bright and beautiful in Zanaiâs bleak little life. Losing her earlier in the year still weighed so heavily on her that she wondered if sheâd ever truly recover from the loss.
âThatâs a low blow, using my dead aunt to manipulate me. I see now why you and Ryan fight so much. You donât let anything go.â
âEncourage, not manipulate,â Morgan corrected. âAnd Ryan is hardly a paragon of virtue. Heâs a thickheaded neanderthal that Iâd sooner...â
Zanai couldnât hide the devilish grin blooming on her face. Morgan wasnât the only one in the room who knew how to get a reaction out of her best friend.
Morgan was usually sunshine and rainbows hopped up on sugar on most days. However, the mere mention of Ryan Carterâs name and Morgan lost all her chill. Though her friend would never admit it, Zanai suspected Morganâs dislike of the man had more to do with mutual attraction than anything else.
âWe are not talking about Ryan or how infuriating he is. Weâre talking about how wonderful you are and how you need to live a little.â
âI know.â She huffed and walked over to a nearby settee in the fitting area. âI just donât know how to be at these things. I donât fit in. While other girls were figuring out how to be sociable proper ladies, my nose was stuck in a book. I donât know how to act or dress for these kinds of events. Iâd be so out of place.â
Morgan sat down next to her, wrapping a protective, comforting arm around her shoulders. âYour nose being stuck in a book helped you become a stellar developmental psychologist for neurodivergent kids. The good news is youâre rich enough that you can pay for someone to do your hair and makeup. Also, your best friend in the whole world owns a boutique shop and has connections in the rag industry that also includes clothing fit for a queen. So, if you promise to let me have my wicked way with you, Iâll make sure youâre the prettiest girl at the ball.â
Zanai looked at her friend with a skeptical glare. Morgan had that same determined look in her eye that always seemed to be there when she was about to do something that would probably land Zanai in the middle of something sheâd more than likely want to shake Morgan for later.
Zanai closed her eyes and gathered just enough strength to tell her friend no when her gaze landed on Morganâs face practically glowing with excitement. Like always, she could never deny Morgan anything when it made her eyes light up like the star on a Christmas tree.
âFine, Morgan. Do your worst.â
Three days later, Zanai stood in front of a mirror in Morganâs closed shop in absolute awe of her reflection.
âMorgan, how on earth did you pull this off in only a few days?â
The satisfied gleam in Morganâs eyes revealed the obvious pride she had in her creation.
âI told you Iâd make you the prettiest girl at the ball.â
Zanai stared at herself in front of the mirrored wall, barely recognizing the reflection shining back at her.
Her dress was a strapless ball gown with a scoop neckline bodice that accented her shapely torso and cinched her waist. The floor-length skirt was made of layers of chiffon falling into perfect folds. The dress was gorgeous, but the bright red color is what took Zanaiâs breath away.
âMorgan, I donât recognize myself.â
Her friend clapped beside her as she let out an excited squeal.
âItâs a masquerade ball, silly. Youâre not supposed to recognize yourself. Let me get your accessories and weâll be ready to leave.â
Morgan handed her a small silver clutch then draped the matching cape over Zanaiâs shoulders. Although the cape was made of a single layer of sheer chiffon, it made Zanai feel less exposed. Once again, her friend knew just what she needed.
Morgan swept Zanaiâs long dark curls over one shoulder before securing a sparkling crown on her head then sliding a red masquerade mask onto her face.
Zanai had to admit, she was stunning. She definitely looked like she belonged at the ball. Now, all she had to do was keep her mouth shut, and maybe folks at the Texas Cattlemanâs Club wouldnât recognize what an outsider she truly was.
Jayden Lattimore sipped his glass of champagne as he leaned on the bar looking out at the sea of people in the large ballroom. As always, it looked as if most of the elite in Royal had shown up for this annual ball.
Even with some portions of their faces being covered with a mask, Jayden could make out almost everyone milling around the room. With boredom clawing at him, he looked around to see if there was anything for him to get into before he made his exit.
Coming from one of the wealthiest families in Royal, heâd fulfilled his duty by showing up. But he wasnât about to spend his entire night bored to death at this excuse for grown rich folks to play dress up.
He was about to take another sip from his glass when a vision filled his gaze. A queen dripping in red stood at the entryway. He couldnât tell if she was purposely pausing for dramatic effect, or if she was just getting her bearings as she entered the room. Either way, more than a few heads turned to take in the elegant, yet sexy monarch gracing the rest of them with her presence.
Jayden was about to make his way over to where she stood when she stepped inside of the room and headed in his direction.
That suited him just fine. Usually, he was too easygoing to chase a woman. The truth was, coming from old money while standing at more than six feet with good looks meant he didnât have to chase anyone. Women came to him, not the other way around.
But even though she was literally approaching him, there was something about her air of mystery that intrigued Jayden enough that his interest in talking to her went beyond the usual cursory notice he had in the women he encountered.
âAt the risk of sounding clichĂŠ, may I get you a drink?â
The masked queen glanced up at him with sultry deep brown eyes, and something akin to a sledgehammer slapped him in the center of his chest, forcing him to fight against the urge to take in a gasping breath.
âNo, thank you.â She answered quickly as she leaned into the bar and looked around the room. âIâm waiting for someone.â
Disappointment flooded him. It would figure this alluring creature was attached.
âMy friend needed to speak to someone out in the hall. Sheâs going to meet me here shortly.â
Jayden could feel a smile burgeoning on his face. She was here with her friend. Well, that changed everything, didnât it?
âSeems your friendâs delay is my good fortune. Spending a few moments in the presence of the loveliest woman at the ball is no hardship at all.â
He waited for the practiced dip in her head, the expected response ingrained in most of the women from the upper class of Royal. Feigned humility was something that was taught from the cradle. But not this woman. She stared at him openly as if she were trying to figure out what was going on in his head.
âThank you for the compliment. But half my face is covered in a mask, how on earth can you tell if Iâm beautiful or not?â
Her question was so blunt it amused him. She was definitely not using the normal script for an encounter like this.
âWow,â he laughed before taking a sip from his glass. âYou donât hold back, do you?â
She blinked, then tucked an errant strand of hair behind an ear, making the ruby and diamond earrings dangling from her ears sway back and forth. When she tipped her head to the side and looked up at him, her eyes softened to a warm brown. âIâm sorry. I didnât mean to offend you. Small talk just isnât my strong suit.â
He waved a dismissive hand. âNo apologies necessary. Itâs actually quite refreshing to have a woman speak her mind to me. It levels the playing field if I know what sheâs thinking.â He extended his hand, hoping against hope she would accept it. When she did, a spark of something unrecognizable but potent burned through his palm spreading like wildfire through his system.
âIâm Jayden Lattimore.â He pointed a finger from the hand still holding his glass. âOtherwise known as the Phantom.â
âI kind of figured that from the white mask that covers half your face.â
He shrugged. âWell, when youâve been to enough of these, you eventually run out of interesting costumes. A classic is easy to put together yet acceptable in these rarefied circles.â
He didnât let go of her hand and he wasnât ignorant to the fact that she hadnât taken hers away.
âAnd you are?â
She formed her lips into the perfect O that made him contemplate how much heâd love to see her sultry mouth take that shape under an entirely different set of circumstances.
âItâs a masquerade party, the point is to conceal oneâs identity.â
Jayden couldnât help the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Whoever she was underneath that mask, she had a quick mind and a sharp tongue. Two characteristics he suddenly decided were his absolute favorite in a woman.
âDonât be that way, darlinâ. How are we ever going to get to know each other if you donât tell me who you are? Iâm at this party every year and I can tell you Iâve never seen you here or at the Texas Cattlemanâs Club, period. So, forgive me for being so taken by your breathtaking beauty that Iâm clamoring to know your name.â
She looked away briefly before bringing her gaze back to his. When she did, there was a twinkle of something mischievous in it that made his heart race and his blood run hot.
âBut if I told you, Iâd miss out on the fun of watching you try to figure out who I am. Iâm not sure I can willingly give that up just to satisfy your curiosity.â
âTrust me, my queen. My curiosity isnât what I want satisfied.â
He waited a beat to see if his words offended her. He wasnât trying to be a smart-ass. Well, okay, he was definitely trying to be a smart-ass, but he wasnât attempting to offend her. Any worry he had about disrespecting her slipped away when her smile broadened.
âSeriously,â he continued. âIâd love to find out who that lovely mask is concealing.â
âWhy?â
He narrowed his gaze as he contemplated his answer to her question. She was gorgeous in all that red. The way the fitted bodice clung to and lifted her small breasts definitely played a role in him wanting to know her better. But it was more than that. The way she looked at him, he could tell she wasnât the average socialite that attended these sorts of parties. There was something deeper and brighter shining through that drew him in.
âI want to know who you are because I want to know what to call you when we leave here and spend a little time together.â
âPresumptuous, arenât you?â
He shrugged. âConfident. Youâve been here for a few minutes and you havenât attempted to get away from me yet. If I was getting on your nerves, something tells me youâd have found a way to shut me down by now. Besides that, I donât chase women. If a woman tells me sheâs not interested, I move on to the next. If youâre not interested, all you have to do is say so.â
There, heâd thrown down the gauntlet, placing the ball firmly in her court. Whatever happened next would be her decision, and more than anything he hoped her desires were aligned with his.
âThere you are.â Jaydenâs attention was pulled away by the intrusion. He felt the red queenâs hand slip from his, leaving him with a strange sense of loss he couldnât understand.
He shook his head before looking at the woman interrupting them. Even with her face covered by a lace half mask and her red hair covered by a white-blond wig, he could recognize Morgan Grandin no matter her disguise. She was his best friendâs sister and theyâd spent enough time together as kids that he could pick her out of a crowd anywhere.
He glanced over Morganâs shoulder and saw Vic following closely behind.
âTwo of the Grandin siblings, as always, your timing is perfect.â Jayden hoped his words sounded as sarcastic as heâd meant them to.
âJayden, can I speak to you for a minute?â
Apparently, Vic hadnât picked up on the bite heâd intended his greeting to have.
âIâm kind of in the middle of something, Vic. We can meet up later.â
His friend placed a hand on his shoulder, pulling his attention from his red queen in front of him.
âThis is important, Jay. Itâll only take a few minutes.â
Jayden cut sharp eyes at Vic before returning his gaze in the red queenâs direction. Unfortunately, by the time he did, his mystery woman was quickly walking away with Morgan.
âThanks for the cockblock, my friend.â
âIn that outfit, youâll easily locate her once Iâm done talking.â When Jayden groaned, Victor held up a hand to quiet him. âJust hear me out so you can get back to your mystery lady and I can get back to Aubrey.â
At the mention of Vicâs fiancĂŠeâs name, Jayden could see the bright spark of joy flooding the manâs gaze. Who could be mad at him when he looked that damn happy?
âSpeak your piece so I can get back to what I was doing before you so rudely interrupted me.â
âSomeoneâs in a pissy mood.â Vic raised a brow as he watched Jayden carefully.
A strip of red caught his eye and he quickly turned to see if it was the intriguing woman whoâd held his attention, who was still holding his attention even now.
It wasnât her, and that realization brought him more disappointment than it should have. Considering they hadnât spent more than five minutes in each otherâs presence, he truly shouldnât care. Apparently his brain hadnât gotten the memo, though, because here he was trying to look around Vic to see if he could get her in his sights.
âI can see your focus is elsewhere.â When Jayden didnât answer, Vic smiled because heâd known Jayden so long, he didnât need a verbal response to know what was going on in Jaydenâs head.
âI can see why youâre so taken, but I really need you to bring it in. I need your help.â
âWith what?â
âI think Iâve figured out a way to get Ryan and Morgan together.â
âRyan and Morgan? Really?â
Ryan was a good friend of Jaydenâs. Although he knew Ryan was a decent man, he had really strong opinions and an authoritarian personality. Jayden wasnât completely convinced pairing him with Morgan, a woman who walked her own path despite what anyone else thought, was the best idea Victor had ever come up with.
âCome on, Jayden, itâs obvious the two of them are seriously into each other. And if my sister is going to be with anyone, Iâd rather it be a man I know actually cares about her.â
Jayden agreed. He loved Morgan like a sister and Ryan was his friend. And although Jayden knew Vic wanted what was best for his sister, he had his suspicions about his motives.
âHe does care about her, but I feel like your motivation is also grounded in the fact that youâre so deliriously happy with Aubrey youâre trying to match up everyone around you.â
Vic didnât outright deny Jaydenâs claim, he just continued on as if Jayden hadnât said anything.
âThey fight like alley cats.â Vicâs observation was an accurate one. Morgan and Ryan couldnât be in each otherâs presence more than two seconds before they started arguing about something. It was oddly entertaining, yet somewhat exhausting, to watch. âIâm just tired of their bickering. Besides, whatâs wrong with wanting the people around me to be as happy as I am?â
âNothing,â Jayden replied. âJust keep your busybody matchmaking focused on your sister and leave my love life alone. I have no intention of being the next one on your list.â
Having laid down the law, Jayden huffed loudly hoping to move this conversation along so he could find his red queen.
âWhat do you want to do, Vic?â
âIâm gonna send Morgan a message sheâll assume was meant for Ryan. When she texts back, Iâll tell her to disregard the message, it wasnât meant for her. Sheâll never be able to resist coming back over to try to force an explanation out of me. Sheâll no doubt come back over here to make me clarify my meaning. When sheâs within earshot, we let her overhear us talking about how much Ryan is into her.â
Jayden tapped his finger against his champagne glass before speaking. âYou really think thatâll work?â
âIt will work.â Vic didnât give Jayden a chance to respond before he was pulling his phone from his pocket and tapping out a quick text.
Jayden glanced over Vicâs shoulder, watching Morgan make her way back to the bar sans the red queen. He noted his disappointment at the strangerâs absence and sighed.
He could pretend it was just his curiosity that allowed him to care this much about the mystery womanâs absence, but he knew it wasnât. There was something in the depths of her dark eyes that had taken hold of Jayden. And he knew he wouldnât be satisfied until he was able to explore it.
âAll right, man. Sheâs almost in position,â Jayden noted quickly. âLetâs get this done so I can get on with my evening.â
âAnd back to that exquisite woman in red?â
His friendâs penchant for being a pain in the ass was beginning to grate on Jaydenâs nerves.
âDo you want my help or not?â
Vic threw up his hands in surrender. Satisfied the subject had been dropped, Jayden swallowed the last of his champagne in one gulp.
âGood. Letâs get this over with before Aubrey comes looking for you.â
Vic waited until Morgan was safely within earshot before he began.
âItâs such a shame that Ryan would never admit his true feelings to Morgan. Itâs obvious heâs into her, and if she was actually paying attention, she would realize it too.â
âAttraction that powerful can be hard to admit.â Jayden saw Morgan stop from the corner of his eye. His words had definitely caught her attention. âEspecially if youâre afraid the other person will reject you.â
Vic gave Jayden a knowing nod before continuing. âYouâre right. But theyâre both going to end up miserable for no reason at all. Itâs such a waste.â
âYou canât force people to do whatâs in their own best interest, Vic. Ryan and Morgan will either figure this out, or they wonât. Thereâs nothing you or anyone else can do about it.â
Morgan stopped before turning on her heel and heading back in the direction sheâd come. When she was far enough away, Vic smiled, happy his plan appeared to be working.
âIâm glad youâre pleased. Now get out of my way so I can get back to what I was doing before you rudely interrupted me.â
Jaydenâs body was thrumming with the anticipation of finding his mystery woman in red.
âDonât worry, friend. Weâre almost there. We just gotta do one more thing to get this plan underway.â
Jayden sat his empty glass on the bar top then narrowed his gaze at his friend.
âWhat more do you want from me?â
âWe gotta go find Ryan and tell him the same thing.â
âI feel like weâre back in elementary school passing notes between these two in class. All thatâs missing is the âcheck yes if you like Ryanâ box.â
âDonât be so cynical, Jayden. Love is in the air. Weâre just helping it along.â