Decidedly with Luck (By the Bay #6) - Stina Lindenblatt Page 0,1

out in a hushed whisper.

I bit back the urge to curtsy to the much older woman standing next to Brittany. Lucinda’s gold-and-cream gown, diamond earrings and necklace, and spritz of floral perfume gave her a queenly air.

“Hello, my dear.” Her voice was dry and brittle, like antique parchment paper, yet filled with warmth and a spark of something.

Amusement, perhaps?

Remember the part about me resisting the urge to curtsy?

It would seem my body failed to get that message. Luckily, I’d had spent years perfecting the skill as a kid, back when I believed in fairy godmothers and dreamed of one day marrying my own prince.

Lucinda chuckled, and I felt my face heat as I straightened.

“And this is my grandson, Grayson.” She gestured with a wave of her hand to the tall, dark-haired man next to her. His half mask was simple and black. If the way his tuxedo embraced his body was any indication, the man made keeping in shape a top priority.

I held out my hand for him to shake—because heck if I was curtsying for him. But instead of shaking it, Grayson lifted my hand to his mouth and pressed a soft kiss to it.

At the feel of his mouth against my skin, my body shouldn’t have reacted like hot lava swirled within its depths. My breath shouldn’t have hitched with sudden longing. And my lips shouldn’t have tingled, craving to taste his mouth on mine.

None of those things should have happened—with a stranger, no less. A stranger who might not even be single.

Desire wasn’t alone under the hotel chandeliers, their lightbulbs twinkling like stars. Hanging out with it was regret. Regret in knowing that Stephen was looking down from heaven and shaking his head at me, disappointed that the stranger I wanted to kiss under the mistletoe wasn’t on the list of approved men he’d jokingly created.

“Brittany mentioned you’re an elementary schoolteacher,” Lucinda said.

I nodded and smiled warmly at the thought of my students. “That’s right. I teach second grade.”

“Oh, such a delightful age. My great-granddaughter is in that grade. Such a precocious little thing, just like her father was at that age.”

My gaze flicked to Grayson, but he gave no indication the child belonged to him. So maybe she was his niece.

He chuckled, drawing my attention to his mouth. Don’t look at his mouth. Look away from his… “I’m sure her father will be thrilled you said that. I know for a fact that he took great pride in keeping you on your toes.”

She flashed him her perfectly straight, angel-white teeth. “I daresay you’re right.”

“And what about you?” I asked Grayson. “What do you do for a living?”

“This and that” was his non-answer.

Truth? I sort of appreciated that he was evading the question like a spy at a royal tea party. I preferred the mystery surrounding him. It made him even sexier—not that he needed help in that department as far as I could tell.

“Brittany also mentioned you live in San Francisco,” Lucinda said to me.

For a masked ball, where our identities were a secret, my sister was certainly spilling the jelly beans when it came to all there was to know about me.

Please tell me you never mentioned my deceased husband.

“That’s right,” I said.

“She mentioned you used to live in Boston—”

I sensed she was going to say more, but Grayson coughed as though clearing his throat, and her words came to an abrupt halt.

She threw him a subtle smirk. He gave a barely perceptible shake of his head.

“Do you live in San Francisco?” I asked him. My tone was edged with a curiosity I shouldn’t have felt. I really didn’t want to know anything about him. If I found out too much, the magic of the moment would be reduced to glitter.

“No, Chicago.” His deep, sexy voice left my insides quivering like leaves caught in a stiff breeze.

“That’s quite the drive just to attend the ball.”

“You might say I happened to be in the neighborhood, and my grandmother asked if I would attend as her date.”

Aww, that’s so sweet.

“My poor Alfred died ten years ago from testicular cancer,” Lucinda explained, “which is why this charity event is important to me. And why awareness and early detection is vital.”

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” I said to them both, praying Brittany didn’t decide this was a good time to inform them about my dead husband.

Luckily, she remained silent on the topic.

“Thank you, my dear,” Lucinda said. “I was fortunate to have a supportive family and friends to