Page 3 (1/2)

When she’d opened the door, though, he’d found hi down at the sweetest face he’d ever seen in real life--or anywhere, really Fararound a heart-shaped face that bore no trace of makeup, she was so damned pretty it made his chest hurt Her body was coiven hi bundle of surprises, and he didn’t knohat to look at first

Then he’d seen her eyes, and he was stuck Sooty lashes framed chocolate brown irises, so dark that her pupils alhts of naked Twister turning to thoughts of candlelit dinners? To be fair, denial had set in fast, but those visions had been instantaneous Like part of him knew from the very start she was the one, fro longingly at his honey buns He never believed in stuff like that, and had happily planned to spend the rest of his life as a single guy It had taken a while before the rest of hiht up to the notion that had teased hiotten it He was crazy about Gracie Love Too bad by the time he realized it, she’d already written him off as a total man-slut

He tossed the e lot and then made for his truck He’d just opened the door and slid into the seat when his phone rang

"Hello?"

"Hey, where are you?" His friend and co-worker Alec barked over the line

"Leaving Grace’s office and heading back to the station to change Why?" Trick flipped on the ignition and cranked up the heat October was kicking their asses on the east coast this year

"I need your opinion on a piece I’ here for a while before we go to the Brewhouse, and you can let me knohat you think"

Trick had met Alec when he started on the force Alec was in forensic facial reconstruction and hted as a special effects makeup artist Salem was rife with haunted houses and hayrides, and around Halloween, his business was boouinea pig

"Sure thing," Trick said as he put the car into drive and pulled out of the parking lot "I’ in front of thea skull cap covered by a black wig "I look like Clark Kent Is that the plan?"

"Nope"

Alec took up the jar of adhesive and Trick groaned "Seriously? I just showered a few hours ago and that shit is a pain in the ass to get off"

"I need to start re- tomorrow and I can’t do it until I have the sculpt fixed So er on it" Alec turned and grabbed a brush that looked like a fan "You have a similar bone structure to my client, and it will help if I take a look on a huooey adhesive around his eyes and Trick growled "Fine, but you’re buying tonight"

"Agreed Now stop being a puy and stand still" He held the half- and pulling A few minutes later, he stood back

"Huh Would you look at that? It’s not as bad as I thought"

Trick looked in the mirror and drew back in shock A half-panther, half-man stared back at him, and he nodded, impressed The silicone prosthetic was a s his eyes, nose, and the upper part of his cheek, but with sos, it would be a near perfect makeup

"You’re way too modest, man That is so cool" Trick turned his head to examine it closer "Seriously, I don’t even look liketo tweak the forehead a little I think that’s as bothering ed his thick shoulders and stood back "No proble to recast it"

"So, what are you going to do with this one?"

"Trash" Alec shrugged "If you plan on going trick or treating to to the station to hand out candy to the kids" He looked in the mirror "Maybe I’ll keep it and have a little fun with thenizehi on, but Trick was only half-listening He hadn’t wanted to go to the Halloween party to all over each other, but now? In spite of her refusal to let hio at all…

He caught sight of his reflection again in the erm of an idea crystalized in his head

…

"I look ridiculous," Grace wailed, staring at herself in the three-wayhot," Serena corrected, licking her finger and pressing it to her bottoet to be whoever ithout any judght Exactly And I wanted to be a cheerleader-ghost"

"Which would have been well and good, except that you looked irl who fell into a barrel of flour Sale your A-gah socks looked like you stole theo out like that"