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She wasn’t a dancer. Nobody would ever call her graceful, but she easily fell into the rhythm of the lively music with him. The man could move, and it was sexy as hell. Who knew she was attracted to men who could dance? She sure hadn’t.
Soon enough, she stopped worrying about his hands skimming over the lumps and bumps her dress didn’t hide. She stopped worrying if she was going to step on his foot. She laughed as he spun her out and back in. It was kind of… fun.
God. When was the last time she’d let herself have fun?
As the music slowed, his muscular arms wrapped around her waist and tugged her close. Her face flushed with heat, and this time it had nothing to do with the champagne. It was a pleasant warmth that spread throughout her body to tingle in her fingers and toes. This wasn’t part of the plan, but as she stared up at his masked face, she found herself losing all sense of reason. Dancing with a stranger in a demon mask was so out of character, but she wasn’t ready to stop. It was too exciting. Exhilarating.
And yet, even as they danced, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her.
It wasn’t until the dance ended and Demon Man pulled away from her that she finally saw him. Ash. He was standing near the door, dressed in a simple black cloak, talking to Zak. He looked like a shadow in the dimly lit room, but she knew it was him. He still had his Lost County Sheriff’s uniform on under the hastily donned cloak. Probably Anna’s doing. She wouldn’t let anyone— even her brother—enter without a costume.
Sasha’s heart skipped a beat as she realized what she had just done. She had danced with this dangerous stranger while Ash—the perfect man, the one who checked all of the boxes in her tidy life plan—had been there all along.
Dammit, she had to focus.
The plan was to seduce Ash, not Demon Man.
Stick to the plan.
“Thank you. That was fun, but—” She tried to extricate herself gracefully, but Demon Man caught her hand.
“Where are you going?” His voice was a low rumble that sent sparks through her nerve endings as he drew her in close. “I’m not done with you yet.”
“I… uh… need to go.” A faint protest, her voice barely above a whisper. She could see his dark eyes burning with intensity under the mask and found herself almost hypnotized by his gaze. “I was waiting for a friend, and he’s here now, so—”
“Forget him.” He leaned in closer, his breath hot against her ear. “Come with me.”
It was a mistake, but she didn’t protest again as he led her away from the crowd and into a darkened corner of the room. Demon Man trapped her against the velvet-draped wall with his big body, and his stubble scraped her cheek as his lips hovered inches above hers. His hand curled loosely around her neck, his thumb tracing her collarbone up to her fluttering pulse.
But he didn’t kiss her.
God, she wanted him to kiss her.
Her hand automatically came up to his shoulder as if she meant to push him away, but then slid down his tattooed arm. Fascinated, she traced the lines of ink carved into his skin with her fingertips. His muscles tightened under her touch.
He made a sound of pure male need, deep and primal. His hands slid down to her hips, then around to her ass. He pulled her against him, and there was no mistaking his arousal. The ridge of it pressed against her stomach as he skimmed his lips from the corner of her mouth to her neck. He breathed in deeply as if trying to inhale her like a drug.
She was in trouble. She was veering way off her predetermined route here, but what would it hurt just this once? Then she could go back to checking off boxes on her tidy plan.
No.
No.
Her eyes popped open in shock. Those wayward thoughts had to be the champagne talking. This man was not part of her plan. When she went off plan, bad things happened. The last time, she’d lost the most important person in the world to her.
Never again.
She forced herself to step back.
He growled softly and stepped forward, crowding her against the wall. She pressed her hand to his chest and felt his heart beating as hard as hers under her palm.
“I have to go,” she said again, more firmly.
Demon Man didn’t reply right away, but the stubborn look in his eyes said he wasn’t ready to give up on her, and he was debating how hard he should push. And, if she were honest with herself, it wouldn’t take much of a push. She was insanely attracted to this man—more attracted than she had been to anyone—and she hadn’t even seen his entire face yet.
He was dangerous.
So, so dangerous.
