My gaze snagged on a sliver of blue. It was the exact shade as the dress Maya had been wearing.
I didn’t find Xavier, but I did find the guy he set her up with. He stood facing me, his expression utterly charmed as he listened to whatever Maya was saying.
Her back faced me, but dress aside, I’d recognize that midnight-colored hair and those long, athletic legs anywhere.
The guy laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He leaned down to whisper something to her, and her shoulders shook with what was either genuine amusement or the maniacal glee of a succubus before she ate him alive.
Poor schmuck. Little did he know, her pretty face hid a razor-sharp tongue and enough acid to melt the Statue of Liberty.
Everyone knew that the most beautiful creatures in the wild were also the most poisonous. If they didn’t, it was my duty to save them.
Consider it my charity work for the month.
I walked over. “There you are, Sal,” I drawled. “The date hunt is going well, I see.”
Maya’s shoulders visibly tensed. She ignored me, but the guy’s brow creased with confusion.
“I think you have the wrong person. Her name’s Maya,” he said.
“Oh, no. I know. Sal’s my nickname for her. We go way back.” I held out my hand. He shook it warily. “Sebastian Laurent. I saw you talking and just wanted to check in. She has a bad history with men, you see. Never manages to get past the first date, but it’s not her fault. Her anger issues have improved a lot since her court-mandated classes.”
The guy’s mouth rounded. His eyes darted back to Maya in horror.
“Ignore him,” she said through a smile that was better described as “bared teeth.” It lent considerable credibility to my claims. “Poor Seb suffers from delusions. He’s not supposed to leave his house without a caretaker, but he must have wandered off on his own. Again.”
“I couldn’t resist looking for you,mon ange.”
“Resist harder.”
“And miss your date hunt? Never.”
“Listen.” The guy interrupted us with a nervous laugh. “Uh, it’s clear you two have something going on here—”
“We don’t.” Maya moved away from me. “There’s nothing going on other than the strong possibility thatoneof us will leave in a full-body cast.”
“See?” I gave the guy a conspiratorial look and whispered, “Anger issues.”
“Right.” He backed away. “Either way, it was nice meeting you, but I have to, uh, find my friend. See ya.” He bolted into the crowd like Cerberus itself was nipping at his heels.
Satisfaction ignited in my chest. He didn’t know it, but I’d just saved him.
Maya whirled on me. “What iswrongwith you? We were having a great conversation before you ruined it.”
“Please. You’re not upset he left. You’re upset because Iinterrupted you.”
“Those things aren’t mutually exclusive.”
“Maybe not, but tell me what you were talking about before I showed up.” I raised an eyebrow. “The weather, his job, or the stock market?”
She pursed her lips. I’d hit the nail on the head.
“What are you still doing here? I thought you left,” she said.
I shrugged. “The night’s still young. I went upstairs to have a drink after you so helpfully psychoanalyzed me.”
Maya winced. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth, her expression torn. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier.” She grated the words out with painful slowness. “It’s been a rough week, and I took it out on you. I shouldn’t have.”
I almost stumbled back a step before I caught myself.