"Well," he said, sliding his hands into his pockets, "you won."
I blinked. "What?"
"The bet."
Amber light shifted across the sharp line of his jaw beneath the mask while people moved around us in blurred shadows. Somewhere deeper inside the club, somebody laughed softly. Glass clinked. The bass beneath my heels rolled through the floor like a heartbeat.
"You guessed right." His voice was easy again now. Controlled. Calm. Like whatever strange thing had happened a few seconds ago had already disappeared behind that devil mask and stupid confidence. "Fair and square."
I narrowed my eyes. Suspicious. "That's it?"
One shoulder lifted. "That's it."
I stared harder. "No dramatic speech?"
"No,” he said firmly.
"No manipulation?" I hated myself for what I was saying.
"Nope."
"No weird devil bargain where I accidentally sign away my soul?" I questioned.
The corner of his mouth twitched. "No manipulative devil nonsense tonight."
I crossed my arms. Absolutely not. I didn't trust this. Because men like him didn't just walk away. Men like him pushed. Pressed. Stayed too close and smiled too much and kept talking until you forgot your own name. But he was just standing there looking at me calmly, like he'd already decided something.
Then he gave me a small nod. "Enjoy your night, little troublemaker."
Little troublemaker again. Excuse me? Before I could argue, he turned. And started walking away. For a second I only staredat his back. My brain completely stopped functioning. Because my first thought wasn't good. My first thought wasn't finally. My first thought wasn't thank God the annoying psychopath is leaving me alone.
No. Unfortunately, my first thought was: Wait.
My eyebrows pulled together. I watched him disappear through the shifting crowd while people unconsciously moved aside for him. Men stepped back. Women looked up. Nobody touched him.
I noticed that. Not because they looked afraid. Because they looked like they already knew him. Like they knew exactly who he was beneath the mask. The realization brushed uneasily against my thoughts and disappeared just as quickly. Because something much more horrifying happened.
I didn't want him to go. The thought slammed into me so hard I almost physically recoiled. No. Absolutely not. Nope. I stared after him in horror.
Because I had known this man for approximately... what? Twenty-five minutes? And he was irritating. Annoying. Manipulative. Infuriatingly attractive. I watched him get farther away. Then farther.
"Oh my God," I muttered dramatically. I hated myself. Actually hated myself. "Hey!"
He kept walking. My eyes narrowed. "Oh, now you're ignoring me?"
He stopped. Slowly turned. Even from several feet away, I could practically feel the smugness radiating off him. Handsome bastard.
I walked toward him, heels clicking softly against black marble while heat slowly crept into my face. Because I genuinely had no idea what I was doing anymore. None. Absolutely none.
I stopped in front of him. Looked up. He looked down at me. Waiting. I lifted my chin. "You forgot something."
His head tilted. "I did?"
I stared at him for dramatic effect. Then smiled sweetly. "I think we need another bet."
Silence.
Then very slowly, his eyes darkened beneath the devil mask. Not in the way I expected. Not hunger. Not arrogance. Something more dangerous. Interest. Real interest. The kind that felt like stepping too close to a cliff edge and realizing the ground beneath your feet looked very far away.