Page 60 of Fifth Avenue Devil

But she’s right. I feel alive in a way that I never have before.

We dance for a few more songs before Dana cups her hands around my ear. “Let’s take a break!”

I nod enthusiastically. We retreat to our velvet-lined haven in the VIP section. The music softens once we sit in the leather booth.

Dana wipes her forehead with the back of her hand. "We've set that floor on fire."

“That was so fun!” I crow. I fan my face, feeling flushed.

“It only gets more fun the longer you stay.” Dana winks at me and offers me a glass of champagne.

I giggle and sip. This time, when Dana takes another tequila shot, I do one along with her. I’m feeling loose and hot, and I’m grinning ear to ear.

Why have I never done this before?I wonder.

As I sink into the plush couch, a familiar face causes a jolt of electricity to arc through me.

Nate —imposing and impossibly handsome—casually sits down in our booth. His gray eyes seem silver in the sporadic flicker of the strobe lights.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Dana purrs, sliding over to Nate with a confidence that borders on audacity. "Nate Fordham, as I live and breathe."

“You two know each other?” I ask. Suddenly, I’m wracking my brain to remember if Dana ever mentioned having a crush on a Nate. But I come up empty.

Nate leans forward, pinning me in place with his gaze. “We’ve met,” he concedes. “We don’t know each other that well, though.”

I gulp. “That’s… nice.”

“It’s a rare pleasure to get Nate here all to ourselves,” Dana yells. “Don’t have to get up early, I assume?”

“No.” He doesn’t even make eye contact with her.

I’m sweating over here.

She bombards him with questions, each more intrusive than the last. He parries them with the ease of a man accustomed to dodging prying inquiries. His politeness is disarming. But it's clear to me that he's not here to play twenty questions with my cousin.

At last, Dana gets bored and excuses herself to go to the restroom. I don’t move to join her, and she huffs as she turns to go.

"How did you find me?" I ask once she’s out of earshot.

“Maybe I wanted to relax in this loud, hot room. Ever think of that?” He tilts his head.

I narrow my eyes at him. “I think you’re full of it, Nate.”

He chuckles, a low, resonant sound that dances down my spine. "I have eyes everywhere, Annalise. I wasn’t looking for you, but I still found you."

"Here I am. Now that you’ve found me, what are you going to do about it?"

An unspoken challenge hangs between us. A test of wills that's as intoxicating as the top-shelf liquor that’s flowing in this club.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" His reply nonplusses me.

I stand up and do another shot. Nate’s eyebrows rise. I smirk at him. “I think you’re just here to torment me. And I hate it. Come dance with me.”

"I enjoy watching," he drawls. He eyes me with an intensity that scorches my skin.

"Scared you can't keep up?" I tease. I’m probably going too far, but I don’t care.

"I’m just here to watch the show." He sits back, draping his arms over the back of the couch.

---