Page 24 of The Devil and His Goddess

“Impressed, Goddess?”

She immediately schooled the awe from her face and nonchalantly flipped her dark hair over her shoulder. “Hardly.”

Rolling my eyes at her futile attempt of playing it cool, I said, “You’ll have to come see us play sometime. We’re on hiatus right now so our lead can figure his shit out, but when we get back to it, I’ll get you tickets to see us in concert.”

“Maybe,” she said with a teasing tilt of her chin. “I’ll see if I can squeeze it into my busy ballet schedule.”

“Mmm,” I hummed with a feigned seriousness. “That boss planning on running you ragged with no time off?”

“Without a doubt,” she answered with the faintest hint of amusement. “I don’t know him well, yet, but he’ll probably be breathing down my neck as the season gets underway.”

That and more, I thought with a soft chuckle.

The rest of the food arrived, and we spent the rest of the evening just like that. Talking about Sinners Do It Better, delving into Harper’s dance background, and even a little bit of a lesson on the Greek language. The little human asked me how to say every curse word imaginable in Greek, and I couldn’t stop laughing as she parroted all of them to the best of her ability.

Admittedly, it was nice.Reallynice. I wasn’t used to this sort of intimate, cozy atmosphere, especially with a human I’d decided to play my little game of seduction with, but this was …warm. Watching her try and love food that I’d adored for decades, seeing her laugh behind her fingers as I told a crazy fan story, and having her relax right before my eyes.

The ease of being together was startling to realize, and I was still reeling a bit from how much I enjoyed just talking with her as we made it back to our cars. It was to the point where I didn’t want it to end, not simply because I wanted to have sex, but because I wanted to keeptalkingand being around her.

“Thanks for dinner,” Harper said as she hovered by her car door. “You really didn’t have to pay for everything.”

I leaned against the passenger door of my car across from her. Crossing my arms, I smiled and shrugged. “Dinner was my idea. I was obviously going to get it. Thanks for agreeing to come.”

She held up a finger and said, “Just so we’re clear, this wasn’t a date. This was just two coworkers grabbing a bite. Because we’re human, and humans need to eat. Totally normal.”

I wanted to throw my head back on a laugh. If only she fucking knew. In reality, my food source came from sex. I fed off of people’s sexual pleasure and satisfaction, but human food was still fun to indulge in. It just couldn’t sustain me—only feeding off of sex could.

Which had me straightening and stepping closer to her.

“Dinner wasn’t a date,” I agreed. She swallowed as I stopped directly in front of her. “But now dinner is over, and I’m not ready to be done. In fact, I’m hoping the night is just getting started for us.”

Her cheeks turned a light pink as she stared up at me. “That’s a pretty ballsy and forward confession, Peasant.”

I leaned my head in closer. “You make an honest man out of me, Goddess.”

Her gaze dropped to my mouth, and desire immediately clouded those blue orbs. I waited to see which won out—her lust or her worries about being with her boss. Because I knewthatwas what made her hesitate. The bullshit excuse about not being into me was an obvious lie, one she couldn’t use again this time.

Her attention suddenly shifted over my shoulder, and her eyes widened slightly as she tensed. I looked over my shoulder and found Mandi from Silverlight walking this way with a group of girls.

The blonde’s gaze bounced between Harper and I with a look of shock. I didn’t know why the human looked so shaken over seeing us, but it was enough to make her break away from her friends to jog over.

I turned to face her and plastered on a smile for one of my principal dancers. “Good evening, Mandi.”

“Hey, Mr. Mavros,” she greeted sweetly, tucking some hair behind her ear. She batted her lashes at me and glanced at Harper again. “I’m so sorry. Was there a meeting we were having tonight? No one told me.”

“No, no,” I answered. I gestured at Harper. “This wasn’t work related. You’re fine.”

“Oh,” she said, and the grip on her purse strap tightened just a fraction as she looked at Harper again. “I see.” She beamed at me once more and laid a hand on my forearm as she teased, “Make sure you invite me to dinner next time. I’d love to pick your brain, too.”

I wasn’t interested in Mandi, but I nodded pleasantly. “Of course.”

She squeezed my arm lightly, gave one final look at Harper, then turned to walk back to her friends with a bit more sway in her hips than was normal. I wondered if she knew the unnatural walk made her look like a waddling duck and, therefore, made my disinterest even greater. From the heated look she threw at me over her shoulder, I’d wager not.

When Mandi and her friends disappeared inside, I turned back to Harper. She no longer looked at me but, rather, dug around in her purse. She produced her car keys, and without even glancing my way, she unlocked her car and announced, “I’ve gotta get going. I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”

“Harper—”

She was in the car with the engine started before I could finish. I watched her go, and while part of me wanted to be annoyed that Mandi clearly ruined what was about to happen between us, I was more thrilled than anything.

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