Page 4 of The Devil and His Goddess

Though, I wasn’t entirely complaining. The dim lighting, variety of costumes, pop music, and spooky themed treats and drinks was pretty cool. Maybe it was his way of showing us that he was going to be fun and imaginative instead of overly rigid and high-strung.Orit was a test for all of the dancers and staff.

Who came dressed as what?

Who let loose on the open dance floor?

Who indulged in the alcohol offered tonight?

Work started back next week, which meant it was still technically the off-season for our company. That meant this party was my last chance to have a little buzz before getting back to the rigid food plan and grueling work load, so I decided to be one of those who was a little less uptight.

“I’m gonna grab a drink,” I said to Katerina and Elijah. “Do you guys want something?”

“No thanks, babe,” Elijah declined. He grabbed Katerina’s hand as a new upbeat song came on overhead. “We’re gonna dance.”

“I’ll join you guys in a bit,” I said as I waved the two off.

They found their place among the other dancers and company employees. There were quite a few faces I didn’t recognize here, but that wasn’t surprising since new dancers had just been accepted by the company. That was also part of the reason this party was thrown together—dancers old and new could mingle and get to know each other.

I watched the crowded space as I made my way to the back of the room where the refreshment table stood. I accepted a flute of champagne, sipping on the bubbly drink as witches, vampires, demons, and angels danced. Nearly everyone was out on the floor, but I expected nothing less from a ballet company. The only ones not dancing were the non-performative employees who worked behind the scenes—physical therapists, trainers, dieticians, and the executives.

There was a group of them stationed in the corner of the room, holding drinks and chatting. They were all dressed up in more formal-wear like suits and evening gowns, and a good number of them seemed to be hanging on the words of a middle-aged man dressed in an expensive-looking suit. He smiled and held himself with the sort of power that spoke volumes about his spot in the workplace hierarchy.

That must be the new artistic director, I thought to myself, not recognizing the clearly influential man.

I sipped on my drink and turned back to the dancing crowd. Watching the various people lose themselves in the loud music had me itching to join them, though it didn’t take much to convince me to dance, not when dancing waseverythingto me. The art form was how I expressed myself, how I found peace amid storms, how I found courage in the face of fear. Nothing pushed or fueled me like dance, especially ballet.

“Some party, huh?” a deep, sultry voice commented from beside me.

“Yeah, it’s—” I looked over my shoulder and nearly dropped my champagne in the process, because … holyshit. He couldn’t be real. A manthisgorgeous simply couldn’t exist.

His shoulder-length golden curls brushed broad and tanned shoulders, which were exposed, along with his arms. The white fabric of his costume draped across his chest, secured with a golden clip on his shoulder. Half of a hard and well-defined pec was on display, thanks to the outfit. A belt similar to mine made sure the costume was tight at the waist, and the hem of the Grecian tunic stopped just beneath mid-thigh. Sandals wrapped around calves and shins that every athlete would drool over. After thoroughly devouring him with my gaze, I met emerald green eyes and swallowed hard.

“Interesting,” I finally finished. It took every bit of my self-control to keep the awe off my face.

Despite my attempt to keep my face blank, the man beside me chuckled as though he knew exactly what I thought of him. I downed more of my champagne, needing the drink to deal with my sudden nerves.

“Nice costume,” the beautiful stranger complimented.

I glanced his way and gave him another once over, as if I hadn’t just eye-fucked him seconds ago. “You, too.”

“This?” he asked, looking down at the outfit. “It was just something I grabbed last minute. I thought about coming as a demon, but that seemed a bit too on the nose.”

I quirked a puzzled brow at him. “Why’s that?”

He tilted his head in surprise. “You don’t know who I am?”

“Ha!” I laughed incredulously at the man’s ego. Some dancers had an inflated sense of oneself, and I guessed he was one of them. Playing along, I notched my chin higher and crossed my arms. “Don’t you know whoIam?”

He smiled slowly, the look downright sinful, and he raked those shining green eyes over me. “Not yet, but I’m definitely planning on finding out, Goddess.”

Heat rushed through my veins, warming me with desire. I was suddenly so glad I chose a Greek goddess costume for this evening, because hearing him call me that was doing something delicious to my insides. Pair that with the way he looked at me like I was his dream come to life, and I was prepared to melt. Even though I was used to appraising glances, his attention did something to me that others didn’t. It felt like a sensual caress over my suddenly too-tight skin, and it lured me in like a fish on a hook.

Not wanting to expose the effect he was having on me, I pursed my lips and cocked my head. “I don’t think you could handle me,Peasant.” I flicked the belt of his costume. “After all, a goddess like me has high standards.”

“And I don’t meet them?” he asked, placing a hand on his chest in mock offense.

I tapped a finger on my chin and studied him. I walked a slow circle around him, silently noting how perfect he looked at every angle. “You have good lines. A pretty decent physique.”Especially that ass. I made it back in front of him and took care to make sure my face remained impassive. “Unfortunately, I like my men to prove themselves in more areas than just physicality.”

Amusement glittered in those gems he called eyes. “Name your challenge. You’ll find I always aim to please.”

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