Page 5 of The Devil and His Goddess

The way he purred the last sentiment made my head fill with images of naked, golden skin sheening with sweat as it curved over top of mine. Desire settled hot at my core. It had been awhile since I’d had sex, and part of me wanted to skip through this sort of back-and-forth we were doing to get right to the main event. But I also liked the teasing air we had and wanted to draw it out.

“You want to win me over?” With a smirk, I held out my hand in an invitation for his. “Dance with me.”

I wasn’t sure who this guy was, but he was clearly one of Silverlight’s new dancers. There was no way he had this kind of body andwasn’tan athlete. He called me a goddess, but he could literally be a Greek god statue come to life. I was eager to see how he moved on the dance floor and how well he commanded that body.

With only a fleeting glance at my hand, Peasant took it and led me onto the dance floor. The moment we were there, he jerked my hand high and spun me twice before yanking me flush against him. I sucked in a sharp breath as my chest pressed to his torso, and my hand landed on his bare bicep. He pressed into me so that I was forced to move in time with the push and sway of his hard body. With the slow and dramatic song overhead and the way he posed our arms high, I quickly understood the dance he was about to lead me through.

With a knowing smile, I gripped his hand and shoulder firmly before sweeping my leg out through the slit in my dress, curving it behind me and bending my back. He grinned and snapped me back up so we were right in each other’s faces, nose to nose, lips centimeters apart.

My own grin stayed rooted in place as we moved through a sensual sort of tango. I wasn’t a ballroom dancer by any means, but Peasant was an excellent lead, guiding me through the steps and motions while also giving me space to spin and dip with my own ballerina flare. The music hummed in my veins, and the heat smoldering in his green gaze fueled me to move my body in whatever way felt right. That meant pressing into him and keeping our noses aligned so that we breathed the other in. He hooked one of my legs over his hip to dip me low enough that my outstretched hand brushed the ground. With the strength and grace of a professional, he guided me back up and into his strong hold.

Our feet moved quickly and sharply through the steps he created, and in a grand finale, he spun me out. When he pulled me back in, he lifted me into his arms so that my back pressed to his shoulder and my leg hooked through his arm, arching me through a final spin. He brought me back to the ground as the turn ended, and we landed right back against each other, noses touching and eyes locked.

Applause erupted around us, and it was only then that I realized the rest of the party had backed away to open the floor for the two of us.

“How’d I do?” he asked breathlessly in the space between us.

I let out a small laugh before I could help myself and shrugged. “Adequate.”

The crowd slowly found their way back to the dance floor, and the two of us continued to sway and move in place as a new song filled the speakers. I caught sight of multiple people watching us with wide eyes and soft murmurs as they shuffled around our duo in their own dance. I totally understood their shock. That dance had been exhilarating, and no one could deny the brilliance of it, especially since it was performed in the heat of the moment and not rehearsed.

“Think I can serve you yet, Goddess?” he asked with a teasing grin.

“You reallyareeager to please,” I noted. With my heart still racing from the fiery dance we’d just had, I asked, “So are you one of the new dancers hired on?”

“Something like that.” His eyes made a slow sweep of my body again, and there was no missing the sweet heat that followed his gaze. “What’s your name? Or should I keep calling you Goddess?”

I laughed and readjusted my hold on his shoulders. “Goddess works just fine for me. Or Harper. Whichever you prefer. What about you, Peasant?”

“Perseus.”

I narrowed my eyes in skepticism. “Is that your real name, or are we still going along with the Greek theme you and I seem to be sharing?”

He smiled. “It’s my real name.”

“Hmm. I like it. I guess that earns you a couple more points in my book.”

“I’m glad it pleases you. Anything else I can do to earn your favor?”

I pursed my lips and pretended to think—as if I didn’t knowexactlywhat he hoped I’d suggest. “You can fetch me another drink.”

“As my goddess wishes.”

He placed his hand on my lower back as we left the dance floor. He headed for the refreshment table while I made my way to one of the standing tables off to the side of the room.

This night was definitely taking an unexpected turn. I’d never envisioned coming to a work party and finding a man I was interested in bringing home, yet here I was. Breathless. Giddy. Horny. I was always so focused on my career as a ballerina that I rarely made time for much else,especiallysex or romance. So this was a pleasant change in routine for me.

I brushed some of my dark hair out of my eyes when I caught sight of a blonde head walking in my direction. The high still heating my skin cooled with annoyance when I saw Mandi. Her costume looked less like the run-of-the-mill angel get-ups and more like one that had come right off the Victoria Secret runway.

She stopped by my table and glared at me in disgust. “You’re really something, Harper. Afraid you won’t be principal dancer if you don’t fuck the director? I always knew you wouldn’t be top girl without sleeping your way through the company. Classy, Harper. Real classy.”

She flipped her blonde hair over her white glittery wings and spun on her heel before I could even open my mouth. I stared wide-eyed at her retreating back. I was so used to Mandi’s nasty attitude that her remarks brushed right off of me.

All of them, except one.

My stomach bottomed out as I slowly turned to Perseus, who made his way toward me with champagne in each hand. I quickly looked over his shoulder where the group of men and women dressed in suits and evening gowns stood, and I realized too late I’d made a very incorrect assumption. The looks we’d received while dancing took on a whole new meaning.

The man in the suit wasn’t the new artistic director.

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