Description
Bonus Excerpt
From behind him, hands wrapped around his arms before he could turn, the softness of someone’s face rested on his back. It was women’s shoes behind his, and the smaller build of the body all but told him it was a woman.
_____’s hologram twirled deeper into the painting in front of him, taunting him to catch her through the lilies. Except he was trapped, entranced by the person behind him keeping him locked in place. Caught in the light of speckled teals and lilies, it made his head spin. Like _____ was running away, yet that was her voice in his ear.
Wasn’t it?
“_____?”
“Remember what you said the last time we were together?”
“Yes.”
Her lips grazed the side of his neck, each fluttering kiss sending a shiver down his spine.
He let out a low growl, reaching for her. He imagined it was her—had to be her—it was just her sort of game to mess with his head like this. First, a fake kidnapping, then, a hologram. It was all about illusions with her. A masquerade. And what else did he expect of the Magic Thief?
The hologram looked so real across the dance floor, the shadows so clear they picked out her toned body like she was there, except part of her kept sliding through other dancers. It messed with his head.
His hand tangled in the woman’s hair, the other finding her thigh. This one, at least, was real.
Her fingers danced tantalisingly close below his abdomen before her warmth fled, sliding up his chest, leaving him hungrier and hungrier while keeping him resolutely locked against her.
He needed to see her.
“I need to know it’s you, ____,” he said. The closest it was going to come to a plea.
He was about to turn when the fuzz of cotton slipped over his eyes.
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Uncertainty slithered through his stomach. His hands flew up to snatch it off, but she gently pressed her hands over his eyes.
Her voice again. “Relax. Dance with me.”
Her hands moved, sliding down his arms, down down all the way until their fingers laced. She moved him with the music, and he let her, a bemused smile tugging at his lips.
“You’re not afraid I’ll step on you dancing blindfolded?” he asked. The way she pulled his hands with a laugh like it was a game only she knew about. Was this a game? Was he nothing but entertainment?
She wrapped his arms around herself, her perfume something like a spell keeping him from resisting. If he leaned down now, he was certain he would kiss her.
“Why are you doing this, _____?”
She pressed a smile upon his cheek. “Because it’s fun. The whole point of today was to teach you to loosen up.”
“A fake kidnapping was the way to do that?”
“It got your attention.”
“There are other ways to get my attention.”
Her breath caressed his lips. “But isn’t this a hundred times better?”
“Let’s not play this game, please.” He made to take the blindfold off.
“Wait.”
He paused, letting the blindfold rest.
“They’re going to start the countdown. Ten. Nine…”
The others in the bar counted in unison with her, drowning out her voice.
8, 7…
The air had gone still. He knew without looking that nobody moved. Even the quiet stir of passing drones was gone. Everyone’s attention rapt for the new year—or perhaps it was a circle of friends, a partner, a lover waiting for the fireworks.
“You can trust me,” he said, but he wasn’t sure if she heard.
The crowd chanted, their voices shaking the floor. 6, 5…
He couldn’t hear _____ at all, and his eyes were useless behind the blindfold.
4, 3…
His heart pounded.
2…
What if she had left?
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