little outfit?”
Willow cut wary eyes to her friend. If any of their group would understand, it would be Tatum. She was a no-nonsense, make-no-apologies kind of person. Willow admired her for that self-confidence. Tatum didn’t need anyone’s approval.
After spending her entire life worrying what others thought, Willow was envious. But she had no idea how to adopt Tatum’s cavalier attitude. It just wasn’t her.
“What do you mean?” she asked, still uncertain if Tatum knew who she was. She hadn’t told any of her friends what she’d planned to do tonight. She’d been apprehensive about their reactions. She wasn’t interested in being razzed for the decision...or talked out of it.
Tatum’s pale green eyes raked Willow from the tip of her head to the toe of the designer heels peeking out beneath her hem.
“Well, let’s start with the hair. I really hope it’s temporary. While I’m all for taking a risk, you’ve never struck me as a red kinda girl. And the dress. Don’t misunderstand, it’s gorgeous—how could it not be? You designed it—but a little revealing for you, isn’t it?”
Oh, Tatum knew it was her. “Thanks, Mom.”
Her friend chuckled, sipped on the glass of punch she held. “Don’t get me wrong. If you really want to go there, I’ll support you one hundred percent. But as long as I’ve known you, this—” her hand waved up and down to take in Willow’s entire ensemble “—has never been your thing.”
Tatum turned, giving her back to the room and blocking out everyone else. Her stare was serious and sharp. “I’ve had my fair share of one-night-stand regrets. I just want to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.”
Willow shook her head. “No one said anything about a one-night stand.”
“Please, honey, that dress screams ‘screw me.’ Right along with the underlying air of innocence that not even your amazing creation can completely cover up. You’re like catnip, and every single man here is sniffing.”
Willow wanted to dismiss her friend’s observation—she wasn’t catnip for anyone—but the barrage of bad lines she’d heard tonight had her swallowing the words.
“Right now, there are at least six men who can’t take their eyes off you.”
“How do you know? Your back is to the room.”
Tatum shrugged. “What do I always do at these things? I’ve been watching. The real question is, what are you going to do about it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you going to stay here in the corner, or are you going to get out there and flirt?” Shifting to stand beside her, Tatum crossed her arms over her chest, leaned against the wall and stared into the pulsing crowd. Tatum hated these things, and still she always came.
“Corner,” Willow answered without a second thought.
“I’m not sure he’s going to be satisfied with that answer.” Without bothering to look, Tatum tipped her head sideways.
Willow followed the gesture, her eyes scanning the crowd for whatever her friend was talking about.
And then she saw him.
Even from behind the barrier of his red-satin devil mask, she could feel the intensity of his stare as it ran slowly over her body. And she reacted. Her body buzzed with the recognition of a virile, interested male.
Through the space and the shield of his mask she couldn’t tell the color of his eyes, but they were dark. People brushed past him on both sides. The cacophony of voices and music swirled between them. Someone bumped his shoulder. But he didn’t move. None of the chaos touched him.
Willow’s throat went dry. Her pulse fluttered uncomfortably. She wanted to look away, but couldn’t.
Then he moved. Toward her. Willow reached for Tatum, hoping to use her as a deflection, but her friend had disappeared. Damn her.
Dressed all in black, the only colors he wore were the shocking red mask and a slate-gray tie. Willow recognized expensive material and tailoring when she saw it. His suit hugged him perfectly, highlighting the beautiful body beneath.
Whoever he was, he had money. Not that Willow particularly cared about that.
“Like to dance?” He held out his hand, palm up.
Willow stared at it for several seconds, torn. Slowly, her gaze traveled up his body to his eyes. They were a dark, midnight-blue.
Licking her lips, she said, “That’s all?”
“That isn’t enough?”
“Every other guy here has had some cheesy line about angels or sin.”
“You’re too intelligent for that.”
“How do you know?”
During the entire exchange he held his hand steady between them, waiting. There was a...stillness inside him. A patience she instinctively recognized. He’d show that same patience in bed as he drove her crazy with precision and skill.
Willow fought the urge to squirm. She found herself nodding but didn’t reach for him, vacillating between what she wanted to do and what she should do. She wanted to let this handsome, dynamic and mysterious man sweep her off her feet. And he so could. Her skin tingled. Her body fizzed with anticipation.
But what she should do was turn around and walk away. Everything inside her told her that was the smart, responsible, correct response. Years of doing the right thing and choosing the safe course were hard to ignore.
Good habits were just as hard to break as the bad ones.
But tonight she’d come here to be daring, to do something different and shake up her life. At least for one night.
The perfect opportunity to do that stared at her with dark, sensual, bedroom eyes.
2
APPARENTLY TIRED OF waiting for her to make up her mind, the devil took the decision from her. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her tight against his body and led her to the center of the dance floor.
Languid heat spread through her when his palm slipped down her spine, ruffling feathers as he went, to settle at the small of her back. Bringing her close, he flattened her other hand against his chest and engulfed it in his own.
Was it an accident that she could feel the accelerated thrum of his heart against her palm?
Rough stubble scraped her temple. The heavy beat of the music slipped into her blood, settling as a steady and agonizing vibration deep in her belly.
Moist heat tickled across her cheek when he said, “I’m Dev.”
“Willow.”
His entire body hardened. His back stiffened and the pectoral muscle beneath their joined hands turned to stone. She didn’t understand
