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I turned and looked at him for the first time. The tattoo along his neck snaked below his blacked-out tuxedo, leading my eyes lower to the expertly toned muscles etching through his tight-fitted shirt.
I tried not to stare, but I knew my face was already turning pink. Alek was used to this. Someone like him probably dated hundreds of girls.
But considering he needed my help to settle his reputation…
This was just a deal to him. I needed to keep that in my head. Blushing at the sight of him standing before me wasn’t going to help me.
I cleared my throat, my fingers absentmindedly running across the smooth surface of the bar. “What exactly is expected of me tonight?”
Alekzander huffed and leaned down on the bar. “Just being there should do the trick,” he started. “I’ll have to introduce you to my father, of course, and plenty of other high-ranking assholes. That will be the fun part. We’ll make sure we’re seen together, and then you’ll be back in your cozy little bed.”
My fingers stilled. The entire room stilled. “I’m meeting your father? As in… as in, the demon king?” I stumbled over my words, which only made the situation worse. There was no way Alek would introduce me so soon. I wasn’t ready for that.Right?
Alek’s emerald eyes locked with mine. “Yes. He has to see I’m in a relationship and am no longer available for him to pawn off as he pleases. And he’s not a real king, you know.”
“Just like you’re not a real prince,” I muttered.
Alek’s laugh surprised me. “No, I’m not. But you flatter me.”
“And who exactly does your father think I am? I can’t imagine he thinks we’ve been dating that long.”
“As far as he knows, you’re an ordinary girl I met at the bar. We just started seeing each other, but things are getting very serious. Serious enough to take me off the market, and serious enough that I’ll turn down any morepropositionsfrom him.”
“I guess that’s close enough to the truth.”
Silence passed between us, but I could feel him looking at me. “Are you afraid?” He smirked.
I met his stare again. “Should I be?”
"Don't worry." He paused, his smirk ticking up into a grin before leaning closer to whisper, "Don't leave my side, and you'll be the safest woman in the entire world."
Heat rose to my cheeks. Not because he was now just inches from me, but because he blatantly offered his protection.
I could count on one hand the amount of people who would protect me.
It would take way more than two hands to count the people who would exploit me.
“Fine,” I said. “Let's get this over with, then.” I stood up and peeled off my coat, letting Alekzander see the dress he had so diligently picked out for me. Orlack of a dress, rather.
His eyes flickered down my body, snagging on my cleavage before lowering to my hips. The outline of my body was entirely revealed to him, cut out by the thin black silk. His mouth twitched as his gaze scorched a path back to my eyes.
“The dress fits you well,” he praised. “You’ll definitely be turning heads.”
What is that supposed to mean?
“Come on,” he said, clearing his throat. “I have a ride waiting for us. I’ll fill you in on the specifics on the way.”
Alek grabbed my coat, and I followed him out the front of the bar where we slipped into the long black limousine that had just arrived.
Alek opened the back door. “After you,” he insisted. I tried to keep my composure as I slid into the back seat. The white leather interior was a shocking contrast, and the entire roof glittered with magical twinkling lights.
I moved across the seat, giving Alek plenty of room to follow.
As soon as he shut the door behind himself, Alek grabbed the bottle of what I assumed to be champagne and filled two glasses. “Here,” was all he said before handing me one. I watched as his tattooed throat bobbed, swallowing his drink in two gulps. He filled it again while he took a deep breath.
“This ball is going to be that bad?” I joked, taking a small sip from my own glass. The liquid was fizzy and sweet, definitely more appealing than the tequila.
Alek’s eyes found my own. “The ball will be fine. It’s my father who drives me to drink.” He signaled to his now-empty glass and filled it again. “Every year he pushes me to find a suitable match. This year in particular, though, he’s been rather pushy. He’s threatening to remove my inheritance. He doesn’t think I’m worthy of being part of this family or some shit like that. I’m hoping seeing you will finally shut him up.”
