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She belonged to me, but giving her my true name would give her the power to summon me if spoken just right.
I let her dangle on the silence for another moment before deciding that it was only fair that I leveled the playing field.
“Stolas,” I said, gifting her with the social reprieve of my name.
“Stolas,” she repeated, the first and last letters getting caught in her teeth and dragged along her tongue like silk. “That’s a . . . strong name.”
“Suits him, doesn’t it?” Orobas chimed in, clapping my shoulder. “Handsome devil.” His bouncy tone did nothing to rid her expression of its curiosity. “My glass is empty, bad luck at such a fancy affair. I’ll be back in a moment.”
Her hostess senses slipped back into place. “Oh, I can—”
“No, please stay and occupy my brother,” Orobas said. “He has been bored to tears and I need a rest from carrying the conversation for the both of us.” He scurried away before she could answer.
She watched after him a moment before turning back to me, surprise still on her face.
When she caught my eyes wandering over her features too long, she stiffened but didn’t make an excuse to run. She pulled the corner of her lip between her teeth and tapped her fingernails against her champagne flute.
“You don’t want to be here, do you?”
Her shocked expression didn’t recover as quickly as it had before. “Uh, well.” She laid her hand over her chest and clutched a small oval locket that hung from her neck, shielding her discomfort from my blatant accusation. “I’m not really a fan of large gatherings, but my father and his associates are so kind and generous that I enjoy meeting and mingling with his supporters.”
I smirked at the plastered smile she tried to fake. “You’re a terrible liar.”
She covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, but a small snort escaped between her fingers.
“Fine,” she admitted. “You’re right. I’d rather be home in my sweats watching trashy TV and eating my weight in ice cream. But when Daddy needs me, I come.”
If she played her cards right, she’d be callingmedaddy as I made her come undone.
I had to restrain myself. Her sweet laugh and luscious curves sharpened my tongue and dirtied my humor.
“You must be close to your father to give up more exciting plans to be put on display for these bloated windbags.”
She considered me for a moment. Her previous apprehension was long gone, and her lips curled into an easy smile. “Tell me what you really think, why don’t you?”
I cleared my throat, aware I may have been too outwardly disgusted by the humans assembled. They wore some of their greatest sins on their sleeves.
“Forgive me,” I said. “My brother is the social one for a reason. I usually deal with numbers and figures. I’m only dragged out to parties when more complicated agreements need to be made.”
Her eyes widened while she mentally sized me up and found me her equal and a worthy distraction. She finally released the bite of her tongue.
A small thrill rang through me.
“There’s nothing to forgive. I’m just surprised to meet someone as cynical as me at one of these things.”
The sight of her father and stepmother drew our attention to the archway near the staircase. He’d spotted us, and his brow knitted with worry when his eyes locked on mine.
He knew who and what I was.
Though he made his deal with Orobas, I had been given an explanation after my winning hand in Vegas. A scorch of heat and bitter anger tipped my tongue. There was a deep circle of Hell for humans like him who made deals with demons for other humans’ souls.
While most of my brothers viewed the deals as a two-for-one sale, I saw it for what it was.
Dirty and despicable.
But he would have no idea yet that Orobas had relinquished his hold over their deal to me.
“Would you like to see the garden?” Evie’s rebellious voice brought me back to our previous conversation. “My stepmother worked so hard on it, but hardly anyone has made it out there. It would be a shame to waste the fruits of the landscaper’s labor.”
