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“He still does, if that tells you anything.”
“Ew.” Then a thought struck that had her jaw falling open. “Wait. Did he name his company Monarch because he was elected prom king?”
Ash laughed. It was a deep, rich sound. “You know, I never thought of that, but probably.”
“Wow, that’s really pathetic.”
“Pathetic is a good word to describe Mark, but he’s not the kind of guy who’s going to call in a bomb threat. He prefers to sue people to get his way.”
“So, who would threaten the fundraiser?”
He lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Probably just kids, but I’m not taking any chances. I have deputies stationed at every door and a bomb-sniffing K9 unit from the state police patrolling the grounds. Like I said, it’s probably nothing, but this is my sister’s baby. I’m not taking chances.”
She loved that he cared so much about Anna and her many passion projects. His protectiveness was sweet.
The music slowed, and Ash pulled her closer. He smelled nice, like the woods after a rain, and she relaxed into his arms. He was a good dancer, his touch gentle but confident.
Nothing like Demon Man, who had been all rough edges and primitive need. That was what made him so dangerous—his unpredictability, his wildness. Ash was safe, reliable—a good choice for a life partner.
But was that really what she wanted?
Yes.
Yes, of course.
Safe and reliable was better.
And while she couldn’t deny that the dance with Demon Man had been the most exciting thing she’d ever done, she couldn’t risk another deviation from her plan. She’d lost too much already.
As if conjured by her thoughts, Demon Man appeared at the edge of the dance floor. He still wore his mask, but she could tell by the flat line of his mouth that he disapproved of her current dance partner. His dark eyes all but burned her skin. Her heart thundered as she met his gaze over Ash’s shoulder, torn between Ash, the safe choice, and Demon Man, the wild card.
Dammit, it shouldn’t even be a debate. She shouldn’t be looking at him. Shouldn’t be entertaining the idea of leaving Ash after this next dance and going to him—but she couldn’t help it. There was something about him that drew her in, something magnetic that made her feel more alive than she had in years.
She imagined that was how bugs felt right before they got zapped.
When the song ended, Ash didn’t let her go. She pulled her gaze away from Demon Man and made herself focus on Ash. He leaned down, his breath warm against her cheek, and for a heart-stopping moment, she thought he was going to kiss her.
Did she want him to kiss her?
Yes.
No.
“Anna’s watching,” he said, his voice a sexy rumble in her ear.
Sasha glanced over at her best friend, who gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up. She laughed and buried her burning face in Ash’s shoulder. “Oh my God. She looks like the Cheshire Cat.”
He grumbled low in his throat, but it was good-natured. “She’s very pleased with herself right now. She’s been telling me to ask you out for years.” He pushed a loose strand of hair back from her face and smiled. “I’m an idiot for not listening to her sooner.”
The nerves swarmed back. “Oh. Well, uh, don’t tell her that, or you’ll never hear the end of it.”
The radio at his belt squawked with chatter. He cursed under his breath before letting her go. “Sorry, I have to—”
“No, don’t apologize. I get it. I’m always on call, too.” The nearest emergency animal hospital was almost two hours away, and sometimes a patient just didn’t have that long. She and two other vets in town took turns being on call for emergencies, and it wasn’t unusual for the answering service to contact her at all hours of the night.
Ash walked backward a few steps, seemingly reluctant to leave. “Do you want to get dinner sometime when I’m not…” He trailed off and waved vaguely in the direction of his deputies, who were both trying to get his attention. “You know, being pulled in five directions at once?”
She hesitated, glancing over at Demon Man. He was still watching her, his eyes dark and intense. It was as if he was daring her to come to him, to embrace the danger that he represented.
