He shrugs. “They don’t see what I do.”
As his response sinks in, I give myself a hard mental kick. My eyes narrow, my voice becoming sharp. “Which is what, exactly? An easy conquest? If you think I’m vulnerable because I’m different, you’re sorely mistaken.”
He eases back from me, giving even more space between us than I’ve already provided as he leans against the wall and assumes a casual pose. “Far from it. When I look at you, Olivia, I see a woman who hasn’t even come close to testing her true strength.”
His shoulders rise a little before lowering. It’s a deliberately relaxed gesture. I’m suddenly drawn to the fact that his balance is perfectly aligned even though he’s leaning to the side, and while his focus appears completely on me, he remains aware of our surroundings. The suit he’s wearing suddenly seems out of place. I picture him being far more comfortable in a combat zone than surrounded by all of the mystery and magic of The Monster Ball.
I bet he acquired his strength tail years ago, perhaps even early like me, but it’s difficult to know what other tails he’s missing—if any.
Allowing a challenging smile to lift my lips, I ask, “Do you fancy being the one to test me?”
He closes the gap faster than he should be able to, proving my theory that his reflexes are better than his casual pose conveyed, but I stand my ground.
Without touching me, his gaze passes across my face in a way that makes my body feel even warmer than it already does.
“I’ll take that challenge,” he says. For a second, I think he’s going to slide his arms around my waist—but for what purpose, I’m not sure. I’m not entirely convinced it would be to kiss me. An unexpected thrill fills me. I’ve spent the last few years hustling in the gray places that sit between light and dark. I recognize the darkness lingering behind Julian’s eyes before he hides it.
“But not before a drink.” He steps back suddenly and inclines his head toward the exit. “There’s a witch at the bar at the back of the Skydeck mixing drinks with magic. I think you’ll like what she’s making.”
I let out a laugh that breezes between us, easing the tension. “You draw a lot of conclusions about me, Julian. But…” I bite my lip, trying to cut through the mystery surrounding him to his real motives. “I’m curious enough to wait you out. Let’s see if you’re right about this witch and her drinks.”
Without missing a beat, he holds out his hand, waiting for me to take it.
I consider whether or not to dismiss his offered hand. Giving into my impulses, I slip my fingers around his, another thrill running through me as his palm presses against mine.
When he pushes open the door and leads me up the stairs to the upper deck, an enchanting song floats around us, along with a gentle fog that softens the view. The mist takes on a crimson glow that matches the red velvet of the coffins at the bar in the first class dining room. Whoever the singer up here is, her voice makes me want to ditch my inhibitions altogether.
For one crazy moment, I consider throwing caution to the wind as the tension grows between Julian and me with every step we take. The desire to draw him into one of the dark rooms and explore every intricate inch of his tribal tattoo becomes stronger… until I’m distracted by a bright flare of light.
Flames break through the fog as a man wearing an all-black velvet suit breathes sapphire-colored fire from his mouth. Dragon shifter, I think before I can second-guess myself. Or possibly life saver, considering he snapped me away from my dangerously reckless thoughts.
Another man, who is wearing black, ripped jeans, a black leather jacket, and tennis shoes, throws a card in the direction of the dragon shifter, causing the dragon’s sapphire flames to morph into the shape of an enormous bluebell flower. The power pouring from the man in the leather jacket and the trick he performed with the card tell me he has to be some kind of warlock.
The warlock gives the dragon shifter a cocky grin, while the dragon rolls his eyes at the flowery transformation of his powerful flames. The dragon inhales as if he’s about to pour flames over the creation, but Julian steps quickly between them, taking me with him as he reaches out for the bluebell. It’s so large that it makes his hand look tiny, and it’s made entirely of dragon’s breath, so I’m not sure what Julian intends to do.
“Milo,” Julian says, addressing the warlock with a question in his voice. “Do me a favor?”
Milo runs a hand through his hair, his brown eyes appraising me before his grin broadens and he tips his scruffy chin up at Julian. “It’s all yours.”
Milo throws another card, and the flower shrinks in front of my eyes.
Julian catches it before it falls to the deck, proving his quick reflexes once again as he turns to me. “May I?”
The bluebell rests in his free palm, its surface now appearing real, its soft petals folding over each other while a narrow ribbon threads through the stem and body.
“I wouldn’t be much of an escort if I didn’t give my lady a flower,” Julian says, one eyebrow arched in challenge while I remain silent.
It’s a little painful for me to realize that nobody has ever given me flowers before, but I stuff my emotions down and focus on my need to get answers from Julian while still enjoying this magical night.
“I’ll accept the flower, but don’t push your luck too far,” I murmur as I catch my hair with my free hand and shift it away from my left shoulder so he can access the strap of my dress.
He’d yet to release my hand, but he does now, his palm sliding away from mine in a way that sends tingles across my wrist. He reaches for the strap across my shoulder, carefully slipping a finger beneath it to raise it away from my chest and wrap the ribbon around it. The pad of his thumb brushes tantalizingly across the upper curve of my breast before he finishes his task, sending my thoughts wildly in the direction of a darkened room again.
Damn this place. Out in the real world, I would have maintained control over every aspect of my interaction with Julian—the same way I control every aspect of a hustle. Here, I don’t control nearly enough and it’s driving me wild. Without control, I’m vulnerable.
“It matches your eyes,” Julian says, the hint of challenge still swirling in his own startlingly bright eyes.
I fight the impulse to lean into his touch as he lightly brushes my cheek before he steps back.
Catching my hand again, he draws me away from Milo and the dragon shifter.
“Thank you, gentlemen,” Julian says, as they grin after us, and I offer a wave of thanks as well.
We maneuver through a new crowd dancing to the sultry siren’s song—a slow dance. I can see the bar ahead, tended by a man with blond dreads and a woman with long pink hair who is wearing a plunging velvet jumpsuit tucked into a short leather skirt. She’s definitely the witch Julian spoke about, and the man is a… lion shifter.
I’m surprised by how quickly I figure out what kind of supernaturals they are. This place must be heightening my senses. Along with my awareness of all the supernatural power around me, I’m conscious of Julian’s hand, his indrawn breath, and the swirl of the tattoo hiding beneath the sleeve of his shirt.
I’m even more surprised when Julian’s hand tightens on mine and he veers us toward the dancers instead of proceeding to the bar.