We got back just as the emcee was reminding everyone to take one last look at the items up for bid in the silent auction. We sat down and enjoyed the rest of our dinner. Unlike some galas where the food looks more like art, leaving you so hungry you end up grabbing takeout on the way home, Darlington’s annual Monsters & Magic Charity Gala served generous portions. It was a must, considering some of the guests had voracious appetites.

  It was rumored the menu had to be approved by Desmon, the dragon of Darlington and the owner of the museum, which was why everyone ate well. There was also a vegetarian option, but a cursory glance around the table showed that everyone had gone for the Wagyu.

  The rest of the meal went by quickly, and by the time dessert was arriving, several couples were already on the dance floor. It was advertised as a ball, after all.

  Iris leaned back in her chair contentedly. “That was so good. I might not have room for dessert, though.” She eyed the dance floor, then sent me a mischievous grin. “Want to help me work off some of this dinner with a dance?”

  Hell, yes!

  But then one look at the dance floor had me hesitating. I could grind with the best of them; I was a satyr, after all. But my dance moves had no names as such. It was just me moving my body; it was primal, instinctive. Almost like howling at the moon was for some.

  The dancing here was different. Formal, with codified moves. I’d learned the basics when I first started getting invited to events like these, but those lessons were a while ago, and I didn’t remember much. I’d never had the chance to use what I’d learned, mainly because I hadn’t found anyone I wanted to dance with until now.

  Seeing my hesitation, she raised an incredulous brow. “You can’t tell me you don’t dance. I thought satyrs were supposed to love dancing. Or is that just a myth?”

  “No myth. I love to dance. Pretty damn good at it, too.” I eyed the dance floor doubtfully. “Just not like that. I took a lesson once but don’t remember much of it.” I sent her my best playful smile. “Now, if it was another type of dance floor, I’d already have you bumping and grinding.”

  She laughed, the sweet, bubbly sound igniting every nerve in my body. Now that she’d mentioned dancing, I imagined our bodies moving together.

  “I had to learn for this event. I only know the basics. I’m sure it’ll come back to you. And if it doesn’t, we’ll just wing it.” She urged me to stand, her hand on my bicep. “Come on. I didn’t practice for nothing. Of course, if you really don’t want to, maybe George would like to dance with me instead?” She turned to the quiet man and quirked up her eyebrows.

  I knew she was joking, but George instantly got a look of sheer panic on his face.

  I laughed and stood. “I’d love to dance with you,” I said.

  I wasn’t just taking pity on the poor guy.

  I didn’t want Iris dancing with anyone except me.

  Chapter 3

  Ivy

  I really did want to dance with Shane, but also, it was time to mix and mingle again now that the meal was over. As long as I was dancing, I didn’t need to make small talk. Win-win!

  I felt super comfortable with Shane, I couldn’t pinpoint why. It wasn’t our moment out on the balcony; I’d noticed it before that. Spending time with him just felt right. I was very glad I’d ended up seated next to him.

  I had no problem pretending to be Iris for short bursts; yes, I was more introverted than she was, but it didn’t mean I was shy or had zero social skills. Not at all. It was just that I needed to be alone to recharge. Socializing usually cost me energy pennies. But being around Shane, I felt like I was replenishing them.

  It took only a few seconds for Shane to remember the simple dance steps. He took over the lead instinctively.

  At first, I’d wondered if his goat legs would affect things. It looked like he had backward knees, but then I considered that technically, those were his ankles. Nothing was backward, just…different proportions. As it turned out, it didn’t matter at all; we moved across the dance floor together with ease. Despite doing just beginner moves, his natural grace made us look a lot more proficient than we were. All I had to do was follow his lead.

  His soft brown eyes held me a willing prisoner as we danced; I felt like I could get lost in them forever. By the time the first song ended, I was smiling so hard my cheeks almost hurt. I wasn’t at all ready to go back to my seat, so we continued dancing through the next song, even though my feet were starting to complain.

  Whatever spell had been placed on these shoes, it had worked wonders up until now. I’d felt like I was wearing sneakers instead of a pair of ridiculously high heels. It had felt good even when we’d hit the dance floor. But now my feet were starting to tire, and my ankles had to do more and more of the work to keep me from falling.

  “I think the spell on my shoes is wearing off.”

  Shane looked down at my feet. “Damn, those are some shoes.”

  “Right? I think the spell was doing the heavy lifting before, but now—”

  “Okay. Let’s get you back to your seat.”

  He was dancing us back to our table when a loud “Watch out!” shouted in a shrill female voice had me turning my head. Unsure which way I wanted to go, the spell faltered, and I stumbled right out of Shane’s arms and into Shelby, who had been dancing with her gargoyle mate.

  I was about to apologize when a server with a mustache bulldozed into both of us, sending us barrelling into a table and almost knocking over a tower of mini tarts and petit fours.

  Then Shane was there, grabbing me and shoving me out of the way right before a ball of energy hit him in the shoulder. The force of it had me reeling back. I inhaled as magic sparkled around me, and I felt it fill my lungs.

  Grayson caught me. I thanked him without looking back; my eyes were completely focused on Shane, who was lying on the ground. I hurried over to him.

  “Are you okay?”

  He blinked, looking confused for a moment, then reached up to cup my cheek. Our eyes met, and for a moment, everything else disappeared from my world. It was just him, and me, and the magic settling around us.

  It was the server who interrupted our perfect moment. He looked at us wide-eyed before quickly moving to clean up the spilled drinks we’d knocked over. I looked around. We’d drawn a crowd. Great, so much for flying under the radar.

  A manticore in a guard’s uniform, the back of which was cut open to accommodate his scorpion tail and wyvern wings, appeared, his eyes moving from the frazzled server to Shane and me. Both he and the other guard next to him—who appeared to be human—held strange-looking nets in their hands, which shimmered with magic.

  “Shit! That spell shouldn’t have gone off,” the manticore growled. “Are you okay, miss?”

  “I’m fine.” I looked at Shane. “You?”

  “I’m okay, too.” Shane did indeed look no worse for wear. “Better than ever, now that you’re here.”

  The manticore guard turned his attention to Shane. “Are you sure you’re all right? We can try to figure out what that spell was.”

  Shane didn’t take his eyes off me as he replied, “All good. Whatever was in that spell, I don’t think it was harmful. I feel great.”

  “Perhaps. Or maybe it detected that you were not the correct recipient.”

  “Could be…” Shane looked away from me for the first time to examine his body.

  “I thought spells were invisible,” I said. “But I clearly saw an orb of light hit Shane in the back.”

  “Yes, that’s the museum’s defense system. We didn’t want any rogue spells going off during the event. We allow illusion and other small harmless spells, but we made sure everyone knew that no significant spells were to be cast here tonight. We made any unauthorized magic visible so our security team could intercept it.”

  “I see.” I was glad it wasn’t actually a giant ball of energy.

  The manticore helped Shane up, then handed us each a card.

  “I’m Mateo, head of security here at the museum. If either of you start feeling weird, contact me immediately, and I’ll get you to the right people.” He directed the next words to Shane alone. “We can also have Desmon’s personal wizard come take a look at you to make sure you really are unharmed, if you’d like.”

  “Thanks, but no need.” Shane pocketed the card. “I feel perfectly fine. Better than perfect, even. I just want to enjoy the rest of my night.”

  The guards looked around for the server, but he was gone.

  By now, the crowd that had come over to ogle the scene had largely dissipated and gone back to their own conversations. I thanked Shelby’s gargoyle husband for catching me, and Shane and I returned to our table.

  After that little bit of excitement, though, we found it impossible just to sit and chitchat.

  “Want to walk around the museum with me?” Shane asked.

  “And get away from the crowd?” I grinned. “Sounds amazing. But first…”

  I dug into my clutch, pulled out the pair of emergency ballet flats I’d stuffed in there, and changed into them. I didn’t think I could wear those heels anymore. Whatever spell had been on them at the beginning of the night had completely worn off. We made our way, hand-in-hand, into the hallway.

  We waited for the guard standing in front of the velvet ropes blocking off the rest of the museum from the party to step away for a moment before slipping through. We hurried down the hall, still holding hands, and once we were safely around the corner and out of earshot, I let out a soft giggle. I knew full well that we weren’t supposed to be in this area, and I felt a bit of a naughty thrill to be breaking the rules.

  Shane turned me to face him. “Having fun?”

  I nodded.

  “Me too.”

  His thick, brawny arms wrapped around me, pulling me close. His body heat penetrated right through my dress. The slit of my skirt rode up and gaped open, but I didn’t feel the cool air on my skin. I felt the fur from his leg. I was suddenly hyper aware that we were alone and very, very close together—so close that I was basically straddling one of his thick, muscular thighs.

  Every touch of his hand on my skin had me wanting more. I slid my hands under his jacket and smoothed my palm over his silky shirt, feeling the hard planes of muscle underneath. I wished we were truly alone so I could explore him from head to toe.

  Shane trailed his fingers up my back and neck to tangle in my hair and tilt my head up to his face. His other hand squeezed my ass possessively, pulling me close, making his legs nudge up against the V of my thighs. White-hot need coursed through me, and I was instantly out of my mind with desire.

  His touch was setting me on fire and I didn't want him ever to let go, even if it meant we burned down the entire museum.

  “A building full of treasures, and here I have the most valuable one in my arms.”

  If his touch made me burn, then his words had me melting.

  He bent his head down. And because it felt so right, I got up on my tiptoes, eager to meet his lips with mine.

  Chapter 4

  Shane

  I couldn’t help the little growl of victory as Iris’s sweet lips met mine. I’d been wanting to do this since our little moment on the balcony. The urge had only intensified after the incident on the dance floor.

  Whatever that spell was, it had knocked the wind right out of me, and for a brief moment, I’d thought I was going to die, gasping for air, finding none, and suffocating. But that feeling had vanished the moment I looked up and saw her face. It was like looking into the eyes of an angel. She was the most beautiful creature on this green Earth. Not even a score of nymphs combined could match her perfection.

  It was like I’d been waiting for her my entire existence, and now that she was here, I could finally start living. I knew right then and there that I had to possess her and make her mine before the night was over. Then, I’d cherish her forever.

  I had already found it difficult to pay attention to anyone else but her from the moment I saw her. But now, the rest of the party might as well not have existed. All I wanted, needed, was her.

  I slid my tongue across her lips before deepening the kiss, urging her to open her mouth for me. She parted her lips as she clutched frantically at my shirt. I delved in, questing and claiming, swallowing the small moan that escaped her.

  She tasted of sweet berries ripened in the heat of the summer sun; sweet, delicious, easily turned into a mind-melting wine. Every sip of her was my undoing.

  Her body molded to mine as if her soft curves were made only for me. She relaxed, completely relinquishing control, and her submission made me come alive. Her warm thighs were on either side of mine, and her nipples tightened into little buds that poked at her smooth satin bodice.

  I tightened my grip on her ass and rubbed my thigh against her, bumping her clit, reveling in her gasp into my mouth and the roll of her hips against me. Her nimble fingers made quick work of the buttons in my shirt, and soon I felt her touch on my bare chest.

  As much as I wanted to continue exploring her right here, in amongst the museum’s treasures, my keen hearing picked up the sound of approaching footsteps, probably a guard. I pulled away and put my finger to my lips. She understood and stayed quiet as we moved to another section of the museum.

  The shoes she’d changed into barely made a sound on the marble floor, and I’d slipped leather covers over my hooves for the event so I was silent as well. Her heart, however, pounded in her chest loudly. I could feel it between us: the flush of desire mixed with the adrenaline rush of possibly being caught, even though the most the guard would probably do was tell us to head back to the party—as long as we were both covered in the right places, of course.

  Pulling her into an alcove, I continued our kiss, lifting her up off her feet and wrapping her legs around my hips. The indecently high slit on her dress made it easy to shove it up in front but still leave it hanging down the back, keeping us covered. She wound her arms around the back of my neck, the fingers of one hand tangling in my hair.

  My cock tented my sorry excuse for a loincloth and she shifted her hips, rubbing her sweet little cunt on the hard bulge. Her underwear was made of pink satin that matched her gown, and the smooth fabric rubbed against me with little purchase. Wanting more friction, I pressed her against the wall of the dark nook and mimicked fucking her.

  The scent of her arousal filled the alcove, flooding my brain with lusty, carnal thoughts. I needed her, now. I ground against her and swallowed the moans coming from her mouth.

  The sound of boots on the marble floor was getting louder again. The last thing I wanted was a public indecency charge to end our night. I needed to get her home and into my bed. Immediately.

  I ended our kiss reluctantly, smoothing down her skirt and arranging my jacket to cover the bulge that announced my lust. She blinked several times before she turned her head, having heard the footsteps as well. We pointedly focused our attention on the nearest display case.

  Mateo, the manticore guard from earlier, appeared from around the corner. He relaxed when he saw that it was just us. “You two again.”

  “I needed to get away from all the noise after what happened,” I lied.

  He wrinkled his nose. He could probably smell our lust, it was hanging so thick in the air. But all he said was, “Understood. You’re welcome to get some air on the balcony, but unfortunately this part of the museum is cordoned off for the night.”

  Iris leaned on me like she was drunk from our physical contact as we walked back to the party. I felt the same. The appeal of the ball had faded, and at this point I’d much rather spend the rest of the evening with her. Alone.

  The only guest left at the table was George; everyone else was either dancing or mingling with the other guests. I grabbed her shoes, keeping my other arm tightly around her.

  “We’re out, George. Have a good night.”

  “We are?” Iris grabbed her drink and drained it, like it could quench the fire we’d started building together.

  “Yes. I thought we could head to my place here in the city.”

  “‘Here in the city’? Does that mean you have another home somewhere else?”

  She sounded back to normal, not a hint of her previous wanton neediness in her voice. It made me wonder if I’d jumped the gun by assuming she’d want to continue what we’d been doing. Usually, when a neighboring nymph showed up in my neck of the woods, they were looking for a good time. But Iris was no nymph. I’d have to remember that dealing with human women wasn’t the same.

  “Yeah, I have several acres of woodland.”

  “Was that where you shot that first series of photos?”

  “Yes.” Those images had propelled me to fame and fortune.

  I’d picked up the condo here in Darlington only recently, after being named last year’s best wildlife photographer. If you’d asked me ten years ago if I thought sharing images of the other inhabitants of my woods would win me the title, I would’ve laughed in your face. But now I traveled so much that I sometimes felt like a stranger on my own land.

  A big part of me wanted to take Iris there, but at the same time I didn’t want to creep her out. Come into the deep, dark woods in the middle of nowhere with me, some guy you just met didn’t quite have the same ring as come over to my luxury condo just a few blocks away.

  “…Unless, of course, you’d rather stay here and mingle.” I held my breath as I waited for her answer.

  She didn’t hesitate for a second. “Nope. Your place sounds wonderful.”

  I grinned.

  “Bye George,” Iris said. “Enjoy the rest of your night.”

  George just nodded and went back to people-watching. For a guy who spent so much time watching other people socialize, he was sure bad at it.

  I called my driver to pick us up, and Iris went around to say goodbye to a few people. Before long, we were in the back seat of my Mercedes, making out like a couple of horny teenagers as we sped toward my condo.

 

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