Page 18

The thought of her dancing, unaware of me watching, sent a shiver down my spine. It was wrong, invasive, but the demon didn’t care. It wanted her, and I was running out of reasons to fight it.
I closed the feeds, my hands shaking slightly, and stood, needing to move, to burn off the energy coiling in my veins. I grabbed my jacket and headed for the ballet company, the humid Charleston morning pressing against me as I stepped outside.
The city was waking up, the air thick with salt and the faint mull of marsh. The drive to the Crescent Ballet was short, the streets quiet except for the occasional jogger or delivery truck. I parked a block away, my SUV blending into the row of cars, and sat for a moment, gripping the wheel. I didn’t need to be here. I could’ve done the upgrades from my suite, kept my distance, let her fade into the background.
But the demon wouldn’t let me. It wanted her close, wanted to see her, smell her, feel the crackle of her presence.
I stepped out, the morning sun warm on my shoulders, and walked to the converted warehouse that housed the ballet company. The back door was propped open, a faint hum of piano scales drifting out. I slipped inside, my boots silent on the scuffed Marley floor, and headed for the office. Teresa was there, hunched over her desk, a big coffee mug steaming beside her. She looked up as I entered, her eyes narrowing.
“You’re early,” she said, her voice wary. “Everything okay?”
“Network’s fine,” I said, keeping my tone clipped, professional. “Just finishing the upgrades.”
She nodded, but her gaze lingered, like she could see the cracks in my armor. “Vivi was asking about you.”
My pulse kicked up, but I kept my expression neutral. “Yeah? What’d she want?”
Teresa snorted, leaning back in her chair. “The usual. Dirt. Wanted to know your deal. I told her you’re a pain in the ass who’s married to his laptop.”
I smirked, despite myself. “Fair.”
“She’s trouble, Elias,” Teresa said, her voice softening. “You know that, right?”
I didn’t answer, my throat tightening. Trouble didn’t begin to cover it. Vivi was a fucking hurricane, and I was the idiot standing in her path, waiting for the wind to tear me apart.
I set up my laptop, diving into the network upgrades, but my focus was shit. Every sound from the studio—laughter, footsteps, the thump of a dance bag—made my head snap up, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. I hated it, hated how she’d turned me into this, a man who jumped at shadows because they might be her.
But when she finally appeared, it was worse than I’d imagined.
She slipped into the office, her red curls barely tamed in a messy bun, her leggings and hoodie doing nothing to hide the fire in her. She didn’t see me at first, her attention on Teresa, her voice light and teasing. “Any more hacker emergencies, or are we back to boring paperwork?”
My hands froze on the keyboard, my breath catching. She was here, close enough to touch, her scent hitting me like a drug. Jasmine and sweat, just like before, but now it was sharper, fresher, like she’d just stepped out of the shower, just for me. The demon roared, demanding I stand, grab her, pull her against me until she understood what she was doing to me.
Teresa glanced at me, a warning in her eyes, before answering. “Network’s handled. Elias is just tying up loose ends.”
Vivi’s gaze snapped to me, and fuck, it was like a punch to the gut. Her green eyes sparked, a slow, wicked grin curving her lips.
“Cipher,” she said, her voice low, playful. “Didn’t expect you back so soon. Miss me?”
My throat clenched, but I forced a smirk, leaning back in my chair. “You wish, Red.”
She laughed, throaty and warm, and the sound sank into me like a hook. She leaned against the desk, too close, her hip brushing the edge of my laptop.
“Heard you’re some kind of tech wizard. Fixed our little glitch like it was nothing. That true?”
“Something like that,” I said, my voice rougher than I meant. Her presence was a live wire, crackling against my skin, and I hated how much I wanted to lean into it.
She tilted her head, her curls spilling loose, her eyes locked on mine. “You don’t strike me as the hero type, Cipher. So what’s in it for you? Saving damsels in distress isn’t exactly a hacker’s MO.”
I held her gaze, the demon snarling at the challenge in her voice. “Maybe I just like a challenge.”
Her grin widened, and for a moment, the world narrowed to her—her lips, her eyes, the way she seemed to see through every wall I’d built. “Good,” she said softly. “Because I’m the best kind.”
She pushed off the desk, sauntering out of the office, her hips swaying just enough to make my blood run hot.
I watched her go, my hands clenched under the desk, the demon screaming to follow her, to drag her back, to make her mine.
Teresa cleared her throat, breaking the spell, but I barely heard her. Vivi was gone, but she’d left a fire in her wake, and I was burning.