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My hand moves of its own accord, wrapping around the back of his head, pulling him closer, wanting more.

His response is immediate. With a groan, he tugs at my hair, jerking my head back as his lips hover dangerously close to mine.

“The next time you touch me like that, I won’t be able to resist.”

“Who said I want you to?” The words spill out before I can stop them, breathless and reckless.

I don’t know what I’m doing, but every inch of my body is screaming for him, my mind drowned in a haze of need.

He winds my hair around his wrist, pulling me in just a fraction closer, his breath hot against my ear. His teeth graze the sensitive skin, sending an electric shock straight to my core. Those eyes burn hot—dark, smoldering, possessive—and I feel the weight of them, like a secret promise I can’t ignore.

“Delicate little thing… You have no idea what you're asking for.”

His words hit me like a force of nature, making a tremor run through my body as the heat rises inside me.

I open my mouth to respond, but no sound comes out.

Before I can gather myself, he steps back, his fingers slipping from my hair, but his gaze never leaves mine.

“I’ll see you around, Dinara. Don’t get into too much trouble without me.”

My body is still humming with the rush of him, the electricity of his touch.

I manage a shaky smile, trying to play it cool. “Are you worried about me already?”

He laughs—a low, dark sound that reverberates through my chest, like a melody meant just for me. Before I can say anything else, he’s already turning away.

“What the hell was that?” Natalia brings me back as she appears at my side. “He was basically eye-fucking you the entire time.”

“If you’re not interested, I’ll gladly take him off your hands,” Alisa teases, watching him walk away with a hungry gleam in her eyes.

I throw her a pointed glare. “He’s mine, girls. He just doesn’t know it yet.”

CHAPTER2

CILLIAN

I haveno idea what possessed me, but the pull of that girl…it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt. There's something about her, something that wraps itself around me, tightening every time I think of her.

The only reason I walked away is because she’s too young for me. I didn’t need to rip off that damn gold-and-black lace mask to see it.

She was a tempting, dangerous distraction…but I wasn’t about to let myself fall for it.

“Who was that?” Fionn breaks through my thoughts, gesturing toward her.

She’s still standing where I left her, her eyes locked on to mine with a slow, knowing smile.

“Someone I don’t need to know,” I mutter, but I can’t tear my gaze away.

My brother’s laugh is rough and mocking. “Then why the hell were you touching her like you had every right to?”

I growl low in my throat, finishing my drink in one long, deliberate swallow. She’s still watching me, that oval diamond in the middle of her mask sparkling, a little flicker of mischief in her gaze. My pulse picks up, a hot, primal need stirring in my gut.

The urge to go back to her is damn near overwhelming. I know exactly what would happen if I did: words would turn into something else.

Maybe it would be only tonight. Just a single, intoxicating night. But I’d be lying to myself if I said I didn’t feel a strange pull in my chest, telling me it could be more.

I continue to stare, unable to resist. Damn, those eyes—those rich, molten chestnut eyes. A man could drown in them.