Page 2 of Devil on Skates

IRINA

I SHOULDN’T BE HERE . That thought keeps looping in my head while I shift and lean against the wall again, watching everyone around me dance like they’ve got zero responsibilities and worries. The lights keep flashing, the music blares with some annoying pop song, and people are just... happy.

They’re laughing, dancing, and definitely not thinking about tomorrow. Meanwhile, I’m counting down the hours I’ve got left before my life changes forever.

My dad’s voice still echoes in my head.

Noel Costello’s son is a perfect match. His family owns the Stonebrook Shadows and half the investment firms in the state. This benefits everyone.

Translation: it benefits him .

I’ve seen the photos of Keith Costello. His polite smile, too-perfect brown hair, warm hazel eyes, and an expensive watch on his wrist. His family is basically hockey royalty, and he seems like the kind of guy who’s been born knowing how to network, shake hands, and make deals.

And he’s exactly the kind of person a girl like me is supposed to end up with after making one too many expensive mistakes.

I take a sip from my cup and wince. Maybe I should’ve put some alcohol in my juice, but I just don’t feel like it. I guess I really want to suffer tonight.

Not too long ago, I crashed my car while trying to avoid a deer.

I totaled it, sprained my wrist, bruised my ego, and handed my dad another excuse to remind me of how much I owe him.

He replaced the car without blinking, and then immediately added it to my invisible tab.

Same with tuition. Same with everything.

I close my eyes, letting the music fill the space in my head where my dad’s annoyed voice usually lives. Tonight’s my last night of freedom. One more night where I get to choose something for myself before I officially become a pawn in one of my dad’s business deals or whatever it is.

People keep bumping into me, and I feel completely out of place.

But at the same time, it’s like I somehow belong here more than I do anywhere else.

Everyone’s just doing whatever they want, whether it’s drinking too much, making out in corners, or dancing like no one’s watching.

No one here knows who I am and no one cares.

I wish this night would never end.

I’ve done the math a hundred times. Even with my job at the library, it’d take me years to pay my dad back.

He’s been controlling every step I take my whole life, so meeting Keith tomorrow is just another thing on the endless list. After that, it’ll probably all be brunches, charity events, and polite conversations I’m expected to have while wearing fancy dresses.

I open my eyes and try to soak in the chaos around me, because I came here to feel something before I start playing the part of the perfect daughter again.

Someone bumps hard into my shoulder. I turn, ready to glare at them.

Oh wow.

He’s tall and ridiculously good-looking, with the kind of confidence that says he doesn’t have to try hard to get attention because he just has it. His intense blue eyes are locked on mine as if I’m the most interesting thing in the room. His dark brown hair is just the perfect amount of messy.

“Sorry,” he says, but he doesn’t sound sorry at all.

“It’s fine.” I try not to stare, but I’m failing.

He doesn’t walk away, just leans against the wall next to me, as if we’re already in the middle of a conversation. “You don’t look like you’re having much fun.”

“I’m observing.”

He grins. “Most people come to parties to party, and not to lurk in dark corners.”

“Maybe I’m multitasking.”

“Observing and hiding?”

I raise an eyebrow at him. “Who says I’m hiding?”

He gestures around us with his cup. “You’re in a spot where no one can see you. I think that counts.”

I chuckle. “Fine. Maybe both.”

He studies me as if he’s trying to figure me out. And strangely... I don’t mind it.

“Sometimes you need to escape without going anywhere. Dance with me?” he asks, his hand out, his eyes daring me.

I hesitate. “I’m not really a dancer.”

“One song,” he says, his smile widening. “You can go back to your corner later. I promise.”

It’s such a low-stakes offer, so why does it feel like a decision that matters?

I put my cup on the nearby table where he just left his. “One dance.”

He takes my hand and leads me into the crowd. Our movements are awkward at first, but then we find a rhythm. His eyes are constantly trained on me, and it should unnerve me.

But honestly? It feels good, because it’s just me and a stranger moving together like the world won’t close in on me tomorrow.

“You’re full of surprises,” he says, leaning in so I can hear him. “For someone who didn’t want to dance, you’re kind of killing it.”

“Maybe I just needed the right partner.”

Our gazes meet, and suddenly the air between us shifts.

“You up for some real fun tonight?” he asks, his voice low and dangerous.

A few months ago? I’d have declined.

But tonight? Tonight’s about saying yes .

“Yes,” I say.

His hand finds the small of my back, and I let him lead me through the house, away from the music and chaos. We end up in a small room lit only by the moonlight that’s coming through the windows. It’s strangely peaceful and private.

He gently closes the door and turns to me. “We can go back if you’ve changed your mind.”

Him giving me a way out makes me like him more. He’s not some pushy asshole who can’t handle rejection.

“I haven’t,” I say.

He starts toward me, his hands cupping my face as he pushes me against the wall. His mouth crashes against mine, hard and demanding. My lips respond to his, adrenaline surging through me.

Why does it feel like we’ve kissed a thousand times before?

His teeth graze my lower lip, his body crowding mine. As his tongue pushes past my lips, desire pools low in my stomach. He presses himself against me, pinning me against the wall with his strong chest. His fingers dig into my hips, and I can feel his erection poking at me.

He pulls back for a moment, watching me carefully, as if he’s giving me another way out. But I don’t want an out. I want in. All in.

His mouth finds mine again, rougher this time. His lips trail down to my jaw and my neck. As he lightly sucks on my skin, I groan.

Then he yanks my dress and my bra down, tucking them under my breasts. His mouth closes around my nipple, his tongue flicking over the hard bud and sending jolts through me. I gasp, my hands slipping into his hair and gripping tightly.

His teeth graze me just enough to make me squirm as he keeps licking and sucking gently. I arch my back, letting out a loud moan, as he switches to the other nipple, his tongue circling and teasing until I’m panting and my whole body is trembling.

Why does this feel so damn good? No one has ever paid this much attention to my body.

He lifts his head, his gaze finding mine, as he pushes my dress up my thighs. His fingers hook into the waistband of my panties, but as he yanks them down, I hear the material rip.

My breath catches as he lowers himself down to his knees. He grabs my thighs and spreads them apart, and I have to brace myself against the wall to stay up.

His mouth goes directly to my wetness, his tongue finding my clit and flicking against it in such amazing ways that make me suck in a breath, and my hips jerk forward as the throbbing inside me intensifies.

He holds me in place, his grip almost bruising, as his licks become faster. My fingers tangle in his hair, pulling hard, as my moans grow louder. He lets out a low growl from the back of his throat, his tongue circling relentlessly until I’m panting for breath.

Where the hell did he learn to do things like this? He’s driving me completely crazy, and I’m flooded with so many sensations that it’s hard to think.

When my orgasm spreads through me, I lean my head against the wall, my whole body pulsating with pleasure.

He pushes himself up, pulling off his shirt, and before I can recover, his mouth collides with mine.

I can taste myself on his lips as his hands explore my body.

Somehow, I manage to find the zipper of his pants.

My hand closes around his hard, thick length, freeing him.

I want nothing more than to feel him inside me.

“Condom?” I whisper.

He searches his pockets and pulls out a wrapper. Once he’s ready, he grabs my thighs, lifting me against the wall with ease. I wrap my legs around his hips, my arms around his neck. His cock grazes my opening.

“Say you want me inside you,” he says, his voice rough, his eyes intent on mine.

“I want you,” I breathe.

He doesn’t hesitate. He thrusts into me in one hard, deep stroke, making me gasp. I bury my nails into his shoulders, scratching down his back. As he holds me up, his hands gripping my ass and thighs, he pumps into me.

My back slams against the wall with each thrust, but I can’t bring myself to care as I try to meet his rhythm, rolling my hips. Our breaths come out in short, sharp gasps as our bodies crash together.

He buries his face in my neck as he pounds into me harder and faster, his grip on me tightening. A groan tears its way out of his throat as I clench around him, the pressure between us building until it’s ready to explode.

He kisses me again, muffling my cries of pleasure as my release erupts through me and obliterates everything else. A moment later, his body tenses against mine, and he grunts.

We both pant for breath, and I can barely believe he still has the strength to hold me up because I’m totally spent. His gaze lands on mine as my body still throbs and vibrates.

As I stare deep into his eyes, I wonder who this gorgeous stranger who just rocked my world is. If only I could always have a guy like this with me, because our chemistry is undeniable, even though we know nothing about each other.

Once he gently sets me down, I feel different, as if I claimed something for myself, even if it’s just for one night.

“I need to find the bathroom,” I say softly.

He nods, stepping away from me.

I grab my torn underwear, adjust my dress, slip out, and head to the bathroom down the hallway. As I lock the door, I stare at my reflection in the mirror.

My lips are swollen, my hair is a mess, and my eyes are still bright from everything that just happened.

Tomorrow, I’ll meet Keith, smile, say all the right things, and pretend I’m okay with the life my dad mapped out for me.

But tonight?

Tonight was fully mine.

The only shame is that I have to leave the handsome stranger and never see him again. But at least I’ll remember him forever.