Page 51 of The Demon’s Due (Bedeviled #5)

“I’m not dancing like that. Ever. And before you complain, it’s not like you’d go square dancing.”

“I would totally go square dancing!” Darsh squealed.

Silas blinked at him.

“I’m thinking rhinestone-studded couples’ shirts and assless chaps.” Darsh arced his hands like a rainbow.

“On second thought,” Silas began weakly.

“You’re a genius.” Darsh kissed his cheek. “Now hush and watch the dance.”

Ezra led Astriid through a smooth spin that ended with her pressed against him, his hands splayed across her ribs as they moved perfectly in sync.

There was something incredibly hot about watching him dance with someone who knew what they were doing, the way they played off each other’s energy, and how every touch looked both calculated and completely natural.

My glass was definitely going to leave a bruise on my forehead, but the cool press of it was the only thing keeping me from dragging him off the stage right now.

Ezra hooked his thumb through one of Astriid’s belt loops, using it as an anchor point while they swayed with her back against his chest.

He slid his hand down her thigh as they dropped low together.

“Strong core,” Sachie said.

“Yeah,” Olivier teased. “That’s my takeaway too.”

Ezra and Astriid ground upward in this slow, controlled rise that was pure sin. She spun and unknotted his bow tie, pulling him to her by its ends.

I was definitely overheating.

Silas nudged me, reminding me to actually drink some water.

But then Ezra did this thing where he jerked his shoulders while his hips moved in the opposite direction, each motion hitting a different accent in the music, and I forgot how to swallow.

Where had he learned moves like that?

“You don’t just break something like that out in public,” I said.

Darsh took my glass away and flicked drops of water on himself. “Yes, Daddy should only ever dance that way in front of a private audience.”

Silas gagged.

Darsh snaked his arm around his boyfriend’s waist. “You know I only love you, right, Cowpoke?”

Sach and I shot gaping stares at the two of them. Had we just witnessed A DECLARATION?!

“Yeah, Rapunzel,” Silas said. “I know.”

Darsh waved a hand at us. “Faces forward. We are not the show.”

All around us, people had broken into their own dirty dancing, eyes still on the performers, but I was rooted to the spot.

The music built to its climax, and Ezra slid his hands down to Astriid’s hips, guiding her into a slow body roll that was somehow even more explicit than before.

For their finale, they sank into a controlled crouch, bodies pressed together, then snapped up into perfect stillness as the last beat hit.

The room erupted in cheers and wolf whistles. Astriid gave an exaggerated bow while Ezra stood there looking pleased with himself. When he caught my eye, his expression shifted to something darker, more intimate.

I set my glass down on a table with maybe too much force.

Orly’s delighted hoot followed me as I crossed to the stage to meet him.

He jogged down the stairs. “Did you like it?”

I hauled him close and kissed him with everything I was worth.

“That’s a yes, then?” he said when we broke apart.

Orly walked by and boffed him across the head. “You’re both welcome,” she trilled.

I laughed and rested my forehead to my boyfriend’s chest. “You’ve been keeping moves from me, Prime Playboy.”

“A vampire’s got to have some secrets,” he said primly.

“Luckily I’ve got two or three hundred years to worm them out of you,” I said.

“Lucky indeed.”

Ezra kissed me again, soft and lazy, like we had all the time in the world.

“Conventional” wasn’t exactly the word for a half demon and a vampire who’d survived murders, apocalyptic rituals, and enough supernatural smackdowns to fill a highlight reel.

As I’d learned, magic always demanded its price, whether you were ready to pay or not. Sometimes all you could do was hope what you got in return was worth it.

These days, I didn’t have to hide what I was or fear what I could do, and through it all, Ezra and I had found our way back to each other.

I smiled against his lips as the bass thrummed through us. Looking back on my journey—the losses, the hard choices—I wouldn’t change a thing. Some prices were worth paying, some debts worth owing, if they led you exactly where you needed to be.

And finally, completely, I was.

Thank you for reading THE DEMON’S DUE.

I hope you had a blast with Aviva and the gang.