Page 16 of The Devil and His Goddess (Sinners Do It Better #2)

Perseus

EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING ached for Harper. I’d been tense and hungry ever since I’d appeared in her bedroom while she was with that human fucker. Had I been planning on kissing her then? No. But fuck—when she begged, I couldn’t resist. I went to her, needing to claim and ravage her right then. But that damn human had been in the way, so I’d somehow managed to restrain myself.

Only to get roped right back in while alone with her in the dance studio.

That had been torture of the greatest kind. Being so close to her, feeling her body against mine, kissing her only to have the moment ripped away. I’d never been this wound up and restless in my entire life. And it wasn’t just for sex.

Something had changed. Deep inside of me, in a place I didn’t even have a name for, something burned with a passion unfamiliar to me. It made my chest tight and achy, and I rubbed at that place, trying to get the feeling to go away. It wasn’t pleasant, but it wasn’t unpleasant , either. It was … intense. While I didn’t understand what the stuffiness was, I knew one thing.

I wanted more of her.

I just didn’t know what that “more” was or what this crazed need meant.

The party was still alive and underway for a decent amount of people when we reemerged from the dance studio. New fans who hadn’t had a chance to meet me or get a photo spotted me as I rejoined the throng of people. Like earlier, I was surrounded by a sea of screaming men and women looking to meet one of their idols. Harper was nowhere to be seen after slipping away, but that hardly mattered.

This sort of hungry pursuit was part of the fun.

I wasn’t sure how long the party continued. When the crowd began to thin, I found the rest of the guys from the band and the girls. They were all about to head out, some of them even with a new fuck-buddy. Xander had some girl he’d met tonight tucked under an arm, and Dante was with none other than Elijah from Silverlight. Zagan and Coldin were heading home alone since Eden, Addie, and Iyla were having a sleepover at Addie’s place.

I had my own agenda, which meant staying here. I slipped into an empty, dark room in the house and disappeared into the shadows. A second later, I materialized in Harper’s room. When I spotted the ropes still on the bed from her earlier escapade with that motherfucker, I had to clench my teeth to force my acrimony back. I could’ve ripped his throat out for threatening her. The only thing that had stopped me was the fact that we were in a house full of humans, and damage control would’ve been a pain in the ass.

Shaking away the anger trying to resurface, I snapped my fingers. The gift I’d prepared earlier that day appeared on the center of Harper’s bed in a poof of black shadows. With a satisfied nod, I leaned against the wall and waited in my hidden, shadowy world.

An hour or so later, the house fell quiet, and not long after that, Harper’s small form trudged tiredly into her room. Just seeing her outline in the darkness was enough to make my heart start racing, and again, I rubbed mindlessly at my chest, unaccustomed to the pace at which the organ ran.

She turned on her bedside lamp, illuminating her in soft light. I swallowed hard as I watched her sleepy eyes land on the wrapped box I’d placed on her bed. The exhaustion in her blue eyes cleared as they widened before her brow slammed down in confusion. She slowly reached for the note on top of the box and opened the folded card. Every part of my being honed in on her sharp inhale of breath as she read what I’d written.

Next time I ask you what’s wrong, be honest.

I held my breath as she opened the gift. Like a moth to a flame, I drew closer, wanting to see every minute flare of emotion on her pretty face.

The first thing she saw was the brand new pink leotard, an exact match to the one she’d discarded today. I wasn’t sure what exactly had happened, but when I’d gone into the bathroom after everyone had left the company today, I’d found a bunch of Harper’s things in the trash. When I caught the odor coating the items, I surmised that was why. I still didn’t know how it had happened, because Harper refused to let me in, but the reason didn’t matter.

What did matter was her . Taking away the pain she hid. Giving her the things she needed to reach her dreams. Offering whatever was necessary to make that smile light up her face.

It was a normal reaction to want these things for her. I mean, she was my principal ballerina, and her well-being was important for her to do her job well.

I told myself there was no other reason.

As she pulled the leotard out of the large box, the smile she’d been holding back broke wide across her lips, all while her eyes glittered in awe. The expression had my chest warming in a way I’d never felt before, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the sight of her gorgeous smile. I couldn’t even blink out of fear that I’d somehow miss a precious second of that happiness on her face.

She studied the leotard for a few moments with reverent hands before laying it next to the box. She went through the new dance bag, exercise bands, make-up, and different ballet shoes with the same amount of glee and soft appreciation, practically making her glow from the inside out.

The euphoria was infectious, and I found myself standing right beside her in an effort to get even closer. I started to reach out to brush my finger along the side of her face, hungry to touch her while she beamed at all I’d given her, but at the last second, I froze with my hand millimeters away from her cheek.

She couldn’t know I was here.

But no sooner had I froze than she seemed to turn her head slowly, nearly pressing her cheek into my palm. I sucked in a sharp breath, my fingers tingling where they whispered against her skin, and my chest only rose and fell harder when her dark lashes fluttered closed.

She didn’t know I was here.

She couldn’t know.

I was securely hidden in the veil between our worlds.

Yet she leaned into my phantom touch as though she knew exactly where I was.

I took a deep breath and stepped away. The electric spark of something dangerously strong pulling me into her orbit rattled me. Before I did something stupid like step out of the shadows, I turned to leave right as her whisper shot through me like a fatal arrow.

“Perseus.”

“THE CHOREOGRAPHY IS DEMANDING, BUT I love it,” Mandi gasped as she tried to catch her breath. She rubbed the back of her hand over her glistening forehead before bracing her hands on her hips.

“It feels great getting back into the role of Prince Siegfried,” Samir noted with a content, if not tired, smile on his tan face.

I smiled at my two leads in Swan Lake . “I’m glad you’re both excited. I can’t wait to see the show in two weeks.”

“It will be better than any year prior,” Mandi announced with a proud tilt of her head.

Grinning at her confidence and enthusiasm, I said, “I look forward to that.” Satisfied by what I was seeing in the rehearsal for my Swan Lake leads, I turned to the dance master and répétiteur. “I’m heading to practice room two to check on my Dancing in the Dark leads. Let me know if you need anything.”

My pulse practically tripled as I kept my walk nonchalant. As I passed dancers finishing up rehearsal or other employees that bustled through the hallways, I kept up every bit of normalcy. In reality, I was wound up tight, eager beyond belief to catch even a glimpse of Harper.

It had only been two days since I’d last seen her dance, but that was two days too long. I ached to watch her again. I could only hope and pray to all that was unholy that I hadn’t missed her rehearsal thanks to all the other duties I had during the day.

Music I recognized as the ending to the second act Psyche and Malak pas de deux drifted faintly into the hallway from the closed practice room doors. Since the piece was nearing a close, I only had a few moments left to see Harper in action.

I quietly opened the door and slipped inside as Harper and Elijah moved through the end of their routine. With this being the first day of rehearsals for brand new choreography, music, and storyline, there were plenty of things that still needed worked on. It was why Dancing in the Dark had a six week time frame until opening night as opposed to the mere two for Swan Lake .

Even with the imperfect timing and missed steps, Harper was a vision of excellence as she moved across the floor with Elijah. She commanded your attention, and even as she bobbled on a hurried step or second-guessed the next part, it didn’t matter. Her grace, strength, and beauty made the song—no, the very dance itself—all her own, and it enchanted me to my very core.

When the song ended, I still held my breath, my gaze locked on her beaming face as she leaned on Elijah’s shoulder with heavy breaths.

“What did you think, Mr. Mavros?” Delilah, one of the répétiteurs, suddenly asked, snapping me out of my daze.

Elijah and Harper seemed to notice me then, and when my eyes met Harper’s, a dumbbell might as well have been slammed into my chest. I swallowed hard and forced my gaze away from hers to meet Delilah’s.

“I came in at the end, but what I saw looked amazing for only one day of rehearsals,” I answered.

“These two are definitely quick,” Hans, the dance master, gushed. “You’ll be impressed with them, sir.”

“I have no doubt.” I smiled, and my attention inadvertently drifted back to Harper like two magnets drawn to each other. Before I could stop myself, my gaze traveled down her lithe form and the baby pink leotard she wore.

The leotard I’d given her.

Our eyes met again, and a light flush warmed her already red cheeks. The weird feeling I’d had that night resurfaced in the center of my chest. I promptly cleared my throat, hoping that would rid the ache now taking up residence inside of me.

“Too bad I came in for the last of the rehearsal,” I chuckled, hoping I sounded normal.

“Would you like to see it from the beginning?” Harper suddenly offered.

Our gazes locked again, and when I saw the hope in her eyes, I had to lick my dry lips. As if I could say no when she looked at me like that.

I nodded and shoved my hands in the pockets of my slacks. “Sure. If the two of you still have another go in you.”

Harper looked to Elijah, who nodded. The two got in their starting positions while I found my place next to Delilah and Hans to watch. The music swelled to life in a lilting dark and romantic theme. My two dancers immediately fell into character, and though I tried to watch both for any necessary corrections, changes, or things they did well, Harper stole the show.

Like always, she danced with the smooth and delicate beauty of a ballerina. Despite still learning the repertoire, every movement of her body or expression on her face conveyed a story—a story I’d written, yet she made all her own. I could only imagine the magic she’d create on stage with music, lights, and a costume adding to her grandeur.

The music ended with the two in their final pose of Elijah holding Harper close to the ground in a fish dive. As he sat Harper back on her feet, the two working hard to catch their breath, I clapped with a wide grin pulling on my lips.

“Are you sure you’ve only been doing this set for one day?” I asked with a chuckle.

The two dancers grinned and thanked me for the implied compliment. Delilah, Hans, and I went over the critiques and adjustments we thought the two needed to work on. Elijah and Harper had moved to the opposite wall, drinking their water as they discussed the pas de deux, too.

“Great job with rehearsals today,” I complimented my dance master and répétiteur as I made to leave.

I passed by Harper and Elijah. I could practically feel Harper fighting the urge to make eye contact as she listened to Elijah while he squatted by his bag to pack up. With her eyes firmly trained on her friend, I waltzed by, brushing the back of my fingers over hers.

My ears burned with the sweet sound of her soft inhale, but I didn’t break my stride to look at her or stick around. My own arm tingled with pinpricks of electricity and didn’t stop, even after I’d reached the solitude of my office. I took a deep breath and stared at the back of my fingers as I flexed them, trying to rid the buzz from my skin.

I couldn’t explain what I was feeling—physically and otherwise. All I knew was my goddess fucking shook me up inside.

Eager to see more of her than just that fleeting moment during work, I whipped out my phone, pausing only long enough to give my screensaver an appreciative groan—the photo I’d taken of Harper nearly naked and covered in our fluids with the dildo sticking out of her pussy. It was still my favorite photo to date.

Pulling up her contact, I shot her a text.

Have dinner with me tonight.

Her response came only moments later.

Can’t. I’m studying choreo videos.

Even better. Come over. We’ll watch them together.

Nice try. I seriously need to study and practice.

And what better person to do that with than the artistic director who wrote the ballet?

The phone went quiet for a minute, and I chuckled as I pictured her backed into an undeniable corner.

My phone dinged.

You’re annoying when you make sense.

I laughed just as it went off again.

Address?

I’d never given out my personal address faster. Did I typically invite people over, other than my band mates or demons? No. But I was willing to make an exception this time. After all, it would get me that much closer to her, and it would make her a better dancer, both things that benefited me.

“And that’s all I care about,” I practically chanted to myself beneath my breath.