Phenex returned just in time to break through the tension. He held up a silver slip with diamonds sown into the neckline. The rest of the material shimmered like a waterfall as it moved. My mouth dropped open. That thing must have cost…who the hell even knew? I certainly didn’t. Definitely more than anything I’d ever owned, including my car.

My poor car. I’d sold it the second I’d arrived in New York.

“You want me to wear that?”

Az shot me a wolfish smile.

* * *

My boots paired with the dress nicely, and if anyone tried to tell me otherwise, I’d punch them in the face. Okay, I’d probably just threaten to sic my harmless pigeon on them, but I refused to wear heals. The slinky gown that cost as much as a Tesla? Fine. Heels? No fucking way. There was a supernatural murderer out there who wanted me dead. If I needed to run tonight, I had no intention of doing it teetering around on little sticks attached to the bottom of my shoes.

No thank you.

Az waited for me in the lobby of his building. He’d wanted to make a few phone calls, apparently out of my earshot. Once again, I got the sneaking suspicion he hadn’t told me everything yet. Maybe he never would. Az was a puzzle. A very dangerous, annoying puzzle. And as a human, I doubted I would ever have all the pieces to solve him.

When the elevator whirred open before me, I caught sight of his suited back. The silky material stretched tight over his muscles, accentuating that raw power he carried with him everywhere. His damp dark hair curled across his neck. One strong hand clenched into a fist while the other held a phone to his ear.

Slowly, he turned to face me. The scowl on his face melted as his eyes sparked with light. He murmured a few words into the phone and then slid it out of view. I swallowed hard. Everything about him was eye-wateringly hot. The light stubble on his sharp jaw. The sleek cheekbones. The flaming crystal eyes. His hands. His body. My god, everything.

And he was looking at me like he wanted to eat me up. After last night, I very much wanted to let him.

No, my mind screamed at me. That had been a drunken mistake. It didn’t mean anything. It would certainly never happen again. We had a determined path ahead. Save Serena. Rescue the human souls from sacrifice. Prevent Lucifer from finding out about any of it. And then I would go on my merry way.

But for tonight…I was Az’s fake date.

“Hello, lovely,” he said with a wicked smile curving his lips. My stomach squeezed. Lovely. It squeezed a second time when I spotted his dimples had made a rare appearance.