This was fine. Totally fine. I could do this. Sure, I was probably the only human in a swarm of supernaturals, but there was no reason to panic. I just needed to calm the fuck down and act like it wasn’t a big deal. Serena had told me about parties like this. She went sometimes. Supernaturals weren’t inherently bad. They didn’t just attack humans like the movies suggested they did. Vampires did drink blood, but only the worst of them killed for it. Werewolves rarely lost control of their beast. Fae liked to play games, but they were harmless unless they felt wronged.

This would totally be fine.

Maybe if I told myself that a hundred times, I would believe it.

“Mia.” The way he spoke my name came out like a caress, his deep voice almost a purr. He took my hand in his and weaved his fingers through mine, and then he pushed me back against the wall. I sucked in a sharp breath when his body pressed tightly against mine. He angled in close and dropped his lips to my ear. “Relax. There is nothing to worry about. All you have to do is pretend you can’t keep your hands off me.”

Not an entirely difficult thing. He might be an asshole demon, but Asmodeus—Az—was maybe the sexiest guy I’d ever seen in my life. A part of me knew I should be afraid of him, but I wasn’t. Not really. He set my nerves on edge, but it wasn’t from fear. Deep dislike more like it. But…I didn’t have to pretend I thought he was hot. I mean, it wasn’t even a question. It was a literal fact. The man was a goddamn masterpiece.

Not that I would ever tell him that.

Loosing my pent-up breath, I tried to relax against the wall as I lifted my gaze to his. Flames flickered deep within the ice blue. I swore I could see the flash of them. That intense stare bored into me once more. That soul-stripping, piercing gaze. What kind of powers did he have? Could he see my soul?

He probably could.

Swallowing hard, I wound my hand around the back of his neck. He stiffened beneath my touch, but then shot me a wicked grin. “That’s more like it. Ready to go into the party now?”

“Sure,” I murmured back.

He pushed away from the wall, leaving a gulf of cold air in his wake. I itched to draw him back to me, which was utterly ridiculous. I didn’t want him to touch me. I mean…it was kind of fun. But probably only because we were pretending. It was like we had a secret from everyone else, and we were trying to get away with something scandalous.

That was why it felt so great.

The one and only reason.