He turned, hope fading in his chest.
But those witchy silvery eyes were glowing. “Can we take the chocolate with us?”
Dev chuckled and returned for the basket. “You got it, babe.” He returned to her side and glanced at her shoes. “Those things comfortable?”
Surprised, she glanced down. “Pretty much.”
“Good.” He led her back through the museum.
“Why?”
“’Cause we’re going dancin’, darlin’.”
“Dancing?” She sounded thrilled.
He nodded. “From the sublime—” he gestured at the artwork on the walls around them. “—to the Supremes. We’re going to take in the music of our youth.”
She giggled. “Dev, those were the Sixties. We weren’t even born.”
He quirked a grin. “Yeah, but I refuse to claim eighties hair bands. I stake my turf in Motown. So come on, get moving, girl—those shoes are going to pay their dues.”
She couldn’t match his long strides, so he picked her up in his arms, handing her the basket of chocolates. She popped one in her mouth and moaned like pure sex just as the security guard appeared.
The guard’s grin was a mile wide. “You two have fun now.” His gaze traveled down Lacey’s long, slender legs, and his face turned wistful.
Dev cast him a warning glance, then grinned smugly. The best girl was his, at least for the night. “We plan to.”
Then they were through the door and out on the sidewalk. Reaching the car, Dev slid her over the side without opening the door. Lacey reached up and popped a chocolate in his mouth, then rose to her knees on the seat and licked his lips, her breath sweet and dark.
Dev gripped her shoulders and eased her away from him before they got arrested for public lewdness. Violent need hummed beneath his skin, and he couldn’t be responsible for the consequences if he answered that kiss.
Her sparking eyes told him she knew that.
“You, Ms. DeMille, are no lady, I’m beginning to think.”
“Really?”
“You could sound a little more disgruntled.”
Lacey grinned. “I don’t want to be a lady tonight, Dev. I’ve been a lady too long.” Her eyes taunted him.
The air went electric around them. Dev sucked in a ragged breath. “You are going to be in big trouble if you don’t quit looking at me like that.”
“Really?” She sounded more thrilled than ever.
Dev groaned aloud as he got in and started the car.
“Dev?”
“What?” He gritted his teeth, wondering why the devil he didn’t just take her home and do what they were both craving.
Then he remembered that they were only on this magic island for a few hours. Then he would have to tell her.
If he were any kind of man, he’d take her home and tell her now.
But you owe us this, he snarled at the heavens. Our one magic night was stolen from us, and this is the only one we might ever get.
He hoped he was wrong. That maybe, just maybe, it would be enough to give them a fighting chance. He knew now that he wanted that chance more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Hm?” Dev shook off his torment, realizing she’d said something he hadn’t heard. He forced his thoughts to lighten. “Oh, sorry. Yeah, I’m fine.” He gripped her hand probably a little too tightly, pressing a hot, wet kiss to her knuckles.
“So, Devlin Marlowe, you haven’t answered my question.” But her voice was just the tiniest bit shaky.
“What question?”
“Are you going to teach me how to dirty dance?”
Dev shot her a look, drinking in the delight fracturing the shadows in her eyes.
They deserved this night, and he was going to see that they got it.
“Yeah,” he answered, his voice rough. “I’m going to show you a lot of things you’ve never seen before.”
Some of them even while we’re still dressed.
The T-bird shot through the night.
Chapter Nine
Lacey had no idea where they were heading. They’d long ago left any part of town she’d ever seen.
“Don’t be scared. I promise it’s not as bad as it looks,” Dev said, his voice tight.
She touched his arm gently. “I’m not afraid. I’m with you.”
He muttered under his breath, something about the wrong side of the tracks. “You don’t belong here. This is a bad idea.”
“Dev…” She touched his hand. “I loved Shorty’s donuts, didn’t I? Stop treating me like I’m made of glass.”
She saw the tension in his jaw ease slightly.
“If you don’t like it, we don’t have to stay.”