I inch a little closer, slow and subtle. Just enough that my arm brushes hers when I lean against the bar.
She doesn’t move away from me.
Perfect.
“You’re not a bunny though, are you?” I murmur, voice rough from the alcohol and the blood now rushing south.
That gets her attention.
“No?” She glances at me, lashes fluttering at the edge of the black mask.
“Nah.” I shake my head slowly. “Too sharp. You’re something else entirely.”
“What am I then?” She cocks her head.
“A trap.” I lower my head and my voice.
Her lips twitch, but she doesn’t pull back.
“Big word for a guy wearing a twenty-dollar mask and wet dreams for brains.”
I can’t help it. I fucking laugh—loud and full-bodied.
“God,” I say, shaking my head.
“God,” she echoes, lifting her glass in a mock toast. “You can call me that if it helps.”
Fuck. She’s good.
“You always this charming when you’re drunk?” I tilt my head, studying her.
“You always this horny when you’re bored?” She shrugs.
Touché. I bite back a grin.
She finishes her drink, then sets the glass down with a quiet clink. Her fingers trail the rim once, lazily. With the same hand, she brushes against my chest as she straightens up.
“Thanks for the entertainment, Mr. Ghost. But even with that mask, I can see you’ve got that look,” she says, eyeing me through her lashes.
“And what look is that?” I tilt my head to the side.
She leans in, and I instinctively lean down to meet her halfway. Her mouth brushes past my ear like she’s about to confess murder.
“The look of a man who ruins things just to see what’s left after.”
“Well then, lucky for you, you look like something I’d ruin beautifully,” I shoot back, snaking my hand around her waist.
Her breath catches just enough for me to notice. She’s tipsy enough to flirt recklessly. I’m sober enough to remember every word.
She looks up at me, mask angled just enough to catch the light.
“I came here with someone, actually,” she says, sounding half-apologetic and half-amused.
I blink once and immediately scan the space.
No one’s hovering—no boyfriend in sight, no handsy guy lurking behind her.
Nothing but a blur of glitter, booze, and slutty desperation.
