She laughed, though she was slightly in awe. People got paid to make these? How fun would that be?

  One of her favorite parts in cosplaying was designing and creating her own costume. All the little detailed and intricate parts made it all that much more exciting.

  “Smart. I could’ve saved so much time.”

  “Not money, though.” He pulled his phone out of a pocket inside the vest. “I should let you get back to your friends. I was going to check out the Fantasy panel that starts soon.”

  “Oh, right.” The idea of him leaving sent her stomach diving with disappointment.

  What the hell, Tori? You don’t even know this guy.

  But she found herself wanting to.

  Chapter Ten

  James made no move to leave. His booted feet felt cemented to the floor.

  The very idea of walking away from this Nadia cosplayer went against everything inside him and had his gut twisting.

  Almost like they were actual mates.

  Easy there, Romeo.

  Still, he couldn’t deny the feeling. Did she feel the reluctance to part as well?

  He searched her face, or tried to. The dark mesh covering her eyes gave no hint at their color or the expression in them.

  “Mind if I join you at the panel?” Her words were high-pitched and rushed. “Unless you’re meeting friends?”

  She wanted to stick around with him? Maybe she did feel this silent current running between them.

  “I came alone, actually. I’d love for you to join me, but what about your friends? Aren’t you here with others?”

  He’d seen her with a group of five or six. Surely, they’d be missing her. Though they didn’t seem to be lingering nearby, waiting.

  “I’ll text them.”

  She reached into her corset and pulled a phone out that must’ve been nestling against the curves of those gorgeous breasts.

  Oh, to be that cell phone right now.

  His blood quickened, and his breath caught. She was fairly tall, but he was still taller. And it gave him just the right view to stare down at those creamy swells rising above the sequined corset.

  Stop looking at her tits.

  Forcing his mind away from her chest was surprisingly difficult, because everything inside him demanded to know what they’d feel like in his hands.

  “That’s a small phone you’ve got there.” The words felt strangled out of him, but at least he hadn’t said something about her chest.

  “It’s the iPhone mini.” She laughed. “A deliberate choice for moments like these. Much easier to carry one of these than the massive boat-sized ones.”

  She hit send and pushed the phone back inside her corset.

  “Ready?”

  He nodded and nearly choked when she looped her arm through his.

  “We may both be alphas of our tribe, but today, you need my help. You are a fearless leader. I will follow you into this battle.”

  Her voice was everything he’d imagined Nadia’s would sound like as she quoted one of the more popular Ash Masters issues.

  Damn. She was the real deal and was familiar enough with the comic to quote from it.

  “Or if not a battle,” he added, “maybe a panel at Comic Con for a Netflix show?”

  Her laugh was pure joy. “Exactly.”

  They made their way to the room the panel was in, stopping for pics now and then when someone asked.

  When was the last time he’d had so much fun with a woman?

  It’d been almost a year since his relationship with Hannah had ended, and they’d been having problems long before that.

  Since then, the only woman who’d seemed to shift in and out of his life was Tori. And she was more of an adversary than a love interest.

  And right now, she’s probably sleeping with Ryan.

  His gut twisted at the idea of her being with him this weekend. The nausea he’d felt at the stadium came rushing back.

  Beneath his mask, his jaw clenched, and his blood pounded a little harder.

  Damn. Even with a gorgeous Nadia cosplayer on his arm, he couldn’t stop thinking about Tori.

  He cleared his throat and focused on the woman beside him instead. “Hey, were you by any chance at Comic Con in Seattle last year?”

  She glanced up at him. “Yeah. I was, actually. Why? Were you there? I don’t remember seeing anyone else dressed up from Ash Masters.”

  “I was there, but I wasn’t dressed up like this then.” He shook his head. “I have a confession. I saw you and was so inspired by your costume, I decided to be Aidan at my next Comic Con.”

  “Aww, that’s awesome. Well, you nailed it.”

  They arrived at the panel and found two seats together.

  The panel was fun and informative. They were often laughing together and nudging each other to whisper comments now and then.

  When it was over, his disappointment returned, and he mentally braced for her to take off and meet her friends.

  Instead, she invited him along with her group to watch a light saber demonstration. And by the time lunch came along, he’d fully assimilated into their group. They’d basically adopted him.

  After a lunch where they rolled up their masks far enough to shovel in a quick burrito, they were back at it.

  They spent the next several hours having their pictures taken with celebrity guests, hanging out in the arcade room and playing games, and browsing the merchandise.

  Over lunch, he’d asked them all if they should even bother with real names, and they’d all laughed it off and agreed to just use the people they were cosplaying as. It was way easier.

  Besides the fact, they likely would never see each other again after today.

  “How about the gaming panel for that new mercenary game? Any interest?”

  At Nadia’s question, her friends grimaced and shook their head.

  “We’re heading over to the workshop on comic sketching. Meet up after?”

  “Sounds good.”

  “I’m in for the gaming one.” James lingered beside her as the others took off.

  “You sure? Don’t feel pressured.”

  “Absolutely.”

  They found seats in the back of the room, since it was already almost full.

  By now, they were more than used to hanging out together. They settled in for the next hour.

  At one point, when one of the speakers said something funny, she laughed and placed a hand on his arm and said something.

  Whatever it was, he couldn’t quite process it. Her words became all garbled the minute her soft fingers brushed his arm.

  And they lingered, seeming to brush against his bicep.

  His chest swelled as the air locked in his lungs, and his cock—already on high alert—stirred beneath his pants.

  He’d felt this simmering attraction between them all day, but this was only the second time they’d been without her friends.

  James glanced down at her and found her watching him.

  Or, at least, he assumed she was. Her face was tilted upward to look at him, but eye contact was impossible with their masks.

  It was just staring into each other’s dark mesh that covered their eyes. She could see a hint of them, but not the color or shape.

  Definitely no expression, either, that he could use to gauge whether she was feeling this pull between them as well.

  When she began to trace his bicep with her soft fingertips, he suspected she did.

  The chairs in the room were so close together that when she shifted in her seat, their legs brushed.

  Again, she made no move to pull back.

  His breath caught, and his pulse sped up. As discreetly as possible, he tried to sneak a glance to where their legs had made contact.

  His blue and black scales fused with the purple and green ones she wore.

  And wow, those leggings hugged every inch of what looked to be shapely legs and soft, luscious thighs.

  The type of thighs a guy wanted to bury his face between.

  He bit back a groan.

  Where is your mind going? Stop it.

  But it was hard to stop his thoughts. Not when his gaze drifted higher to where the leggings nearly hugged the juncture between her legs.

  He could already envision tugging them down over her curvy hips.

  What would she be wearing? A thong? Or nothing. There were definitely not panty lines he could see.

  What would she look like naked? More so, how would she taste on his tongue?

  Would she scream?

  Maybe she sensed the direction of his thoughts, because the fingers that had been exploring his bicep began to knead.

  And doing what a man would do under those circumstances, he flexed just enough to let her feel.

  He knew his muscles weren’t as big as the guys who lifted weights all day, but they weren’t small fries, either.

  And her soft sigh of wonder proved it. She shifted closer.

  Oh, my god. I think she really might be into me.

  The realization almost sent him into a panic.

  What the hell did he do next? This was such a novelty to him. There’d only been Hannah.

  And now there was the possibility of Nadia?

  Channel your inner Aidan. You’re an alpha. How would he react?

  With motherfucking confidence. That’s how.

  With his heart beating quicker in his chest, he moved his hand just enough so it brushed the side of her thigh.

  And he left it there.

  His gaze lifted just in time to catch the sharp rise of her breasts in her corset.

  Everything in him that was primitive went on high alert.

  He leaned down and murmured against her mask-covered ear, “Should we grab dinner tonight? After all this is all over?”

  And by dinner he meant . . . well, dinner. And, hopefully, more after that. But he needed to give her time to think about what she wanted.

  She nodded. “Yeah. I’m down.”

  *

  Okay, when this guy suggested dinner, was he being sexy? Like go hook up in a hotel room? Or literally, go find dinner?

  Tori bit her lip under her mask, having a clear preference on what she’d prefer.

  But really, how crazy would that make her right now? To want to go get it on with a virtual stranger that she’d just met today at Comic Con.

  But, dear god, the way he was just barely touching her thigh right now had an ache growing between her legs and her nipples hardening beneath her corset.

  So, yes, whether he wanted to grab food or grab her, she was down for it.

  It had been way too long since she’d had sex, and her body was on high alert at the possibility of it happening again soon.

  Maybe that’s why she hadn’t been able to stop tracing his bicep—which was surprisingly larger than she’d thought.

  She bit back another sigh and tried to focus on the rest of the panel.

  Just see where the day goes.

  Once the workshop was over, they made their way through the convention center to find the others.

  Her body still hummed from their simple and yet sensual contact in there. And a quick glance at her Aidan showed his muscles seemed tauter and his posture straighter.

  He caught her hand in his firm grip, threading his fingers through hers, and a soft gasp escaped her.

  Before she realized what he was doing, he’d tugged them into a small room that looked like a supply closet and closed the door.

  “Nadia.” Her name was a low growl as his hands came down on either side of her body, trapping her between his hard body and the wall. “Tell me I’m not the only one feeling . . . whatever this is between us?”

  Wow. He was bold. No games. And, oh my god, it was so refreshing.

  Her breasts rose with the unsteady breath she drew in.

  “You’re not the only one.” She reached out to touch the springy hair on his chest. Then ambushed him. “Are you married?”

  “No.”

  “Have a girlfriend?”

  “No.” His hands closed over her hips. “And you? Married or boyfriend?”

  “Completely and unapologetically single.”

  “How in the hell is that possible?” he muttered in shock.

  Oh, look at the pot calling the kettle black.

  “I could ask you the same.”

  He shook his head. “It’s complicated.”

  Who was this man? She both wanted to know, and yet, she didn’t.

  Hiding her identity in a costume was empowering. Thrilling. And, yeah, kind of sexy.

  And it had to be the same for him. Knowing he could literally be anyone under that mask gave her the same kind of rush.

  He could be some celebrity out blending with the locals, or he could legit be a potato farmer from Idaho having fun for the weekend.

  She could pretend he was anyone.

  Maybe even James? They seemed to be close in height—

  Get the fuck out of my head, James. You’re not invited to this party.

  She let the air seethe from between her clenched teeth.

  The bottom line was, right now, he was Aidan. Her mate in the comic. The man she couldn’t deny being attracted to.

  “I want to kiss you, Nadia.”

  Oh, god. She almost screamed, Do it! Then realized why he’d stated it. They were both in masks.

  She trailed her hands up his chest, past his shoulders, to where his mask covered his head and chin.

  At lunch, she’d noticed it was just like hers, stretchy and easy to roll up.

  “This is like that scene in Spider-Man,” she whispered.

  “I was thinking that too. Except I’m not upside down.”

  She curled her fingers just under the mask and slowly tugged upward. His chin, slightly stubbled and strong, sprang free. Then his bottom lip, then the top.

  He caught her hand, stopping her from going any further.

  “That’s far enough.”

  So he liked the fantasy of it too? Game on.

  He moved to return the favor. When his fingers brushed the sensitive skin of her neck beneath the mask, she trembled.

  The cool air in the room hit her chin before, a moment later, her lips were free.

  She sucked in the air that wasn’t filtered by the mesh. It was harder to breathe now, but it had nothing to do with the mask.

  It was Aidan. He had her heart beating twice as fast and need quivering inside her.

  His head dipped, and for a moment, it was just their breaths mingling together.

  Then he angled his head and claimed her mouth. His tongue traced the seams of her lips before delving inside. Hungry and seeking, and she was just as starved.

  She cupped the back of his head and kissed him back.

  He sucked and flicked. Bit a little. And every way he explored her mouth sent fire lancing through her. Brought her body to higher alert.

  It was easy and natural. Almost like they’d done this together in another lifetime.

  Her nipples tightened painfully beneath her corset and, more than anything, she wanted his mouth on them.

  Against her belly, she could feel him growing hard, and she groaned.

  He broke the kiss. Her cry of disappointment ended in a gasp when he kissed her neck and then buried his face in her cleavage.

  She clutched his head against her. The room spun a bit as his tongue traced the top swells of her breast. Then it darted into the valley between.

  More. I want more.

  “Me too,” he choked out.

  I said that aloud?

  He eased his fingers inside her corset, finding one sensitive nipple and squeezing it.

  She cried out and pressed closer.

  There was a slight tug. Was he trying to free her breast from the corset? Did he know the effort it took to get them in there?

  “Wait, if you take it out, it’ll be so hard to get it back in there,” she croaked, just before it sprang free. She sighed. “Oh, well. As you were.”

  The boning from the top of her corset bit into the soft underside of her breast, but she barely felt it the moment his tongue lashed one freed nipple.

  And then his lips closed around the peak, and he sucked.

  Oh, god. She clutched him to her breast, trying to find purchase holding the back of his head. But the mask was so tight and slippery. She finally just had to cup his masked head with her palms and hold onto him that way.

  Her knees grew weak as he alternated between sucking and biting.

  The need inside her grew, and she squirmed against him.

  He caught her leg, hiking it over his hip, and ground his erection into the sensitive area between her legs.

  With his pants and her leggings, there was no skin to skin, but it almost didn’t seem to matter.

  He moved his hip just in the right way that it stimulated her most sensitive spot. The intensity of the sensation shook her world. It was intoxicating. Enthralling. And almost . . . familiar.

  In an instant, her mind flashed back to that moment on the beach with James. In the tent. Where he’d had her leg up like this and stroked her.

  She didn’t fight the image that was now in her head, or the sudden need to pretend she was with James. Apparently, he was invited to this party.

  She ground herself against Aidan’s erection, once, twice, and then her pleasure launched like a rocket.

  The orgasm swept over her so suddenly, so intensely, that she screamed. Aidan’s palm quickly covered her mouth to silence it, as he rocked her through the climax.

  Her heart thundered in her chest as her knees threatened to give out. But being pinned between his body and the wall kept her upright.

  She watched the door, certain someone would burst in after hearing her.

  But there was nothing except her own racing heart. With its slowing came the awareness of how hard a certain part of Aidan still was. How uncomfortable he must be right now.

  He’d been all about her pleasure. Making sure she found release. Not all guys were like that. In her experience, it was a rarity.

  The urge to touch him grew. To give him pleasure and release the way he’d given it to her.

  With a slow smile that she loved he could finally see, she sank to her knees in front of him.

  It was the responsible thing to do, after all. She couldn’t exactly let Aiden from Ash Masters walk out this door into Comic Con with a giant hard-on, now could she?

 

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