Read Online House of the Rising Sun by Kristen Painter - Free Book Online Page B

now?”
    “Yeah, my buzz is wearing off,” added a third girl, this one a redhead in yet another red glitter mask.
    Did this guy buy in bulk? “I should go.” She turned to leave, then realized he still had hold of her arm as the heat and pressureof his grip sank through her sleeve and into her skin. When she glanced at his hand, he released her.
    His little half smile was sort of endearing. “Sorry. You still didn’t answer. Are you okay?”
    Was he really that concerned? She couldn’t imagine he was trying to pick her up when his dance card was obviously full. “I’m fine, thanks.”
    “Let me buy you another drink.”
    Before Harlow could answer, the blonde spoke up again. “For real? C’mon, baby, we want to party.”
    He turned to her, but not before a look of impatience darkened his stormy gray-green eyes. “Why don’t you three go ahead to the hotel? That way Ginger can clean up. I’ll be right there.”
    “You sure?” The blonde’s hands wrapped his bicep like she was afraid to let him go. She sure loved to touch him.
    He looked back at Harlow, mischief in his gaze. “Sure.”
    She smiled, unable to help herself. Nothing about his answer sounded like he had any intention of meeting up with them.
    As the trio melted into the crowd, he offered her his arm. “So how about that drink?”
    She didn’t take it. “You’re ditching Charlie’s Angels for me?”
    He shrugged. “This is going to make me sound like the world’s biggest creeper, but I could have those girls any night of the week, any week of the year. This is
Nokturnos
. They’re not who I want to spend tonight with.”
    “And I am?” She was trying hard not to feel flattered and failing.
    “You put time and thought into your mask. They didn’t. That says a lot to me.”
    She put a few points on his side of the scoreboard. “I’ll accept that.”
    “Have you been to New Orleans before?”
    “No.”
    “How’s your night going so far?”
    “Not great.” Although she’d gotten the start of a good buzz before she’d lost her drink. That was something.
    He extended his arm again. “I can fix that. I love this city and I’d be happy to turn your night around.”
    She almost reached for his arm, then hesitated once more. “How do you know I even care how the rest of this night goes?”
    He smiled full-on and her breath caught in her throat.
Oh my.
Why did fae men have to be so pretty? He tipped his head in toward her like he was about to share a secret. “I’m going with the mask again. You spent a lot of money on that so I’m assuming you planned on having fun tonight. Right or wrong?”
    She took his arm, her hand sliding over an expanse of muscle that explained pretty thoroughly why the blonde had had a hard time letting go. “I’ll give you another point for being perceptive.”
    He laughed. “I’ll take it. So what were you drinking? One of those fruity frozen things, right?”
    “Are you psychic, too?”
    “Not hard to smell what my date was covered in.”
    She rolled her lips in to keep from laughing again. “That really wasn’t my fault.”
    “I know. It was mine.” He glanced at her. “I bet those guys a hundred bucks I could beat them to the end of Bourbon Street.”
    “But you weren’t running.”
    “Nope. They were bothering the girls I was with. Seemed like an easy way to get rid of them.” He shrugged. “It worked.”
    She just shook her head as he steered them through the crowd and toward another drink stand. He bought her a drink and got a beer for himself, then they started back down the street.
    She took a long pull on the straw, trying to get as much of it in her system as she could. If she was going to kiss this guy, which seemed like the best idea of the night so far, she’d needthe alcohol to tamp down her ability to read his emotions or he’d probably short-circuit something in her brain. “By the way, my name is—”
    “Stop right there. No names on
Nokturnos
.”
    “Really? Why