Dean caught Esme’s movements from the corner of his eye, as she brought her hand to her chest, fully buying into the mystery and ‘role-play’ quality of both of them wearing masks. A girl after his own heart. The purr of her voice as she spoke sent a bit of a spark down Dean’s spine and he clenched his jaw, tilting his head to the side at her words, especially when she leaned in and he felt her lips against his ears as she spoke. He shuddered, another jolt of electricity shooting down his spine.

Raising his eyebrows, heat building around his collar a bit as she mentioned her ‘boyfriend’, playing into the fantasy of the night even more. In that moment, Dean was tempted to whisk her away, forgetting about the job they were there to do. The way she looked, the sound of her voice, the heat of her touch, it was all coming together to unravel him to his core and honestly? He was falling apart internally at the mental images that rumbled around in his brain.

“See, I’m half tempted to walk you up those stairs, find a nice quiet room and wreck all that pretty makeup…” Dean spoke low, a small smirk on his lips as his lips brushed against her cheek. He then pulled back, just enough to brush his nose against her cheek, and then to look her in they eyes as he kept himself close, “But I’m here on business. After I finish with my business? Oh yeah…screw your husband.”

Dean’s lips curled into a seductive smile, and he brought his lips close enough to brush against hers as he finished his sentence, the urge to kiss her right there in the stairwell making his arms feel like lead, “Wait for me at the bar? I’ll make you forget all about him in no time…”



Duke spun the lady around, as she began to get to her point, and she leaned in close to his ear, tugging at his earlobe with her teeth, before whispering, “It’s in tender office upstairs. The double doors at the end of the hall. You know what else is there?”

Duke smiled, brushing his hands up her sides gently, until he reached the side of her neck, tilting her head to the side to place little kisses from her ear down to her collar bone.

“A giant…leather…couch, just for us.” She purred, practically melted in his hands. Duke chuckled, and he tilted her head back to look her in the eyes, raising his eyebrows.

“How ‘bout this…” He cooed, cradling her jaw. He brushed his thumb across her lips, smearing a bit of her bright red lipstick as he did so, “I’m gonna go get pictures of it for my boss, and then? I’ll come back and get you, and we will go find my driver. Ever joined the mile high club? Private jet?”

The woman shuddered and she shook her head submissively. So Duke flashed her a wide smile.

“Alright. Then you go get you a drink, and we’ll see about fixin’ that problem.” Duke cooed to her once again, pinching the tip of her chin, before he quickly unwrapped himself from her and began weaving his way back through the crowd. His neck and cheek were covered in red lipstick, but he had the info, and Dean would hopefully be happy with that. If it was that easy to get to the women in the mansion, Duke might eek out a good night, after all. Stepping back up to Dean and Esme, he paused, letting Dean finish…whatever it was they were doing. Then he cleared his throat and stepped closer to them.

“The necklace is upstairs in the big office. Double doors, end of the hallway.” Duke announced proudly, absentmindedly placing a hand on Esme’s lower back as Dean pulled his face back from hers, but stayed close to her. Duke and Dean shared a glance over her shoulder and then Dean turned his eyes back to Esme’s.

“Wait for me? I’ll be back in no time.” Dean started, but Duke tilted his head and sighed uncomfortably.

“Man, I think it’s gonna take both of us, at least at first. I need to get us in, and then you can work your magic.”

“And why exactly do ‘you’ need to get us in?” Dean asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Because I’m the one who’s taking home the owner’s ex wife.” Duke beamed, tipping his hat at Dean, who’s eyes widened, before he and Duke laughed like teenagers. Dean shrugged his shoulders and he turned his eyes down to Esme.

“Alright. Will you be okay? Grab a drink. We’ll be back and then it’s fun for the rest of the night. Promise.” Dean asked her, his green eyes screaming from the dark color of his mask as he scanned her eyes. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Duke pressed a tight kiss to the side of Esme’s cheek, and he jogged up the stairs, getting to work before Dean could ever step away.

Esme’s smile grew as she felt how her voice, words, and actions were affecting Dean at the moment. It was precisely what she was going for, showing her that she hadn’t lost her touch. The clenching of his jaw, his shudder, and the heat building around his collar all excited her and egged her on more. She knew she should pull back a bit since they had a job to do, but she was having fun, maybe a little too much fun getting him worked up and possibly falling apart internally. But it wasn’t every day they got to come to places like this and were able to forget themselves and become someone new for a night. So, why wouldn’t she play the role as far as she could? Next, it was her turn to shudder and bite her bottom lip as Dean spoke low and brushed his lips against her cheek, then his nose. Her lip-biting turned into a bright smile with her tongue pressed to her teeth as she looked deep into his green eyes, took in his words, seductive smile, and the brushing of his lips on hers. She was tempted to kiss him right there in the stairwell.

Her bright smile quickly turned into a smile to match his, and she brushed her lips against his. Then, she raised her hand and gently ran a finger along his jawline before answering with a purr to her tone. “Take care of your business, handsome, but don’t take too long. I won’t wait forever.” Her eyes sparkled with playful mischievousness as she looked into his eyes and rested her hand on his neck, her thumb brushing along his jaw. Esme was moments from giving in to the urge to kiss Dean when she felt Duke walk up. From what she could feel, he had gotten the information he was after, which she was happy about. His timing was terrible, though. Duke then cleared his throat and stepped up to them. When Dean pulled his face away from hers, Esme let her hand fall from his neck to her side as Duke spoke and placed a hand on her lower back. Her face changed to a more serious one, and she was a little surprised by Duke’s action but said nothing. Before she could turn and look at Duke, Dean was already looking back at her and asking her to wait for him.

She opened her mouth to reply, but Duke sighed and spoke again. Emse turned so she could look at both while they talked about what they would do. She remained quiet between them as there was no way she could get a word in edgewise. When Duke announced he was taking the owner’s ex-wife home, she lightly shook her head with a light laugh as the boys laughed like teenagers. ‘Of course, the first woman he came across would have been the owner’s ex-wife.’ she thought. Her gaze returned to Dean when he shrugged his shoulders and looked down at her. “I’ll be fine. You two, go and get that necklace.” she told him warmly as she looked into his green eyes. When Dean kissed her, she returned it with a soft smile behind the kiss. Then Duke kissed her on the cheek moments after she and Dean broke theirs. She couldn’t help but laugh lightly at how comfortable he was getting at placing kisses on her cheeks. Esme watched Duke jog up the stairs before Dean could even step away from her, then looked back at Dean. “I’ll be waiting for you. Just don’t keep me waiting too long.” she smiled with a sparkle in her eyes.

Esme waited for Dean to step away from her and walk up the stairs before she moved from her spot to make her way to the ballroom. She stopped just before entering, taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it, taking in the grand room. She felt a little awkward walking in alone. This was the first time she had ever walked into a room this grand alone. After spotting the bar near the back of the room, Esme stepped in and headed straight for it, weaving through the people and saying a few ‘excuse me’ and ‘pardon me’ along the way. Before she could make it to the bar, she was stopped by a man in a dark green mask. “Excuse me, gorgeous. Would you dance with me?” he asked. She momentarily thought about it, thinking it would be a good way to pass the time while the boys did their thing. “I’d be happy to.” she replied with an air of sophistication and a warm smile. The man smiled back, pulled her toward him, and placed a hand on her middle back as he led her to the dance floor.

The two shared an awkward dance, and they talked, and he led her around the room. He was extremely handsy and forward. He had no boundaries, even with Esme moving his hands where they should be and warning him. He slipped several pieces of jewelry down the top of her dress to buy her affection. When he grabbed her breasts, that was the last straw. She drew back her hand and slapped him as hard as she could across his face, turned, and walked off right into the arms of another man in a crimson mask. He immediately pulled her into him for a dance, and the process started again, almost the same as the last guy. Just this guy actually had the audacity to slide his fingers down the top of her dress, resulting in him getting slapped, too. Not many paid attention to the two interactions, to her relief. ‘If Dean and Duke were in here to witness that, all hell would have broken loose.’ she thought. She stifled a laugh at the image that came to mind of Dean and Duke beating the hell out of the two men. If she had been anywhere else, she would have punched them in the face instead of slapping them.

Esme then pushed through the crowd again, trying to get to the bar for a drink she desperately needed and to get away from all the men trying to grope her. Before she could make it, she was stopped yet again by a gentleman in a navy blue and silver mask. “Excuse me, Miss.” he said politely. “Would you join me for a dance?” He carefully picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. Esme hesitated to answer, and this caused him to look up from her hand with a warm smile. “I understand your hesitation after the two that asked you. They had that slap coming. A lady as beautiful as you shouldn’t be treated as such.” he told her. “Thank you.” she replied with a small smile. “I swear I’ll give you the respect you deserve. You deserve to have a good time while you’re here, and I plan to give you that with a decent dance.” he told her. “When the dance ends, I’ll get you a drink.” Esme softly sighed and nodded, and the man smiled brightly and gently pulled her to the dance floor. He took her into his arms just as a new song began to play and led her around the dance floor, his hands never moving from their starting positions.

The two shared a wonderful dance, talking and getting to know each other through the story she fabricated about herself. By the song's end, she had him wrapped around her little finger, and he didn’t want to let her out of his sight. He asked her for another dance, which she accepted after he came clean about who he was. She did her best to hide her shock, but she never could have guessed that she would have met up with the owner’s son, Dravin. One more dance turned into two more, with the whole ballroom watching them and clapping when they were done, as they were not simple dances. After the last dance, Dravin linked her arm with his, like the gentleman he was, led her to the bar, and got her a drink as he said he would, a glass of wine. No other men came to her while she stood by Dravin’s side, which relieved her. “Marabella?” Dravin said after a moment, using the name she had given him. “If you’d allow me to, I’d like to show you something.” Esme smiled warmly and nodded. “Okay, lead the way.” she said just as warmly at her smile.

Dravin smiled ear to ear at Esme’s acceptance of his offer. Taking her left arm, he wrapped it around his arm, led the way out of the ballroom, and up the stairs in the stairwell. Esme grew a bit nervous as they walked up the stairs, but it vanished when they turned to go down another hallway and through the room's double doors. The room was massive and filled with many artifacts from different periods. “This is my personal collection.” Dravin said, letting go of Esme’s arm and gesturing her forward to look as she pleased. Walking further into the room, Esme took a sip of her wine and looked around. “My, this is some collection you have.” she said, putting a little surprise in her tone. Dravin chuckled and shook his head. “This is only part of it. There's more through that door to the far left.” he told her with a bright smile. Esme felt Dravin’s eyes on her the entire time she walked around the room, looking at the objects in glass cases. She could tell that most of the objects were the real deal, while others seemed fake. When Dravin felt she had seen the best pieces in the room, he led her to the other room door with an excited smile.

Esme could feel his excitement and couldn’t help but smile as she walked with him into the room. It was just as massive as the previous room and filled to the brim with artifacts. She felt there was something, in particular, Dravin wanted her to see, but she didn’t dwell on it as she felt something strange in this room. It was like something was drawing her in. It was a strange sensation. Dravin stayed close to her side as she walked around the room, watching her face as she looked at each artifact. As she moved around the room, the pull she felt became stronger and was difficult to ignore. After getting through most of the room's artifacts, Esme finally came across the glass case she was being pulled towards. Inside was an antique silver ring that obviously had magical properties from what she felt. She looked at it from every angle she could, taking in the stones and noting that it could be used by an empath or as a witch talisman before looking at Dravin. “How did you get your hands on such a rare piece?” she asked with genuine interest. “I’ve looked for years and only ever come across them in books.”

Dravin stepped closer with a chuckle and looked down at the ring. “This isn't the item I figured you’d be drawn to, but I can see why you are, due to how rare it is. I now see you’re drawn to the rarer artifacts.” he said in slight surprise. He went through a long spiel of how he got it from a crazy older man in Utah and got it for a steal a couple of years ago after she confirmed she was drawn to the rarer artifacts. Esme nodded as he spoke and looked back at the ring in the case. A ring like this shouldn’t be in the hands of someone who knew of the supernatural through stories and nothing about the real things. Esme fell into deep thought as she stood there. If she played her cards right, and with some help from her empathy, maybe she could talk Dravin out of the ring and have him give it to her. She knew she couldn't leave this room without that ring. After some emotional manipulation and some sweet talking, Esme managed to get Dravin to open the glass case and give her the ring along with a beautiful purple jade hairpin, which was the item he thought she would have been drawn to.

Esme quickly put both items in her wristlet and talked him into going back to the ballroom. As they entered, they were met by Dravin’s father, who had been waiting for them. He immediately took Esme’s glass from her, handed it to Dravin, and then pulled her into a dance as he asked her to dance with him, giving her no time to refuse or give Dravin a chance to protest. He led her to the middle of the room and started a conversation with her that quickly turned awkward. He talked about looking for a good woman for Dravin, how he was looking for a new wife, and how he felt she could be that woman for either of them after watching her. As the conversation continued, she began to fight with his hands traveling over her body and him trying to kiss her. As he became more aggressive, she started looking around the room for Dean and Duke to give them a look of help to get her out of this spot.

Dean gave another apologetic look to Esme as she turned her eyes back to him. He didn’t want to even bother with the job at this point, and with her in that dress, but he didn’t have a choice. They couldn’t come out of the party empty handed, or Bobby would kill them for damaging his reputation. Dean nodded, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

He then turned and jogged up the stairs, trying to catch up with Duke. Duke met him at the top, scanning the hallway for the door the ex-wife had instructed him to find. His eyes fell on the double doors at the end of the hallway and he smiled brightly, turning to Dean.

“It’s that one.” He beamed, pointing to it.

“And how do you know that they’ll just…let us in?” Dean asked, genuinely curious. Duke looked around them in the hallway, and he shrugged his shoulders. Other than a few people mingling around them, most of the rooms seemed pretty unguarded. It was as if the owners didn’t figure anyone would be stupid enough to mess with anything inside, alarmed and ready to scream to the masses.

“I don’t see nobody tryin’ to stop us, do you? Look like you own the place. We don’t have faces.” Duke tapped his finger on Dean’s mask, before stepping away from him. He dug in his pocket and pulled his lock picking kit, quickly assembling his pick as he approached the door. It didn’t take long for him to figure out what needed to be done, and with a small press and a click, Duke was in. Dean scanned the hallway, blocking anyone’s view from Duke breaking in, and as Duke pushed the door open a bit, Dean slipped in and Duke followed quickly behind him. Duke closed the door quietly behind them, and he turned, smiling brightly with his tongue between his teeth at the sight of the giant leather couch in the center of the room, “She wasn’t lyin’ about the couch!”

Dean rolled his eyes, as he scanned the room for the necklace case, “Can you focus for ten seconds. Ten seconds is all I need your brain for.”

“Hey! Don’t you go innocent on me just because you have a girlfriend. Back in the day, you would have been just as excited about that couch, and a hot billionaire ready to use and abuse you on it!” Duke defended himself, stepping away from the door. He walked straight to the shelf that held what looked like the most expensive artifacts in the room. Just as he suspected, there was a pedestal to its right, and inside the glass case on top? The necklace.

Dean tilted his head with his lips pressed together at Duke’s teasing. Duke wasn’t…completely wrong. The thought of being settled down honestly felt weird to Dean but he had to shake himself from any dirty thoughts and they had work to do. Duke was already working, scanning up the sides of the pedestal as Dean walked over to him.

“So, do we have what we need to break it open?” Dean asked, as Duke carefully pulled one of his other tools from the inner pocket of his jacket. Duke didn’t say anything at first, as he found the edge of the alarm system door. He popped it open with his multitool, and studied the wires inside for a moment. He glanced up at the glass and then back at the wires, following them with his eyes like he was studying an invisible manual. Then he looked up at Dean and nodded.

“You remember how to track wires?” Duke asked, and Dean rolled his eyes with a huff, “I’m just makin’ sure before I hand you tools. I don’t need this thing screamin’ out like a fire alarm. I’ll do it myself, if you can’t.”

Dean mocked Duke comically as he reached down and snatched the tool from his hand and waved him off, “I can cut the right wire. What you need to do is to get downstairs and make sure that Esme’s not been whisked away by some billionaire playboy.”

“Is someone worried?” Duke teased him, although Duke could feel the unease rumbling up in his own stomach at the idea of some billionaire ‘untouchable’ type groping and dragging Esme around the room. Dean growled and rolled his eyes again, causing Duke to raise his hands, cutting him off before he could rant. “Fine. I’ll go down there. I’ll get her a drink and I’ll mingle. But don’t take all night, alright? Make it less than twenty.”

“Thirty.” Dean grumbled as he he lifted one of the wires to get started.

“Fine, thirty.” Duke conceded, before turning and walking to the door. He turned the handle, turning the lock on his way out, and then closed the door behind him as he casually walked down the hall and back down the stairs. He straightened his mask beneath his hat and began weaving himself through the crowd, looking for Esme’s unique dress color amongst all the black and maroon dresses.

His eyes landed on her after a moment, and he searched for her eyes, cringing a bit at the way the man’s hands were traveling over her body. When he finally found her eyes, he locked his gaze onto her and did his best to project something along the lines of ‘hold on, I’m coming’ back at her desperate gaze. He quickly shoved and pushed his way through the crowded room, keeping his eyes on Esme the entire time. The man seemed to be dragging her all over the place, and after a moment, her back was to Duke, which only caused him to speed up his walk. As he reached them, he leaned in close, and wrapped his arm around Esme’s waist, placing his hand on her stomach with a soft smile, “There you are…C’mon. I don’t think this guy would mind if I cut in. I’ve been watchin’ you all night.”

He tugged and pulled her against his chest, stepping back from the man with a tip of his hat. The man seemed to want to protest, but Duke simply turned Esme, wrapping his other arm around her to pull her chest to chest. He shaded her face with his hat and walked her toward the center of the room, as far away from the jackass that was groping her as he possibly could.

“You alright?” He asked sweetly, glancing up at the guy with a look that said that he was having a hard time not defending Esme with more than just a rescue mission. “You need me to break him? Like…one or more bones? I’d be happy to.”

As he asked the question, he pushed her out, stretching his arm all the way, before spinning her back into his chest, her back pressed against him for a moment as he leaned his head down and whispered in her ear, “I can make it real discreet. Real quiet. Everyone will think he just had too much to drink.”

He could tell that eyes were on them from the moment he pulled her to his chest. A few of the women were whispering to one another, and even though he didn’t let his eyes wander, much, he did catch a glimpse of the woman he was supposed to be taking home. She glared and huffed with a whine, slapping her bodyguard on the chest as she told him she wanted to leave. Duke didn’t honestly care, because for the first time, he had Esme in his arms. They were in a place where he could show her the attraction he felt, openly, and it could be disguised behind ‘just dancing’.

Esme continued to look around the room for one of the boys while continuing to fight with the hands of the man she was with. She wanted to slap him so badly but was worried that it would mess things up for the job they were here to do. Being the mansion's owner, she didn’t think it was wise to hit him and cause a scene, so she chose to endure it until she could get help from one of the boys. Esme knew Dravin wouldn’t step up to his father, tell him to stop, and then take her back from him. Dravin seemed like a good guy, but he didn’t have it in him to stand up to his father in any way, even if he thought what his father was doing was wrong. When her eyes finally landed on Duke, her gaze turned desperate for help as she locked eyes with him. When he answered her with a look of his own, she read it loud and clear, sighing inwardly with relief. Esme did her best to keep Duke in sight, watching him shove and push his way through the crowded room until she was turned and her back was to Duke.

Esme felt Duke even before he leaned in close, wrapped his arm around her waist, then placed his hand on her stomach. She gave a soft smile as she spoke. “I’m sure he wouldn’t.” Esme replied before Duke tugged and pulled her into his chest. She followed Duke’s movements, nearly melting into him with relief and almost gripping his jacket. Esme was thankful Duke shaded her face with his hat as he walked her to the center of the room. She didn’t want to see the guy’s face anymore and was glad she would only have to be in the same place as him for the night. Tomorrow, she wouldn’t have to think of or see him again. Once in the center of the room and away from the man, Esme looked up at Duke as he spoke to her sweetly and looked over at the man. She sighed with a slight nod. “I’ll be fine, but I'm glad you showed up when you did.” Esme told him before he asked her several other questions, pushed her out, and spun her back to him with her back against his chest. Before she could answer his questions, he leaned his head in and whispered in her ear.

She couldn't stop the smile that came to her lips at how tempting it was to take Duke up on his offer. The thought of Duke teaching the man a lesson about how no matter how much money you have, no woman should be treated in such a way was almost too good to pass up. But after thinking about it, she shook her head at his offer. Like Duke, she was aware of the eyes on them and the women whispering. Esme even caught sight of the woman Duke was supposed to take home, clearly unhappy with Esme in Duke’s arms instead of herself. It nearly made her laugh as she watched the woman slap her bodyguard on the chest and declare that she wanted to leave. Esme spun around in Duke’s arms to look at him and placed her hands on his shoulders. She then leaned in and whispered in his ear. “If that man were anyone else, I’d say go ahead and break him…. He’s the owner of the place. We don’t need that attention, even if you made it look like an accident.” Esme thought it was sweet that Duke would go and break a couple of bones just to make her feel better about the guy's actions.

“Thank you for offering, though. I appreciate it.” she said warmly. She then kissed his cheek before pulling back to look into his face, a warm smile resting on her lips before it turned into a slight smirk as a thought crossed her mind. “But if you need to get it out of your system. I can point out a couple of other handsy asshats.” she told him. She’d honestly love to watch as the two got taught a lesson since it would be a little hard to do it herself in this dress. As she mentioned the two guys, she was reminded of the jewelry that she had slightly forgotten about, which was still down the front of her dress that they had put there. Esme needed to find time to fish it all out and put what she could in her wristlet before it became too uncomfortable. She was sure Duke had to have felt some of it when he pulled her chest to chest with himself. She surely did.

Duke frowned playfully as Esme explained that of all people she had managed to get wrapped up in, the man was the owner of the place. He simply settled, noticing how relaxed Esme seemed to feel in his arms, safe and sound, like nothing in the world could harm her as long as he was around. If that’s what she was feeling, she was absolutely right. Unfortunately, or fortunately, he would kill every man in the room if she asked him to…without thinking.

As she thanked him for the offer, Duke shrugged, but he raised his eyebrows behind his mask as Esme kissed his cheek. He was about to quip about ‘impulses and protectiveness’. But his words were a bit lost in the haze of affection that she seemed to be showing, all the tension between them erased, finally. Duke watched her smirk carefully, as he could almost taste the mischief behind it, just as he tightened his grip around her waist, pulling her tight against his chest.

It was then that he confirmed what he thought he had felt earlier in the night. Either she was wearing some very intense shape wear, or Esme…had sticky fingers, like him. Maybe they were more alike than Duke had given her credit. He came out of his thoughts when Esme offered him the opportunity to beat up a couple of random guys that had obviously played the same game as the owner.

“Now see…this is why Dean sendin’ me out to dance with you is dangerous. I would love…nothing more…than to break all of their hands into tiny little pieces. But unfortunately, I’m supposed to be a good boy until Dean is finished upstairs. He said to give him thirty minutes, and then I can show my ass.” Duke chuckled, leaning in close to Esme’s face boldly. He brushed her nose with his, drawing even more glances from the rich folks around them, “And judgin’ by the metal that I can tell is just diggin’ into that pretty little chest of yours, I know why my sticky fingers didn’t bother you a bit. You’re a bandit…like me.”

Duke smiled brightly, tilting Esme back as he took a step forward and dipped her dramatically in the center of the dance floor. He whipped her up just as dramatically, pulling her back to his chest tightly as he turned them both in a circle and a few women began to hover. Duke politely pulled his hand away from Esme’s back, holding it up to turn the women down before they ever asked, “And something about you goin’ around with a bunch of rich folks, stealin’ their goods, drinkin’ up all their liquor? Well, it hits different when we’re both dressed like this.”

Duke chuckled, surprised at his own confidence, without any alcohol. Maybe it was the fact that he could get the entire party in their feelings with the smell of old money oozing off him, and Esme’s mingling. He could almost feel the jealous tension, as the men and women partnered up, the men trying to show him up, and the women glaring at Esme, like she was personally offending them by existing. Honestly, Duke didn’t care about any of them. He had about fifteen minutes to show Esme a good time, before Dean inevitably came back, whisked her away for the night, and Duke became third wheel again.

Esme watched Duke’s eyes as he took in her words and the kiss on his cheek. Maybe the kiss on his cheek wasn’t the best idea since it seemed to have gone to his head. She wasn’t expecting Duke to pull her closer to himself when she smirked, causing the jewelry in her dress to dig into her chest again. As Duke answered Esme, her smirk turned into a smile, and she laughed as he chuckled at his words. Her laugh softened as he surprised her yet again by boldly leaning in close to her face and brushing his nose with hers, drawing more attention to them, and spoke again. It was then that he confirmed that he felt the jewelry down the front of her dress and was accusing her of having sticky fingers and calling her a bandit like himself. Before she could respond, Duke stepped forward and dramatically dipped her in the center of the dance floor, whipped her up just as dramatically, then continued to dance with her after pulling her tightly to him again. With how tightly he held her to his chest, it made her feel like he was worried another man was going to swoop in and take her from him.

Which she was sure he wouldn’t let happen. Esme was aware of the hovering women but didn’t mind them. She was about to speak when Duke politely pulled his hand from her back, turned down the hoving women, and again talked to her. Esme couldn’t help but laugh along with him, still surprised by his confidence. It was a side of him she hadn’t seen without the help of alcohol, which she knew he hadn’t had. However, she had to agree with him about things hitting differently when they dressed as they were, pretending to be someone they weren’t. While dancing with Duke, Esme couldn’t only feel the jealous tension in the room. She could also see it in the eyes of many of the guests on the dance floor as they partnered up. Esme could also feel and see the glares she was getting from many of the women in the room, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t there to impress them or get their approval on anything. The three of them were there for a job and a little fun in the process. Ignoring the guests around them, Esme looked up at Duke, a smile still resting on her lips.

“I can’t believe you called me a bandit. That’s not very gentlemanly of you.” she teased. As she looked up at him, her eyes became more serious. “But I can admit that I have sticky fingers occasionally. However, everything I have acquired tonight has nothing to do with me having sticky fingers.” Esme looked away from Duke and to her left. Her eyes fell on both men from earlier, and both their cheeks were still red from her slapping them and staring at her hungrily. When they grinned at her, she looked back to Duke with a soft sigh. “What you feel poking my chest was put there as a bribe by the two I mentioned so they could get handsy.” she told him. “And the two items I have in my wristlet I got from the owner's son with a bit of sweet talking, flattering, and fluttering my eyelashes. Tonight, I’ve behaved myself. I haven’t stolen a single thing stuck up snobs except for maybe a few of the men’s hearts.” Esme grinned brightly at Duke with her tongue slightly between her teeth. Standing on her toes, she leaned close to Duke, her cheek softly brushing his as she whispered in his ear.

“But once Dean is finished getting that necklace, I can show you how much of a bandit I can be.” she told him with a twinkle in her eye. The way she whispered in Duke’s ear earned her quite a few new looks, but Esme ignored them as she continued to play the persona she came up with for herself. To Duke, she was Esme. To everyone else in the room, she was Marabella. “I also need to find time to get all this jewelry out of my dress.” she added before lowering herself off her toes. As she danced with Duke, she caught the two men from earlier out of the corner of her eye, noticing they had gotten closer and were still working their way to her. Esme didn’t stop dancing until they were too close to ignore. Pulling her hand from Duke’s and taking her hand off his shoulder, she turned to face the men with a slight glare. One opened his mouth to speak, but Esme spoke first, which caused him to close it. “I’ve made it clear that I don’t wish to dance with either of you.” she told them sternly as she firmly took hold of Duke’s arm just above his watch.

“Now leave me alone before I cause a scene and have you removed.” Esme intensified her glare and projected a mild nervousness onto the men to get her point across when they stepped toward her as if testing her. “You would both be smart not to test me.” she added harshly. The two took several steps back from her, and two women stepped up to them to dance. Esme turned back to Duke, wrapped her arm up with his, and pulled him further into the room to put some distance between them and the men with a sigh. When she felt comfortable, she stopped, unwrapped her arm from his, and faced him, all while hiding how light-headed she was from using her empathy tonight. She had also secretly taken his watch from his wrist and slipped it into her wristlet. Esme then placed her hand in Duke’s, then put his other on her back before placing her hand on his shoulder. “Before you ask. Yes, I’m alright.” she said after they started dancing again. “I’m just tired of dealing with these jackasses.” A moment passed, and Esme’s hand slid from Duke’s shoulder to his chest as she rested her forehead against his shoulder, inhaling deeply through her nose and slowly letting it out her mouth to calm and collect herself.

Esme needed to calm herself. She couldn’t let her anger get the better of her. She had to get a handle on her emotions, and the best way for her to do that in such a crowded room was to focus on someone neutral or happy or leave the room entirely, but she didn’t want to do that until Dean had made it back from getting the necklace they were after. So, her best option was to focus on Duke’s cheerful positivity, which he seemed to have an endless supply of. Once Dean returned, she could see them going out on the terrace with a drink and some of those chocolate-covered strawberries she had seen earlier. Esme wouldn’t be surprised if Duke chalked her actions up to low blood sugar since she hadn’t eaten much that day. It almost felt like low blood sugar when she overused her empathy or became overwhelmed by it. “Sorry…. I soured the mood a bit.” Esme said, lifting her head from his shoulder with a sigh. “We should be having fun, not letting these rich pompous assholes get to us.”

Duke didn’t know if he would ever get enough of the smile on Esme’s face, shining from behind the mask she wore. It was a bit intoxicating, considering how rocky their friendship had been, and how horrible he tended to be at expressing his emotions. If he wasn’t careful, he was afraid he would get too wrapped up in her for the night, and end up having to run off the next morning. He would fight the urge, but the fact that it was already running through his brain almost wiped the smile off his face. He flexed his brow, trying to push the flighty thought out of his mind when Esme spoke up again, a smile still resting on her lips.

He couldn’t help the bright smile that spread across his face and that pushed all other emotions away as she teased him about the accusation of her stealing the jewelry. But then something on her face changed, and Duke relaxed his smile and tilted his head as she explained further. He couldn’t help but follow her eyes as she looked to her left, straight to the guys that he had offered to break in half. Duke could feel a little bit of that nasty tension building in his chest at the way the men were looking at her, as if they still had some sort of chance with her, or at the least, the right to harass her.

“Well…” Duke started, as he turned to meet her eyes again, but the ‘bribe’ part of her explanation made him snarl his nose in disgust, but he could see Esme’s face loosening into what he could only assume was a very proud smile. The thought of her playing men, stealing their hearts and still ending up in his arms caused him to chuckle with a wide smile, his blue eyes twinkling behind his mask. He shrugged, “A bandit of hearts, then.”

The hair on Duke’s neck stood, and goosebumps erupted over the sides of his neck and down both his arms, luckily hidden by his jacket, as Esme stood on her toes and she whispered in his ear. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting a soft breath leave his lips with a slight shudder. Of course she knew the right words to say to keep him on his toes, and to weasel into his heart. The thought of being a bad enough influence on Esme to make her willing to rob a bunch of rich folks with him just made his heart swim, and in that moment, he was pretty sure he was in love with her.

“I will definitely…take you up on that offer. Both. Both offers. I can help you unpack all that. I’m pretty sure I can find you a cute little bag to stash it in lyin’ around somewhere.” Duke muttered, his cheeks flushed but a sneaky smile covering his lips as he scanned over Esme’s head, watching the bar for any loose purses or bags. Duke didn’t even notice that Esme was seeing anyone other than him until her hand slipped from his and she turned to face the men she had been attempting to avoid. He opened his mouth to tell the guys to beat feet, but Esme took control of the situation as Duke simply glared at them. Esme’s hand wrapping around his arm grounded him, and Duke stood still, tilting his head in confusion at how easily she seemed to push the two men away from her, as if something in her eyes had scared them.

He said nothing, simply following Esme’s lead as she drug him away from the area and into a quieter space near a corner. Her hand slipped back into his, and she placed his other against her back, causing him to pull her a bit closer to his chest, before scanning over her face. Apparently, she had read the question he was about to ask, on his face, because she confirmed that she was alright and Duke sighed, “We’ll get out of here in a bit. Maybe get some air? Whatever you want.”

He spoke in a voice close to a whisper as Esme’s forehead rested against his shoulder, bringing his hand up from her back to tangle through her hair on the back of her neck. He massaged his fingers against her neck, doing anything he could to just help her relax and to try and bring back that light air around her again. She was having so much fun, for a moment…

When Esme lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him, he frowned and shook his head, “I’m havin’ the time of my life, sweet pea. Dealin’ with some creeps the way you should deal with them ain’t sourin’ the mood. If you let me buy you a drink, somethin’ nice and fruity, I’ll call it even since I can already tell by the look on your face that I can’t convince you you’re not ruinin’ my night. Call it even with something…peachy? Chocolatey? Maybe one of them…what did Bobby call it? A Cosmo?”

Duke chuckled, a wide smile crossing his lips as he did the best he could to try and lighten her mood back to where it was, and to help her forget the handsy assholes. At this rate, Duke didn’t know if he could let her go when Dean came back. She just seemed so light with Duke, like she could relax and just be care free. It seemed like matching his energy could be good for her.

“What do you say? Drag me over to that fancy bar and order an overpriced disgusting juice drink on a tab we’ll never pay? Bandit stuff.” He asked, bringing his hand from her neck to gently pinch the tip of her nose as he bit his lip, that mischief back in his eyes.