Page 33 of My Unhinged Alphas
“I’m assessing.”
“I’m appreciating.”
That earns a slight shift in his posture. “You can’t appreciate what you can’t see.”
“Oh, I can,” I counter. “You’ve got the whole intense-masked-mystery thing going for you. Very niche. Very dramatic.”
“That’s not intentional.”
“That makes it worse. Now it’s natural.”
His head tilts slightly. “Are you flirting with me?”
There’s no accusation in it. Just confusion, like he’s trying to categorize what’s happening and coming up short.
I grin despite myself. “I might be,” I say. “It’s hard to tell. I’ve had a weird night.”
“You think this is funny?”
“No,” I answer honestly. “I think you’re interesting. Which is worse.”
Silence stretches.
He doesn’t step back. He doesn’t step forward. But something in the air shifts—something charged and unsteady. “I’m not what you think,” he says quietly.
“That’s bold of you,” I reply. “You have no idea what I think.”
He steps a little closer, and the rising sun outlines his shoulders. “You shouldn’t,” he says quietly.
If I knew better, I would think he was disturbed. “Shouldn’t what?”
“Flirt.”
“Why?” I tilt my head. “Does it make you uncomfortable?”
He doesn’t answer immediately, and the silence stretches just enough to be interesting. I let my gaze drift over him deliberately. The way he holds himself. The tension in his hands. The way he doesn’t fidget.
“You’re very intense for someone wearing a mask,” I say. “It’s kind of unfair. I can’t even see your face and you’re still… distractingly hot.”
The word hangs between us.
He stiffens. “That’s not possible,” he says flatly.
“Oh, it’s extremely possible. Trust me.”
“You don’t know what I look like.”
“True,” I admit. “But I have eyes. You’re tall. Broad shoulders. Voice like you’ve read too many serious books. It’s a strong starting point.”
His jaw tightens beneath the mask. “You shouldn’t say things like that.”
“Why?” I tease gently. “Afraid I’ll fall in love with your mysterious vibe?”
“I’m not—” He cuts himself off. “You don’t understand.”
“Then help me,” I say, softer now. “Because from where I’m standing, masked stranger, you look pretty objectively attractive.”
“You don’t know what you’re saying,” he says, voice tightening.
