Adam's abdomen tensed where the demon touched it - touched his bare skin in a very different way than Brian and Shadow had earlier. Their hands had been clinical; his body had felt like just another piece of sports equipment. But now, every nerve was sparking, the icy fingers across his stomach combined with that look, prompted something much warmer inside. Like when Ellie had kissed him. This was dangerous. It needed to end and right away, but it couldn't end badly...

Trusting his instincts, Adam spun, shoving the Crown against a nearby wall, one hand on the demon's shoulder and another on his hip. Leaning over him, lips a hairsbreadth apart, he breathed, "Beelzebub... I hafta get back to my other guests now. Excuse me."

An instant later, he was gone, melding into the crowd and accepting their happy congratulations.