But as I stood there, feeling her warm breath against my skin, seeing the want in her eyes, I couldn't remember why fighting this attraction was so important.
I leaned in, slowly, giving her time to pull away. She didn't. Her eyes fluttered closed, and I felt her breath hitch as my lips hovered just above hers.
The moment hung suspended between us, fragile as glass. One more inch and I'd be kissing her, tasting her, crossing a line we couldn't uncross.
“Sir?” A voice called from the hallway, breaking the spell. “Mrs. Ajello? Can I get you anything else to try on?”
Elena jerked back as if burned, her eyes wide and startled. I dropped my hand from her face, stepping back to put some much-needed distance between us.
“No, thank you,” she called, her voice slightly strained. “I think I've seen enough for today.”
The sales associate's footsteps retreated, leaving us alone again, but the moment was gone. Elena turned away from me, busying herself with straightening the dress.
“I think I will. I'm still going tonight,” she said after a moment, her voice steadier now. “With or without your approval.”
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to regain my composure. “Fine. Go. But I’m coming with you.”
She turned back to face me, her expression guarded. “I don't need a babysitter.”
“I’m not a babysitter,” I growled. “You think you’re the only one who needs a night to let loose?”
She huffed and shook her head. “Fine,” she said, though I saw the annoyance in her eyes.
“Fine,” I said, turning to walk away. Without looking back, I added, “You should get that dress.”
Chapter 13 - Elena
Though we had come together, there was no chance I would allow Gastone to hover around me like a fly that night. When we pulled up at the club’s entrance, I noticed Gastone waving off the driver as he approached my door to help me out.
Without waiting a beat, I opened the door and stepped out, slamming it shut behind me. Gastone raised an eyebrow in my direction. “What?” I huffed. “I can manage to get out of a car by myself.”
“I know,” he acknowledged, and then his eyes roved over my body appreciatively, from head to toe—in that same manner they had in the trial room today. I'd bought the dress, of course. After that moment in the dressing room, after what almost happened between us, I had something to prove. I didn’t buy it because he suggested I do, but because of what he’d insinuated earlier. To show him I didn’t care if he thought he possessed me.
But his gaze as I emerged from my bedroom earlier this evening made time stand still. Made me wonder whether it truly would have been such a bad thing to be his?
I felt heat creep down my neck, but kept it held high as I walked past him toward the club. How he looked at me weakened my knees, making me heady and out of control. I hadn’t wanted that. Not that night.
He took long strides and caught up with me, gently grabbing my arm to make me stop. “So,” he said, “we’ve got a table tonight too, should you want it.”
I whirled on the spot, tugged my arm free, and crossed my arms over my chest. His gaze travelled with the motion, and a memory rushed back from the boutique earlier that day—howclose he had stood, the irrevocably stupid mistake I had nearly made when I almost kissed him.
Had that assistant not interrupted, we would have crossed into a region from which there was no return.
With him standing so close to me again, I once more felt that sharp gravitational pull—that heat between my legs. “You might have invited yourself to my party,” I said, glowering. “But make no mistake. There is no our table.”
We were at a nightclub, for goodness’ sake. I knew what could happen when the drinks flowed and inhibitions lowered. I had every intention of letting loose, which meant high chances of making morally questionable decisions. If I had allowed him near me that night, I would have failed to overcome my instincts. Failed to keep my hands out of his hair. Failed to resist the feel of his lips on mine.
The very thought made me take a step back, needing space between us. I scuttled for excuses in my mind, deciding my life had become so dull that kissing Gastone Ajello had started to seem like a reasonable fantasy.
I needed to have fun. I needed to get out of my head. And most importantly, I needed to keep a pole’s length distance between the two of us. “Well, if you tire of the terrible company you find inside, ask for my table,” Gastone said, then took a step back. “I won’t,” I said confidently, and turned to head inside.
***
The music was so loud and the bass so deep, I could feel every sound reverberating through my body. Instantly, my mood lifted. That golden glow of possibility began to thrum in my veins. I was out for the night, and it was going to be insane.
Of course, I wished I had my girls with me, but the truth was, this was a novel concept. I had never been out alone in my entire life. My brothers had always been too protective. I’d never had the chance to sit at a bar and sip a cocktail with nothing but my thoughts for company. And while I knew Gastone was probably around, watching from a distance and ready to pull me out if things got too wild, this was still the most freedom I had ever tasted in my entire life.
I dared say the night was looking exceedingly promising. Without wasting a single moment, I pushed past patrons and made my way to the bar. It was packed beyond belief, and I knew I’d have to fight for attention.
