“Are you alright?” he asks when I’ve been staring at Chiara and Harry with raging jealousy clinging to my very being.
“Why’d you have to include a bloody dance floor?” I ask, keeping my eyes on them. Chiara gives Harry a small smile, her equivalent of a fit of laughter. It gives me the desire to strangle him.
“Just go ask her to dance with you instead. If she had to choose, I’m pretty sure she’d choose you over the guy she met an hour ago.”
Would she though?Chiara has no reason to. After all, she doesn’t even like me. She defended me this morning with Jonathan, but that doesn’t mean anything. I pissed her off a minute later, and she stormed away from me without another word. Then again, if I don’t ask her, I’m going to lose it in a few minutes, especially because Harry is bringing her closer and closer to him, and I’m not having any of it. Starling isn’t mine in any way, but I can’t stand the sight of her flashing any other guy a smile. I want them all reserved for me.
“Excuse me,” I say to Fred and make my way over to the dancing couple I’ve been glaring at for the past ten minutes.Who the fuck needs to dance for so long anyway?“Chiara, may I have this dance?” I hear myself ask, earning me a surprised look on her features.
“Why? Getting tired of glaring at us?” she challenges, and my back tenses. She noticed. Of course she fucking noticed.
“Very much,” is all I say before giving my ex-mate a look that says ‘back away before I remove you’. He mouths anoh shitbefore telling Chiara what a pleasure it was to meet her and then leaving the dance floor. My hands are on her hips a second later.
“You’re such a pain. I was having a great time with Harry. Why did you have to interrupt?”Because I don’t want you to have a great time with another man who was clearly interested in ripping your dress off. Because I was jealous, and I’ve never been jealous in my entire life. Because I can’t stand the thought of you wanting him too.
“I didn’t like the way he was holding you,” I reply, and Chiara looks down at my hands on her body.
“You mean in the same way you’re touching me right now?” She looks a little amused.
“Yes.”
Chiara rolls her eyes at me but then places her hands on my neck, the tip of her index finger tracing the tattoo of the rose on the right side of it. My skin lights on fire, and I bring her flush against me, bringing a little gasp from her lips. The sound travels right through me until it sets off fireworks in my chest.
“It sounds like you’re jealous, Champ,” she says, my grip on her tightening a little in response to her words.
“What if I am?” Chiara stops moving but her hands remain on my neck. The way her eyes scan my face heats my skin, so I keep her close to listen to the accelerated beat of her heart.
“Then I should remind you we are roommates and I’m working for you this season,” she says, and I nod, not giving a shit about either of those things.
“Does knowing I’m jealous you were dancing with another man make you uncomfortable?” She starts swaying to the music again, a little smile slipping onto her pouty lips.God, I want to kiss her so badly.
“No, it doesn’t make me uncomfortable, but that is another problem entirely,” she says with a little chuckle, and I melt into her at the sound. “But I think you need to dial it back, Leonard. Nothing will ever happen between us, and I wouldn’t mind meeting someone to have a little fun with,” Chiara goes on, causing everything inside of me to scream in protest.I wouldn’t mind meeting someone to have a little fun with.
“That’s not what we’re here for,” I remind her and spin her around once, guiding her back against my chest right after. Her green eyes meet mine, a challenge in them.
“I’m great at multitasking,” she says, her hands intertwining at my nape. “And I already got a few contacts of potential investors. I might as well have some fun too.” Have some fun. That’s the second time she said it in two minutes, and the urge to let my frustrations out on a wall becomes extremely appealing.
“You want fun, sweetheart? I’ll give you fun. I’ll rip off your dress and then the lingerie I bought you before making you come so many times, you’ll redefine your idea of fun.”Good God, where the hell did that come from?
“I’m not wearing lingerie or any underwear for that matter.” Fuuuck. Everything inside of me goes stiff as blood rushes to my cock and my fingers dig into her hips.
“You drive me fucking wild, Chiara,” I admit, and she drops her hands down my chest.
“Which is exactly why we need to stop this. We don’t make sense, Leonard, we never have, and I cannot risk my future, my dream, and my best friend by giving in to our bodies’ needs.” She steps back, leaving me so cold and dizzy, it irritates me.
“So, you’d rather fuck a stranger like Harry?” I tried to hold back the question, but it slipped out despite my effort, and it makes me sound like the biggest dick in the world. Chiara merely shrugs, unbothered by my words.
“Yes,” she replies, and I shake my head, letting anger storm through me. I know it’s rooted in jealousy, but I can’t help it. I hate the thought of anyone else getting to pleasure her in the way I’ve been dreaming about at night.
“Well, I forbid it.” By far the worst thing I could have said. Fury appears on her features.
“Youforbidit? I’m sorry, I don’t fucking belong to you,” she barks, and I give her a small smile.
“I didn’t say you did, but I won’t have you fucking my friends for fun, Chiara.” I do my best to keep my voice low, but I’m pretty sure we’re making a scene. Realizing that too, she steps off the dance floor, and I follow behind her.
“Are you saying you will fire me or kick me out of your apartment if I do?” she asks, and panic floods my chest.
“No, of course not.” Starling offers me a smile then.
