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“What are we doing tonight? You feel up to—”
“No, Laura. Just no.” We’re walking down the hall after class and heading toward the exit. People around us look, a few try to garner my attention, but I ignore them and let my security further deter any attempts.
It never changes no matter where I am.
No matter where or who I’m with; all my life I’ve been a circus attraction without my consent. I play a role. I never set a foot out of line.
“But you didn’t even let me ask!” Her expression is one of annoyance until my eyes narrow. Pushing me right now is the worst thing she can do, especially after the fiasco Codicia turned out to be. Between her infatuation and lack of decorum—meeting Alejandro—my night was a jumpy, fearful mess. Laura sighs after a minute, seeing how I’m not backing down. “Just dinner?”
“Where?” Exiting the building, I squint while reaching into my bag and pulling out a pair of sunglasses. “I’ve got a dance class all afternoon and will be exhausted after.”
“Is that a yes? I swear, nothing fancy.”
I pause, looking over at the guards just slightly away from us. “Carlos?”
“Yes, Miss Quintero?”
“Can you give us a minute? Girl talk, and all that jazz.” Those are the magical words. At any mention of girly things, he fights back a shudder. Probably remembering the time he drove us around the city for two hours straight as we whined in the back of the car about the unfairness of being a woman. Periods, cravings, and tears because we were both miserable and cranky.
“Of course, Miss Quintero.” Walking over to the black SUV I use as transportation; he turns and leans back against the vehicle and assesses the perimeter. The other two men with us also give us some privacy while preventing anyone from getting close. Funny enough, they don’t see the man holding a medium-sized box crossing the street.
He’s familiar. I know I’ve seen him before.
“...are you even listening to me?”
“What?” I don’t take my eyes off him as he stops beside Carlos and hands him the box along with an envelope he pulls from inside his jacket. His eyes meet mine after and he tips his head in my direction. “Repeat that?”
“I said, Signio invited us out for dinner.”
“Okay.”
“Really?” At my barely perceptible nod, she squeals and begins to recount once again why she loves him. Needs him. In reality, I could care less because a second later it hits me. I know where I remember him from.
He was with Alejandro Lucas the night we met.
But more terrifying is the fact that I don’t regret accepting the box later that evening outside my bedroom without asking questions. Not when I opened it and found a beautiful champagne-colored lace dress that fell just below mid-thigh and a pair of strappy heels to complement the delicate garment. Both were expensive—sexy—and I was bubbling with excitement when a simple note beneath both items caught my eye. His handwriting demanded I accept this lunch invitation. His words told me he wouldn’t take a no for an answer.
And even now, as his driver pulls into the private underground parking of the luxury building where he has an apartment, there’s no repentance. I feel butterflies taking flight—somersaulting in my stomach when I see his handsome face.
This man is the definition of tall, dark, and delicious. I’m screwed.
Alejandro is dressed in a perfectly tailored pair of black pants and a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the top two buttons undone. It gives me an unobstructed view of his throat and top of his chest—the sexy way in which his throat bobs as he swallows. There’s also a hint of a tattoo that’s peeking from the opening and my mouth waters.
I’m also drawn to the bold ink on his arm. I’m mesmerized by the sight of them.
Watching every flex of his hand and then flicking my eyes to his throat—to that biteable grin. There’s curiosity brewing within me. A thirst to see what markings adorn his flesh. This is a bad idea.
The car stops, and my door is directly in front of him. Thirty seconds pass, and I count down each excruciating moment before he reaches for my handle.
And I feel it when he does, as if his fingers gripped my flesh. A hard shiver runs through me and I bite down on my bottom lip, fighting back the shocked gasp fighting to break free. This unnerves me. Scares me.
But more than that, these tumultuous feelings he evokes set me ablaze.
It’s why I’m here. Why when he demanded my presence, I didn’t balk or deny him. Instead, I wore his gift and lied to my family with the help of my security, leaving behind the tracking device Laura’s friend found in my phone to corroborate my lie.
To them, I’m at the studio for a special presentation by a famous competitive duo from Brazil. Untrue; a tiny little fib that my security will support after accepting money from Mr. Lucas.
I saw it and kept my mouth shut.
