Ejiro stiffened automatically in surprise, then forced himself to relax, hugging her back. When she pulled back slowly, tilting her face up, obviously aiming for a kiss, Ejiro pretended not to notice, taking her hand instead and a careful step back.
“Are you ready?” he asked with a smile to distract her from his withdrawal.
Her eyes dimmed for a moment—crap, she’d noticed—then brightened again. “Let’s go. I am starving.”
There was no escaping it. They were going to have to talk about it. But not right now.
Venice seemed to follow England when it came to sunset times in the summer, because it was nearing seven in the evening but the sun was only just beginning to show hints of lowering in the sky.
They took a water taxi to the restaurant, talking all the while. On the surface, their conversation seemed smooth and easy, but Ejiro could feel a tension in the air. Or maybe that was just his fear of the painful conversation they needed to have.
When they got to the restaurant and were led to their table, located right on the edge of the canal, Ejiro almost had to take a pause at the breath-taking beauty of it. The sunset and the bright lights of the restaurant behind rendered the scene like a painting.
“Oh Ejiro. Isn’t it gorgeous?” Sophia sighed from beside him.
“Yeah,” Ejiro breathed, wishing desperately again that he could just … sit down and paint the scenery. He could literally get lost drawing this place for hours, it was so beautiful.
The meal was lovely. They’d already built up a good rapport thanks to their previous dates, so everything went smoothly.
Just as it was about to end, Sophia blurted, “Do you want to go for a stroll? I’m not ready for the day to end just yet.” She looked at him shyly.
Ejiro’s heart thumped at the look, though it wasn’t exactly the same feeling he got when Obiora looked at him.
Fuck. Stop thinking about Obiora.
“That sounds lovely,” Ejiro said. He stood and held a hand out to her, helping her out of her seat.
“Thank you,” she breathed, eyeing him from underneath her eyelashes.
Ejiro’s heart thumped again. He felt weird. Uncomfortable.
They strolled down the canal—the directors, cameras, and crew following after them—talking about random nonsense.
When they reached a small bridge without too many tourists and a stunning view of the sunset, Sophia paused.
For a moment, Ejiro was rendered frozen by her sheer beauty. The deep orange glow of the sunset kissed her dark brown skin like that of a lovers’, bringing out the richness of the russet tones underneath. Her brown eyes shone like melted honey, the light framing her body like a soft, golden halo.
Ejiro couldn’t believe she was here, with him, holding his hand.
Then, for some reason, Obiora’s words of yesterday popped into his head, and he blinked, his brain immediately trying to see Sophia not just as Sophia, beauty and grace extraordinaire, but as Sophia, a sexual being.
He found himself noticing things he hadn’t paid attention to before; like how her dress had the tiniest straps, baring her shoulders, collar bones, and the lush curves of her breasts. The material clung to the dips and curves of her body almost invitingly. Her makeup was minimal, but the lipstick she wore made her lips seem poutier, more kissable.
He shouldn’t have been surprised to acknowledge that Sophia was ridiculously sexy.
But, even with the realisation stunning him, he felt … nothing. Not a single stirring of heat or interest. Not a single response. Nothing like the way Obiora had lit him up from the inside out yesterday with nothing but the gravel in his voice, and the searing heat of a single look.
Sophia misinterpreted his perusal as an invitation because she stepped closer, right into his space, tilting her face up yet eyeing him coyly.
“I had a really lovely time tonight, Ejiro,” she began, and Ejiro already knew where this was going.
The meal. The stroll. The sunset.
It was a perfect setup. If he’d actually wanted her, he’d have been swooning.
“Sophia …” he began, swallowing nervously.
Either she didn’t pick up on his nerves, or she interpreted it entirely wrong, because her voice was seductively breathy when she answered, “Yes?”
