“Would you like some more champagne?” Callum asked, completely oblivious to the way my knees were threatening to buckle under my floor-length black dress.
“Um, maybe later,” I said, placing my empty glass on the table. I kept my voice impressively steady as I made my excuses to leave. “I’d better do the rounds and then get ready for the speeches.”
“Okay, I’ll leave you to it.” He nodded. “It was lovely talking to you, Arianna. I’ll call you to arrange our date.”
I smiled and slipped out of the group, frantically scanning the room for the one man I should definitely avoid. He was standing alone, leaning against a stone column that framed the balcony doors with views over the city. My feet faltered when our eyes met again, and his cocky smirk said he knew I was searching for him. He turned his back and stepped through the doors onto the balcony, leaving an open invitation.
If I had any sense, I really shouldn’t go out there. I shouldn’twantto speak to him. And I didn’t trust myself to be alone with that man. Clearly, I made questionable choices when I was around him. But my curiosity wouldn’t let this go. I had to know why he’d come. Was it just a coincidence? Or did he find me? I shook my head at my stupidity. Of course, he didn’t find me. He had no idea who I was. To him, I was just a weird hotel guest called Vivian who asked men to write the alphabet with their tongues. I’d only make a fool of myself if I went out there.
“There you are!” Allegra shoved through the crowd with her phone in her hand. “Smile for the likes!” She snapped a selfie of us together, which I could guarantee had me looking like a startled goose, and then she started tapping away at her phone, ready to post it. “So are you going to be a millionairess anytime soon?”
I’d told her all about the position I’d been put in because of mypapi’s campaign. Of course, she thought I should run down the aisle to marry one of the most eligible bachelors in the city without even knowing him. I’d have my whole life to get to know him, and if he were an asshole or boring, then I could divorce him and have enough money to become Cesare’s weekly client, so it would be a win-win situation either way.
“He’s here,” I hissed, my eyes wide and ignoring her question.
She frowned. “Who?”
“Cesare!”
She spun her head back and forth excitedly. “You’re joking! Where?”
“He just walked out onto that balcony. What should I do, Ally? He definitely saw me. I think he wants me to follow him. He… brushed my hip.”
“He brushed your hip?” she gasped sarcastically, and I rolled my eyes, well aware of how ridiculous I sounded. “Oh yeah. That’s a clear ‘come and fuck me’ sign.”
“Fuck him?” I laughed in disbelief. “Ally, we are at my work event, and my father is here! Behave!”
“Okay.” She raised her hands in the air. “But you have to go out there and talk to him at least. I’ll keep yourpadredistracted.”
I chewed my lip indecisively, glancing towards the open balcony doors. Fuck it. I had an excuse. I could ask about my necklace.
“I’m doing it,” I said, forcing some conviction into my voice. Ally gave me a stern nod, and I knew she was mocking me, but I didn’t care. She wouldn’t understand how nerve-wracking this was until she saw him.
The moment I stepped onto the balcony, the cool autumn breeze whipped my hair across my face, and I hurried to brush it back, but froze when I saw him at the corner of the balcony, leaning against the waist-high stone wall. His smug smile widened as his intense gaze roamed over my body before settling on my face. Damn, he was so confident and sure of himself. His arrogance should have bothered me, but he wore it so damn well.
I forced myself to walk forward, tearing my gaze away from him and looking out over the moonlit city and its sparkling lights.
“What are you doing here?” I whispered, even though there was no one else on the balcony to overhear our conversation. Just being near him made me feel as though I were committing a crime.
“Not happy to see me?” His deep, seductive drawl was so teasing that I turned to look at him. Damn, that voice. I was a little terrified of the effect it had on me. I opened my mouth to reply, but I wasn’t sure how. Was I pleased to see him? I mean, I hadn’t stopped thinking about him for two days, but he was a masseur who gave women happy endings. He wasn’t someone I should see again.
“I’m just…surprised,” I replied. “This is my work event, and you are the last person I expected to see here.”
“And she insults me again,” he said, pushing off from the wall. My stomach flipped as he stepped closer, and I turned around to perch my bum on the stone, placing my bag on the ledge. He stopped before me, towering over me even in my heels.
“I didn’t mean that you wouldn’t be invited because—” I frowned. “Wait. When did I insult you before?”
He dragged his tongue across his lower lip as he stared at mine, and heat flooded through me again, taking the chill out of the air.
“Fifty euros?” He raised a dark eyebrow with that playful charm that made my lips curve. “Three orgasms, a challenge completed, and you left without a goodbye, with just fifty euros on the bed? You hurt my feelings, beautiful, and left me questioning my market value.”
I pressed my lips together to stop myself from laughing. The mischievous glint in his eyes told me he wasn’t really annoyed but was teasing me. So I decided to give it back, only to fall into the trap of flirtatious banter with an unattainable, sexy man.
“I thought I was being reasonably generous. What do you think would’ve been a more appropriate tip for all your effort?”
His gaze darkened as he stepped closer, placing his hands on either side of mine on the wall and leaning in so our faces were only inches apart. His musky, rich aftershave smelled like delicious sin and damnation. My head swam with dizzying desire as he stared into my eyes.
“Your real name would have been a good start. And then you’d agree to go on a date with me,” he husked, the ghost of his breath teasing against my lips.
