Page 23 of Beni

Strange, she thought.

And kind of cute.

She wondered what that must be like—to have an identical twin; to look at your face in someone else’s every single day of your life.

Different, she imagined.

Then, all at once, as though he felt someone staring at him, the twin on the left turned his head slightly, gaze cutting to the bar, and August, in a breath. His stare landed on hers, holding tight enough to make her chest constrict with the intensity she found behind his dark irises. She sucked in a quick breath, electricity dancing over her skin when his stare lingered a beat longer on hers before he then took in the rest of her.

A slow perusal.

He didn’t try to hide it at all.

And every inch of her felt it.

By the time his gaze lifted to meet hers again, August was sure there was a red flush to her cheeks. She hadn’t meant to stare at him, but with his twin at his side, it was hard not to notice the gorgeous man. And it didn’t seem to matter because he clearly didn’t mind her staring. Not when he had no problem with looking right back, and appeared to enjoy what he found.

Or, that’s what his sexy smirk said.

Goddamn.

Was it hotter in here?

It felt like it.

The man across the club quirked up a single eyebrow, tilting his head to the side with an almost silent question that she swore whispered over her skin without him ever having to say a single word. It sounded like do you like what you see?

August cocked a brow right back at him.

The response prompted the twin on the left to flash perfect, white teeth in a grin that had her stomach doing flipflops. His tongue peeked out to touch the corner of his upper lip that curled in his amusement.

And wow.

Her heart skipped beats.

“Found someone you like?”

Her staring contest with the strangely beautiful twin across the room was broken when August turned to find Camilla grinning at her side. A bottle of her favorite whiskey in hand, and a whole line of shot glasses already lined up on the bar, she must have been standing there enjoying August’s little show for a while.

She wasn’t even ashamed.

“Who is that?” August asked, not bothering to look the twins’ way again.

“The one on the right is Bene—Benedetto. The left, or rather, the one now coming your way looking like he wants to take a bite out of you, is Beni—Benito.”

“How can you tell the difference?”

“The leather bracelets they wear. Bene’s is always on his right, Beni on his left. The same position they always stand next to each other. And he really is coming your way. Use their nicknames, they prefer it. Oh, and don’t mention the strange twinness things they do. They really can’t help it, and don’t even realize when they’re doing it.”

“Coming my wa—”

“Smile, Aug,” her friend murmured, “because he looks like he’s a man on a mission, and from the rumors I have heard … you want to be the woman his attention finds. Smile.”

“Cam—”

“I’ll just leave this with you, and go find Tom,” her friend interjected, handing the bottle of whiskey over but taking two shot glasses full of the amber liquid for herself. “And have fun!”

“Cam!”