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JEWEL
Fuckity fuck, he’s here.Until today, I’d managed to avoid Nicu since that insane all-night fuckfest over a month ago.
He’d texted. I’d ignored him.
He’d called. I’d blocked him.
Cat invited me to places where I suspected Nicu would be, I bowed out, even though it was excruciating. Not only did I already miss her, but Cat was my other half. My better half. For six years, we’d spent every day together, and almost every holiday, since she’d drag me to her family’s home like the orphan I was. On my end, I made sure to devote at least part of every summer in the city with Cat, even though I was supposed to spend it wherever Mother was.
I knew our lives would change once we graduated, and I was so happy for her and Luca, but it wasn’t easy. Even though we attended the same college, there was no denying that things were different. She lived with Luca. It was doubly, no, triply hard to skip out on spending time with her because I already lost out on not having her around. With the level of shame I felt, it was a sacrifice I had to make. Still worse, I didn’t trust myself in Nicu’s presence. The man did something to me that was indescribable. I never lost control like I had with him.
Despite my strategy of dodging him for all eternity, there was no way I was missing my best friend’s engagement party.
And now, here he was, sauntering into Alex and Nina’s brand-new house in the Hamptons for Cat and Luca’s engagement party. Time stopped. Everyone around me continued to talk and gesture and sip their champagne, but they receded to the background. They were an array of black, white, and gray, while Nicu glowed from head to toe like he was capped in a halo of gold.
Hot damn, did he look good! My gaze traveled from his dark hair, not one strand out of place, over the crisp, starched white shirt to the classic, three-piece gray suit that fit him like a glove. The diamonds on his cuff links winked at me from across the living room of the beach house, or rather, beach mansion.
It was his eyes that brought the sound of crashing ocean waves to my eardrums. Those crystalline ice-blue eyes pierced right through me, even from a distance. They followed my every move. And the smile that followed…was devastating. De-va-stat-ing. God, but he was a deadly threat. His lip twitched as if he was holding back a smile while a woman approached him and lifted onto her toes to skim a kiss over his cheek. His eyes swept over me for a hot moment, that sexy half smile fixed on his mouth. My knees went weak.
His gaze shifted over to the man at my right, Cristo, who I’d totally forgotten was there. Nicu’s eyes narrowed on Cristo’s hand on my arm. His sexy, enigmatic smile abruptly dropped off. His eyes darkened to a stormy blue, like the sky seconds before a thunderclap that had you diving under the covers. Ah hell, Cat told me about the rivalry between the Popescu and Lupu men.
Cristo had always treated me kindly, although I had a bone to pick with him over his recent treatment of Cat. The Popescus were in financial trouble, and he had convinced Cat to go behind Luca’s back to pilfer information that would help them out. It was a sneaky, cruel move that had almost torn the couple apart. But Cat, being Cat, forgave her brother once she and Luca had reunited. I wouldn’t be so quick to forgive, but I tended to follow her lead when it came to her world. After what I had done with Nicu, I wasn’t exactly one to cast stones.
Whipping around, I strove to ignore Nicu and made it my mission to track down a waiter with a tray of champagne when I heard Cat calling my name. Cringing, I slowly turned my head in her direction. One hand on Nicu’s arm, she was all smiles as she motioned for me to join her.
Nicu’s eyes burned with unholy glee. Oh, he was going to enjoy this. Sadist.
I scooped up a glass of champagne, holding the flute so tightly that I feared the glass would shatter as I dragged myself in their direction.
“Jewel, come here. You remember Nicu, don’t you? He drove you home from the club that one night,” my bestie said.
“Yes, of course,” I gritted out between the fakest smile I could force onto my face.
Having clearly recovered his poise, he took my hand in his, very gallant-like, and murmured, “Lovely Jewel. How could anyone forget? Of course, I remember you.”
Grrr!
His falseness made me want to wrap my hands around his throat and throttle him. He was mocking me with over-the-top courteousness. He may have tried to contact me, but I knew it was nothing more than a booty call. After our tempestuous night together, I’d subtly questioned Cat about her soon-to-be brothers-in-law and learned Nicu was a notorious player. He didn’t do relationships. It was either a one-night stand or an engagement to a mafie girl. Nothing in between.
As much as my body hankered to rub against him like a cat in heat, I wouldn’t betray my friend again. Especially for a guy who had no interest in me beyond casual sex. With my bestie getting married to the love of her life, I was surprisingly, and for the first time in my life, eyeing men for more than a romp in the sack. Either way, Nicu was off-limits. And it would behoove me to remember that I was off-limits to him as well. We may fuck like energizer bunnies, but I wasn’t a mafie princess, and a mafie princess was what he’d have to marry.
He gave me a quick wink as Cat’s mother touched her shoulder, distracting her attention from us with a question.
First chance I had, I was going to kill him.
Turning back toward us, Cat suggested, “Nicu is going to be Luca’s best man, and you’re the maid of honor, so you guys should get to know each other.”
My face paled.
“Oh, that’s great,” I forced out. God, please no. “That’s so… I’m so glad for the chance to get to know you better,” I purred insincerely. Like hell, I am.
“Yes,” Cat said with a sage nod of her head. “You guys will be thrown together a lot. I mean, we know my mother is in charge, but the bachelor and bachelorette party will be yours. There will be speeches at the rehearsal dinner and toasts at the wedding,” she ended with a clap of her hands.
“Can’t wait,” murmured Nicu. His smile had returned, although this one was more like a cat licking cream off his chops.
Another woman came up to Cat with a squeal. Nicu shifted his body to grab an hors d’oeuvre from the table behind me and whispered in a low voice, “Meet me outside. The stairwell by the kitchen.”
He straightened in time to get the full force of my glare. Not happening, I silently communicated with my lips.
