AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I closed my eyes and put my hands up in the air as I let the music pulse through me and take over. The beat directed my hips, and I tipped my head back letting all my racing thoughts fall to the wayside. I danced with a few different people, none for more than a few minutes, until a familiar voice sounded from behind me. My movements stuttered when I felt the warmth of his breath against my neck.
“I’ve thought of the first time we did this for nights on end,” Emiliano’s voice murmured raggedly. “Dance with me.”
“The first time, your brother was here,” I reminded him, hoping it would distract him so I could put distance between our bodies.
“I could call, and I guarantee he would be here to join us in a hot second,” he chuckled darkly. “My brother and I, we like to share. You’ll have to think of something else if you want to scare me off.”
“No need to scare you off since I’m not with you,” I replied tartly, hoping I could act like his body against mine didn’t make me groan.
“Why not?” he asked, wrapping his arms around me, holding me tight, and his sweet almond-and-vanilla scent intensified. My only reaction was to gasp when he pulled me impossibly closer to his chest. “You could be, you know. You could be with all of us.”
I shook my head. “I can’t. Shit is complicated.”
“We knowallabout complicated, Hazel.” I licked my lips, unsure of what to say. Finally he sighed before speaking again. “Valentina is here. If you just talk to me, I can help you avoid that particular ambush. She has lots of questions after finding out you ghosted us.”
“That’s just evil,” I told him sternly. Unworried, he twirled me around so our chests pressed together.
“Sweetheart, you have no idea.” He winked then sobered up. “But really, we’re confused about what happened. Whyareyou ghosting us? Is it something we did? Because we all had a great time.”
I swallowed hard, my body no longer dancing to the music, so Emiliano walked us backward, away from other dancers. “I had a great time too, but that doesn’t mean I can handle more than something fun right now.”
“Let us try to convince you,” he offered, eyes lighting up as if he’d had a huge epiphany.
“What do you mean?” I asked uncertainly.What is he getting at?
“We can be a lot to handle all at once.” Emiliano smiled softly, reaching forward to tuck a strand of my black hair behind my ear. “Spend some time with all of us in smaller doses. Alessandro and I will take you out, then Maximo, Zaven, and Sutton can take you out since they’re a pack. After that, we all go out again, all of us, as a second date.”
“I don’t do second dates.” I tried to step away, but he grabbed my wrist gently, keeping me from retreating. “Emiliano—”
“Go on a first date with my brother and me, then a first date with the others before you decide about that second date. Let us show you why you should give us a chance.” He searched my face, trying to figure out what I was going to say in response.
I couldn’t say yes… but I really fucking wanted to. My experience with people of the opposite sex was shitty on a good day, and the THC men took the cake.
How many times in my life had what I wanted mattered? Before I’d met my friends, the answer was zero, but I had a feeling that if I truly said no, my whole heart in that answer, Emiliano would listen to what I wanted. He would get the others to abide by my answer even if they didn’t understand it. I wasn’t really sure what made that intuition ring so strongly and clearly, but… If that was the kind of man he was, could I go on this date?
I was going to give him a flippant answer, unable to be completely vulnerable despite the track my thoughts had taken, but his expression stopped me. Those dark brown eyes were intent on me, even as his face fell. It was as if he could read my mind, the denial that was on the tip of my tongue, and my heart twisted.
“Yes,” I breathed, hoping like hell I wouldn’t regret it.
“Yes?” he repeated, clearly shocked.That makes two of us.
“Onedate with you and your brother, then the others,” I told him firmly. “I’ll decide about the second date after that, but don’t get your hopes up. I was serious; I don’t do second dates.”
“Deal,” he rushed out, a smile splitting his face. It transformed him. His face lit up, eyes sparkling with happiness at my answer.
“Hazel!” a familiar voice called out, and I coughed out an embarrassed laugh as Emiliano rolled his eyes.
“I already talked to her, Aunt V, which you would have known if you hadn’t stopped to hit on Kraken the bouncer.”
Valentina waved his commentary away, not the least bit put out. “Pfft, he was fine as hell! Of course I’m going to hit him up. He’s hot.”
“You mean the bouncer outside?” I asked in admiration. “Get it, Valentina!”
“Is that so?” Emiliano growled at me, and I tried to ignore the pool of warmth building inside of me. Thank goodness I’d gotten my suppressors yesterday. If I hadn’t started those, I’d be all over the beta at my back.
“So I see one of my boys was able to talk some sense into you.” She inclined her head toward her nephew. “Good. That saves me the trouble of a lecture that I didn’t prepare. Now, how are we celebrating?”
Emiliano grinned. “Am I invited?”
