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Giggling, she leaned her cheek to my chest. “I knew I was dying tonight, just didn’t know I’d get to laugh first.”
Her odd statement had me wanting to ask what she meant, but then I saw her beautiful smile gleaming up at me. I couldn’t speak. I could only listen as she said, “It was unexpected, more than you know, but so nice to meet you, VP.”
I had never gazed adoringly at a girl before, but Green Eyes was no ordinary girl. She had captured me. The real me. I think that is why I did something so rare. “Duke. My name is Duke.”
As if completely aware that a road name is all one-percenters preferred to share, her expression filled with elation that I’d given her my true identity. Then, as if committed to matching my offering, she set her shoulders back and announced, “Elleora. But call me Elle, please.”
Fate. What a wise, mysterious fucker.
“Nice to meet you, Elle.”
Two strangers, connected in an unexplainable measure, in unison, both went back to staring at the door. As soon as we heard the DJ attempting to gain all the patrons’ attention, Elle put her free hand on the knob. “Ready?”
“Born ready.”
A wicked smile took over her face as she started to turn that knob. “I bet you’re a great kisser.”
Conceitedly, I informed her, “Too bad you didn’t take me up on it. It’s a panty dropper.”
“Not for me, VP.” She opened the door. “I don’t wear any.” Her wink almost crippled me more than the bullet in my gut.
Jesus. H. Christ.
Elle had been correct. Every single person in the club was on the dance floor with a drink in the air, screaming and cheering to a toast that didn’t even register in my nervous ears. Elle and I went totally unnoticed as we scurried down the hallway, past the bathrooms I never made it to, and out the back door that led to the alley.
Besides the blast of cool air outside, I noticed there was a dim light hanging above the back door. The only other light source was at the end of the alley. No windows at the rear of the brick building in front of us. None on the building we just exited. It was quite evident crooked business went down in this alley, and Elle’s fiancé wasn’t interested in any of it being witnessed.
Elle peered around, searching for ‘bad guys’ while letting the door shut behind us. She whispered, “Want to sit on the ground?”
There were no cars or people, only a dumpster with a foul odor and a few snowflakes, but sitting unsettled me even more than the stench. “No. If I have to fight, I want to be on my feet.”
With a lingering sadness, she nodded, “I can understand that,” helping me down the alley to gain some distance from the door. “No security cameras down here. No filming of your leather buddies when they get here.”
By the time we stopped walking, I was epically drained. Not wanting to keep putting so much weight on Elle, I let my shoulder fall against the wall, hoping it would help me stay upright because crashing to the ground was sounding better and better.
Denying my independence, Elle refused to let go and helped me roll along the wall until my back was against it and my legs and feet were out a bit to prop me up.
By the time I was situated, we were both breathing hard, and she was standing between my legs, holding my cut to my stomach. She whispered, “You okay?”
I let my head fall back to rest on the wall. “Ain’t I a picture of perfection?”
She giggled again, but it had even more sorrow to it. “Aren’t we both?” I listened to her cell click while she typed our whereabout to Pops.
As I caught my breath, she softly asked, “So, do tell why VP isn’t off the market, claimed by a wife,” while studying her phone that had just dinged. “Damn. Your dad is flying. Only ten minutes away.”
Tiredly, I pointed to her phone. “Because of him. Losing my mom was a death sentence to his soul.” I shook my head in dismay. “I never want to know that pain.”
Her mouth fell open as she gawked at me. “That is the best answer you could have ever responded with.”
I could have stared at her for hours. She was fascinating to me. Yes, she was the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on, with her slender nose and contoured face, slanted sexy eyes, and long eyelashes, but there was something else—something inside her that screamed out to be heard. There was a passion or spirit that was intoxicating and invigorating to be around—
Again, past words floated through me. “Use those lynx eyes, baby… and see the soul.”
Thinking of my mom, my chest cracked. How would I have ever guessed her last words would be a saving grace? And, I wasn’t just seeing a soul, I was feeling it.
It was like Elle being near me had me experiencing life for the very first time. Like I’d been walking around Earth as a breathing, eating, and hussy-fucking zombie until this particular girl entered my world. I somehow knew nothing would be the same once I left her side. No sunrise or sunset, no meal or breath of air, no kiss would ever taste the same after meeting Elle.
I weakly lifted my hand and touched her face because I had to soak up every second of her presence. I was actually fearful of becoming a zombie again once she was gone. “So few moments, yet I feel like I’ve known you for years.”
