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Taking a step forward, he pulls me along with him until we are right at the back of a tall guy in a suit. “Mr Preston, I’d like to introduce you to my star…”
The suit turns as I plaster on my brightest smile, but wait…what? No. Fucking. Way. I can feel my smile drop and my heavy makeup probably isn’t doing shit to cover the fact that all the natural colour has left my face. Everything has stopped, the background noise, the world, time, my beating heart. I’m not breathing. Shit, keep breathing Elle.
Glancing up at warm brown eyes that had once held me captive and the golden hair that was now long enough to form a perfect mop of curls on top of his head, I was in disbelief that it was him. After all this time. “Lance…”
“Hello, Eleanor,” his voice is deep and cool, maybe he wasn’t expecting to see me here either.
“You two know each other?” Mr Amiri pulls me back to the present. Shit. Lance is the guy Mr Amiri wanted to introduce me to. Lance is the guy buying the club. Lance is going to be my new boss. Fuck a duck.
“We, uh, we went to university together,” I say with a fake smile.
“Small world,” he chuckles. “Well, then I guess there is no need for introductions. Mr Preston, I’m sure it comes as no surprise to you that Elle is our star.”
“Indeed.” Lance regards me with an unreadable expression. Is he angry? Well, fuck that. My eyes narrow slightly as my own temper starts to simmer.
“I’m sure the two of you would like to catch up,” Mr Amiri continues, completely oblivious to the rising tension between us. “I’ll leave you alone.”Oh God, please don’t.“But first, Elle, I have something for you.” He leans over the bar and pulls something from a hidden shelf.
Mr Amiri smiles at me as he passes over a small square box with a decorative bow in one corner. I forget present company momentarily as I slide the lid free and reveal a gold necklace with a crystal encrusted shooting star pendant. I run my fingertips over the lovely piece and smile to myself.
“It’s beautiful, thank you.” I reach up place a quick kiss on his cheek.
“Happy birthday, my dearest Elle. I can’t take full credit; my wife picked it out. She has excellent taste.” He smiles proudly.
“She certainly does.” I cup his cheek as he beams down at me.
Lance’s throat clearing reminds me that he’s here.Oh God, why is he here?Stepping back from my boss, I try for a polite smile in Lance’s direction. He has a look of hot annoyance on his perfectly sculpted face.Why does he have to be so hot?I’m sure my smile looks forced, and that Lance knows there is no joy behind it.
“I’ll leave you two to catch up,” Amiri kisses my cheek once more and turns to leave. “Oh, and Elle, there’s a bottle of Dom Perignon behind the bar for you and your friends. And order whatever you want tonight, the drinks are on me.”
“Thanks, boss.”
We are left staring at each other for what feels like minutes, but in reality, it can only have been seconds. Each one of them ticked by as a crescendo of nerves vibrating between us builds. I shuffle on my feet and try to disguise the stinging at the back of my eyes by looking anywhere but at him. Three years seems to have done little to heal the damage done to my heart now that I’m stood in front of the saboteur.
Just as I’m planning on making my excuses, my name is screeched across the room. I turn to see Gaby hurtling towards me, a vision in cherry red with dark hair framing an angelic baby-face. “Girl! Where you been? We’ve been looking all over for you!” She wraps her arms around my neck for a tight hug.
“Hey, chick,” I say, glancing over her shoulder. Lance watches on with a burning gaze, one hand gripping a glass of amber liquid, Glenfiddich unless he’s changed his tipple in the last three years, and one hand in his pocket as he casually leans against the bar.
“Are you ready to start partying? The boys will be here any minute, is Gray coming?” Gaby pulls back to hold on to my shoulders, her pretty face beaming with exuberance.
“Yeah, he should be.” I smile at her and dart my eyes quickly back to Lance, sick curiosity getting the better of me. I hate him. But I can’t stop watching him.
Unfortunately, Gaby notices my distraction and turns slowly to see the gorgeous man staring at me like he is going to pounce any second. To fuck me or kill me, I can’t quite say. “Who’s this?” Gaby turns that adorable smile to my arch nemesis.
“Gabs, this is Mr Lance Preston. He is in talks with Mr Amiri about buying the club.”
“And how do you know him?” She asks, not missing a trick.
“Oh, we went to uni together, like a million years ago,” I dismiss.
“That’s awesome.” Gaby’s enthusiasm and pretty smile are usually infectious, but Lance doesn’t smile back. He doesn’t look at her even though she’s turned to face him, his eyes still fixed on me, making me squirm uncomfortably. “Are you staying to celebrate Elle’s birthday with us?”Damnit. I could kick her.
I am just about to explain to her that, no, Lance will not be joining, when he speaks up instead. “Yes, I will. It will be good to catch up, won’t it?” He looks at me, daring me to argue. What the Hell? Well, he won’t be getting a reaction from me.
I smile sweetly and nod. “Of course, the more the merrier.” I go to the bar trying to keep some distance between me and the beautiful devil and I catch Micky, the bartender’s, eye. Once he is finished with his customer, he comes over to me with a wide smile, leans over the bar and plants a smacking kiss on my cheek.
“Happy birthday, gorgeous,” he says with a wink.
“Thanks, boo.” I smile back at him. “Boss man says there’s a little something for me behind the bar.”
