He shrugged. “It was lime green.”
“It was bold.”
“It was offensive.”
I shook my head, grabbing a watch from the nightstand. “At least I don’t look like I’m going to seduce someone’s mum at a yacht party.”
Alexander raised an eyebrow. “You know, for someone who claims not to care, you’ve been really concerned about impressing Nicola lately.”
“She said I’m tolerable now.”
“She also called you insufferable.”
“Balance,” I replied coolly, fixing my hair with the kind of precision I pretended not to care about but absolutely did.
Alexander watched me for a second longer before speaking again, this time more thoughtful. “You like her.”
I glanced at him. “She’s—” I shook my head. “She’s infuriating.”
“That wasn’t a no.”
“She’s also sharp. Funny. She doesn’t fall for the usual charm.”
“So you have to work for it.” He smirked. “You love that.”
I didn’t answer because, yeah, I did. I loved the way her eyes narrowed when she tried not to laugh. The way she argued like it was an art form and glared at me like I was her least favorite secret.
She was all fire and control and backbone. And she’d been in my head since that damn gala.
“She’s not the kind of girl you mess around with,” I said eventually.
Alexander shook his head, pulling his jacket on. “No, she’s not.”
“She deserves someone serious. Stable.”
He looked at me with one brow raised. “You think that’s not you?”
I paused.
Then exhaled. “I think I want it to be.”
The silence lingered for a beat. Then he clapped a hand on my shoulder. “You’re either about to have the best night of your life or make the biggest mess in the paddock.”
I grinned. “Can’t it be both?”
Alexander laughed. “Let’s go, Lover Boy.”
I grabbed my keys and followed him out.
Let the games begin.
The second we stepped out of the black car, the flashes started. Paparazzi lined up outside the underground club like wolves, eager for a bite of whatever staged moment Lucia and Alexander were feeding them that night. And they delivered—Alexander had his hand at the small of her back, Lucia leaned into his shoulder.
I lagged behind with my sunglasses pulled low even though it was well past sunset, hands in my jacket pockets like I didn’t care. But I was scanning.
Looking.
And then I found her, midnight hair down in loose waves and all I could think about was running my fingers through the strands.
