His eyes narrow on mine as he spins around in his seat to face me. He lowers his feet to the ground, straightening his legs as he stands up. He sways, ever so slightly. “You were all over me while we were dancing.”
“We were dancing, that was it.” He takes a step toward me and I practically jump backwards away from him. I collide with a warm, solid body behind me. “I’m so sorry,” I say in a rush, my words slurring as I turn to face the person.
I stumble as I turn, the room half spinning with me. Large, warm hands dart out, wrapping around my biceps to steady me. I stare at the chest in front of me, my eyes slowly trailing upwards until I meet his gray eyes.
“Matteo?”
The corners of his mouth twitch. “Hey, Sunny.” His expression hardens, his eyebrows drawing close as he scans my face. My chest heaves, my heart beating harder. His eyes flick behind me. “This guy bothering you?”
My breathing hitches. “Oh—um, no. Everything’s okay.”
“You can go, man,” Eric says, stepping up beside us, puffing his chest.
My body falls rigid. Matteo’s hands are still holding me upright. His eyes shift to mine. “Do you want me to leave?”
I swallow roughly, my nostrils widening. My hair dances along my back as I move my head back and forth. “No. Eric was just leaving.” I look over at him. “Weren’t you?”
He scoffs, rolling his eyes. “Don’t get your hopes up with her,” he says to Matteo, giving me a dirty look. “She’s just a tease.”
Matteo’s fingers tighten around my biceps, not hard enough to squeeze, but almost as if holding onto me is the only thing stopping his hands from curling into fists.
Eric turns and walks away, Matteo’s eyes following him. His expression is unreadable, but his eyes are dark. Distant and cold.
“Matteo.”
His eyes slice back to mine.
“You can let go of me now.”
He blinks. Once. Twice. Warmth chases away the cold. His throat bobs as he swallows hard then clears his throat. I notice his absence as soon as his hands fall away from my arms. “Sorry.” He lifts his hand, running it through his tousled hair. “Who was that guy?”
I shake my head. “A friend of a friend. I just met him tonight and don’t plan on ever talking to him again.”
Matteo tilts his head to the side, his eyes doing a slow scan of my face. They don’t stop as they run down my bare neck, along the scooping neckline of my dress. “Did he hurt you?”
“No, no.” I swallow roughly, meeting his gaze as his eyes bounce back to mine. “He just misread the situation and thought I was interested, which I am not.”
I don’t know why I added that last little piece. It doesn’t matter to Matteo. He doesn’t need to know whether or not I’m interested in some guy he doesn’t even know.
The room shifts. I feel like I’m going to overheat. Warmth surges through my veins. I only had a few shots and one mixed drink, but I don’t have much of a tolerance.
“I’m gonna head out.”
Matteo’s brows furrow. “Are you here alone?”
“No, my friends are somewhere,” I explain, waving my hand dismissively, not bothering to look for them. I’ll text them; they’ll understand. “I’m only a ten minute walk from here, it’s fine.”
I pull open my purse, finding my phone and a hair clip. I gather my hair, pulling it away from my neck to secure it with the clip.
“I’ll walk you.”
My heart skips a beat, my eyes widening slightly. “What?”
“It’s dark outside. I’m not letting you walk alone.”
“I—uh.” I pause, looking around the room. The music is still pounding, people are still dancing, and the lights above are still flashing. “What about whoever you’re here with?”
Matteo smirks, cocking his head to the side. “Are you worried I might be here with another woman?”
