“So? Aren’t we going to talk about it?” Lilac raisesherbrow, staring at me skeptically as she takes a long sip of her beer.
I take a deep breath and my gaze drops to my whiskey. I watch the ice floating in the brown liquor, shutting off my mind completely. I know she means my unexpected break-up with Damien, but the truth is I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t even want to think about it. It’s been eating at me for the past two months until I finally decided to let go and move on. Damien has made it clear that there is no place for me in his life. I tried to talk to him plenty of times, but each time ended just the same—with him pushing me away. At first, I refused to believe him. How could I think our feelings weren't real if it felt real? I thought that, for some reason, he was bluffing. But after another time of hearing the same thing, that I was just a bet, just another fuck, I let go. I had to. Otherwise, I would have gone crazy. All I have left is a bunch of broken promises and a shattered heart.
“No,” I reply dryly before drinking the strong spirit in one gulp. I look around the bar, its flashing lights jig against the packed dance floor.
It’s a new place that Lilac and I have been going to for the past couple of weeks. I promised myself I’d never again go to the rooftop bar where I used to hang out with Damien or Oliver. The place brought too many beautiful memories that became too painful to remember. I’ve figured I need a change of scenery, and here we are. The new bar is calledInfernoand its name speaks for itself. The red detail of the stools, leather couches, and lighting contrasting the black walls gives this place a hellish vibe. A thick smoke floats over the floor. Supposedly, this place is owned by an Italian family that allegedly has associations with the mafia. So no, my craving for danger hasn’t been extinguished. If anything, it’s only become stronger. Damien Alarie might’ve broken my heart, but he also freed me from a world of danger. He freed me from the restraints my father kept me in. I no longer follow the rules. I no longer live by the law. I moved out of my father’s mansion and rented an apartment, supporting myself with a part-time job as a waitress at Lilac’s parents’ local cafe for the time being. I’ve decided I don’t want to live off my father’s money after he disowned me. We talk to each other occasionally, but we’re not on the best terms as we used to be.
“I think I’m going to hit the dance floor.” I glance at my friend, who presses her lips together, forcing a smile as she nods.
“Okay. Let’s have some fun.” She hops off her seat before she grabs me by my elbow and leads me to the dance floor.
I let myself lose to the loud hip-hop music rumbling in my ears. I close my eyes and shake my head, swaying my hips, completely indulging in the song's beats. Then it happens again. The images of Damien sliding his hands around my waist as he leans toward my neck, grazing my skin with his soft lips, flash in my mind. It feels so vivid as if I’m experiencing it in real life. I can smell his intoxicating scent and feel his warm touch. The hairs on the back of my neck stand straight and I struggle to breathe. I’m suffocating. I’m suffocating at the memories of him. Now all I feel is pain. The pain he caused me.
“Is everything okay?” I hear Lilac scream into my ear, but I can’t speak. The words won’t come out of my mouth. I stand still, frozen. Everything around me is spinning. I feel dizzy. My breath is heavy and ragged. A single tear drips down my cheek, reminding me of the day Damien tore my soul apart. “Ava!” Lilac nudges my arm, snapping me out of this trance.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” My numb gaze focuses on the sign of a toilet door. “I need to pee,” I utter as I stroll toward the ladies’ room. I’m so focused on my way there that I can’t see anything but the door. I don’t want to break down here in front of all these people, including my friend, so I’d rather lock myself inside the toilet and cry alone. I know, so miserable of me. I pretend I’m all tough and over Damien while, in fact, I’m neither. I’m still hurting. I don’t want the world to see it, to pity me.
“Watch your step.” A low voice rumbles against my ear as I bounce off a broad, hard-as-a-rock chest.
I slowly look up, tilting my head back. Damn, this man is big as a tree. He hovers over me by eight or nine inches. He looks at me, unfazed. He is neither smiling nor scowling. There is no single emotion on his face. But his gaze… Oh, my … his gaze. There’s this kind of alluring darkness glimmering in his amber eyes. The one that I’ve been looking for in a man ever since …him.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.” Completely mesmerized by the beauty of this man, I bite my lip involuntarily, drooling over his muscled body covered with tattoos and a black, slightly unbuttoned shirt. He wears a chain necklace around his neck and a matching bracelet on his wrist. His hair is raven black. The short-shaved hair on the side contrasts with the longer hair on the top of his head. His skin is tanned and glowing. Fuck, I’m attracted to this man. It’s something I haven’t felt for a while now. It’s something I didn’t think I could feel again.
“I can tell, doll.” His words drip with a heavy Italian accent as he smirks somewhat sarcastically, somewhat amusingly, but it’s the first time this man actually makes any facial expression. He grabs my chin with his fingers, tilting my head to the back, and our eyes lock. My heart skips a beat.
“Wow, you’re not a robot after all.” The words blurt out of my mouth. I can’t help it. It’s the sarcasm in me that has gotten worse ever since the breakup.
The man scoffs, his eyes focused on mine. “Are you in a hurry,bellissima?” Bellissima? His melodic accent kicks in while he speaks, and it’s so pleasant and so damn alluring.
“I’m not,” I whisper, letting him brush my bottom lip with his thumb, and an electric sensation washes over my body.
The man scoffs again. The smirk gets wider, showing off his perfectly white teeth. “Weren’t you just a minute ago? You barreled straight into me.”
Yeah, because you’re as solid as a wall, it’s impossible to walk past you.
“You got inmyway. I was heading to the ladies’ room. So if you’ll excuse me, I need to pee.” He chuckles softly, probably because of my bluntness or the lack of a filter, but his soft laugh is like music to my ears. I step back and glance into his hypnotizing eyes fleetingly one more time before walking toward the toilet. Or at least intending to, because the mysterious man grabs my arm, preventing me from stepping away. I turn to face him, tilting my head to the side as I watch him, pretending to be annoyed. I will never show my interest in him or any other man again. I will not let those bastards that only want to fuck break my heart again, and he looks exactly like the type. “What?” I ask, raising my brow.
“I will wait for you,” he growls, looking deeply into my eyes. Again his face is emotionless, unreadable to me. “I want you to have a drink with me.”
“Who said I want a drink?” I sneer.
A slight smirk curls up his lips as he leans to whisper into my ear. His warm breath sweeping down my neck gives me goosebumps. “I know it by how your body responds to my touch, bella.”
“You’re so conceited, aren’t you?”
“Maybe.” He grins.
“What if I say no?”
“I don’t take no for an answer, carina.” His low voice rings in my ears. “Just one drink. If we don’t like each other, we’ll go our separate ways.”
“And if we like each other?”
He moves back, setting his dark gaze on me. “We may end up fucking.”
I raise my brow, watching him with my jaw wide open. The audacity of this man … turns me on. In its own twisted way, that’s what I want after being lied to for months. Bluntness. Even if it sounds inappropriate, I would prefer a man to tell me he wants to fuck me than pull the wool over my eyes and fill my ears with sweet lies.
“Deal,” I state and he grins mischievously, satisfaction in his eyes. “Ava.” I extend my hand to him.
