Chapter 2 - Clara
I swallowed hard as the stranger started coming my way. The gorgeous-looking man had been making eye contact for the last minute, making me nervous. Yet, I was intrigued by him. It felt like those sparkling blue eyes were pulling me to the depths of the ocean.
The white suit he wore sat like a glove on his muscular body. Each muscle is highlighted to perfection. I blinked a couple of times. I was sure it was a dream. His dark blond hair was messy but suited him. It looked like it was styled in that way..
He looked like a life-size doll, maybe a Ken doll. Everything about him screamed too good to be true. There was a good boy look to him, but a bad boy vibe I couldn’t ignore. It was that vibe that drove me up the walls.
There was no denying the chemistry between us. Just looking at him lit up my body like a Christmas tree on steroids. Glancing back at the bathroom, I hoped my friends would return soon. But in the back of my mind, I was also hoping they didn’t.
I wanted the stranger to come close and whisper in my ear. I scanned his handsome face as he stopped on the other side of the table. He glanced around, cleared his throat, and spoke softly. “Hi, there. Are you alone?” His voice was so deep and hot that I felt a shiver run down my spine.
He knew I wasn’t alone. He had to have seen me talking to my friends when he entered. His smile was inviting and comforting in a way. Coupled with his voice, he was practically irresistible. His posture spoke of confidence and grandeur.
Shifting in my seat, I tried to hide the impending hunger for him. I clutched the sides of the chair in an effort to keep myself grounded. I felt like pouncing on him right there. Grinning, I glanced back again before answering. “No, I’m not, but I’m sure you know that.”
His smile lit up his eyes as he replied. “I know.” His voice was smooth as honey as he leaned closer. “I saw your friends. But you are alone at this moment, aren’t you?”
I felt the warmth spreading across my cheeks.
I was glad the lighting was low as I didn’t want him to notice the sudden glow I felt my body giving off.
. It was unlike me to blush so easily. Sitting up, I reached out my hand as I spoke.
“Okay, you have me there. I’m Cleo, and you are?
” I wasn’t about to give him my real name until I knew it was safe to do so.
He softly took my hand. Instead of shaking it, he laid a tender kiss on it without breaking eye contact. I felt a shiver run through me as my body tingled. He looked so delicious. “Iosif, my lady,” he whispered.
I watched in silence as he pulled out the chair across from me and sat down. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the waiter. Lifting my hand, I waved him closer. I spoke without breaking eye contact. “A beer for the gentleman and another Manhattan for me, please.”
It was impossible to divert my eyes, even though I wanted to. My tongue seemed to be moving at its own will, as I found myself licking my lips.
“Thank you, but I’ll get my own drink,” Iosif said, sitting back in his chair. He had a cool smirk, making his lips more tempting.
“Well,” I huffed under my breath. “You are now seated at my table. Here, I do the ordering. So, unless you’re leaving, I get this round.”
He let out a soft chuckle, a sound so sweet, I felt it pull at my heartstrings. I couldn’t help the nervous giggle that escaped my lips.
“Okay,” he said, grinning. “You seem to know what you are doing.”
“Oh, I know a lot of things. I assure you I’m smarter than I may look,” I replied before sipping from my glass.
His grin widened as he replied. “So, you’re the whole enchilada, the entire package, then?”
As I was about to speak, the waiter returned with our drinks. I waited for him to leave before taking on this seemingly arrogant man. “What are you trying to imply?”
“Well, being a smart woman would be half of the package,” he huffed, leaning closer.
Leaning in as well, I spoke confidently. “What would the other half then be?”
The words had barely left my mouth when his grin turned into a broad smile. He glanced around and bit his lower lip before responding. “Your looks, of course, my lady. You are a tender, perfectly baked pie, I’m sure every man would love to taste.”
His eyes moved from mine to my lips and down my chest before returning. I felt my insides twist and my stomach turn. Once again, our eyes locked. I was trapped in those pools of blue.
There was a soft tap on the table to our side. Pulling back to reality, I saw my friends had returned.
“Well, Hello!” Britney, the New York model, breathed as she slid onto the seat next to me. Leaning closer, she spoke in a loud whisper. “Who is this fine piece of art keeping you company?”
I knew none of these girls would think twice about taking a hit at him. But we did have a code, and they wouldn’t act unless I indicated that I wasn’t interested. “This is Iosif,” I said, looking at each of them briefly.
“Hi there, Iosif,” they all said in almost perfect unison. They smiled and waved flirtatiously.
Iosif nodded, smiled back, and lifted his hand halfway.
The girls suddenly took their bags and started moving past us.
The last one, Audri, another model, this one from Paris, stopped behind me, whispering into my ear.
“We’ll give you some space. You snatch him up, girl, or I will.
” She let out a soft, growling sound before moving away.
I had to pick up my glass and take another sip to drown the laughter pushing up. Turning, I watched as they waved at Iosif before heading to the darker side of the club. Three of them were models, one was a talent agent, and the other was a photographer.
“You have interesting friends,” Iosif said, taking a swallow of beer. “What did the last one want? They wanted you to go with them. Have I now ruined your evening out?” I could hear a tad of guilt in his tone, but I could be wrong.
“Yes, they’re an odd bunch, you can say,” I replied, glancing at them. “But our evening was about to taper off anyway. So, no, they didn’t want me to go with them, you didn’t spoil anything. In fact, she reminded me to have some fun.”
“There really was no need for them to leave; they could have joined us,” he said, smiling at me.
“Oh, no, they didn’t leave on account of you. They needed space,” I said, pointing to them across the club. The section they entered was closed off and offered a service different from the front part.
Iosif turned and squinted his eyes as he tried to see them. They were in a booth with the curtains more than halfway closed. Two male strippers were entertaining them. Iosif laughed as he turned back to me. “Well, then, let’s have some fun,” he huffed.
I felt the hair on the back of my neck rising as a strange excitement filled me.
I’d never seen him here before, and I knew he didn’t know who I was.
So, talking to him was easy. It was refreshing to come out with my friends and meet a stranger like him.
Someone who liked me for me, not for who I was.
After a couple of drinks and some more chit-chat, Iosif stood up and held out his hand, smiling at me. “Would you like this dance, my lady?” The charm dripped from his tone.
I nodded as I hopped off the stool and took his hand. Looking back at my friends, I winked at them. The smiles on their faces told me they understood. As we danced, they headed back to the table.
He was light on his feet and twirled me around like I weighed nothing. He whispered into my ear as he pulled me close in our second dance. “Would you like to go somewhere else with me?”
Looking up into those penetrating blue eyes, I blinked. I felt unsure. I wanted to, but I was nervous as well. I wasn’t the kind of person to take risks. Especially not with my family bloodline. Every moment of my life was planned and executed perfectly to suit my brother’s plans.
However, I had finished college and was ready to live. I wanted to feel alive for once. I craved some excitement, so I decided to go with my whims. My blood was running hot, and I had developed an itch that needed scratching.
“Hell, yeah, why not?” I replied, smiling. “Let’s see where this goes, shall we?”
Iosif grinned as he took my hand and walked with me back to the table. I smiled and nodded at my girlfriends before collecting my purse and allowing him to lead me out. They knew that it was time for a distraction. As we walked, I made sure the guards hadn’t seen us leave.
I knew there would be hell to pay if they did. The ones looking after me at this stage were practically immune to my charm. If they noticed, I knew I would have to pull some bribe or stunt for them to leave me be.
The fresh air outside was cool but welcoming. He walked to his car, unlocked it, and held the door open for me. “Oh, wow,” I said without thinking.
“And now?” he asked. “You sound so surprised.”
“Yes, sorry. You have a nice ride,” I replied, turning and placing my hands on his chest. “It’s not what I expected.”
Iosif placed his hands on my hips as I started sitting back. He lowered me, staring intensely into my eyes. His touch was electrifying. Then he bent down, placing one leg, then the other, into the car. There was so much space. It smelled like a pine forest.
Once both my legs were in, he slowly moved his hands up over my knees. He got up, closed the door, and moved around the front. I held my hands to my chest as my heart raced. That was intense, and I had to take a couple of deep breaths.
As he got in, I dropped my hands back to my lap. I didn’t want him to notice how he was affecting me. “What car is this?” I asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.
Iosif glanced at me. He spoke in a proud tone as he replied. “It’s an Audi TT RS.”
“May I ask why white? Do you not like other colors?” I added.
He laughed as he spoke. “I do like other colors like black, blue, and green. Yet, white is a color of pureness, don’t you think?”