Chapter 52 Insolvency
Sara
When Drew leads me back to the table, Verity sneers from her seat. I turn and see Wyatt’s back halfway across the room. Drew guides me around to Dante and Nan.
“Where are Finn and Olivia?” I ask.
Dante nods to the dance floor. I brace myself, but when I turn to see them dancing, it doesn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. If I thought for one moment he wanted to be there with her instead of me, I’d be out of this.
But he wants me. I touch my diamonds. Maybe more than just for now.
I try not to think of it, because a future with any of them would be tangled and messy. My mom loves me and would do anything for me, but I don’t think she would be okay with me being in a relationship with four guys.
Tom would never forgive his friends for crossing the line with me. My heart stops. Their friendship is important to all of them. He would hate me. They would all end up hating me.
Fuck it. That’s a problem for another day. Right now, I have information.
“The man I danced with was Peter Sokolov.” I meet Dante’s gaze. “Natasha’s father.”
Dante looks over at the dance floor. “Where is he now?”
I shake my head. “He left me on the dance floor and Drew—”
I glance at Drew. He danced with me instead of following the man. Was that intentional to let Peter get away?
“I danced with my date.” Drew cups my cheek. “I hate that someone else got your first dance, princess.”
He leans down and kisses me briefly before straightening.
Nan watches everything like she should have a bowl of popcorn in front of her while we go back and forth. When she notices me noticing her, she smirks and gives me a wink.
Dante steps forward and puts his hand on my elbow. I gasp at the jolt of electricity through my system. “Let’s dance, pip.”
Drew chuckles and releases me. “How ’bout it, Nancy? Want to take a spin around the dance floor?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” She smiles and takes his offered arm.
Dante leads us across the room and draws me into his arms. My whole being is hyperaware of every inch of him. The heat of him pulls me closer as his hand slides between my shoulder blades, holding me. I try to focus, to think of something besides him fucking me.
I long to lean into him, press myself against him, and lose myself in his arms.
“Which way did he go, pip?” Dante’s voice breaks apart my fantasy world.
I blink a few times before straightening in his arms. Of course, we’re here for a reason. I look in the direction Peter vanished.
“He left in that direction, but I didn’t see whether he left the room or not.”
Dante follows my line of sight, and I watch his jaw tick. His blond hair is pulled back into a bun and I just want to pull it loose, watch it fall over his shoulders. I’ve never been immune to Dante in a tuxedo.
His coldness kept me from being too forward in the past. But now that I know he wanted me as much as I wanted him, all those moments feel like lost opportunities.
“If you see him, let me know.” Dante returns his cool eyes to my face and they melt for me as the heat builds between us.
“Is that the only reason you wanted to dance with me, boss?” I ask quietly.
His gaze drops to my lips and he groans, his hand tightening on mine. “Pip, that’s a dangerous game to play.”
My insides buzz in anticipation. It wouldn’t take much to have him drag me out of here like he used to. Except now, he’d fuck me. In the hallway. The car. The elevator back to the apartment. Thrusting inside me over and over until we can barely breathe.
“We need to focus.” He leans down and brushes his lips against my ear. His deep voice makes me even wetter as he says, “Later, pip, I’ll take care of that ache you have.”
When he straightens, our eyes meet and hold. How did I ever decide not to pursue this man?
“Do you see him anywhere?” His tone is formal again.
Fuck, this guy might be a clue but I’m over here panting. I glance around as Dante spins me across the dance floor. My body follows his lead perfectly.
“I don’t see him, but there are groups in the far corners.” The lighting is dim. Some groups are mere shadows toward the back.
“May I cut in?”
Dante steps to the side as Wyatt fills the space he left. Dante gives me a nod before heading back to the outer edges of the ballroom. Wyatt draws me in tight against him. Inappropriately tight.
“Wyatt!” I keep my voice down, but damn. People will talk. It’s not a big deal if they talk about me and Drew. We’re together. We’ve been seen out in public.
“Shh, trouble.” He sways in time to the music, leading me with a quiet grace. Every inch of him contours to every inch of me like we’re two pieces of the same puzzle. I crave his closeness but this isn’t right.
I search his dark eyes but he doesn’t seem to care. “People will talk.”
“Let them.” His thumb rubs my bare skin. “Fuck, trouble, I can’t look at you without needing to touch some part of you. Every inch that’s exposed I want to kiss and mark so no other man thinks they can have you.”
The heat inside me bursts into flames. My hand slides a little closer to his neck and gently strokes along his collar, feeling his hot skin under my touch. There’s a piece of me that doesn’t care if everyone thinks I’m sleeping with him.
I want them to know he’s mine. I want to claim him the same way he claims me.
Looking away is impossible but I know I should. The fire in his eyes tempts me to misbehave.
“I’m going to hold you down tonight and fuck you properly, trouble.”
My ears burn at the heated words, knowing that he’ll do exactly as he says and wondering how many people overheard them. Part of me doesn’t care.
I don’t care if my mother hears that her daughter disappeared with womanizer Finn. Or danced with the cool Viking Dante. Or might as well have fucked Wyatt Hawkins on the dance floor in front of her date.
The only ones I care about will take me home tonight. I wet my lips.
“You’ll have to catch me first, sir.”