2. Lily
CHAPTER 2
LILY
“T his-s is-s the best night ever ! I’m so glad you guys-s came out with me to celebrate!” I teeter on my high heels as I step off of the dance floor at Vice, the popular Vegas nightclub that I’ve been dying to experience since I moved out here but was always too busy with schoolwork to find the time. I head toward our private table in the VIP room, my friends flanking me on all sides. Pulsating electronica reverberates between my ears and I lose my footing as the bouncer holds open the velvet rope for us to pass. I sway into Chloe, reaching for her arm to steady myself and grabbing one of her boobs instead. “Oops! Sorry!”
“Jeez, I don’t want to see where you try to put that hand after the next drink,” she says, snickering.
Katarina slings an arm around my shoulders. “I’d like to see,” she says with a waggle of her perfectly arched eyebrows.
“Kat!” Lindy yelps, laughing so hard, her cosmopolitan sloshes over the side of her glass.
“What?” Kat asks, her blue eyes glimmering with mischief. “The kid deserves to have a little unorthodox fun for once, don’t you think?”
Chloe shrugs. “Yeah, and let’s face it. I could do worse.”
“I’m a damn good catch,” I say with a wink.
“Brilliant, gorgeous, funny.” Lindy blows me a kiss. “Any guy worth a look would drop to his knees for you in a hot second.”
“I’m not sure her father and brother would appreciate hearing that. The Salesi men don’t have much of a tolerance for men coming within a three-foot radius of Lily,” Kat says, sliding into our booth and tossing back a shot of vodka.
“Well, they’re not here right now, are they?” Lindy raises her near-empty glass. “And you heard the girl. She’s celebrating tonight!”
I collapse onto the red leather couch at our private table. It’s one of the perks you get when you’re friends of the family who owns the place, that family otherwise knowns as the ruthless, powerful, and staggeringly wealthy Severinov bratva. And family is a very big part of my life, whether I like it or not.
I tried to distance myself from it years back when I announced that I wanted to go away to college. My father Joe and brother Nico weren’t too keen on me being farther than forty-five minutes away from our home in northern New Jersey, though. They were thinking that Fordham University would be a good choice, but hell no was I going to end up in the Bronx of all places, right in the heart of Little Italy, the mecca for the exact type of people I was trying so hard to escape. It was a hard-earned victory when they finally agreed that I could attend the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Of course, there were conditions.
There always are when you’re the only daughter of a notorious mob boss who has a list of enemies that spans the length of the eastern seaboard. Fortunately, Dad and Nico have a lot of powerful Russian allies out west, namely the Severinov bratva, courtesy of Katarina. When Kat married Rocco, one of Dad’s soldiers, both families joined forces and formed a tight alliance.
It’s only because of Dad’s relationship with the Severinovs that he agreed to let me move out here. He knew I’d be protected, and that if any of his enemies made the stupid decision to target me, they’d have a gaggle of pissed-off Russian brutes to contend with, too.
It took a long time to wear them down and get them to loosen the chain around my neck, but they finally conceded. And for the past few years, I’ve been on a very determined path to becoming a veterinarian, a dream I’d had since I was just a child. I’d worked harder than ever to get the grades I needed to advance to veterinary college and gave up all semblance of a social life to focus on my passion for animals.
My life was perfectly orchestrated for success, the kind I wanted to achieve on my own terms.
Then, over Christmas break, I went home for a visit, and everything damn-near crumbled with me in the epicenter of the havoc.
Dad and Nico had been so laser-focused on keeping me safe in Vegas that they didn’t think any threats would follow me back to New Jersey.
They were wrong.
And I was just oblivious.
My perfectly orchestrated life was almost extinguished as a result. The horrors of that night…the one where I’d almost been kidnapped by some faceless enemy of my family…have lingered ever since. I managed to escape by the skin of my teeth, and even though Nico swore to me that the threat was eliminated, the terror of being so close to a devastating end still haunts me.
I push those thoughts to the corners of my alcohol-fogged mind and let out a deep sigh as my head falls back against the cushion. It’s a relieved sigh…one that comes after the long breath I’ve been holding since I applied to vet school eight months ago.
That’s what I want to think about right now, achieving the goal I’d only dared to dream about for so long.
When I came out here for school, I had a plan.
And it was to never go back to the life I’d left behind, one where I was powerless against the dangers that seemingly lurk around every corner.
Ironic that the first time I left my new life, I was almost swallowed up by my old one.
Almost.
But that was a few months ago, and according to Nico, the threat has been handled. I guess that’s yet another thing to celebrate. I’m safe out here and surrounded by friendlies.
At least, they’re friendlies to anyone who doesn’t try to cross them or the people under their protection.
I allow a victorious smile to lift my lips. My life is back on track and tonight, I am celebrating the next chapter. I don’t know how my story will end, but I’m beyond excited to experience each new adventure.
“You look like the cat who just ate the canary,” Chloe quips.
“As she should,” Lindy says. “She just got into one of the very few vet schools in the entire country! Right? Aren’t there, like, twenty? She’s a freaking rock star!”
Kat smirks. “I don’t know. Would it have been that bad to get into one on St. Kitts? I mean, I’d have happily visited you for months at a time.”
I giggle. “St. Kitts would have been nice. But come on, my family would never have let me leave the country. You do remember what it took for them to let me come out here, right?”
“And you know their decision was partly because of the fierce ninja moves I taught you,” Kat says, poling me in the shoulder.
“Those fierce ninja moves definitely came in handy,” I muse, twisting a strand of my hair around my finger. My eyes tangle with Kat’s for a brief second, and we’re both back in the same exact place.
She knows all too well what her fierce ninja moves did for me that night.
Chloe grabs the bottle of vodka and makes herself another cocktail, ogling a group of guys paused not too far from our table.
Kat reaches over and gives my hand a quick squeeze. “You’re a total badass, Lily. Don’t ever forget that. You’re here because you earned it and because?—”
“Of you,” I say quietly. “I’m here because of you and what you did for me, what you taught me.”
She shakes her head, her long, dark hair tumbling over her bare shoulders. “No, love. You’re here because of you .”
I take a deep breath. “I just got lucky that night. But luck eventually runs out, Kat.”
“Hey,” she murmurs. “You put up a fight with those assholes and bought yourself time. If you hadn’t channeled that inner raging bitch when they grabbed you, you’d have been thrown in the back of that van before the cops showed up. You saved yourself, babe. Don’t ever let anyone tell you different.”
I smile at Kat. It’s a little funny that she refers to me as a raging bitch when she is as lethal and vicious as they come. I guess it’s that Russian blood coursing through her veins.
And the vodka. Can’t forget all of the vodka.
“Okay,” I murmur. “Thanks.”
She shrugs. “Don’t thank me. You did all the work.” Kat nods toward my empty glass. “Come on, you were getting kinky before. I’m curious to see where you’re gonna go with that.”
I giggle, taking the refilled glass. I’m about to take a sip when Chloe slides against me and grabs my arm.
“Holy shit, Lil! Check out that guy over there! Do you see him? Leather jacket, black t-shirt, sexier than fuck?”
I narrow my eyes in the crowd, trying to pinpoint the guy Chloe is drooling over but I can’t see anyone except Kazimir Severinov, who has just draped his arm around Lindy’s shoulders. “Oh, Chloe, no, that’s Lindy’s hus?—”
And then Leather Jacket steps out from behind Kaz, and the flashing lights illuminate his face like he’s some kind of an angel. But not the good kind, despite the lights dancing over his chiseled features and strong jaw.
I bite down hard on my lower lip as he approaches the table, his gait so confident and strong, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans.
“Oh my God, I can come just by looking at him,” Chloe moans softly.
She catches me mid-sip, and I spew vodka and club soda all over the table just as Kazimir stops in front of us. He flashes me a mischievous grin. “Don’t like to swallow, huh?”
A hot flush creeps up the side of my face, and the guy behind him smirks. His piercing blue-eyed gaze assaults my body, rooting me to the spot in this booth. My mind grows woozy with lust as the seconds pass, and I feel the magnetic draw of those swirly blue pools everywhere.
And I mean everywhere .
Kat nudges me. “Hey, you with us? Or did that drink do you in?” she asks with a wicked smile on her face.
I tear my eyes away from the sexy stranger. “Drink…no. I’m, um, fine.”
Kazimir claps the guy behind him on the shoulder and pushes him toward the table. “Guys, this is Zeno. He’s a friend of the family, in for a visit. He needs a drink.”
“Oh, me, me, me!” Chloe mutters under her breath.
I give her a nudge, plastering a smile on my face as Kaz introduces us. He stops at Chloe. “You. I don’t know you.”
She takes that opportunity to stand up and puff out her very ample chest as she sticks out her hand first to Kazimir and then to Zeno. “Chloe. I’m a friend of Lily’s.”
I’d like to stand up, except my legs have morphed into Jell-O under his hypnotic stare and I’m afraid I might just face-plant into the champagne bucket if I try.
“Lil, I heard the great news. Congratulations. Always good to have a doctor on staff, ya know?” Kazimir says with a wink.
“Thanks. And sure, if anyone needs their anal glands expressed in the future, then I’m your girl.”
He snickers. “Noted.” He helps Lindy out of the booth. “Now, if you don’t mind, I need to steal my wife for the rest of the night.” He nods at Zeno. “Have a couple of drinks and relax. We’ll catch up in the morning.”
Zeno nods and shakes his hand before looking back at the three of us.
Chloe pats the seat beside her, inviting Zeno to slide into the booth, but instead he chooses to sit across from me. He pours himself a shot of whiskey and sits back, not speaking.
Just watching.
But Chloe has an objective and she’s not going to let him remain quiet for long. “So, Zeno, where are you from?”
His lips lift into a smirk. “Kansas,” he says in a deep baritone with a distinct Italian accent. Oh, God, and when I thought he could not possibly get any bit sexier.
I swallow a giggle and Chloe rolls her eyes.
“Come on, I’m not drunk enough to buy that. Tell the truth, Man of Mystery,” she coos. “You’re from somewhere overseas, right? Somewhere glamorous?”
He nods, a serious look on his face. “Yes. Very glamorous. I live in a castle overlooking the Mediterranean in Monte Carlo.”
She gasps. “Really?”
I shake my head. “He’s screwing with you, Chloe.”
Zeno grins at me, and when he winks, I swear I can feel my heart leap.
But even the teasing doesn’t stop Chloe. She grazes his arm and smiles invitingly. “Okay, so we’ve at least established that you’re from Europe.”
“Have we?” he asks with a quirk of his brow.
“Well, maybe not, but that’s okay.” She scoots closer to him. “Let’s see if you can answer at least one question truthfully, like, how long will you be in town?” She tilts her head to the side. “I’d love to show you around.”
I shift on the seat because it’s a little odd that Chloe is asking him all of these questions and making the offers, but yet he hasn’t taken his eyes off of me .
I can sense it’s pissing her off and even though she’s a good friend, she’s definitely one who needs all eyes on her all of the time. She’s kind of an attention-whore and I’m the exact opposite, which is why this is so unsettling.
Guys always look at Chloe. She just has that aura about her. She exudes confidence and sex appeal, and she’s gorgeous to boot.
But this guy…Zeno…is seemingly oblivious to all of it.
It’s like he’s immune to all of her charms, and she has no idea what to do with that realization.
I, on the other hand, know exactly what I’d like to do.
And damn, it feels nice to have this god-like man make me the focus of his attention.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kat slide toward the edge of the booth. “Chloe, let’s go dance.”
I reach out, grabbing her wrist. “Really? You’re leaving me with a stranger?” I hiss.
The corners of his lips curl slightly upward as he averts his eyes. Chloe isn’t one to take no for an answer, so she tries again to engage him as Kat whispers to me.
“Listen, if Kazimir says he’s a friend of the family, he’s good. Besides, I’ll be dancing with Chloe. Now, don’t waste this opportunity to enjoy yourself, okay? Because if Chloe stays here for much longer, she might just sit on his face. And I don’t want you to miss out. It’s your night.”
“He could be a murderer,” I say under my breath.
“And we’ve already established that you’re the Italian version of Little Nikita, so there shouldn’t be any problem. Anyway, you’re not leaving with the guy. You’re having a drink with him.” She smiles. “Just have fun.” On her way out of the booth, she grazes Zeno’s shoulder and leans in to him. “Just so we’re clear, that girl is like my little sister. You do anything out of line and I can assure you I will break off your limbs, one by one.”
He nods and picks up his glass again, draining it. “So, you’re Russian, too?”
“The Russianist,” she says with a sweet smile, jumping out of the booth and looping her arm with Chloe’s. “You don’t want to test me.”
I watch them saunter out of our elite, sectioned-off room. This is the ultra-private VIP area. It kind of reminds me of the owners’ luxury box at a stadium, tucked away from prying eyes.
The perfect place to lose control.
You know, if you’re into that kind of thing.
Zeno looks at me with a heavy-hooded gaze. It’s like he didn’t pay a shred of attention to anything Kat just said to him. My skin prickles with each sweep of his eyes, the weight of his stare igniting a tingling sensation deep in my belly.
Yeah, he’s not afraid of losing his limbs.
I swallow hard as he swivels himself into the booth and creeps toward me.
“You didn’t want to dance?” he says, his deep voice rumbling through me like a rippled wave.
“I might have,” I say with a small smile. “But they didn’t ask me. They just left.”
“Are you sorry about that?” he asks, his fingertips drumming the tabletop, so close to mine.
“Not really,” I say, trying my hardest to look seductive even though my head is blanketed in a boozy cloud. I don’t usually play this role. I’m usually the wingwoman, watching in awe as Chloe flirts outrageously with any and every guy who melts along her path.
Let’s just say I sidestep a lot of man-goo when we go out.
I personally never really mastered the flirting thing because I usually had my nose stuffed in a book of some sort. If it’s not a textbook, it’s a steamy romance novel.
Chloe thinks I should shelve the books and get some action the old-fashioned way. But as the daughter of Joe Salesi and his army of eyes and guns, it’s rather challenging to get close enough to a guy, much less have sex with him. Besides, my studies have always come first.
Pun intended.
So I’m still a virgin after living in Vegas, of all places, for the past three years.
And sitting close to this man makes me realize what I’ve been missing.
“You said you travel a lot,” I say, struggling to make small talk. He chose to stay here with me for a reason, and I won’t lie. My heart actually let out a shriek of glee when he slid closer to me on the couch. “What kind of work do you do? Are you a real estate investor, too?” The Severinovs own real estate on several continents, and they are always on the lookout for exclusive properties. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch if they did business together.
“Sure, you can call me an investor.”
“I can call you a used car salesman, too, but would it be accurate?” I tilt my head to the side and wink at him. Aha! Maybe I can do this flirting thing after all.
Zeno flashes a sexy grin, his eyes twinkle with mischief. A shiver rushes through me, and I have the sudden urge to climb into his lap and attack those perfect pink lips with my own. It’s a little shocking, to be honest, because I’m not that girl. At all. But something about him coaxes my vixen-like alter-ego to come out and play. I watch him recline against the back of the leather couch, puffing out his massive chest so that his black t-shirt stretches against his pecs. My fingers tingle at the thought of tracing the outline of his cut muscles.
Mmm.
Maybe Chloe is right. Maybe I could use some action. After all, I am celebrating.
It’s been awhile since a guy caught my eye, mainly because I haven’t been able find one who I’m more passionate about than my studies. And when I can carry on a more thrilling conversation with the rescue animals at the shelter than with a ‘boyfriend’, that’s a pretty big red warning flag.
But none of the guys I’ve dated have had the erotic magnetism that Zeno does. It pulls me close to the point where I can’t even resist it, and any attempt to drag myself away is futile.
It’s like I’m completely out of control of my body.
Or maybe it’s my body’s way of telling me that it would very much like to give my head a break for once and start making some of the decisions, especially the fun ones.
I’m kind of inclined to go along with it, too.
“Used car salesmen,” he repeats. “They’re all smoke and mirrors, using fast talk and empty promises to get you to do something you might not want to do.” He leans toward me. “Yeah, I don’t need any of those things to get me what I want.”
“So how do you win the game?” I ask in a raspy whisper, the innuendo catching in my throat and choking me like a noose. My God, I don’t know what the hell is happening to me right now. I’m being sucked into his very provoking, very sensual funnel cloud, and I’m so ready to take that ride.
“I can be damn convincing when I want something,” he says. His voice, so husky and thick, sends goosebumps shooting up my arms and down my legs.
“I can’t imagine that you’d need to be.” My voice hitches, his raw, musky, and manly scent wafting under my nostrils. I breathe in, letting it infuse and empower me.
He closes the space between us, his hot breath fluttering against my cheek. His blue eyes darken, framed with thick, dark eyelashes that make me envious. “You don’t know me,” he murmurs. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“You don’t know me, either,” I breathe, my heart hammering against my chest.
“But I do,” he says. “I know you’re celebrating something tonight. That tells me you accomplished something pretty major. You feel proud and excited, I can see that, too.” He leans close still, his face almost touching mine. “And you want to let loose and have fun…do something you’ve never done before because tonight, you’re on top of the world and nothing can touch you.” He grins. “Unless you want it to.”
My jaw drops slightly.
Okay, either he’s just really perceptive, or Kazimir gave him an earful before he came in here.
“So that’s your read, huh?” I say with a roll of my eyes. “That I want to take a walk on the wild side for once and be free because I finally convinced myself that I can be? Because I feel good about my future?”
Shoot.
I said the words in defiance, but…
They are kind of true.
Sitting here with this gorgeous stranger, not knowing anything about him other than the fact that he makes me hotter than I’ve ever been in my life…which is saying a lot, considering that I suffer through the summertime in Vegas where it’s one-hundred-and-twenty degrees at night.
“You said it, not me.” Zeno’s lazy grin widens and he takes another swig of his drink.
“Well, it’s not true,” I say in a huff. But still, I can’t seem to pull away from him, I can’t escape his carnal net. I’m stuck with no desire to escape, no matter what I say to the contrary.
Dammit.
I am such a liar.
And my body is a traitorous bitch.
“Okay, tell me the truth, then. What do I need to know about you, Lily?” His voice. God, that voice! It’s low, masculine, and seductive enough to get me to do anything that he asks.
The control I feared I was losing?
The bigger concern now is that it’s been lost completely.
“It’s true that I was just accepted into a very competitive program, and my friends took me out to celebrate,” I say, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear so I have something to occupy my fingers with when they really itch to massage his massive biceps. “And yes, I do feel good about it. Amazing, actually. It makes me feel like I can accomplish anything, that I can do whatever I want.” My lips curl upward and the vixen takes hold. “On my terms. Nobody else’s, for once.”
His eyes flicker with a bit of curiosity at my last words and I take a beat, hearing them myself.
My terms.
Nobody else’s.
For once.
“I did this on my own,” I continue. “I didn’t have any help. I set a goal and I achieved it. And now I feel like I proved that I can finally stand on my own two feet.” I give my head a shake. “I’ve never admitted that to anyone.”
“What was it that held you back before?” he asks, the intensity of his stare making my legs slam against each other. The excess of alcohol, coupled with this drop-dead gorgeous man’s interest in me, is making my resolve falter.
I wanna be bad.
Oh, Lord, so very bad.
“My life isn’t, ah, typical. I have a pretty overbearing family and I love them to pieces, but I needed to separate myself from them, to prove that I could create my own future.” I smile. “And I did, so yeah, it feels really good.”
“Overbearing families.” He snorts. “Yeah, I have one of my own. But I have no out. I just keep getting sucked in deeper and faster.” His jaw twitches, his expression pained. “My future is always questionable.”
Our gazes lock and I find myself sliding closer to him. “I thought that, too. And a few months ago, it was.” I bite down on my lower lip. “I didn’t think I was in control of my life, and I still worry that the rug will be torn out from under me. But I won’t stop fighting for it. For myself.”
He nods, raising a hand to the side of my face. His fingertips brush against my cheek and I breathe him in…a spicy musk tinged with angst and anticipation. My eyes float closed as the pads of his fingertips make a trail down the side of my neck. “That’s good,” he murmurs. “That’s really good. Don’t ever let anyone steal that control from you.”
“I won’t,” I whisper as his fingers gently graze my shoulders. My throat tightens as the growing lump cuts off my ability to suck in a breath. Well, I don’t know if it’s the lump, or the fact that he has my body lit up like the Fourth of July and I don’t want these sensations to fizzle by me breaking the spell with an involuntary gasp.
His arms snake around my waist, scaling up the slope of my spine and then down the sides of my torso. The fabric of my dress sizzles against my skin as his fingertips navigate a very determined path over it. My eyes flutter open to find his blazing with need…a need that matches the ache deep inside of me, an ache I didn’t realize was even there. It’s been latent for so long, I didn’t know if it would…could…ever be awakened.
He pulls me on top of him, positioning me so that I’m pressed against his cock. It thickens under me as he slides me against his jeans, the friction agitating my pussy. Wet heat coils inside of me as he slides his hands up the sides of my thighs, looping them into my thong.
My knees straddle him, my hair tumbling over my shoulders as I gaze down at his lust-filled expression. His hands grip me tight as he pulls me toward him, clutching me close to his chest as he attacks my mouth with his own.
His lips hungrily attack mine, his tongue plunging inside, coiling with heat and a hunger that cannot be sated. A moan slips out as he devours me with a voracity I’ve never experienced, much less imagined.
With a thundering heart, I rotate my hips over his, grinding my pussy against him. His cock jerks and I want so badly to touch it, to stroke it, and to feel it inside of me.
Not because I want to be reckless.
I just want to be free.
To do something I want without anyone looking over my shoulder.
That thought, coupled with Zeno’s hard body plastered against mine, makes my body ignite with unbridled passion I didn’t know had even taken up residence. My eyes float open and I scan the darkened room. It’s quiet and empty, but anyone could walk in here and find us dry humping on this couch.
A shiver flutters over my bare skin, my already-racing pulse rocketing at the possibility.
Wow, I must be completely depraved if being watched can make my body temperature soar that much more, even with Zeno’s cock rubbing against my clit.
He slips his fingers into my panties, pushing them aside as he strokes my wet folds. I gasp as he plunges them into me, pressing them deep. He slides them in and out, his thumb rubbing my clit at the same time. I clench around them, gritting my teeth as I throw my head back. He attacks my neck, his tongue and teeth nipping at my ear and driving me damn-near insane.
I guess that’s one of my spots.
Huh, who knew?
A tiny mewl tumbles from my lips, followed by another as his mouth scorches a path down to the neckline of my dress. I drag one strap down, uncovering one of my breasts. His fingers work me, his thrusts increasing in intensity as he flashes a sexy smirk before turning his attention to my taut nipple. I arch my back, driving my hips against his fingers as he tugs and suckles the dark pink bud with his teeth. I dig my fingertips into his back, squealing as sparks of the most erotic bliss explode deep in my core, shooting out to my fingers and toes. Euphoria consumes my body and mind, paralyzing me as the sensations ripple through me.
I quiver, panting as my body calms, his fingers quelling a need I didn’t even know existed before a few minutes ago. He slides them out of me, and with his deep-set gaze focused on my face, he sucks them dry, his blue eyes glittering with promise.
Holy Jesus.
That is the sexiest thing I think I’ve ever seen.
Heat spreads from my core, blanketing my insides with pent-up need.
How could he just stop?
Oh, Christ.
How could I want to keep going?
“You wanted a taste of freedom, yeah?” he says in his devilishly sexy voice, pulling me against him and covering my mouth with his. Our teeth crack together, our tongues hot, coiling with desire as we claw at each other, our hands desperate to close the space between us.
I lose all track of time, forgetting where we are and that whatever is happening between us will be over once the night ends.
How could it not be?
I have a plan for my life, and it doesn’t include random hookups with hot foreign guys in nightclubs.
When we finally pull apart, breathless and flushed, the fog surrounding my mind thickens. Conflict consumes me…my body craving far more than my mind will allow it to take.
Loud voices coming from just outside of the room shatter the otherwise still air and I slide off of Zeno’s lap, smoothing my hair and fixing the top of my dress. He grins lazily at me.
“I prefer it the other way.”
I let out a nervous giggle. “I don’t…I mean, I’ve never done that before. Like, in public.” And the fumbled attempts to do it in private have never made my heart race faster than a thoroughbred trying to win the Triple Crown.
“I know. That’s why I stopped,” he says.
“Well, maybe I didn’t want to stop,” I quip, smoothing the front of my dress. “Maybe I liked where it was headed.”
“I gave you a taste,” he mutters as Kat and Chloe come dancing into the room. “That’s what you wanted. And for the record, I don’t think you could handle what I really want to do to you.”
I gasp as they approach the table, quite possibly even more blitzed than they were before their dance party started.
“You don’t know that!” I hiss.
He grazes my thigh once more, a tremor of anticipation jolting me. “Yes, I do. And that’s why I’m leaving. If I have to keep staring at you across this table, I’m gonna want to punish you for looking so fucking hot in that dress, and for making all of the men in here wanna jerk off to you in it.”
Chloe falls into the booth next to me, opposite Zeno. She looks from him to me and then back to him, a wicked smile on her face. “So, how’s the celebration been going back here, hm? It hasn’t fizzled out yet, has it?”
Zeno slides out of the booth. “I think it’s time for me to go. Long day traveling. You ladies have a good night.” With one final wink at me, he turns to leave.
My mouth drops open. That’s it ? He’s just…leaving? After everything?
I fight the urge to run after him as he saunters away, his hands stuffed in his pockets once again. I mean, what was that?
Chloe licks her lips as she stares after him. “What happened, Lil? Did you scare him away with your talk of exotic animal anatomy?” she snickers and Kat rolls her eyes.
“At least she can carry on a conversation,” she snips, sliding into the spot where Zeno coaxed my body into the most intense state of pleasure I could never even conjure in my mind. “You look upset,” she says as Chloe grabs the empty vodka bottle and stumbles toward the bar around the corner. “Do I need to find that douchebag and snap off his limbs after all? She cracks her knuckles. “Because I’m feeling a little like David Banner turning into the Hulk right now.”
I shake my head, my shoulders sagging a bit as I force a smile. “You really need to start watching some other types of movies. Superheroes can’t fix everything and make life all good and perfect.”
Kat shrugs and drops an arm around my shoulders. “You’re wrong about that. You just have to be open-minded enough to realize that everyone has the power to do awesome things. They just need to find it within themselves. Once they do, they can’t be stopped.” She grins. “And you know, if channeling those powers happens to disable some jerk for playing games with my friend, so be it.”
“I’m flattered, really.” I giggle. “And not to burst your bubble, but I don’t see you as the Hulk. You’re definitely more of a Black Widow.”
Apropos since I already know she’d kill for me.
She’s proven her undying loyalty before and she’s chomping at the bit to do it again.