16 #2
“I’ll never accept your money or the Lancasters’,” he insists. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t order another dessert—get the most expensive one on the menu! They have the best cheesecakes here.”
His cocky little smile earns a groan from me.
“Let’s share then. I’m not very hungry anymore.”
“Okay, but be warned, I don’t plan on spoon-feeding you like all those cringy couples who think they’re being romantic.”
“I actually found this dinner pretty romantic. I was thinking of telling Felix that you spent an hour pouring your heart out to me while stroking my hand.”
He laughs, then fixes his gaze on me in that way that leaves me flustered. The butterflies stir in my stomach.
“I’m not stroking your hand, I’m warming it. It’s not my fault you’re cold all the time.”
That smile…
“It’s not my fault if you’re a touchy-feely, tender guy who just won’t admit it.”
“That’s the Alma Lancaster effect. Nothing can be done about it.”
He’s just half-admitted that he isn’t quite the same when he’s with me, and I can’t believe it.
“Anyway, I have something for you. And it doesn’t get much more romantic than this…”
“Stop, you’re scaring me.”
“I’m guessing you’ve already owned every expensive perfume in the world, or that you could have any one you wanted, at least. But this one is kind of special.”
He places a small package on the table, next to my hand. I take it and gently unwrap the packaging, as if it’s the most precious thing I’d ever touched. The small, golden bottle inside fits in my palm. I uncap it and smile as the scent fills my nose.
“It’s orange blossom essence. Your favorite scent, right?”
It is.
“It smells so good,” I sigh, after dabbing a drop behind my ear. “Thank you. I… I don’t know what to say.”
“Then I’ll settle for a kiss…”
He offers me his cheek. I bring my lips close to his soft skin, but at the last moment, Vadim turns his head and captures my mouth.
Surprised, I pull away. He smiles, waits for me to come back, then places his hand behind the nape of my neck, so he can kiss me better.
This kiss… I think I’ve been waiting for it ever since we arrived here.
His tongue tastes sweet, and he uses it to caress mine until I feel dizzy.
“You ready to go, Chanel?”
“Call me that one more time, and I’ll set your hunk-of-junk pickup on fire, Arcadi.”
“Then do something for me.”
“What do you want?”
He scans the dining room, and a spark of defiance lights up his gray eyes.
“Vadim…”
“How about we dine and dash?” he whispers softly, moving closer to me.
“No! No way! We’re not fucking thieves!”
“C’mon, I dare you, Lancaster.”
His bright eyes flash, challenging me. I feel like I’m playing for my life. Say no, and I lose him. Give up this new freedom he’s offering me. I hate the idea of being so easily influenced, but saying no to him isn’t an option. Excitement starts to take hold of me.
“How would we do it?” I whisper to him. “I’ve never done anything like this before!”
“On three, we go. You get up quietly and walk toward the door as if we just paid the check. You don’t look at anyone, you don’t talk to me, and you don’t look back. I’ll be right behind you.”
“And then?”
“You’ll see.”
Right, I’ll see.
“Ready? One, two, three…”
I follow his instructions. My stomach is in knots, my heart racing… but I feel alive.
When we step outside the restaurant, Vadim grabs my hand and yells, “Run, Alma, run! As fast as you can! Run! Don’t stop!”
Hand in hand, we sprint down the sidewalk at full speed, laughing like crazy. I feel an adrenaline rush, a surge of love, something I’ve never felt before.
In our mad dash, we end up heading toward my place.
I feel like my heart is about to explode. But Vadim doesn’t let go of me. Not even for a second.
When we reach my house, he finally slows down, lifts me off the ground, and sweeps me into his arms. I laugh until I can’t stop. I haven’t even had chance to catch my breath when he swoops in and kisses me. Our breathless laughter melts into a deep, passionate, kiss.
Have I ever been this happy?
My legs give out. I start to fall, pulling Vadim down with me.
He catches me as best he can, pressing me against the gate.
I find his mouth, he pushes his body against mine, and wrapped in the darkness, we burn, we consume each other until we lose our minds.
Under the starry sky, he kisses me, I kiss him, and nothing else exists.
Then Vadim stops, sensing we’re losing control, and buries his face in my neck to collect himself.
“I was crazy to give you this perfume. It drives me insane. It suits you so well.”
“It’s you. You’re the one who suits me so well.”
Vadim sighs and rests his forehead against mine. His hands slide down my back until they come to rest at the small of my back.
“Alma, you have to promise me you won’t say anything. About what I told you tonight, and everything else. About Keith, Felix, my parents being dead. No one can know.”
“Never. I promise you.”
We embrace one last time, then finally separate, struggling to tear ourselves away from one another on this damn sidewalk. The border between our two worlds. I watch Vadim stride away down the road in the light of the streetlamps.
Then, I turn back toward the house. Basile is leaning out the living room window. Our eyes meet. His are cold, hard, and impenetrable. He doesn’t say a word. I don’t know how long he has been standing there. I have no idea what he saw or heard.
But tonight, I’m invincible.
That’s the Vadim Arcadi effect.