All evening I avoid his familiar heavy gaze, and at the sight of his dark-haired head I try to lose myself in the crowd. I pretend to look with intense interest at the restaurant's exquisite decor, which deserves attention. The transparent dome spanning overhead offers an unobstructed view of the night sky: the first stars are already sparkling, and the moon comes into its own, seeing off its bright day partner.
With the first rays of the setting sun, the restaurant workers had turned on subdued lights and placed candles on the tables. All this painfully reminds me of that night, but every time the scenes from it pop up in my memory, I struggle to pack them back into the "black box" in my head.
Christine is constantly occupied by people I don't know. They wish her happy birthday, wondering why they haven't heard about Alexander Bailey's daughter before, and continue to overwhelm her with expensive gifts. I keep myself busy by wandering around the hall, stopping, from time to time, to talk with former classmates.
My patience lasts exactly until the moment when one of the guys once again asks how my relationship with Liam is going and why he is not here. I'm trying to avoid direct answers because I do not intend to discuss my private life.
From this day forward, my number one rule is: never date classmates, guys from the same company or strangers who may be the father of your best friend.
I make another attempt to hide when I realize that I will not be able to get Christine's attention for some time. She is being pulled along by a group of people, seemingly saying something funny, because she starts laughing.
I'm not sure how I will be able to talk to her again without noticing the resemblance to her father. I hope these feelings will fade with time.
After asking one of the waiters where the restroom is, I give him my glass of champagne and go in the direction indicated. Trying to find the right door in a dimly lit hallway, and cursing under my breath when I can't find a single sign.
"Are you lost?" The familiar voice makes my legs give way.
His hands deftly grab me by the waist and do not allow me to shamefully fall to the floor. I expect Alexander to pull away from me, but this doesn't happen. His fingers only tighten their grip the fabric of my dress. I try to take a step back, but I can only hear the seams splitting.
"I need to go to the restroom," I mumble unclearly, my teeth starting to chatter from nerves, and my body trembling.
Alexander lets go with one hand. But before I can exhale in relief, his fingers find my chin and force me to raise my head until his dark eyes meet mine.
"Someone can see us," I say in a barely audible voice. If someone notices us, then trouble is inevitable. Especially if Christine is the one who sees us.
My former Stranger is silent. He presses with his gaze, suppresses my will. Alexander's fingers smear on my lips, just like in the hotel room. I swallow convulsively, but the trembling only intensifies, and it seems to me that I am about to faint.
"Did you befriend Christine on purpose to get close to me?" Finally, he breaks his silence.
My eyes widen involuntarily at his unexpected suggestion. I bat my eyelashes in confusion, trying to figure out exactly what he means.
"Me? No. Christine and I have been friends for six years," I murmur as if under hypnosis, looking at the reflections of the moon in his pupils. "I didn't know you and her... You are her... I didn't know."
His hand squeezes my jaw firmly, making my mouth open involuntarily, and my cheeks begin to ache. Squinting his eyes, he studies every millimeter of my face for another moment, and then harshly releases it.
I stagger back, clinging to the ledge of the parquet with my heels, and grab the first door handle I can find. But luck is clearly not on my side today, and Alexander does not intend to let me go so easily. He grabs my hand and pulls again.
"You won't tell her anything, understand?" He mutters through clenched teeth, squeezing my wrist so hard that my fingertips start to numb.
"I have no intention to tell her," I look at him defiantly because I can't stand being taken for a fool. "This would ruin my friendship with Christine. I'm not stupid."
"I really hope so," he says hoarsely and with a sharp movement presses me with all the weight of his body to the wall. Even in the semi-darkness of the corridor, I can see how his brown eyes grow even darker. "Otherwise, you will regret it very much."
His lips cover mine in a greedy kiss. My breath catches, and my legs go limp. The intensity of this man is impossible to resist, and I surrender, allowing him to dominate my body. While just a few meters away, his daughter and my best friend laughs out loud. She must never know about us.
ŞİMDİ OKUDUĞUN
Forbidden Secret
Romantizm"You won't tell her anything, understand?" He mutters through clenched teeth, squeezing my wrist so hard that my fingertips start to numb. "I have no intention to tell her," I look at him defiantly because I can't stand being taken for a fool. "This...
