It was almost two in the morning and I was exhausted. "No it went good. I'm about to head back now." Antony sighed still not liking the fact I was out so late.
"Well, at least everything went smoothly. Have you eaten? I know you're not one to eat from strangers." My stomach grumbled at his words. He knew me too well.
My walking halted in front of the glass doors leading out to a balcony. I looked back down the hall I'd come from still seeing the bright lights out the room we were occupying and figured I hadn't wandered too far.
"I'm starving actually." I walked over to the edge taking in the beauty of the perfectly trimmed grass and the fairy lights dancing in the dark. "I'll probably grab McDonald's on my way home."
He laughed at that, "well don't leave evidence. Your mom will surely have a heart attack."
I laughed at his words knowing they were true, "being her extra self she probably would."
"Well drive safe and text me when you're home. I'm still seeing you tomorrow right?"
When the whole engagement arrangement came up, we agreed that we'd go on a date every week just to have time to be ourselves to try and make the arrangement work. It was a plus because our parents loved the thought of us finally 'dating' in public. It always ended up being us just hanging around and so I always looked forward to it.
"Of course. Will you tell me where we're going this time?" I smiled already knowing what his answer would be.
"Nice try." He laughed a little before he grew quiet, "I love you Quinn, never forget that."
My head raised to the sky as I swallowed the ball in my throat, I was just talking to my best friend, "how could I? I love you too."
We ended the call and I stayed in my position for a big longer looking over the rail.
"What a surprise."
The surprise of hearing another voice that wasn't mine had me jumping and before I knew it my phone was slipping from my hands before it smashed into the concrete below me.
"Oh no! My phone!" The anger I was feeling was palpable as I turned to face the intruder, "what the fuck-" the sight of him made my words cut off. "You."
His presence made the small balcony shrink in size. His hair was pulled back with a hair tie, only a few of the strands fell around his face.
Once again, he was wearing all black and I could easily guess it was his favorite color. He was carrying a small duffle bag that he dropped when my eyes rested on it. When he took a step forward, bringing his entire body onto the balcony, instinctively I took a step back.
I'd forgotten how big he was. Seeing him at the event, dressed in heels, it was easier to look up at him but now, in sneakers, my eyes were leveled with his chest. Familiar chains caught my eyes and I watched them hang through the opened buttons of his shirt as he bent and leaned forward.
"You're in my house, shortcake." His eyes were sharp, calculating and didn't waiver as he looked at me.
His comment brought annoyance. Everything was always about height, "yeah, well not everyone can be a fucking lamp post." I choose to ignore the part about his house because had I known, I would have definitely declined Valeria.
His eyebrows raised a fraction and a ghost of a smile passed his lips, "trust me, bella. I mean it in all the best ways."
His voice was but a murmur and I wasn't sure if it was the deep tone or the breeze that pulled my hair from the messy bun - but a shiver ran down my spine.
Immediately my hand was up moving the strands. It was the worst feeling to have the hairs tickling my skin. With him on my level and his hair pulled back, before I knew it my hand was rounding his neck to feel the small bun that was located there.
My fingers hooked into the stretchy fabric of his hair tie before I pulled it free and quickly secured my own hair.
"Thanks."
He stood to his full height and my eyes followed as he brought a hand to run through his hair. The strands were like silk as they ran through his fingers and I had the urge to do the action myself-
No!
There was no way I was falling for any trick the damn man had up his sleeves. But my first admission was that I loved his hair.
"You're in my house." My dazed eyes focused back on his and I hoped he couldn't see that I was subtly checking him out.
"Had I known it was yours, I wouldn't be here." Smooth, bitch.
He slipped his hands in his pockets, "you didn't call, yet by some twisted faith you still ended up here. Ironic isn't it?"
It was. "Call it whatever you want, but I'm leaving." I didn't need to be around him, drinking in his tattoos and chains and the gold ring on his pinky - God.
Before I could step past him, a hand shot out to grip my waist before he easily pulled me to him. A noise of complaint left my throat but that's all I could manage.
His hands were big, and when he brought them both to spread across my waist, I couldn't deny how hot I suddenly felt.
A squeal left my throat when he easily lifted me and turned us so I was sitting on the ledge. The memory of what happened to my phone had me clutching the material of his shirt to steady myself.
"Fuck no. Put me down." I hesitantly looked behind me and the sight had me trying to squirm out of his grip. "Right now!"
"Calmati." His Italian mumbling did nothing to calm me. His hands smoothed over my hips before he was motioning for me to wrap my legs around his torso. Fear had me doing it without hesitation.
"I won't let you fall, just chill up here for a sec." I realized what he meant the moment I stopped freaking out and noticed that the railing put us pretty close to eye level. God, his eyes.
"What do you want?" My heart was drumming in my ears and I could feel my fingertips starting to sweat. He was so close - we were breathing the same air. So close that I could smell tobacco laced with the mint of his breath. It did nothing to stop the heavy glare I set on him.
"You wouldn't be able to give me what I want right now." Feeling myself slipping back, I easily tightened myself around him and he wasted no time moving one of his hands to pull me closer by the flesh of my ass.
"Have some fucking respect." It was hard to keep my voice steady when the action did something forbidden to my body.
"I was only trying to help you from falling." When he was the one who put me in the position. His soothing tone did nothing to cover his sneaky intentions. No way was I falling for it.
"Anyone ever tell you you're an asshole."
"That I am, shortcake." His eyes leisurely scanned over my face and I brought my lip between my teeth on instinct. That had him zoning in on the crates I knew were in my cheeks.
"Anyone ever tell you you're gorgeous?" His freehand reached up to brush against my face. His fingers trailed over my brow, down to my cheek before he pulled my bottom lip from captivity.
"Anyone tell you I'm engaged?" My words didn't match my heavy breathing and heated skin.
His fingers kept trailing, over my chin, down my neck until he was pressing a firm hand to my chest. I was positive he could feel the erratic thump of my heart. "Is your shitty engagement supposed to mean something to me?"
My immediate response was to be defensive. "It's not-" my eyes widened when the hand on my chest moved up and gripped my neck to pull me face to face with him to the point our noses were touching.
I couldn't help the soft gasp that escaped me both from the surprise of his nerve to handle me so roughly and from the fact that he handled me so roughly.
Shit. I was not supposed to be getting turned on by him.
"We both know the truth. Me a little more than you. So believe me when I tell you," his grip loosened until his hands fell to my thighs wrapped around him, "è un fottuto spettacolo di merda." [It's a fucking shit show.]
Please excuse my errors, it's too late.
Hope you enjoyed <3 - AJ