she stepped into the clu

e Mo

e hadn't followed her inside. She told herself it didn't matter. He was

hands were st

with leftover adrenaline. Sofia spotted her n

! Where'd you

smile. "Just ne

e way Elena's mind spun. "Well, you misse

rowned.

n't say. Bartender j

's spine. She glanced at the glass i

t it again, t

turn around to know

im before

atch a glimpse of him across the room, standi

ound hers

d electric curle

ightened arou

her stare. "Who

nswer came too

at man looks like sin in a suit.

tearing her gaze awa

Elena felt Dante's eye

ng, wa

had already m

e wors

er wondered what would happen

She should be enjoying herself, losing herself in the rhythm like everyon

ti was stil

ed him near the entrance, but she could feel hi

seriously, who is that man? Because I swear

ad. "I don't know,

i

t you keep looking over you

r friend's wrist. "Come on

na's heartbeat was louder. The bartender was busy with another customer,

e's rich, dangerous, and hot? That

ffed. "No

lena barely noticed him pour the drinks. All she could think abou

shadow at

steppin

t before she eve

ught

voice sent a shiv

ly, Elena turned

e Mo

es, dark eyes, an air of quiet authority that made

a breath besid

entirely on Elena, like she was the o

around her glass. "I

, as if amused by her resis

mach ti

shot Elena a look that said, We are talking ab

wa

g her spine straight. "You shouldn

sponse amusing. "Stranger? You say that like yo

her expression neutral. "I notice

ia

red up h

ence was i

rink he bought her. She met his gaze

darkened.

Thank you for the drink. Bu

tep, his fingers brushed against her wrist. Not a

that he could stop

le

ame like he owned it. Like it was s

back to him. "How d

make it a point to kn

ran down

hat Dante Moretti was a man

righ

ante

se pounded

n't just confident they we

men like him didn

refusing to let him see the effect he

hting casting sharp shadows

ike it was inevitable. Like getting to know

eep her voice steady. "Well,

anything, it deepened. "Yo

tightened. "

, until his lips were just a brea

her spine before

n h

tance from the way his presence made her feel

here was something dark in his gaze

ke it belonged to him made

peared into the crowd, refus

ofia and forced herself to laugh at something ridiculous her friend said

ven c

pretending she wasn't shaken. Pretending that th

impossibl

f his presence pressing against the distance between

e unsettled her m

th curiosity. "So? Are you gonna

y, shaking her head.

t? Babe, that man looked at you like he w

ed. That was exactly

im like you weren't sure if you wan

er a glare.

groaned. "O

a lied, already weaving throu

ast to the thick heat of the club. She i

to put distance between herself and the ma

to the sidewalk, her body wen

eek black car parked

slammed agai

d her, his dark gaze unreadable, his posture decepti

ove, to walk past him wi

le

over her like

idn't

tep before speaking again

augh, turning slight

pected her response. "You shoul

ke care o

her, slow and assessing. "But I don't like t

ay he said it sent a

dying herself. "You

car, stepping clos

And what exactly do

studying her. "You thin

run

s caged between his presence and the stree

breath

t anything

couldn

the air crackled between them made he

her thoughts. "You can keep running

lse sk

been angry, offe

e dangerous and intrigued. And that

d walked away, ignoring the way her

ed into the night, o

caped hi

or ho