Page 2 of Stolen Seconds

However, the hostess in front seemed to have caught sight of it with the attitude she presented.

“Can I help you?” the pristine hostess asked with a tone that had me opening my mouth to serve her the samegenerosity.

“We’re here to attend the event,” Aurora blurted out, her attempt at trying to diffuse an impending argument.

She knew I hated disrespectful people and one day, my tongue would be my downfall, but until then, I’d continue to reciprocate.

“My name is Aurora. AuroraMancini.”

The dark-haired woman’s eyes widened slightly as she glanced down at the list in front of her before looking pointedly at my best friend. “Do you have identification on you to prove that?”

I couldn’t blame the woman for being difficult. I knew it had everything to do with me cutting the long line of people who wereactuallyon the guest list.

“You’re holding up the line, Alicia. What seems to be the problem here?”

The voice was a deep timbre that touched me deep into my bones.

Alicia—the hostess—wasn’t the only one who stiffened. I too stiffened behind Aurora from the sheer power of the stranger’s masculine tone.

“Sir, these ladies want to enter, but they’re not on the list. One of them is even claiming to be a Mancini,” she mocked as her face turned a shade of beetroot red.

I bit my tongue before I said something that would surely dig us into a deeper hole. This man was undoubtedly the owner and with it being my last night in Italy with Aurora, I didn’t want it to end withus in jail.

Not sure how her husband would react to that, either. Perhaps ban me from the country itself.

Aurora tensed. “We were leaving, actually.” She laughed uncomfortably.

Did she know him?

I might’ve agreed to leaving if it weren’t for the hostess smiling at us with arrogance.

Peering over Aurora’s shoulder, I smiled back at her. “No, we weren’t. . . ”

The rest of my words died down when I caught sight of the beast standing near her. He was bigger and taller than any man I’d ever seen.

His hands were hidden in his pockets as his gaze flickered to me, head tilting and assessing me as if I were his own source of entertainment.

“Irina,”Aurora hissed at my defiance, but I ignored her, held captive by rich caramel-brown eyes.

I realized this was a silent battle when the man’s mouth curled into a smirk.

As a Russian, I was taught to never break first in all aspects of life and I sure as shit wouldn’t start now.

The man had a perfect appearance, freshly shaven, sandy-brown hair trimmed and styled, and a black leather jacket that clung to his biceps as if it were tailored for his body.

Raising a brow at him in challenge, I waited.

The male species always referred to themselves as dominant and superior compared to a female.

Me? I was out to knock down their pedestal till they were on their knees before me.

“Let them in, Alicia.”

I thought so.

The hostess hesitated before she moved aside.

My gaze locked with his as Aurora and I moved past them. Something untamed flashed across his features, his jaw clenching tightly.

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