Page 20 of Lethal Infatuation

"I figured Nicolas would appreciate it. I know how much he hates overly crowded spaces. Besides, now that Elliot is in a relationship with Naomi Stone, he has a certain image to uphold."

"How thoughtful." My tone was nonchalant, making them laugh. They always found my stoic facial expressions and unenthusiastic responses hilarious.

I sat down on the leather couch, throwing one arm over the backrest. My eyes scanned the crowd. It definitely seemed more opulent. However, there was still a sea of drunk people on the dance floor.

Then my heart skipped a beat. Someone caught my eye. I leaned forward, drowning out the chatter amongst the group.

Could it be?

It had to be. I'd never forget that figure, that bouncy, voluminous, curly hair—that soft, round ass.Fuck.Fate was on my side after all. I debated whether or not to show up at her apartment, but this was fucking perfect.

Of course, she was the centre of attention. Every man in this place had their eyes on her, and if she were mine, I'd kill every single one of them.

She swayed her hips to the rhythm of the beat, effortlesslydancing along to the song. Maybe I was hallucinating and seeing things that I truly desired, but wasn't really there. A figment of my imagination.

Her movements made my blood sizzle. Sensual, seductive. I shifted in my seat, loosening my tie. The red dress captivated me, highlighting every curve and contour of her figure.

My eyes drifted from her for a moment and I noticed my friends ogling her, everyone except Ares, who was too busy focusing on his cell phone. I couldn't help but look at them in disdain.

They looked at her like they were undressing her with their eyes and it made me fucking furious. My eyes flicked back to her, and in that moment, she turned around. Slowly, her gaze met mine and the colour drained from her face.

Her lips parted slightly and she stared at me with wide eyes. My jaw ticked, every memory of our night together swarming my mind. I narrowed my eyes at her and she hastily turned around, walking towards the bar area.

Oh? Did she really think that would help her case? I stood up abruptly and clenched my fists. "I'll be right back," I said to Ares and he nodded, too oblivious to notice my reaction.

I walked the long way around, avoiding the crowd of people, and moved closer to her without her even noticing me. She fanned her face with her right hand, chatting animatedly with her friends.

Kehlani and Amala spotted me first, waving at me, and I could visibly see Gabriella stiffening. "Ladies," I greeted. Amala took my hand and we did our simple yet classic handshake then Kehlani gave me a hug.

Amala was rough around the edges, extremely opinionated, and had a sharp tongue. Kehlani was extremely nurturing, kind, and empathetic. Gabriella, however, was a mixture of both. Though, I had yet to see more of her soft side.

"Gabriella," I greeted and she slowly turned to me, giving me a half-hearted smile.

"Nicolas." She pursed her lips and nodded. I could hear the nervousness in her voice. She made eye contact with me for a second before looking away, focusing on the drink in her hand.

"You two ladies wouldn't mind if Gabriella and I took a walk, would you?" Kehlani was the first to agree, her response extremely eager.

"Of course not." She smiled. "Amala and I will be here." They give each other knowing looks and I smirked at the scene unfold. Gabriella, on the other hand, glared at her friends before turning to me with a smile.

I held my hand out for her to take, to which she obliged and I whisked her away effortlessly. Once we were out of earshot of her friends, I lowered my head next to her ear.

I breathed in the scent of her Chanel perfume, squeezing her hand gently. "Did you really think you could run away from me?"

NINE

Did you really think you could run away from me?

His low voice held a dangerous tone to it and it made me shiver. A bead of sweat ran down my back, and it wasn't caused by the dancing I did a few minutes prior. Nervousness crept into my bloodstream, snaking around my neck. It felt like an invisible force was strangling me.

My heels clicked against the ground, the sound deafening. Blood pounded against my ears and every sense was heightened tenfold. Nicolas' hand was warm and callous as he guided me away from the jam packed space.

"Where are we going?"

"You lost the privilege to ask me questions when you left in the middle of the night." He didn't look back while he spoke, his tall figure created an intimidating aura that surrounded me.

My lips parted slightly and I felt a sharp sting piercing throughmy heart. His words were icy and cold.

"It wasn't the middle of the night, it was the early hours of the morning," I teased, but there wasn't a laugh or even a reaction for that matter. "Tough crowd."

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