Page 23 of Lethal Infatuation

"Kehlani, Kayden, and Nicolas will be there, too, so you don't have to worry about being surrounded by unfamiliar faces."

The mention of Nicolas' name almost had me choking on my own saliva. "Oh," I responded quickly. "Nicolas and I aren't really acquaintances."

She handed my phone back to me with a knowing smirk on her face. "I think the term acquaintances is too formal."

"No, seriously." I laughed. "I can't even stand him, if I'm being entirely honest."

"I could practically feel the tension between you two at the club. He hasn't been seen in public with women at all, so the fact that he dragged you away from us for a walk says a lot."

"Seriously?" It was almost hard to believe. The man was extremely handsome. With his sharp, sculpted jawline, dark grey eyes, full lips, and a body toned to perfection. How could women not have been throwing themselves at him?

"Yes." She laughed. "At one point, I thought he was into men, but the look he gave me when I questioned him about his sexuality almost scared me to death.” Amala's phone buzzed and she glanced at the caller ID. "It's Kayden. I'll see you Saturday, yes? Text me so I can send you the details."

"I'll do that, see you Saturday." We waved at each other and then I made my way towards Helena's car. There was a strange feeling that someone was watching me, but when I observed the area, the street was practically empty.

I frowned, but brushed the feeling off and quickly got into the passenger's seat. I looked around once more, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"Is everything okay?" Helena asked while starting the vehicle.

"Yes, everything's fine. It's just I could've sworn it felt like someone was watching me." She looked at me with a concerned expression, reversing out of the parking spot before stepping on the gas and driving off.

"I got the exact same feeling when I exited the building," she admitted. I glanced in her direction and released a soft breath.

"I'm sure we're just paranoid." I’m sure we are.

Amala's apartment was the epitome of elegance and modernism. Stainless steel appliances, neutral tones of furniture with pops of red here and there. Everything looked aesthetically pleasing.

If someone asked me to describe minimalism, it would be this magnificent space. It was a two bedroom apartment that overlooked the New York skyline.

Sheer curtains draped the windows, warm lights illuminated the space, and the scent of fresh linen surrounded us. "This place looks absolutely stunning," Kehlani said and I nodded in agreement.

"Thank you so much," Amala gushed, handing each of us a flute of champagne. "Mandatory girls’ night next month. I think we've got more than enough space to host our drunken escapades."

A laugh bubbled in my throat. "Agreed, but are you sure you want us roaming around this place drunk? There's a lot of valuable décor."

"I'll take my chances." There was a knock on the door so Amala excused herself to check who it was. I focused on Kehlani, who was explaining to me the tough situation she found herself in today at work.

She worked as a paralegal, so she dealt withdifficult clients every single day. It felt like a gust of ice cold wind hit my skin and I shivered. I turned my head sideways and found Nicolas gazing at me.

Next to him was Kayden and another man that I didn't recognise. Judging by the look on Amala's face, she wasn't happy to see him and he looked like he'd rather be anywhere else.

She forced a smile on her face and gestured for the three men to enter. Out of the three of them, Nicolas was the one who seemed like the most intimidating. He was also the tallest.

With both arms covered in dark ink and his all black attire, he seemed like an enigma. He looked unapproachable with his dark gaze and stoic facial expression.

I forced myself to look away and continued my conversation with my best friend, which was short lived when her husband joined us, along with the third man.

"Gabriella, I'd like to introduce you to one of my other close friends and colleague, Ares Valiente." I smiled at him, shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you, beautiful." He placed a soft kiss on my knuckles and I could feel the heat spreading directly to my cheeks.

Then I felt the intensity of someone's eyes on me and I already knew who the culprit was. "Likewise, Ares." We engaged in casual conversation, but Nicolas didn't come any closer. He remained seated on one of the single couches.

His gaze never faltered, though, and it made me shift from one foot to the other. "Excuse me," I said to the group of people I was standing with. I asked Amala where the bathroom was and she pointed me in the direction thereof.

After freshening up, I checked my make up in the mirror one last time and then unlocked the door, opening it swiftly before stepping outside. I stopped dead in my tracks when Nicolas stoodagainst the wall, hands in his pockets.

My breath hitched as I locked eyes with him. My limbs felt like they'd been frozen. I couldn't move. "Are you avoiding me?" He pushed himself off the wall, taking slow, predatory steps toward me.

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