Page 7 of Lethal Infatuation

The moment he turned his back to me, I took the opportunity to walk away. It was absurdly hot in the vicinity and I needed fresh air. Or perhaps it was an excuse to escape before I did something on this trip that I wasn't supposed to.

Needless to say, I avoided Nicolas like the plague all night long, but watched him from afar. Luckily, the champagne made the entire ordeal easier. I stayed out of his view, but I could tell by the look on his face that he searched for me.

THREE

Obtaining a break from the reality of my life has been the best thing that's happened to me all year long. I couldn't often go on vacation because the nature of my job was high-pressure, extremely stressful, and demanding.

So when I finally got the opportunity to submit four weeks' worth of annual leave, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands. I worked as an events coordinator for a well-known events company in New York, which meant that every single week, we were busy with a project.

Even though my vacation consisted of me assisting my best friend with her dream wedding, it was less strenuous than any other event I've ever handled.

Not only because I've known her for almost half of my life, but because she was the kind of person who was always understanding of any situation. She knew exactly what my professionalrole entailed, hence the reason she allowed me to take full control of the event.

Some people would say that she was a pushover, but I knew her better than anyone else did. She was just empathetic and considerate of everyone else's feelings, which meant she often placed everyone else's needs above her own.

The wedding turned out to be better than I could've ever imagined, and while preparing everything for her special day, I had more than enough extra time to explore Cabo.

Nicolas randomly crossed my mind throughout the day, but I quickly rid myself of the thoughts of him. Even though the dance we shared was imprinted into my memory.

The last thing I needed right now was to get involved with a man, even if he was the sexiest man I've laid my eyes on. Besides, there was something dark about him.

I could tell just by looking into those grey eyes that there was much more to him, bubbling beneath the surface. My hands were full as is, so I saved myself from a potential entanglement…Despite the words he uttered to me at the wedding reception. I honestly didn't think he'd be there. Out of every single person Kayden could've been friends with, it just had to be him.

"Thank you again for everything, the wedding was perfect, Gabriella." Kehlani wrapped her arms around me, squeezing my body while resting her face on my shoulder. "I'm probably never going to stop thanking you."

I mimicked her actions, hugging her back while pouting. Seeing someone I cared about happy made me experience a rush of emotions. Emotions I didn't really know how to deal with, so I'd often make use of humour to mask them.

"You're welcome, babe. I'm just glad you liked my vision because I was extremely stressed." She removed her head from myshoulder and looked at me, tears running down her cheeks. "Why are you crying?"

"It's tears of joy. Honestly, wedding planning isn't for the faint of heart, but you made the entire process so pleasurable and memorable for me."

We walked back to our hotel after having lunch at a fine dining-restaurant in the busier part of town. "That makes me so happy. One of the most heartwarming moments ever is to hear your hard work paid off. I'm honoured that you chose me to assist with your special day."

"Are you kidding me? I wouldn't have asked anybody else. Even if you studied for your law degree instead and your career path was completely different from the one you're currently on, I would've still asked you to handle all of my events." She smiled at me. "When it comes to planning and organisation, you're exceptional at it."

I placed my palm across my heart. "Oh my God, stop," I said playfully. "You're tugging on my heartstrings, but I'm just so pleased that you were happy with everything—"

"Gabriella and Kehlani." That deep, smouldering voice had me stopping mid-sentence. Kehlani and I were a few feet away from the hotel at this point. I turned around to be met with those same eyes I couldn't stop staring into on two different occasions.

My jaw fell slack, but I clamped my mouth shut and cleared my throat.

"Hey, Nick," she greeted while walking up to the man and hugging him.

"Hey, Mrs. Sato." He smiled at her. "How does it feel to be married?"

She chuckled and we began walking again. The fact that he joined us could only mean one thing—he was staying in the same hotel. The universe really was just messing with me at this point.

"It feels amazing, though you friend is already beginning to annoy me," she teased.

"I tried to warn you, but you didn't listen," he joked. "Speaking of which, why isyour friendalways in such a hurry to leave?" He gestured at me and my eye twitched at the sheer audacity. "Whenever I see her, she's always running away."

I side eyed him and grimaced, but looked away, not wanting Kehlani to see the effect he had on me.

"Oh don't mind Gabriella, she's just a little shy." She looked over at me with a smirk. "Seeing that she's here now, I'll give the two of you some privacy."

"Kehlani," I said sternly, but she shrugged.

"Kayden's waiting for me, thank you for lunch. I'll speak to you later." She wasted no time, speed walking away from us. I looked at her in disbelief and pursed my lips.

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