Page 176 of Can't Always Get What You Want

Oh. He did know who I was…

My belly goes warm.

Luca’s lips twitch, like he’s trying very hard not to laugh. His mouth opens, probably to tease me, but I beat him to it.

“I know. That was—horrific. Ignore the snort.”

He smiles. “I wasn’t going to say anything.”

“Liar,” I mutter, covering my face for half a second with my hand. “God, that was so loud.”

“I thought it was cute.”

All of it is cute. The blushing, the way he keeps brushing his thumb along the side of his thigh like he doesn’t know what else to do with his hands…

“Did you, uh…” I start, then clear my throat. “Did you come here with someone?”

It comes out way more loaded than I meant it to. Immediately, I want to yank the words back.

But Luca just blinks, then shakes his head. “Nope. Just here with a couple guys I went to college with. No plus-one.”

My stomach flips for reasons I refuse to examine.

“Oh,” I say. “Cool.”

The silence stretches just a little too long—long enough for me to feel that familiar panic creeping up my spine. I shift awkwardly, suddenly very aware of every inch of satin clinging to me.

“So…” he says after a second. “Are you planning to stay the whole night?”

That I’m not sure about. “I’m at my brother’s mercy. He bought my dress and paid for the hotel, so…”

“Ahh.” Luca nods, hands stuffed back in the pockets of his expensive suit pants.

“Well,” I say finally, because I can feel myself falling into the moment too fast, too hard. “I should get back.”

He nods, but there’s a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

“Yeah,” he says. “Same.”

Except neither of us moves.

It’s like…we’re waiting for somethingmoreto happen.

I take a small step toward the ballroom, heart pounding now for new reasons: nerves. Attraction. Excitement.

Put one foot in front of the other, toward the ballroom. And just as I’m about to round the corner, his voice catches up to me.

“Hey, Nova?”

I turn. “Yeah?”

He shifts, the weight of his dark eyes settling on me. Appraising. “It wasreallynice meeting you.”

I shiver. “You too, Luca.”

And this time when I turn to walk away, I go.

But I swear—I feel him watching me until I disappear through the door.

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