“Ugh, I finished up sooner than I thought, so I swung by. Looks like a good turnout.”
My eyes run over the crowd, taking in the smiling faces. “It is a good turnout. Gets bigger every year. Next year we’ll need—” My heart stops when I see her. I forget whatever it was I was saying.
She’s laughing with one of the ladies from HR. Her face lights up the room, and suddenly all I can see is her.
“Who’s the hottie in the black dress?” Ark says, his brows raised as he stares at Serafina, taking a sip of his drink.
“My assistant. Don’t even think about it,” I say, unamused.
“No wonder you wanted to get back to work so badly the other day. She’s fucking gorgeous. Is she single?”
“Arkady. I swear. One more word. Don’t even think about it. I’m serious. If I catch you near her…” I shoot him a warning glance.
He laughs, amused by my reaction.
“Fine. Keep her to yourself,” he smirks.
“It’s not like that. I just don’t need your reckless, impulsive decisions causing chaos in my workplace,” I snap.
But he’s not sold.
He nods, his eyes filled with amusement. “Don’t worry, Nico. She’s all yours. But if you take too long to make a move, don’t be crying when she’s got her arms around me.”
“Remember when we were kids, and I used the pillow to suffocate you when you pissed me off…?"
“Dude, that still freaks me out. You’re the reason I’m claustrophobic.”
“Well,“ I raise my brows at him. “Don’t tempt me.”
Arkady shakes his head, grinning, even more amused than before.
“Okay, okay, I got it. I’m going to find Yilian. Have fun with yourassistant,” he says, turning away from me and disappearing into the crowd.
Sera is moving between people, stopping and chatting as she goes along. She’s so confident and full of life. People are drawn to her magnetism, her beauty, and her charm shining brighter tonight than I’ve ever seen before. She’s magnificent.
Arkady’s words linger in my thoughts.
She’ll have her arms around me…
He was joking, but it won’t be long before she is interested in someone. The thought, the image of her being with someone—it’s painful. I won’t be able to handle that. But what right do I have to tell her who she can and can’t date?
Serafina is wearing a low-cut black dress, covered in glittering sequins that catch the light and accentuate her perfect curves. When she turns her back to me I see how low it dips, revealing the delicate details of her spine, all the way down to the curve of her back just above her ass. She has a butterfly tattoo on the left side of her back, the wings just peeking out from the edge of the dress.
My cock stirs, warning me to get control of myself or I’ll have to leave the room.
What other tattoos is she hiding on that gorgeous body?
I’d love to explore every inch of her and—
Dammit.
I clench my jaw, turning away and trying to distract myself with conversation, talking to clients, catching up with people, but the entire time, I’m thinking about her, and my eyes are constantly wandering back towards her.
She is my obsession.
Looking towards Sera, I see she’s been cornered by someone I don’t want near her. Of all the people at this party, Lucas has the biggest reputation for being a playboy. He is clearly moving in on her, and while she doesn’t look bothered, I am fully aware of what his intentions are. I get agitated, and I’m not able to focus on anything else. Lucas is known for the way he picks women up with ease and ditches them as soon as he’s gotten what he wants out of it. What if he does what Drake did?
I excuse myself from the conversation I was having and walk towards the bar, watching closely as he lifts his hand, and his fingers brush over her arm.