Page 78 of Thorns of Lust
With a nod, she left and was back in no time with our drinks. We placed our food order and she disappeared just as fast.
“Wow, I’m impressed,” Isabella noted, propping her elbows on the table. “They have superb service. Although slightly snobby if you ask me.”
I shrugged.
The entire room had been lit up and the atmosphere was busy. The buzz of the restaurant wasn’t unpleasant. The ambiance was warm and the music light.
Reluctantly, my eyes went back to that mirror and my eyes widened, noting our hostess disappeared through the hidden door. An awareness touched my skin. A familiar feeling expanded in my stomach. Restlessness grew and this time it had nothing to do with alcohol.
“I need to go to the bathroom,” I told Isabella as I stood up.
“Want me to order something for you if the waiter comes?”
“Yes, whatever you’re having.”
I headed for the bathroom when the same hostess came up to me, appearing out of nowhere. Awareness trickled down my spine and grew stronger with each step I had taken. I glanced around. Nobody was paying attention.
“Can I help you?”
“No,” I told her. “I’m just headed for the restroom.”
“Lovely,” she answered, smiling like her life depended on it. I gave her a double take. “Please let me show you to our VIP bathroom.” I narrowed my eyes.VIP bathroom?That sounded almost like an invitation to the room where forbidden things happen. “This way.”
She pointed towards the glass door and I reluctantly followed through the secret door and down the dark hallway, my heels clicking against the floors. I pushed the door open and entered the most luxurious restaurant bathroom I had ever seen.
Black marble tile gave the room a dark vibe. The waterflow sink ran a constant flow of water into a red porcelain bowl, making it appear like the constant flow of blood. My eyes flicked to my reflection. My messy bun framed my face, my blonde hair in contrast to the black marble. My black Chanel dress fit right in with the black marble.
I put my hands under the flowing water and washed my hands, then dried them off. Truthfully, I didn’t need to use the bathroom. I just needed to shake off the feeling of being watched.
The door opened behind me and I lifted my eyes, meeting the dark eyes I have been avoiding since Washington. A shiver rolled down my spine and he hadn’t even spoken yet.
“Hello, Tatiana. You’ve been avoiding me.”
His voice was velvety, smooth as silk, but with depth to it that sent electricity through every fiber of my being. Even from this position, he exuded an intense masculine vibe and such controls that I itched to ruffle his feathers. That signature smell, citrus and sandalwood, traveled through the air, slowly starting to represent Illias Konstantin and erase Adrian.
Strained silence swept into the bathroom as he watched me with a dark, half-lidded stare. His eyes were too obscure to read, an unsettling conviction in his gaze sending warnings through every cell of my being. Did I run? Heck no.
Turning around slowly, my gaze met his dark one head on. We stared at each other, and a thick tension filled the air. It almost suffocated, draining oxygen in the space that seemed too small for the two of us.
“I haven’t been avoiding you,” I lied with a soft scoff.
“Yes, you have,” he claimed. “And you haven’t been answering my messages.”
I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t have answers,” I snickered. “I mean how many times do you want me to type that up.”
Konstantin’s dark hair was cut shorter than the last time I saw him. His dark suit molded his toned body, accenting his broad shoulders and the crisp lines of his muscular body. It was the kind of body that women swooned over. But most of all, it was the intelligence behind those dark eyes that fascinated me.
He beckoned me with a finger and I shook my head.
“Again, Konstantin, I’m not a dog,” I snarled softly, fighting my legs that wanted to move towards him. This stupid body. I should demand a new one.
“Don’t make me repeat myself, Tatiana,” he purred.
“Or what?” I challenged against my better judgment.
He tilted his head to the side as if he read my thoughts and was entertained. “Or I’ll spank you.”
I blinked. He couldn’t be serious.
