Page 56 of Little Bird (Advantage Play 3)

Squeezing my eyes shut, I take a deep breath, then open them and search for my protector. When our gazes connect, I watch his jaw tighten, but he doesn’t move a damn muscle.

“He might be staring at me,” I mutter under my breath, “But he hasn’t shrugged away from her, either.”

“Be patient, G. That’s all I’m saying,” she replies before leading me the rest of the way to the first floor. I don’t like that I’ve lost my vantage point of the room, but there’s nothing I can do about it.

After ushering me to the side of the room for a little space to breathe, Ace grabs two glasses of wine from a server and shoves one into my hand.

“Here. Liquid courage.”

“I’m Italian,” I counter. “Which means I’m gonna need an entire bottle.”

Grinning, she quips, “Challenge accepted.” Then she’s gone, and I’m left with a house plant for company with a side of staring from every single person in the room.

I spot Dex through the crowd in his pristine black tux with his short, dark hair slicked back. There’s still a bit of scruff on his face, though, and I kind of love the tiny act of rebellion that accompanies it. If only the X tattoo on his forearm was on display, then I’d be transported back to when we first met, and I could keep him all to myself. Feeling my inspection, his eyes meet mine like a homing beacon before the same girl from moments ago appears beside him. I watch her mouth graze the shell of his ear as she whispers something to him, but the sight quickly disappears when a man in a navy blue suit steps in front of me.

“Regina, I presume?” he asks.

“And you are…?” I return in a cool tone.

“Alessandro Marino. I was a friend of your father’s before he passed.”

Obviously, I want to say, but I keep my snark to myself and ask, “Is that right?”

The name sounds vaguely familiar, and I take my time assessing him a little more closely. He has dark hair and a soft build around the center, not appearing to be overweight by any means, but I can tell he doesn’t spend his time at the gym or doing anything particularly active, either. Tilting my head, I notice that he’s maybe a few inches taller than me if I’m not wearing heels, but today we’re practically the same height. It’s his eyes, though, that get to me. Icy blue and just as cold.

“Yes. I apologize that he never had a chance to formally introduce us.”

There’s something about the way he says it that causes the hair along my arms to stand on end. Brushing my open palms along them, I rock back on my heels and mutter, “Yes. Quite a pity. Excuse me, but––”

“Already running along?” he asks, following my retreat by taking a step closer. His movement nearly pins me against the wall behind me, and my fight or flight instinct threatens to rear its ugly head.

“Well, I—”

“Regina! There you are,” a deep voice calls from a few feet away. Alessandro’s and my head swivels in the same direction to see a stranger stalking closer. I’ve never seen him before, but that isn’t exactly surprising given my history. However, when his mouth stretches into a secret smile, I know that I’m going to like him.

“I believe you owe me a dance.” He offers his arm, and I catch myself taking it without a second thought. I’d do anything to get away from the creeper, and this stranger seems like the best kind of distraction to battle my woes with Dex, so I’m going to call it a win-win.

Leading me to the dance floor, he spins me into his arms then shifts his weight from one foot to the other while keeping a respectable amount of distance between us. The space earns him a few extra brownie points too.

“I’m Matteo, by the way,” he introduces himself with a mischievous smirk. “Looked like you needed a little help back there.”

I don’t miss the fact that he doesn’t mention his last name. It’s peculiar, to say the least. Especially in a setting like this where the weight of a last name can crush adversaries. After a moment of hesitation, I decide to let it go.

“I did, actually. Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“I’m Regina,” I add, remembering my manners. I mean, I know he knows my name, but it still feels weird that I didn’t officially introduce myself.

He grins. “I know.”

The heat from his hand as it rests against my lower back is…weird. It’s apparent he’s making sure to only touch my mid-back, but still. No one has ever touched me like this. Except Dex. My chest tightens as I peek over Matteo’s shoulder in search of him and his floozy in a red dress.

I glance down at the dress I’m wearing that matches the bimbo’s in color. My expression sours, causing a deep chuckle to reverberate through my dance partner.

“You okay there?”

“Mmhmm,” I hum through pursed lips.

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