Page 13 of Beautiful Desire

After a few seconds of being lost in a trance, I enter the bathroom and lock the door behind me.

No, no, no.

This can’t be happening. Not here, not withhim. As much as I hate to admit it, one night with that man affected me for a lot longer than I want to acknowledge. If Gia gets wind thatDomisDfrom the wedding, she’s going to have a fucking field day playing matchmaker.

Shit.

I need to get my act together and keep it cool.

It was one night. Don’t make it out to be more than what it is, Elle. You’ve got this.

As I inhale a few deep breaths, my pulse returns to normal. I use the bathroom, still giving myself a pep talk when I leave, hoping I haven’t been away too long to draw too much attention.

Before I round the corner into the kitchen, I stop, take in one last big deep breath, exhale, and walk out there with every ounce of fake confidence my body can muster.

Here. We. Go.

CHAPTER4

DOM

Turning away fromL,I walk back down the hallway and stop just before I reach the kitchen to get my thoughts in order. Leaning against the wall, I tip my head back and expel a deep breath.

Fuck.

Of all the women in the world, my one-night stand, who I haven’t been able to get out of my head, ends up being best friends with Fabi’s wife. The man who I consider to be more like a brother to me.

Elle. A sexy name for a sexy woman. I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit trying to figure out whatLcould stand for, and now I feel like a dumbass thinking she gave me the first initial of her name.

My memory of her pales in comparison to the real-life siren I was face-to-face with just moments ago. She’s still just as beautiful as the night I first laid eyes on her. Her tight clothes, which looked like they were painted on, did nothing to conceal her incredible body. A body I’ve fantasized about for the past two months.

Visions flood my mind of her naked body sprawled out beneath me, her buttery soft skin pressed up against me as I thrust into her. Her luscious blonde locks that my hands itch to touch, combined with her heavenly flowery scent that I swear I can still smell, make my cock twitch. I need to get a hold of myself.

Reaching into my suit jacket, my hand automatically lands on the hard metal object. Closing my fist around the cuff, I close my eyes and am instantly calmer. How this bracelet and this woman have such an effect on me, I don’t know.

“Dom, you good?” I hear Fabi shout from the patio doorway.

I don’t have time for this. I need to pull my shit together.

Inhaling, I stand up straight, fix my suit, and head back in the direction of the kitchen.

“Yeah, sorry. Just had to take a phone call,” I say, greeting Gia with a kiss on the cheek as I step out onto the terrace before taking the glass of scotch from Fabi.

I take one of the empty seats opposite the happy couple, and we fall into easy conversation. A few minutes pass, and I hear the faint sound of high heels as they click against the marbled kitchen floor before she appears in the patio doorway. Her long blonde hair falls freely down her back, gently blowing in the wind.

She’s in a pale pink spaghetti-strapped top, with light blue tight-fitted denim jeans. She flips the black designer sunglasses sitting on top of her head down over her face, avoiding my gaze. My jaw tics, and I clench down hard on my teeth as she takes the empty chair beside me. Her tantalizing scent fills the air around me, making my dick come to life.

“You okay? I was just about to send out a search party,” Gia asks Elle while giggling into her drink.

I turn my head to watch her expression.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replies, keeping her attention focused on Gia and giving her a tight-lipped smile in response.

Sensing an uneasiness in the air, Fabi decides to change the direction of the conversation. “We’re glad to have the two of you here tonight. We wanted to talk to you both about something and this is the perfect opportunity. Especially now that you’ve both met.”

Where the hell is he going with this?

Fabi turns and gazes at Gia with a look in his eye that I have to admit I never thought I would see on this son of a bitch’s face. He continues to stare at her longingly, and I feel like I have somehow interrupted their private time. Fab lifts G’s hand and leaves a swift kiss on the back of it before they turn their attention to us.

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