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Her mask slips. The remainder of my unwanted evening ends the moment mine crashes into hers.

“You think they know that?”

Unable to control myself, my palms find the backs of her legs. Pulling her between my own, the feel of her skin is like instant ice to my fire.

“What makes you think I give a fuck about any other woman?”

Fia’s eyes widen, her pupils shaking as she tries to muster up a witty response.

“I—I…” she stutters, letting herself fall back into my hold.

“You what, Sofia baby?” I grip harder.

If she weren’t here tonight and I had to explain myself, I can only imagine what that would’ve looked like, but contrary to where my head is at, my heart has never once faltered.

My reality may have once been this by default. The flashing lights, distractions from myself. False comfort in the midst of a discomforting life, but I’ve since found comfort.

The only comforting place I’ve ever fucking known is with her.

“I-I just… When I saw—” She freezes, heaving a small hiccup, like allowing herself to finish would hurt too much.

“I know what this may look like, baby, but make no mistake, you are still very much mine, and I have never stopped being yours.”

The strobe light highlights her face as my hand grazes the back of her leg, and with her eyes on mine, it’s like silently we agree—this is more real than we ever expected.

“A better question is, what are you doing here? Still trying to befriend the unworthy?”

Giving me a little eye roll that makes my cock twitch, she looks down at me, staring into my soul through those pretty green eyes.

“No. Contrary to what you may believe, I haven’t always been enemies with everyone I dance with. Tonight just happened to be a night for reconciliation.”

I’m glad it was for one of us.

“I see. Do you want me to take you home now, or would you like to dance a little with your friends?”

“Who said I’m going home with you?”

Her sass is so sweet to me, and for the first time tonight, my mind doesn’t feel all over the place.

I bellow out a deep laugh that makes her scoot closer. Pulling the loop on her denim skirt, she inches near my face just like I want her to. “Go dance for me. When you’re ready for me to take you home, look up this way and tap your cheek twice, yeah?”

“What if you’re not looking at me?”

Smirking, I nip her ear between my lips, and her soft moan pulls me further into her orbit.

“Opened or closed, all I see is you, Sofia baby.”

I finally release her from my grasp, making sure to dust my fingertips along her skin for as long as I can before we break contact.

For the next hour, all I do is watch her and sulk.

Beauty and pain all in one sitting. A captivating vision and a sybarite.

“Think you’re going to look anywhere else but at her tonight?” A deep voice cuts through the loud music, as my oldest brother, Royce, sits beside me on the leather sofa.

“Not much else to look at,” I say, a failed attempt at pretending.

“This the dancer? Sienna’s friend?”