Chapter 8

**Lily**

“Lovely to see you too, Bellissima.”, he says with joy sparking from his eyes and sarcasm in his voice. I feel his fingers trailing down my arm to pick up my hand to dance properly. The other hand I feel going lower to end at the point just above where my dress starts. And considering that that is just above my butt it means that his hand is almost on my butt. His hold on my body while dancing is gentle but firm as if he is still afraid that I will run.

Looking at his eyes I think he is very much aware of the effect he has on me. I just hope that somewhere behind this mask he put on that he is also feeling something. “Let me go, you asshole.”, I spit out at him with narrowed eyes, but my own body doesn’t even believe I really want to. “Sorry, no can do.”, he grins and pulls me closer. His face is now only an inch away from mine. Unconsciously, I lick my lips, and I see his darkened eyes dart to my lips. I feel his thumb making circles on my back, igniting sparks in my lower belly.

“I really wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier.”, he said, dancing and not missing a beat as if the tension I had felt had never been there in the first place. It took a few seconds too long before his words sunk in. “I was out of line, as were my friends.”, he added, bringing me back to that moment in the hallway including the anger I had felt.

“It is not me you need to apologize to, tell it to the waiter you harassed.”, I told him, but then I made the mistake of looking into his eyes again. His clear blue eyes made me forget I was angry. Hell, it made me forget just about anything and I didn’t like that side of me. I didn’t like the effect he had on me, it made me lose control and if there is one thing that I don’t like…

“I did.”, he said. “You did?”, I asked surprised. I really hadn’t expected him to do that. “Yes, that’s what I said just now.” Here he goes joking with me again. I glared at him. He confused me to no end, and he was toying with me. He liked it way too much and I didn’t like it at all. He sighed. “Look, I’m really not that bad of a person. It was a matter of the wrong time and wrong place. So, I’m sorry.” His eyes shone with honesty, and I really wanted to believe him. And what would happen if it wasn’t true anyways. I was not going to meet him again for sure, right? He was in VIP rooms and charity galas, and I was in offices to work. Nevertheless, I was determined to enjoy this dance with him.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I registered that the jazz combo was playing a slow song. I felt him pulling me even closer, borderline appropriate for strangers. I gasped at the feeling of his chest against mine and his hand on my back trailing up and down. He put my both hands on his shoulders, and I clasped them behind his neck. His other hand went to put a strand of hair behind my ear, and his fingers trailed down my neck. I closed my eyes for a second to enjoy the feeling.

As if I got burned, I opened my eyes quickly and searched the room for Noah with my eyes. I felt guilty, even though technically I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I found Noah in a corner standing close, very close to the lady he left me for. “Looking for anyone in particular?”, he whispered in my ear giving me goosebumps all over my body. I swear I felt his nose graze the nape of my neck, making me shiver. “No.”, I stuttered. I curse myself in my head over being able to stutter over a one syllable word. I blame him for making me do it.

I feel one of his fingers going below my dress on my back. I looked into his eyes, and the joyful twinkle was back. He was enjoying making me feel confused. “What do you want from me?”, I asked him. He smiles kindly at me. “I want you to accept my apology.”, he says. “Apology accepted.”, I say and smile back at him. “Thank you.”, he says softly, caressing my cheek with his hand.

We continue to dance in silence, and I revel in his touch. I believe I hear him sigh when the song ends. “Thank you, Bellissima.”, he whispers in my ear. I’m not going to lie, it takes a lot of mental strength to break away from him and to go back to Noah.

Noah is looking at me with a blank gaze in his eyes. He must have seen me with Asshole. “Hey you.”, he says, putting on a mask of cheerfulness. Immediately I feel a pang of guilt, and I now realize that when he touched me intimately at work, I was enjoying the feeling because it had been a long time ago. Unfortunately, I only realize it now, after experiencing how these other two guys make me feel.

“Hi.”, I said to him softly. Noah gives me a friendly hug. “Friends it is right?”, he said with sadness in his eyes and voice. I nod, biting my lip. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to give you the wrong idea.”, I say softly. “It’s okay. I’m a big guy.”, he says with a soft chuckle. I notice Noah taking a minute to compose himself and I feel even more guilty. “Let’s get another glass of champagne.”, he says, and we go to the bar to get ourselves drunk.

I desperately wanted to get rid of all the confusion in my head. I had always thought I knew myself, but tonight has me doubting that. I always thought that I wouldn’t be easily affected by touch or sweet talk. So, I downed the glass of champagne that Noah had given me in one gulp, because I feel betrayed by myself. Noah chuckled at my actions and just handed me another glass. After a few glasses we are back to our usual conversations.

“I will get our stuff and get us a taxi.”, Noah said, and just then did I notice that the party had slowed down quite a bit. “Okay, let me go to the restroom quickly before we leave.”, I replied, and Noah nodded.

I walk into the hallway towards the restrooms, and just when I enter the ladies’ room, I feel someone following me. I turn around to find Asshole close behind me. I opened my mouth to say hello, but before I could say something he pulled me towards him, and I felt his lips on mine. He was kissing me with hunger, demanding me with his lips and tongue to give him more access. I put my hands on his chest to protest, but he didn’t let me distance myself from him. Instead, when I opened my mouth slightly to say something, he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. His hands cradled my face, while he continued to kiss me with urgency, like he would die if he didn’t. I felt my resistance melting away and my hands relaxed against his chest. As a result, Asshole pulled me even closer and one of his hands caresses down my neck and my body to rest at my waist.

I felt him moving us in the room, but his kiss is making me forget about our surroundings, until I feel the counter against my butt. Suddenly, both his hands gripped my thighs and lifted me to sit on the counter without interrupting our kiss. By now I was just as invested in this kiss as he was, so our tongues were battling and tasting each other. My hands were now pulling him closer to me by the lapels of his suit jacket. I felt one of his hands leave my thigh moving up my body to caress my breast. He moved from my mouth to my neck, and he definitely found my sweet spot there. Meanwhile he was fondling and squeezing my breast. “Shit.”, I hear him sigh, loaded with desire.

He continued to suck, nibble and kiss the nape of my neck. One of my hands moved up from his chest to his neck to pull him even closer. I throw my head back in pleasure and it gives him more access. I moan when he roughly squeezes my breast. His movements became rougher, more demanding and with more longing and desire. His hand moved from my thigh to my ass and moved me closer to the edge of the counter and to him. It also made me feel just how much this kiss was affecting him. Thanks to the split in the dress, I felt him through only the thin layer of my underwear. Slowly his hips started to press into me, and I met him halfway, moaning as we did. I hear him grunt at the touch as well. I pulled back his mouth to my lips to taste him there again. It made him move his hips even more urgently and with more pressure. I moaned loudly at the feel of the pressure, and he sucked on my lower lip only to continue the kiss afterwards.

“Boss.”, I heard suddenly, and I jumped of the counter embarrassed wanting to distance myself from this very public display of a lot of affection, but Asshole didn’t let me move away from him. He only groaned at the interruption and rested his head against my forehead for a second. “Boss, we need to go.”, I heard again. “Yeah, one minute.”, Asshole replied annoyed. I heard the door close after that.

He gave me a sweet peck on the lips, and lifted my chin with his finger so that I was looking into his eyes, which are dark with desire. “I will see you again, cara mia.”, he whispered. I was still too stunned by everything that happened to do anything at this point.

He took a step back to rearrange himself in his trousers, and with a playful wink he walked out the door, leaving me behind dazed and trying to wrap my head around what the hell had just happened while I touched my lips.

I snapped back to reality because Noah must be waiting for me. I rushed to the entrance only to find a very annoyed, slightly drunk Noah. “He stole our taxi!”, he yelled angrily, pointing at a very familiar person getting into a car. “Him, that asshole!”